Hi guys, wanting some opinions of John Deere skid loaders. We have a JD 260 with around 800 hours and has been maintained, kept inside, had light duty use. This thing has been a piece of crap and is about to break me. It cost a few thousand every time something goes wrong with it, a hydraulic motor this last time. Is this typical of John Deere skid loaders or the exception? I'm thinking JD should have stayed out of the skid loader business.
There is quite a story on the first and second series of JD skid steers. They built a plant just to build that machine. Launched the first 200 series skid steer. Major issues in the design and build, poor communication between the design and build processes. Result was a very poor product. Then came the series II machine which was basically a bandaged version of the first series. I still remember the ads in the dirt mags. "Over 100 improvements made", no kidding it really needed 200 improvements. They shuttered the new plant and moved production in with the dozers I think, but they consolidated manufacturing in with other product lines. The 300 series machines have been better, but any JD skid steer that starts with a 2 has almost no resale value, and should be avoided in my view.
Thank you KSSS, I'm thinking I need to find a diehard John Deere fanatic! I have always had good luck w their farm equipment but this thing.... wow! FYI.. I've never had much vehicle trouble or tractor and equipment trouble, it's always been the other guy having some major problems and always in the back of my mind am thinking if you take care of it and use the machine correctly you won't have troubles. WRONG!!!!!!!
ksss hit the nail on the head with a post maul... And I like deere's just not deere skidloaders. I own a deere dozer, had a trackloader, would by a excavator, there backhoes are good. The 200 series skidloaders are not...
Seriously, I would look this Fall for an ag equipment auction with a lot of Green Deere equipment on it in your area. The Yellow Deere guys know better, but the Green Deere guys will buy it simply cause it's a Deere. They are typically not as informed as a construction guy can be. That would be in my opinion, your best opportunity to get your money back out of it. Yea, especially if that's an original 200 series, the only way to avoid the issues inherent to that first series is not to run it.
I know one green deere guy that got informed the hard way! lol.... gotta laugh to keep from crying.
I posted this to help me with my decision of whether to ride it out or get rid of it, not just to bash. Although I did enjoy the bashing. Thanks!
Yea the series 1 was built in Tennessee and then series 2 moved to Iowa like ksss said. I don't know if you know the story on ford 6.0's? But the series 1 reminds me of them. Some 03's were junk and know of some guys that put hard 200k+ miles with no problems?? Also some times running one light/little usage of time; I've seen is worse then running them all out. I wouldn't mind finding a series one in good shape, but I would rather have a 260/270II. I would pick it off you for a good deal
It is a series II. And from what I've read lately you are better off running them full throttle than half or 3/4 throttle. Dealer put a new hydraulic motor on one side and said he flushed the system out good. Everything is 100 percent on it now but I'm done. Taking it to an equipment auction next week. Hopefully will sell good, as appearance wise it's a good looking machine with low hours.
I had one (260) for about 1200 hrs. with no problems. Got rid of it, I thought that is was loud and the overhead door bothered me in several ways, in general pretty crude when it comes to comfort for the operator. Sounds like I was lucky with the mechanical issues, I was unaware that (in general) they had troubles.