Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[Mark Bolam]

Ouch Alex!

 

What are peoples thoughts on the Cast Worky Quads?

 

Big pluses for me are really narrow access capability and extremely local dealer, but I haven’t demo’d one yet.

[John Shutler]

On 05/12/2021 at 19:47, Mick Dempsey said:

Got a feeling the stump grinder will underwhelm.

if its anything like the stump grinder I had on my boxer skid steer it'll be fairly dire

[AHPP]

How easily they tip?

Not very easily at all. They’re good machines. I tipped both fully knowing I was pushing limits. The diesel one I properly turtled hooning it round a downhill corner on a bank, the absolute worst manoeuvre for a thing like these. The petrol one yesterday I clamped a standing tree, step cut it and tried to drive off with it like an umbrella. Tree was too big. Had ample time to put it down etc but was trying to save it to see what could be achieved. I’m at my proving ground, where I test stuff to see what I can get away with. It doesn’t matter if I lose time or break anything (squashed a shit stock fence on this occasion). Dad just shouts at me for a bit but he enjoys that anyway.

[AHPP]

Ouch Alex!

Someone enquired about the bruising to my ego. Absent. Gave me and a pair of visiting friends a laugh and now I know the trick for clearing a locked engine. I probably wouldn’t have been so chipper about it if I’d goosed it of course but there you go.

[doobin]

14 hours ago, John Shutler said:

if its anything like the stump grinder I had on my boxer skid steer it'll be fairly dire

I have a madcap plan in my head for a loader/excavator mounted grinder, powered by an auxillary Loncin 30hp petrol engine. Should give a relatively cheap and capable grinder that you can run on a loader and then of course you can also remove the grindings with the grab bucket. Extra ££

[doobin]

15 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

Ouch Alex!

 

What are peoples thoughts on the Cast Worky Quads?

 

Big pluses for me are really narrow access capability and extremely local dealer, but I haven’t demo’d one yet.

I demo'd both, and prefered the Sherpa. Easier controls (although you'd just need a couple of longer levers on the Quad). It handled the same load (60kg forks and 9 bags of 20kg postmix) much better than the Quad, which was very tippy like that and also very twitchy on the steering levers,

 

The Sherpa was on skinny tyres, yet felt more stable than the Quad on wide wheels. I demo'd the yellow Sherpa, which has a slightly bigger pump and better drive motors. It easily spun all four (slightly flat) wheels offroad whilst pushing into a pile of crushed concrete, without really loading the engine down! That was the decider for me. Everything was effortless with the Sherpa, the Quad would do it but was harder work to operate and more tippy.

 

Pricewise the yellow Sherpa is around 12k, the red one 11k. The basic petrol Quad was 13k, maybe 13.5. I went into this without any intention whatsoever of buying on price, which is why I demoed both.

 

The Quad is a more modern design, and looks well built. The hitch is better- the same design as a Multione or Avant. Both have auto levelling. The Sherpa by comparison is a much more dated design, but plenty of steel where it counts.

 

I decided I'd have to live with 760 width rather than 740.

Edited December 15, 2021 by doobin

[AHPP]

I have a madcap plan in my head for a loader/excavator mounted grinder, powered by an auxillary Loncin 30hp petrol engine. Should give a relatively cheap and capable grinder that you can run on a loader and then of course you can also remove the grindings with the grab bucket. Extra ££

I’m thinking about a flail/mower on similar principles. They probably exist.

[doobin]

20 hours ago, AHPP said:

 

Someone enquired about the bruising to my ego. Absent. Gave me and a pair of visiting friends a laugh and now I know the trick for clearing a locked engine. I probably wouldn’t have been so chipper about it if I’d goosed it of course but there you go.

There's really not a lot to go wrong with these little loaders.

[AHPP]

There's really not a lot to go wrong with these little loaders.

I concur. A lot more stuff on a Microbull. Some more capability but a lot more stuff.

[Will C]

Can the Sherpa run a flail etc?