I am thinking of buying a used skid steer,and I need some advise as what I should be looking at. I have 40 acer bush lot in northern Ont ( Huntsville area) So the ground is a bit rough. I plan to build so I would use this machine for grading driveway,clearing snow, making trails through the bush,collecting logs and fire wood etc.A friend of mine does all these things with a small 4 wheel drive tractor, but it is not very stable in the woods.So I thought a skid steer would be the better way to go. I was thinking of around a 70- 85 hp,high fow, as to have the option of running attachements. I would be looking for a used one that has a proven track record,for few brake downs, and is easy to work on.Maybe 12 years old or less with low hrs.All suggestion/advise would most wellcome Thanks I thought I should be looking at getting a track unit,for more stabiluty over the uneven ground,and there would be less bouncing YES??? or are tires the better way to go Is there a particular engine that I should look for or at least stay away from ??/ How many hours on a machine is too many or would not be cost effective to fix I have read that a case 1840,1845c or a Bobcat st50 are good choises for used machines,what about a CAt or a john deer How about somthing like the following attach/link http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...INCLUDED-IN-PRICE-21470-00-W0QQAdIdZ388785717 http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...ed-skid-steer-Loader-75-HP-W0QQAdIdZ396398961 http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...-CAT-T190-TRACK-SKID-STEER-W0QQAdIdZ386824994 http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...t-1998-Case-1840-Skidsteer-W0QQAdIdZ395084525 http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...se-1845C-Skid-Steer-Loader-W0QQAdIdZ395361721
Im interested to see the responses on the 277 and the T200. Mainly the track systems on the 277, if they're good systems or not and capacities of the T200.
I have a T200 for work around the house. I think it's a fantastic machine. It won't work well in snow. In snow, the name of the game is ground pressure. Tracks have a very low ground pressure because the weight of the machine is distributed over a large area. The contact patches for tires are much smaller in comparison. There is no suspension in most tracked machines. The only thing that passes for a suspension is a suspension seat. The ride is rough. Drive motors are generally several times the cost of analogous parts on a wheeled machine. Tracks are expensive, but tires aren't cheap. The T200 you linked to looks very nice. I didn't see a reference to the hours on the machine. Look at the sprockets. The fatter the drive teeth, the newer they are. Check the rear idler. It should be smooth and perfectly circular. Any star pattern resembling the sprockets means the bearings are shot. You can get stuck in the mud with a tracked machine, but you have to work at it. As I said, performance in snow is marginal, but you can float on packed snow if you can work a pile. There are tracks which claim vastly improved performance in snow. The T200 has the Deutz engine. Some people swear by them, most people prefer skidders with Kubotas. The Deutz uses oil for lubrication and engine cooling. I don't have high flow, but I really haven't missed it. Most of the attachments available work just fine on standard flow. There are some big bush hogs that require high flow, but the ones I have don't need it at all. I have a cheese grater (land plane), back hoe attachment, stump bucket with grapple and snow pusher. My advice would be to spend a few bucks before you commit to buy and get a pre-purchase inspection. Check the final drive oil. It's only a few ounces, and painfully expensive. But if it looks like metallic paint, you're in for a very expensive repair. Have the timing belt replaced. It's not that expensive, and can save you a lot. I don't think any machine can go over grass without doing damage, but you'll do a lot less damage with tracks, for the same reason they don't do well in snow. P.S. If you buy that Bobcat, grease up the tracks. If your working in hilly terrain with them that loose, any time you turn you'll through one off.
How much are you looking to spend? I will tell you that you will be kicking yourself every time that you use your skid steer in the winter if you don't get a cab. I'm assuming that you have never run a skid steer before so you should definitely get ISO controls (left joystick controls movement and right controls loader function) and you should stay away from bobcat style controls :badidea (hand+foot controls). The ISO controls are way easier to learn. I would go for a good used c series cat if you can afford it. PM me and I can give you very specific advice on what to look for and what to stay away from on the ASV style undercarriages.
I would pass on the CAT. If your a contractor and making money with it, that is a little different (although I still would not own one) but when the time comes to repair and replace the undercarriage thats going to hurt (and it will come) especially with little to no income to offset the costs. The BC would be cheaper to run and fix.
Well it sounds like he will be working on this mostly by himself, or else he probably wouldn't be buying a skid steer in the first place. If you take the time to find a MTL that has been taken good care of then you can get 3000-4000 hrs out of all the undercarriage parts, except the tracks, which will last about 2000 hrs max. Also if he is running in really rough ground then he will definitely want some kind of suspension and an air ride suspension seat with seat-mounted controls.
Maybe you in Florida will see 3-4K out an MTL undercarriage, but very few others come anywhere near that. A suspended undercarriage is not necessary for anyone. Is it comfortable yes, necessary? no especially for a homeowner type application.
Ok thanks It sound like I should stay away from the track model, but will look into the MTL type . The main idea is to have good machine that is very stable, as the ground will be unlevel going throw the bush and easy to fix What would the pros suggest????