What skid steer to get.

[Texgasser1]

Not sure if this is the right spot to post this, If not let me know.

I would like peoples opinions on skid-steers. What brands, models, flow rate, years old VS hours, tires VS tracks.

We are looking at purchasing one for farm work and possibly some work for hire.

Would like to be able to run a forestry mulcher, I believe 25+GPM are needed for that.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[Tony in SD]

First thing, Tracks. Don’t even think of wheels. You will be a lot happier. Floatation on mud, traction, and less of a foot print on sensitive areas. Second, high flow hydraulics is always a nice option to have. Third, get the quick tach locks option to engage and disengage the attachments. It is a real time saver and a lot less wear on you. Fourth, brand is more of a personal preference. I have used Bobcat, Cat, Case, John Deere and a few others. The 2 most popular in our area are Bobcat & Cat. The Cats I have used have 2 joy sticks. One for the loader the other for driving. Bobcat has two hand levers for driving and two foot pedals for the loader. I’m tall so both work well for me as long as I remember which one I’m using. If you are short, I’m told the the joy sticks will work better than foot pedals. I think there is a joy stick option for Bobcat but I have not personally used or seen one. The "quick tach" is standard on most all brands. So using other brands of attachments should work most of the time. Bobcat has an electrical plug to operate some of their attachments. I don’t know if that is a standard plug among other brands.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Not sure if this is the right spot to post this, If not let me know.

I would like peoples opinions on skid-steers. What brands, models, flow rate, years old VS hours, tires VS tracks.

We are looking at purchasing one for farm work and possibly some work for hire.

Would like to be able to run a forestry mulcher, I believe 25+GPM are needed for that.

Any input is appreciated.

I was working at a NH dealer and attended a field demonstration where NH introduced their skid steer. They had hand lever speed controls and foot loader controls. I got along with them just fine. They had competitive machines there for everyone to try. Fast forward about 40 years, and I'm in the market for a compact track loader. I looked at a used NH and couldn't believe how awkward it was. I tried a JD 317G and bought it. It's nothing fancy, but does just what I wanted.
I will add to Tony's excellent advice. A wheeled skid steer is made for hard, level surfaces. Don't even think about taking one "out in the field" so-to-speak. Notice I bought a compact track loader. I don't even call it a skid steer. It's really a little dozer.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Rent a few each time you need to use one and see how you get along with it. Best idea I can say then ask about the ones you like. When loading them I found the joystick for the loader to be ok but the foot pedals were awkward to use for me.

 

[Mcrafty1]

Never been in one....I have been told tracks are best in most all cases, but the ride is terrible compared to tires, I'll let those that have run both sort that out. They do make wrap around tracks for the tired machines if a person had a need for both.

 

[RobCons]

First thing, Tracks. Don’t even think of wheels. You will be a lot happier. Floatation on mud, traction, and less of a foot print on sensitive areas. Second, high flow hydraulics is always a nice option to have. Third, get the quick tach locks option to engage and disengage the attachments. It is a real time saver and a lot less wear on you. Fourth, brand is more of a personal preference. I have used Bobcat, Cat, Case, John Deere and a few others. The 2 most popular in our area are Bobcat & Cat. The Cats I have used have 2 joy sticks. One for the loader the other for driving. Bobcat has two hand levers for driving and two foot pedals for the loader. I’m tall so both work well for me as long as I remember which one I’m using. If you are short, I’m told the the joy sticks will work better than foot pedals. I think there is a joy stick option for Bobcat but I have not personally used or seen one. The "quick tach" is standard on most all brands. So using other brands of attachments should work most of the time. Bobcat has an electrical plug to operate some of their attachments. I don’t know if that is a standard plug among other brands.

Are over the tire tracks worth it? It seems they are a compromise between a tracked and wheeled machine.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Look at availability and cost of final drive motors if you see a tracked machine you like.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Never been in one....I have been told tracks are best in most all cases, but the ride is terrible compared to tires, I'll let those that have run both sort that out. They do make wrap around tracks for the tired machines if a person had a need for both.

I can see where those metal-over-the-tire tracks might be rough, but I have not found the rubber tracks to be a detriment to this old body.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I’ve had bobcats growing up and worked on caterpillar skidsteers. Tracks are not as good on concrete. Our cattle lot is concrete so tires are the option they are much cheaper than sets of tracks we have a 262D high flow. It is heavy enough for anything we want to do. We run a post pounder and grapple. We also run a stump grinder and post auger and a concrete hammer from time to time.

