who is the skid steer expert?

[MrMorgan]

I'm considering buying a skid steer to do some work around my place. I have 3\4 of an acre of sand to play with and lots of rock to move. I can wrack up a pretty high rental cost, so I thought it might be better to buy one to finish the job and then either put it to work or sell it to re-coup the cash.

I am looking at compact track loaders since they work so well in the sand, but after this job I would have an easier time putting a wheeled one to work on snow removal etc. I have also heard that it tougher to sell the track loaders.

Seems to be only five brands, Cat, Bobcat, ASV, Deere, and then variations of Takeuchi (mustang, etc.)

Durability is the most important followed by availability of parts and their costs. Any first hand knowledge from guys who have run them would help.

Cheers.

 

[boots]

i like using the Mustang... but i think you need to try a few some have the control on the stick and some are your feet

 

[Sparky's]

At work we run Bobcat and JD skid steers on tracks. I wouldnt consider the wheel driven kind for pushing dirt and gravel. Comes to snow removel they work just fine. If you can find a Cat they seem to hold there value the best, besides the Bobcat. The JD has manual ran controls, where as the most now have power over hyd controls(better for the long day at work). Take your time to conseder what your going to do with it and how long you may wish to keep it. If your wanting to keep over a long time maybe new could the best idea. Just some ideas for you to think about! Cheers

 

[maxwell]

ii know the sand your talking about.....wheels wont work well

i also find the track machines easier to hold a grade in the bumps etc.

i dont think you will have an issue with a track machine i beleive they fail on the asphalt etc..

but im not a doctor or an expert....i just know wheel skidsteers + sand = bad news and busted trucks trying to pull them out

 

[MrMorgan]

yeah, I figure the tracks are the way to go. Otherwise I'll end up digging out more that working. Or I'd end up buy the track over wheel system and there goes the savings. I've used the JD and the controls are stiff compared to everything else that has gone joystick. It's tough to go back, yet lots of people still love their deere. I am reading that some have more plastic and rubber in the skids than others. ASV has some good sales pitches and price point, but I don't know much about them. The youtube videos are funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjYT8lQN6YU

 

[gotboost]

Well i have bobcats and the t 190 would be a good one for your job i have had zero issues with them

 

[byronkentgraham]

My nephews grandpa own a rental business in Brooks(B&N Sales and Rentals) and says Bobcats are the only way to go. Best attachments, best built, and will last the longest. And remember these are rental units so they get bagged to piss.

 

[Redturbo]

You missed Case, there a big name in skid steers, also New Holland makes a nice machine.

 

[gibsons]

I've been running skidsteers for years. started with bobcats in the mid 90's up till around 2003, since then we have switched to cat which in my opinion have been a far greater machine. maintenance on our bobcats were alot higher and maintenance on the cats were extremely low except for your normal services. Our bobcats are done at bout 3-3500 hrs and cats hit minimum 5000 hrs. If you buy cat just make sure if it's a track that it has the new under carriage, back around 2009 the track undercarriages were crap. another suggestion would be to buy a rubber tire skidsteer and go with a VTS track system, that way when you want a new unit you can put the tires back on and slap the tracks on a new rubber tire without dishing out the extra coin for a track skidsteer. also its nice to pull the tracks off in the winter and run the tires for snow removal.

 

[gibsons]

we also have a komatsu. tonnes of pushing power but crap for lifting. also the cab is crap, doesn't seal well and cold in the winter. it's been reliable though. Case are suppose to be decent but i havent ran them since early 90's. but i would look at them before bobcat.

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

We currently have about 65 skid steer's, have ran Bobcats for years, they're still a nice machine but the quality control isn't there so the cost of repairs is higher....have had Case, JD, ASV but currently have standardized on the more expensive Cats.....

Now regarding tires vs tracks.....they are really two very different machines with different intended use. Tracks are way more costly to purchase and more costly to maintain and repair. For those reasons the resale market is smaller.

If you need the flotation they are the only way to go, just like any purchase understand what your going to use it for and attempt to purchase the right machine for the application.

We have had several sets of VTS tracks....they also wear out fast and are harder to get parts, also expensive....if your doing your own repair work and work for free then putting them on and off as needed isn't a big cost, on a job site this can run up the bills very quick and or wind up with the tracks being used in area's that they weren't need and they get prematurely worn out ....

Tire's even the right tire for the application makes a huge difference in job costs....are you working sticky on one type of surface or on several different surfaces....we usually foamfill are rubber tired units that are on construction sites...saves downtime re flats....but it's a much rougher ride and tire's wear out faster if they see a lot of asphalt, these we re-cap if the side walls are in one piece.

The type of hand control and or foot control vs hand control well this is operator preferences.....

Back a number of years ago in the rental business there was always a question " Can anyone run one of these" the answer...."I can show anyone how to drive a skid steer in minutes....you want to be an operator....it takes practice" and more practice....."

