COMPACT UTILITY LOADERS - A COMPACT HYDROSTAT FOR KUBOTA’S SCL1000

Poclain Hydraulics hydrostats are helping Kubota’s SCL1000 drive onto the compact utility loader scene. Compact utility loaders deliver big performance and power in a small versatile package. It’s no wonder the demand for these machines continues to grow. To learn more about the project and share what Kubota is bringing to the table with the SCL1000, Poclain Hydraulics interviewed Tim Boulds, Kubota Tractor Corporation’s construction product operations manager and Jason Carlson, LandPride, product design engineer.

What Are Users and Dealers Looking for in a Compact Utility Loader?

Agility and versatility were at the top of the list when LandPride and Kubota consulted dealers and customers to understand the unique market needs for compact utility loaders. This research lead Kubota to the development of their SCL1000, Kubota’s new addition to the compact utility loader market. “Kubota is always evaluating the needs of the market and our dealers. In our market research, we determined that there was opportunity for our dealers and Kubota to be successful with a product like a compact utility loader,” Tim shared.

Jason Carlson gave us some insight into the market needs they discovered, “In designing the SCL1000, we knew our customers needed the ability to fit through a 36 in. gate to easily access backyards without tearing down a fence line. Also, other important features included low ground pressure with wide tracks in a narrow machine configuration.”

The Challenge: Small Size, Big Speed

The compact size was not the only challenge the machine presented – speed is also very important in this application. “Speed was also another must-have feature – the ability to go as fast as possible for maximum productivity. Kubota delivered on that with best-in-class 4.9 mph travel speed.” Jason continued.

According to Jason, “Customers also wanted to be able to operate the auxiliary hydraulics without having to remove their hand from the loader control joystick, and we have incorporated the proportional auxiliary control buttons into the joystick.”

LandPride and Kubota challenged Poclain Hydraulics to deliver a hydrostat capable of meeting their performance demands with respect to ground drive specifications and fitting in the 36 in. wide chassis.

PM10 Tandem Hydrostat

Poclain Hydraulics proposed a tandem PM10 closed-loop pump controlled by hydraulic pilots. To control this hydrostat, a small hydraulic pilot control valve is mounted up by the operator station. It is very easy to move – as the operator moves it, the valve sends hydraulic pressure to a cylinder inside the pump that moves the swashplate back and forth – allowing for easy direction changes.

The PM10 pump is a very compact hydrostat solution. According to Jason, this is how Poclain Hydraulics helped him meet one of his design challenges, “In terms of design challenges, the 36” width requirement limited the compartment size available to hold the hydrostat. We needed a compact hydrostat that met our ground drive specifications. The PM10 was able to meet our performance demands and fit in the compartment.”

The PM10 features an integrated flushing valve. It takes oil out of the loop and sends it to a cooler and filter to help keep the hydraulic system operating at the right temperature. The integrated flushing valve and tandem configuration option are two space-saving features Jason appreciated during the design process saying, “They reduced the need for external plumbing work.”

For a high performance system package the PM10 pump can be paired with Poclain Hydraulics wheelmotors - MS02 or MS05 and a gear pump for the attachment.

What are Customers Saying?

Concerning initial feedback from customers, Jason shared, “Customers enjoy the drive experience on the Kubota SCL1000. They find the controls easy to learn and easy to operate. Operators become comfortable with the machine controls quickly due to its intuitive layout and are more productive quicker.”

Poclain Hydraulics Experts

Sales and hydraulic expertise also came into play in this project. Jason shared “The biggest challenge we overcame thanks to Poclain Hydraulics was […] an extremely tight development timeline.” Jason went on, “We needed to have a working prototype in less than a year, and we had a start of production goal of less than three years. Poclain Hydraulics was able to get us up to speed very quickly, and they were able to meet our prototype availability needs.” Jason shared that Poclain Hydraulics experts were “a wealth of knowledge and a good resource when I had any type of question related to the hydrostat. Their support and expertise were very beneficial with me being new to hydrostatic transmission design.”

He goes on to share, “With our very tight prototype and production timeline, Poclain Hydraulics was able to deliver, which distinguished them from the other hydrostat competitors.” When we asked about his plans regarding Poclain Hydraulics, he shared “Yes, I plan to consider using Poclain Hydraulics hydrostats and possibly motors in the future.”

For more information on our solutions for compact utility loaders - contact your sales person directly.