Depending on how heavy on the forestry side you want to go and how much you are off road tracks would be better in that situation.

Tracks are worse on solid ice

Tracks are better sneaking out in the snow or anywhere wet

Tracks in wet conditions on fancy people’s lawn will create less rut but it’s still a problem you will get a phone call about if you turn too sharp

I wouldn’t waste my time or money with the tracks on tires. If you don’t have the money for tracks tires are fine

I wouldn’t waste my money on the conversions to semi tires either there was a snowfighter around who was 100 percent on concrete and that thing wouldn’t turn at all. I’m assuming it had slightly better traction on ice but they didn’t stay on long disappeared the 4th time I serviced it. I can’t imagine a truck tire wore very well on a skidsteer.

Tracks will need to be cleaned out with a pressure washer if dirty and muddy if you want them to last a long time

High flow is what you want they will call them a high flow machine.

The caterpillars have optional ride control so when you travel it will take the bumps out and you can drive one handed. They also have the ability now to switch to Case controls by push button so if you need to carefully do something you hit 2 and then you have control of either side of wheels or tracks independently.

Cat will be most expensive you will not have to work on them much they are tough tough tough. Except the paint that will be gone in 10 minutes
Then bobcat and it will be closer than you think to cat price they are a good machine as well. I grew up with foot controls and like them but it got to the point where there wasn’t enough difference in price between them and cat and I had worked on a bunch of them by that point. Our last one was a 873. It was a bit lighter than the cat. It had high flow hydraulics activated by push button as well.
Then case. They are easy to work on you will work on them more.
Then everyone else I’d stay away from

Oh and if you buy their expensive oil at cat it is a 500 hour oil change interval and the 0w-40 is fantastic stuff for starting and any diesels that require 15w 40 normally. It’s very handy to change all filters at once in our case every 2 years.

The last 4 years I have repaired one oil leak other than normal service. For 1000 hours of the beating it gets that’s not bad.

 

[Steve in VA]

Rent a few each time you need to use one and see how you get along with it. Best idea I can say then ask about the ones you like. When loading them I found the joystick for the loader to be ok but the foot pedals were awkward to use for me.

That makes good sense.

 

[Jim.ME]

I agree with the idea of renting different machines to see which on "fits" you the best. Then research dealer reviews, maintenance issues, parts supply, talk to others with machines that run the same or similar attachments, etc. From your description of your plans, you should not be looking for the cheapest machine you can find or rushing a decision.

 

[bc]

I’ve had bobcats growing up and worked on caterpillar skidsteers. Tracks are not as good on concrete. Our cattle lot is concrete so tires are the option they are much cheaper than sets of tracks we have a 262D high flow. It is heavy enough for anything we want to do. We run a post pounder and grapple. We also run a stump grinder and post auger and a concrete hammer from time to time.

Depending on how heavy on the forestry side you want to go and how much you are off road tracks would be better in that situation.

Tracks are worse on solid ice

Tracks are better sneaking out in the snow or anywhere wet

Tracks in wet conditions on fancy people’s lawn will create less rut but it’s still a problem you will get a phone call about if you turn too sharp

I wouldn’t waste my time or money with the tracks on tires. If you don’t have the money for tracks tires are fine

I wouldn’t waste my money on the conversions to semi tires either there was a snowfighter around who was 100 percent on concrete and that thing wouldn’t turn at all. I’m assuming it had slightly better traction on ice but they didn’t stay on long disappeared the 4th time I serviced it. I can’t imagine a truck tire wore very well on a skidsteer.

Tracks will need to be cleaned out with a pressure washer if dirty and muddy if you want them to last a long time

High flow is what you want they will call them a high flow machine.

The caterpillars have optional ride control so when you travel it will take the bumps out and you can drive one handed. They also have the ability now to switch to Case controls by push button so if you need to carefully do something you hit 2 and then you have control of either side of wheels or tracks independently.

Cat will be most expensive you will not have to work on them much they are tough tough tough. Except the paint that will be gone in 10 minutes
Then bobcat and it will be closer than you think to cat price they are a good machine as well. I grew up with foot controls and like them but it got to the point where there wasn’t enough difference in price between them and cat and I had worked on a bunch of them by that point. Our last one was a 873. It was a bit lighter than the cat. It had high flow hydraulics activated by push button as well.
Then case. They are easy to work on you will work on them more.
Then everyone else I’d stay away from

Oh and if you buy their expensive oil at cat it is a 500 hour oil change interval and the 0w-40 is fantastic stuff for starting and any diesels that require 15w 40 normally. It’s very handy to change all filters at once in our case every 2 years.

