POWER DENSE TRANSMISSION FOR THE LARGEST STAND-ON SKID STEER BY DITCH WITCH

The inventor of the mechanical trencher, Ditch Witch® takes pride in its orange blood, independence and global presence. The company has expanded its offering over the decades, adding directional drills, vacuum excavators and stand-on tracked skid steers. In 2019, they launched their largest stand-on skid steer yet, the SK3000. They called on Poclain Hydraulics to provide outstanding power density, bringing the machine to the same level as the traditional skid steers of its class.

Ditch Witch SK3000

Meet the SK3000, the largest stand-on skid steer

A no-compromise machine, the SK3000 is powerful and nimble at the same time. It can lift as much as 3,100 lbs, 50% more than its closest stand-on competitor. As for being nimble, it weighs only 7,600 lbs, much less than skid steers with cabs, which allows transport without a CDL. It’s only 57 inches wide, easy to get on and off, and its stand-on operator platform provides 360° visibility. The SK3000’s features are particularly appealing to arborists, landscape and hardscape professionals who work in wooded and confined areas. While they might have needed two machines in the past because of a narrow entrance, they can now carry out the job from start to finish with a single machine.

Poclain Hydraulics, a historical partner of Ditch Witch

Poclain Hydraulics Inc. District Sales Manager, Mike Arnold has been visiting Ditch Witch for 14 years and worked closely with them on several projects. Poclain Hydraulics motors run today on some of the OEM’s directional drills, rock wheels and trencher attachments. So, when the time came to select a drivetrain for the SK3000, their most demanding skid steer yet, they naturally turned to Poclain Hydraulics.

Ditch Witch Senior Design Engineer, Brant Kukuk designed with Mike and the engineering team a system consisting of a tandem PM30 pump and two MSE03 motors. “With the SK3000, we hope to break into the traditional skid steer market. The Poclain Hydraulics drivetrain contributes to the machine’s outstanding features. We like its superior pressure and torque capabilities, in a compact and price-competitive package. During field testing, we also realized that the system provides minimal sound disturbance. Besides, the pump and motor are optimal at working together. And single-sourcing means there can be no finger-pointing if there is contamination.” In addition to technology, the tight relationship counts a lot to Brant. “Poclain Hydraulics gave us components to test their integration on our prototype machines, and they stayed involved during the 1,000-hour lab and field testing. If we had a problem, Poclain Hydraulics always came up with a solution.”

The SK3000 is available in Ditch Witch’s expansive North American dealership network, as well as in Australia, from the beginning of 2020. It will no doubt disrupt the stand-on skid steer and CTL markets, and bring higher productivity to landscaping and hardscaping projects.

Learn more about Poclain Hydraulic's offering for SSLs and CTLs. Download our skid steer and compact track loader brochure.