Minnesota-based ASV, now owned by Japanese industrial giant Yanmar, has been busy introducing new compact track loader models this year, debuting its third new machine in early August, the VT75.
The new unit gets 10-foot, 5-inch (3.17 metre) lift height combined with a 2,300-lb. (1,043-kg) rated operating capacity and 6,571-lb. (2,980-kg) tipping load.
“The VT75 is the newest model, but we also launched the RT65 and the VT80,” says Peter Ovrebo, Yanmar Compact Equipment’s director of product management. “This year we’re launching three new models into our product lineup.
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“Both the VT75 and VT80 are 75-horsepower machines. But the VT80 has a slightly higher capacity rating. The vertical-lift VT80 replaced the radial lift RT75. The VT75 replaces the VT70.”
The VT80 manages a little more lift capacity than the model it replaces, but with a lighter chassis.
“The RT75 was also a heavier machine,” Ovrebo adds. “Really, the reason we went to the 80 was to get a more compact footprint in that mid-frame size class rather than having a larger machine.
“When it comes to the undercarriage, that’s kind of what ASV is renowned for,” Ovrebo says.”ASV actually stands for ‘all season vehicle’. The history of that track system kind of goes back to snowmobiles. Our founders were actually in the snowmobile industry.
“Our track system is really different than our competition out there that use a steel-embedded track. Our track is proprietary and it uses poly cords in the track. That helps prevent stretch and cracking and conforms better to the ground. Because of the track material we use at ASV, our undercarriage has to be different too. So the undercarriage is designed specifically for that track.
“We have a suspended undercarriage on all of our models in that mid-frame size class. But when you move to the VT80, it has a completely different undercarriage. It has what we call our dual-level suspension. So not only are there torsion axles, but our bogies, the mid-rollers, are suspended as well.
“It’s all about trying to keep the track on the ground, maximize traction and prevent impact to the machine to reduce wear and fatigue on the operator.”
The ASV brand, purchased by Yanmar five years ago this month and now part of Yanmar Compact Equipment North America, is in the process of incorporating Yanmar engines into ASV’s full product line.
They’ve already been designed into the three new mid-frame models introduced this year, along with the larger VT100 model.
“With the acquisition back in 2019, that’s been a big push,” says Ovrebo. “When you look at the engines Yanmar produces, only 15 per cent of those engines go into Yanmar branded equipment. We’re really excited to offer the Yanmar engine into the new mid-frame size class. And we’re working through other existing models to convert those over to Yanmar engines.”
The three new models are available with an open ROPS operator’s station or an optional all-weather enclosed cab. For the VT80 there is also a forestry cab option, with enhanced protection for the operator.
All three mid-frame models use programmable electric-hydraulic joysticks for machine control.
“It gives the operator the choice to choose their configuration,” Ovrebo says. “So if they want to use the ISO configuration or are coming from a competitive piece of equipment that utilizes the H-pattern style, they have the ability to use that. So it helps reduce the learning curve.”
ASV offers what it calls the SmartAssist-Remote telematics package (SA-R). It provides daily summaries on the work history, maintenance and error code information. It also provides some theft deterrent.
Ovrebo says many of the features on the new models lend themselves well to ag applications — particularly the undercarriage design.
“With our VT80, we’re offering 17.5-inch-wide tracks; that allows us to get really low ground pressure,” he says. “Even though (the machine) comes in at almost 9,000 lbs., we’re only putting about four pounds per square inch onto the ground.
“A big differentiator from the competition is our ground clearance. On most ASV machines we have about 13 inches of clearance.”
All ASV machines come standard with hydraulic quick-attach couplers, making changing attachments fast and easy.
“Also, one other thing that is worth noting is that ASV excels in high auxiliary flow and cooling capacity,” Ovrebo says. “We can run hydraulically powered attachments with high loads and cool the hydraulic system effectively without the need for an aftermarket add-on cooling system. As an example, the VT-80 puts out 34.3 GPM at 3480 p.s.i., almost two g.p.m. more than the closest competitor.”
