why do people think caterpillar...

[jlmtractor]

ok i just want to people why people (especially here in SC) always go with caterpillar for skidsteers. I mean there rental and machines cost more than a BOBCAT. But there are cons of the cat skidsteers like the tracks they are prone to skid off and they are extremely thin. I am just wondering. there trackhoes and dozers are the best and you cant beat them but its like no one goes and researches equipment before buying they just go drive the skidsteer and decide they like it. I guess i just want to know why so many people go with caterpillar compact equipment?

 

[jlmtractor]

sorry didnt catch the mistake until after i posted it i meant i just want to know why people

 

[Anonymous-0]

They built a reputation early on, 50-60 years ago parts network and quality that would last, but things have changed in modern times compared to then, the name is still associated with that. It's not like they have not had competition either, kind of a broad question, with all the other manufacturers to consider they still provide a good dealer/parts/service network. Hard to say how people decide what's the best value, everyone has their own take on that.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Neighbor got a compact Cat. tractor and was bragging and saying how it was better than my New Holland which is built in Japan by Shibura. I showed him where his Cat was built by Iseki.

 

[ericlb]

broad question, simple answer, caterpiller builds very good quality equipment first, second their parts and service support is second to none, at least around here, if we break something on any of our cat stuff, they have the part, usually in stock, its here the next day, if the thing needs a factory trained mechanic, he's usually here the next day, and will fix it,and get it back to work

 

[RobMD]

I don't know but here is what dumbfounds me. CAT stock went up $6.50 a few days ago. With oil prices and stuff, how the heck are they managing sales increases?

 

[John M]

I guess maybe the fact that the engine, possibly, is built right here in the upstate. I know when I worked there they had some small engines, just dont know what they went in.Come to think of it, Im not sure what any of them went in.

 

[John (C-IL)]

The sales thing is easy, they sell all over the world and with the cheap dollar they are very competitive. BTW, I think the engine is made in England by Perkins which is now owned by CAT.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I rented a Cat a couple years back, and when it comes time to buy, it'll be a Cat! The skidders are a breeze to operate... joy sticks control all functions... well thought out and built!

 

[Anonymous-0]

that cat is not cat it is the part that Agco owns better known as Cat challenger and that part is just name more then anything and is a marketing thing so they can use Cat engines in the big tractors and combines

 

[Lee in Iowa]

A guy that I hire to do skidsteer work has a Cat skidsteer. It has a poorly designed cooling system. The fan and radiatior sit above the motor and the fan pulls air up from the bottom, so it pulls up all the dust stirred up by the wheels and draws the heat from the motor into the radiatior. He is looking into reversing the direction of the fan. Lee

 

[RodinNS]

and their compact engines are sourced in Japan, from Shibura (ISM), no less.... who also supplies engines to NewHolland.
Cat has global presence on both the sales and supply end.

Rod

 

[RodinNS]

Bobcat would be about the very bottom of my list in the skid steer department. I have a NewHolland and see no reason to change. If I had to I'd look at Cat first and then Gehl.
The reason that Cat is so prominent in this area is their dealer presence. They've been here since 1932; in fact they were the first Cat dealer in Canada (N S Tractors, now Atlantic Tractors).
The Case dealers here seem to go belly up every few years, along with most of the rest of them. Deere is close in their presence, but not quite.... That's why Cat is so strong. Good gear, best support. Most things are on the shelf somewhere in their local network, so that's overnight. Other stuff is never far away. Nobody else can match that around here anymore.

Rod

 

[IAOliverTeen]

I have ran Cat, Deere, and Case skidloaders. All 3 had tracks. I'd choose the Cat hands down. Operator comfort. The ability to control movement of the machine with just one hand instead of both. Pushing snow the Deere was pretty much worthless. The Cat would run cirlces around the Deere. As for the motor, and all that jazz I don't really know. As for the operator comfort and ease of operation, I'd run the Cat. Just my opinion.

 

[IAOliverTeen]

I have ran Cat, Deere, and Case skidloaders. All 3 had tracks. I'd choose the Cat hands down. Operator comfort. The ability to control movement of the machine with just one hand instead of both. Pushing snow the Deere was pretty much worthless. The Cat would run cirlces around the Deere. As for the motor, and all that jazz I don't really know. As for the operator comfort and ease of operation, I'd run the Cat. Just my opinion.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Isn't the Cat skidsteer chasis built by ASVI? I know up until a year ago at least ASVI was selling a lot of them to Cat.

kf

 

[dhermesc]

We had Cat, lots of electronic problems and our army trained shop mechanic was showing the Cat "service tech" how to fix the warrantied machine (then the @$$holes at Cat tried to hire him out from under us).

After 4 years we traded in the three Cats for three Case 420s. Two of them never ran in anything but the default mode - never fixed despite repeated trips from the dealer. Even our mechanic that Cat tried to hire away couldn't figure them out.

After 7 months we decided enough was enough and traded the two "lemon" Case 420s for two Takeuchi TL140s. After a year of service their shop has only had to make one visit. We will have another one delivered in the next couple weeks.

 

[Sam from WA]

Cat owns 10% of ASV. ASV Inc. builds the undercarriages for the Cat compact track loaders. Currently, ASV has some of the BEST compact track loaders on the market (yes, ASV has their own line of loaders). ASV builds and sells undercarriages to Caterpillar, who then mounts them on their existing WHEELED SKID STEER frame. This is not a good setup as it makes the machine less versatile and not as productive. The ASV tracks WILL outlast the Bobcat tracks hands down. There are no cables or steel imbeds to get ripped out, and they are made from a VERY high quality rubber. I know all this because we run nothing but ASV compact track loaders at work. We replaced ALL of our newer Bobcat 773s with ASV RC-100s, best skid loaders we have ever had.