We currently have some used Cat skid steers for sale.....

2003 Cat 262 74 hp vertical lift boom
2003 Cat 246 74 hp std boom
2005 Cat 277B tracked

We will also have a Bobcat T300 tracked unit for sale soon....

PM me if your interested....

 

[Scrambled]

Yup everyone has there own opinion,Me its Bobcat all the way,I run them myself so I take care of them,maintanace cost for mine have been nill,just the usuall tires tracks and filter and fluid changes,Ive been operating them all [skid steers]for 23 years now and have used all the major brand but still love my bobcats the most,the cats are good to but more money and not as good visability to me,Im old school I much prefer the foot controls over all others but you have to be Quordanated to do it but I find it much more finessfull,thats my opinion though.

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

Yup everyone has there own opinion,Me its Bobcat all the way,I run them myself so I take care of them,maintanace cost for mine have been nill,just the usuall tires tracks and filter and fluid changes,Ive been operating them all [skid steers]for 23 years now and have used all the major brand but still love my bobcats the most,the cats are good to but more money and not as good visability to me,Im old school I much prefer the foot controls over all others but you have to be Quordanated to do it but I find it much more finessfull,thats my opinion though.

I definitively agree re the foot controls, for me ...but have noticed the excavator operators and even the younger guys like the all hand control units more....re the operating cost, we to have Bobcat on the farm and don't have the same problems we do at work...why because we also keep closer eye on them...as all of our equipment .....at work we have a great preventive maintenance program but it's only as good if it's followed....some sites are better then other but for the beat it up and never look back crowd our repair costs at 5000 hours equaled the purchase cost....it wasn't always like that with Bobcat seems after Melroe sold it to IR things went down hill with the quality control....we just seem to have hos, heater, AC problems. Steering going out of alignment issues and the hyd interlock's and electronic solenoids failing far to often. To date knock on wood the cats are costing less to run....

Question "which skid steer is the best"

Answer " At the end of the day they all break if you don't look after them"

Sit in the seat, look around, review your application, look at the accessibility to the major components. ( re they all break comment)

Is ground speed important
Lift capacity
Vertical lift vs radial lift
Tires vs tracks
manual attachment or electronic
Aux hyd power
Aux hyd Case drain ( required for some hyd attachments ie mulches, asphalt grinders )
Longer wheel base vs short wheel base ( short turns better, longer is more stable )
re-sale
last ...price....

 

[Cyle]

Only ever operated a Case, definatly like them though. 2001 75XT has 5500 hours and the only issues have been one drive motor, two hoses rubbing and breaking, the brake and last winter the nut on the axle shaft came off and wasn't to fun...... Pretty decent in 6 years of concrete work, which is probably one of the hardest uses a skidsteer can see. But the old 1845C is probably one of the toughest skidsteers ever built, had 10,000 hours when it was sold and the only problem it ever had was from the operator. Won't hear of to many issues with the 1845C. The newer one has a lot easier life and has had a ton more issues.

A lot of it is the operators though, I know one person with a bobcat 185 I believe, $10,000 in repairs in the last year. Couldn't believe it until I seen how they use it. Don't idle it town, starts and stops at full throttle. But only when the boss isn't around . Being hard on equipment and not knowing it is one thing, but doing it and not caring is another

 

[Riverjet]

Ten years as a Bobcat Technician and five as a Thomas Technician. Bobcat builds nice stuff but Thomas are way simpler and cheaper to repair.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Operated Case, Bobcat, JD and Kubota,.. liked the Kubota the best,.. but they only come in rubber track.

 

[BIGFOOT]

Operated a few different machines over the years... Took my time looking when buy time. Cat was my final pick.

 

[rzrgade]

I have had great luck with New holland love the longer wheeelbase and scissor boomlift. Not the most nimble but major push and lift....Depends what you plan to do with it...Case are a very solid proven unit as well.

 

[barefooter]

Wonder if I could get some advice on this topic as well. I am looking for something to use around my place for pushing snow and a little bucket work in the summer. I would also be using a set of pallet forks. If I use it for snow it would likely be a blade and not a bucket.

Right now I have a little JD tractor that I have a blade attachment for the bucket. It is a little light on lifting power so I would like to upgrade there and a bobcat might a good fit. I have been using my neighbor's this winter and the maneuverability is amazing compared to the tractor.

My only issue is that I use a brush cutter quite a bit in the summer to keep the trails under control at our place. Is there anything that's you can use on a skid steer for this? I don't need a mulcher as it is mostly grass.

As it will mostly personal - I would likely buy a used one. What kind of hours are too much on a machine?

I would likely use it 50 - 75 hrs a year?



---
I am here:

 

[Brian D.]

I had a look at all of them this last fall. I ended up going with a 2007 Case 420. Brother-in-law is a heavy duty mechanic and says they are all comparable and mostly reliable if maintained properly. Just boils down to personal preference and what feels good to you.