The last 4 years I have repaired one oil leak other than normal service. For 1000 hours of the beating it gets that’s not bad.

I'd just add that I've seen wheeled loaders cut holes in the ground where you turn around. Just got a couple tracked mini excavators and unloaded one yesterday. Ground is very muddy and whereever I turned it was hard on the buffalo grass. No matter which one you get, they still end up with the stationary track or wheels in the direction you turn pivot in place making a divot. I suppose if you cut kitties with either one both will leave a depression. I'd still prefer the track over good and dry grass.

If you are going to be doing yard work for anyone, then a couple sheets of plywood will be your friend to cross a nice lawn.

 

[jddrawbar]

First thing, Tracks. Don’t even think of wheels. You will be a lot happier. Floatation on mud, traction, and less of a foot print on sensitive areas. Second, high flow hydraulics is always a nice option to have. Third, get the quick tach locks option to engage and disengage the attachments. It is a real time saver and a lot less wear on you. Fourth, brand is more of a personal preference. I have used Bobcat, Cat, Case, John Deere and a few others. The 2 most popular in our area are Bobcat & Cat. The Cats I have used have 2 joy sticks. One for the loader the other for driving. Bobcat has two hand levers for driving and two foot pedals for the loader. I’m tall so both work well for me as long as I remember which one I’m using. If you are short, I’m told the the joy sticks will work better than foot pedals. I think there is a joy stick option for Bobcat but I have not personally used or seen one. The "quick tach" is standard on most all brands. So using other brands of attachments should work most of the time. Bobcat has an electrical plug to operate some of their attachments. I don’t know if that is a standard plug among other brands.

First thing, don't even think tracks if you are on rocky ground!! Contractor rented 2 new JD 333 track machines and they were ruined in less than 2 weeks. They ride much worse than a rubber tired machine. You must have hi-flo to run a good mulcher. If you are in good clean soil with no rocks, tracks will work great, just be prepared to put them back on the rollers when they slip off. My personal machine is a Cat on rubber (rocky ground), and it is a beast. There was a good suggestion made to rent a couple and see which best fits your needs. Cat, JD, Kubota, Case, NH, are the best IMO. Ingersoll Rand sold Bobcat in 2015 and since then they are not near as good. One feature the Kubota has that I really like is the overhead door.....I wish my Cat had that option.

 

[dex4020]

Takeuchi makes a very good skid steer

 

[Texgasser1]

I really appreciate all the output and information I have already received. One question? Most of these responses are 'I believe' dealing with new machines.

What should I look for in terms of a used machine, what wears out first, tell tale signs of being abused and such?

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I really appreciate all the output and information I have already received. One question? Most of these responses are 'I believe' dealing with new machines.

What should I look for in terms of a used machine, what wears out first, tell tale signs of being abused and such?

The bucket pivots, which operate right down in the crap on all of them, get sloppy. Then if a compact track loader- the tracks for obvious wear and tear.

 

[THinAl.]

I’m going to be different from everyone,so far. I have a Takeuchi, track machine. It has the overhead door and that’s one reason I went with a Takeuchi along with good dealer support.

I use mine on our beef cattle farm and my surveying business. We use it to cut line on some survey jobs that have thick vegetation.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I’m going to be different from everyone,so far. I have a Takeuchi, track machine. It has the overhead door and that’s one reason I went with a Takeuchi along with good dealer support.

I use mine on our beef cattle farm and my surveying business. We use it to cut line on some survey jobs that have thick vegetation.

I've heard only good about them. I have a brand prejudice where I purposely try to stay with American name/American made as much as possible. I suspect others may operate the same way without realizing it. If I didn't operate this way I might well have a different line of equipment.

 

[matthies]

I prefer bobcats and don't mind the deere's, but the older Cat's were hard to see the quiktach when changing attachments. Also get the hydraulic quiktach for the attachments. I also like hand controls for driving and foot controls for the attachments.

 

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I run bobcats 40 hours a week. One difference of rubber tire and tracked machines are lifting ability. Tracked machines are much, much more stable with a near capacity load. You can nose over a rubber tire machine easier and a track machine of the identical model number will lift more.