Power unit with salt spreader and salt spreader for use therewith

A powered vehicle comprising:

• a powered vehicle having differential steering;
• a frame having a front end and a rear end;
• a pair of front wheels mounted proximate the front end of the frame;
• a pair of rear wheels mounted proximate the rear end of the frame;
• a weight transfer system provided on the powered vehicle;
• a hitch assembly provided as a part of the weight transfer system;
• wherein the hitch assembly is located proximate the front end of the frame and is adapted to engage an attachment to the powered vehicle and to position the attachment forwardly of the pair of front wheels, and wherein said engaged attachment has a weight;
• wherein the weight transfer system is operable to selectively transfer at least some of the weight from the attachment and in a direction moving rearwardly towards the rear end of the frame;
• wherein the at least some of the weight of the attachment is moved onto the pair of front wheels;
• and
• wherein the hitch assembly is selectively pivotable about a pivot axis, and wherein the weight transfer mechanism is operable to selectively change a position of the pivot axis relative to a longitudinal axis of the frame of powered vehicle, where the longitudinal axis extends between the front end and the rear end of the frame.

A powered vehicle comprising:

• a powered vehicle having differential steering;
• a frame having a front end and a rear end;
• a pair of front wheels mounted proximate the front end of the frame;
• a pair of rear wheels mounted proximate the rear end of the frame;
• a weight transfer system provided on the powered vehicle;
• a hitch assembly provided as a part of the weight transfer system;
• wherein the hitch assembly is located proximate the front end of the frame and is adapted to engage an attachment to the powered vehicle and to position the attachment forwardly of the pair of front wheels, and wherein said engaged attachment has a weight;
• wherein the weight transfer system is operable to selectively transfer at least some of the weight from the attachment and in a direction moving rearwardly towards the rear end of the frame;
• wherein the at least some of the weight of the attachment is moved onto the pair of front wheels;
• wherein the weight transfer system includes a rate transfer mechanism and the rate transfer mechanism includes:
• a slot defined in a side plate of the hitch assembly, said slot including a first recess, a second recess and a third recess;
• and
• an adjustment bolt selectively receivable through the slot;
• and wherein the adjustment bolt is selectively movable between the first recess, the second recess, and the third recess to select one of the first position, the second position, and the third position of the rate transfer mechanism, respectively.

A skid steer comprising:

• a frame;
• a ground-contacting translation assembly provided on the frame;
• differential steering composed of left and right drive control levers, wherein the left drive control lever controls a portion of the ground-contacting translation assembly on a left side of the skid steer and the right drive control lever controls a portion of the ground-contacting translation assembly on a right side of the skid steer;
• a weight transfer system provided on the skid steer;
• a hitch assembly provided as a part of the weight transfer system;
• wherein the hitch assembly is located proximate a front end of the frame and is adapted to engage an attachment to the skid steer and to position the attachment forwardly of the translation assembly, and wherein said engaged attachment has a weight;
• wherein the weight transfer system is operable to selectively transfer at least some of the weight from the attachment and in a direction moving rearwardly towards a rear end of the frame;
• and
• wherein the at least some of the weight of the attachment is moved onto the translation assembly.