Tier 4 Final compliance is one example. While flexibility in the EPA’s program allows some manufacturers to bring some models into compliance at a later time, for the most part skid steer loaders had to meet Tier 4 Final standards as of January 1, 2015.
Another example is the configuration of optional cabs; they’re bigger, quieter, and cleaner. Controls are our third example: foot pedals, levers, and joysticks are offered.
Joystick control patterns can be changed by flipping a switch or via an in-cab touch-screen monitor. With so much standardization, what besides paint color and decals separate one manufacturer’s machines from those of another? And do those differences matter?
Marketing materials and advertising often tout the simplicity of a machine’s emissions control system. The implication is that this machine from this manufacturer is simpler and therefore less costly and easier to maintain than a competitor’s.
