hey i found a bobcat 05 t300 for 20 grand with 1200 hrs and decent tracks. i have never driven one but i have been in a t190. does anyone have a opinion good or bad
A T300 is a nice track loader the main difference you'll notice between that and the T190 is the weight (2000# heavier) and the rear visibility is reduced, obviously your talking about alot bigger machine so more power, lift cap, breakout force etc. The price you metion is catchy but the value of the machine can vary a lot based on the different options it has i.e. Cab, A/C, Power Bobtach system, high flow, etc... It doesn't hurt to keep looking until you find an ideal machine in your price range, speaking from experience you will be much happier with a machine that fits your job than just hunting for the best deal you can find. best of luck!
What options does it have? Sounds really cheap but there are alot of machines out there right now with things a little slow. I bought a T300 in April 08. The good - It is a dirt moving beast. My productivity is amazing compared to my S205. Going from 1/3 of a yard bucket to a 1 yard bucket will do that I guess. I am very impressed with its lifting capabilities also. The tracks are great for working in mud, on a slope, and it can work on construction sites with materials/trash everywhere without having to worry about flats. The bad - It burns a lot of diesel which is expected with all that power and it is very heavy. I cracked a new driveway recently going across it with a loaded bucket of topsoil. As well as the added expense of dragging around 10k lbs behind your rig. I am real impressed with this machine. As for your dilemma, I would have a bobcat mechanic check the under carriage on that machine. It does not take long to add up several thousand dollars in the under carriage.
mainly look at the front and rear idlers the front is about 700 the back is about 500 the rollers rairly go out that i have see and they are about 500 a piece also the drive motors on that should be the new style so you shouldn't have the problems like the old ones even though i have seen troubles with them still not as many though
im surprised to hear it cracked the driveway. when i used to work for a landscaper we would carry pallets of pavers that would make the rear of the machine very light over customers driveways and never had a problem. visibility on the t300 is better than the Cat i ran. had good power and wear me out operating it.
Hey i appreciate all the input i bought the t300 today and it is bein shipped as we speak so i hope all is well. u and i both no what can happen when u buy used.
Hammerdwn20, Tell me about it. One week old concrete and I had filled both sides of the drive then drove over the thing about 25 times with loads of dirt for the front yard and front beds. On the last trip it broke. The builder took my entire bill for the job, $1200, to cover the repair. It was on a joint. They give me tons of work but it is still frustrating.
maybe it wasnt prepped right? no wire? concrete set up too fast? who knows but at least they still give you work. we would also put plywood down on fragile areas to help minimize damage. on a side note i do remember one problem we had with the t300. we had hrdraulic forks for it and used them to unload trees by pinching the root ball. sometimes the forks would release and the boom would drop for no reason. the tree usually fell 5 feet to the ground with a thud.
I used to sell Bobcats and had customers complain of braking sidewalks and driveways too especially when the weather got cold. I think it was because of all the vibration and rigid ride transmitted to the concrete. I even had T190s break break sidewalks.
I am scared to death now to even get near concrete! I guess I will have to get a set of pads or try plywood. The price for having a big skid steer. I usually throw scrap lumber over the sidewalks but have never worried about drives.
I have seen an 863 bobcat break concrete. My solution was to pile dirt on the concrete and the sidewalks never broke. I put a tarp over the grass and sidewalks, piled dirt on it then removed the dirt and tarp leaving no damage. This trick also works when you have to do a lot of loading and turning and don't want to wear your tires out and scuff up the concrete.