ForConstructionPros.com

With skid steers being offered in increasingly bigger and beefier proportions, is there still room on the jobsite for the compact tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB)?

When it comes to versatility, both machines top the charts. There are numerous attachments available for each machine, and many of them can be used interchangeably on both. But despite what they have in common, compact TLBs and skid steers each command a niche on the jobsite that makes them irreplaceable.

Just what is a compact TLB?

Most sources agree that a compact tractor-loader-backhoe is one with a digging depth of 12 feet or less and a horsepower rating at or below 80. Doug Dahlgren with Allmand Bros., however, says the classification has more to do with weight, size and maneuverability.

"What makes a TLB compact isn't so much the horsepower and digging depth as it is the weight and maneuverability," he says. "Being able to easily move a machine on the jobsite or from job to job is a huge part of what makes the machine compact. It means not needing a CDL license and a big truck simply to transport the equipment. Anybody with a 3/4-ton pickup and an automotive trailer can haul a piece of compact equipment around."

Because of their small footprint, compact TLBs are uniquely suited for applications in confined spaces and wherever it's important to protect the turf from damage. These machines are ideal for fertilizer mixing/loading applications inside storage buildings with confined space. Concrete contractors use loaders inside existing structures for removing spoils with buckets and bringing in new materials with pallet forks. They are used on construction and demolition sites as well as for nursery, landscaping and golf course maintenance. They are also used by recycling and utility company repair crews and for snow removal and more.