The Bobcat A220 loader has gone into regular production at Bobcat''s Gwinner, N.D., manufacturing facility. Skid steers come in handy for all kinds of chores, and a growing selection of attachments makes them even more useful. Sure, skid steers are still great for moving dirt, but new add-ons make mixing cement, trimming trees, and mulching a snap.Most skid steer manufacturers sell attachments designed specifically for their loaders, but independent companies offer some great products as well. Examples start on page 53.New is nice, but necessary?

Maintaining the machineIf possible, store the washer indoors in the off-season to avoid damage to the pump, hoses and spray wand. Otherwise, winterize them using only antifreeze designed for recreational vehicles (RVs); see Photo 6. When a gas-powered washer won''t be used for a month or more, prevent damage to the engine by draining the system of gas or adding a gas preservative to the fuel tank.1 TO START a gas-powered washer: (1) Clean any debris from the inlet filter. (2) Connect any accessories (like this chemical injector). (3) Run water through the washer for one minute to prime the system and remove any air. (4) Squeeze the spray wand trigger to bleed water pressure, and (5) pull the starter cord to start the engine.

With the merger of R&B Falcon with Transocean Sedco Forex, the latter now owns 57 jackups, 15% of the world''s fleet. The next largest owners are ENSCO (38), Noble (33) and--following its merger with Marine Drilling-- Pride (33). Significant fleets are also owned by Rowan and Santa Fe (24 each), and Global Marine (23). And Diamond Offshore and Nabors list 14 and 13 rigs each. International owners with significant fleets include: Maersk (11), National Drilling Co. of Abu Dhabi (10), Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (8), and Petromar and CONDC with seven each. Including several "subsidiary" classifications, 59 owners are listed this year.

Though light in weight, Airbor magnetic drill has a powerful 1.6-hp air motor and 1,600-lb magnetic holding strength. With its extra rack, stroke length is extended to 10 1/4 in. Annular cutter capacity is up to 2 1/16 in. diam. Geared chuck adapter converts the unit to a standard drill press. The Slugger Air Force pneumatic drill, at 24 lbs, 6 1/4" high, is useful for confined area drilling. The drill''s features include a permanent magnet that turns on or off by air power, a cutter capacity of up to 1 1/16" diameter x 3/4" depth and the ability to use ShortSlugger cutters and frame cutters. These cutters'' geometry allows the operator to drill multi-layered truck frames in a single pass.

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