“I’d sacrifice any machine in the yard before doing without a skid steer.” These were the words of Athlone dairy and beef farmer, Justin Claffey, having purchased his first Gehl machine over 18 years ago, which he traded for a Manitou 1900R in October 2022.

Working in a mix of confined feeding passages and low sheds, prior to owning a skid steer, Justin worked as best he could with a Ford 7740 and Tanco front loader.

Today Justin milks just over 60 cows outside the town of Athlone, Co Westmeath. Every year, a number of dairy beef calves are kept and carried through to finishing.

Before the skid steer’s arrival, daily winter tasks tended to be quite laborious and time-consuming. Back then, at least an hour could have been lost daily between manually scraping slats and feeding silage, where 20 minutes does all today.

In 2006, Justin purchased a second-hand Gehl 5625 which was soon kitted out with a suite of attachments. These included a bucket, shear grab, sweeping brush, bale forks and a yard scarper.

Why Manitou?

Having had a trouble-free 16 years with his Gehl 5625, Justin knew it was nearing a stage where it was going to require a fair amount of maintenance, particularly with one of its wheel motors. Being one of the most crucial machines on the farm, Justin decided to weigh up his options and price changing the skid steer.

“I wasn’t going to be moving away from the Manitou group of brands. Given that they’re all the same machines, be it just dressed in different colours, it was going to be a Gehl, Mustang or a Manitou. I wanted to stick with what I knew, so no other brand interested me.”

In search of a slight increase in power and lift capacity, he priced a Manitou 1900R. Mid-Louth Garage were the most keen and, and having taken him to see an existing machine in action, a deal was done and his Gehl was traded.

The machine

Justin opted for the 1900R, the model just above the 1650R and the 2054/2050 Mustang models of old. Keeping things simple, Manitou’s model numbering relates to the machine’s unballasted operating capacity in pounds (lbs), with the R relating to radial lift.

The 1900R has a rated lift capacity of 861kg, which is bumped up to 957kg when fitted with the optional counterweight. The 1900R has an unladen weight of 3,121kg and a maximum lift height of 4.01m when fully raised.

Engine

Powering the 1900R is a 69hp, four-cylinder Yanmar engine. This non-turbo setup sits neatly behind the cab, with all filters and fluid fill points easily accessible for servicing. “People talk about newer engines being more confined and harder worked on compared to older engines.

"To be fair, the service points on the 1900R are much easier accessed than they were on the old Gehl machine. Open the door and everything is right in front of you. From a maintenace point of view, it’s well thought out,” Justin explained.

By removing a locking pin, the radiator swings out too for cleaning or improved engine access. The cab is hinged to tilt backwards via gas struts, allowing access to the main hydraulic pump.

Hydraulics

As with the majority of its larger skid steer models, Manitou offer two hydraulic options – standard flow (70l/min) and high-flow (119l/min), the latter more suited to the construction industry.

Justin’s machine was specified with the optional high-flow line, although it’s not a feature he tends to use. He complimented the pressure-relieving third service coupling block, which allows for a leak free coupling process of the flat faced fittings.

“Our old machine was a high flow model too, but we never saw a use for it. It was too fast for typical farmyard tasks. The standard flow on the 1900R even at engine idle is enough to work the shear grab and sweeper.”

Justin’s machine is equipped with the selectable self-levelling lift function, which he feels leaves the handling of pallets easier and Hydraglide Ride Control 3, boom suspension feature.

He feels the latter is better suited to tasks such as road grading or sweeping, allowing the boom to float parallel with the surface. However, if engaged accidently at a height, the boom can drop to the ground if not careful.

Justin’s loader is fitted with the more common skid steer-type headstock, with a manual lever to engage its locking pins.

Cab

The 1900R comes with three control options. The first is mechanical hand/foot control. This system uses levers to control the drive and pedals to control the loader functions. The second uses T-bar controls, using two levers, each of which can be pushed forward and twisted. The left lever controls drive, while the right lever controls the loader.

The final system is the pilot-control joysticks, similar to the T-bar system, with the left joystick controlling drive and the right controlling the loader.

Third services are electronically controlled by means of a toggle switch. Justin opted for the joystick controls.

Switches and buttons inside the cab are minimal, with the hour meter being the only digital display. Once engine revs have been set with the dial, the foot throttle can be used to override if more revs are required.

The parking brake and hydraulic locking function engage automatically every time the body restraint is lifted, helping to prevent a potential accident.

Optional cab specs include side windows, a front door, various seating options, heating/air con and hydraulic attachment locking/unlocking. Justin did however opt for the side windows.

One of the few faults Justin has found with the machine is the access to and from the cab, particularly the deep step down into the footwell.

Transmission and tyres

While Manitou do offer an optional two-speed drive, Justins’s 1900R is equipped with the standard single-speed hydrostatic drive sourced from Poclain.

In its standard form, maximum forward speed tops out at 12.6km/h, while the optional two-speed setup peaks at 19.5km/h.

As is the case with most skid steer users, the lack of forward speed isn’t seen as an issue. For the most part, and in Justin’s case, the skid steer never leaves the farmyard.

“It’s not a machine for anything other than concrete or a compacted stoned surface ideally.”

Within the chassis, there are two wheel motors (one on either side), positioned centrally between the front and rear wheels.

Manitou uses a double chain drive to transfer motion to the wheels. This design is said to distribute forces more evenly, while the tensioning of the chains is just a matter of moving the stub axles away from each other along a slotted holes.

As standard, Justin’s machine came supplied on 10x16.5 HD tyres, which he said were poor quality.

Having lasted just 300 hours, he decided to upgrade to BKT Power Trax HD tyres which he said are considerably more expensive, but much harder wearing and show little sign of wear after 100 hours.

“Now, over 18 years with a skid steer in the yard, I simply wouldn’t work without one.

“The 1900R is the ideal size and has lots of power. Aside from traveling at max speed, I never need to rev the engine fully.

“It’s in use every day, but never for long durations – maximum 30 minutes at a time. I’ve 400 hours clocked up now.

“The joysticks leave it lovely to operate. With the 4ft 6in Johnston shear grab, I can feed the full herd of cows for two days in roughly 15 minutes. The same job would have taken well over 30 minutes with a front loader.

“A full tank of diesel often lasts up to four weeks, which at today’s prices breaks down to just €16 a week. I don’t think there’s any other machine that would do the same job as well for that price,” said Justin.