Hello, I own a septic company and my last skid steer died on me (jcb 165 robot) I may be in the market for a new one. I need it to basically run scoops of gravel to the drain fields and grade a yard when I am done. I need a nice small skid steer similar to the one i owned previously, without the big back on it(like new holland) because I work on a lot of tight waterfront jobs. I also snow plow a few lots. I was looking at the bobcat t110 and the john deere ct315. I don't know the cost on them but they seemed to look like they could perform the tasks I need. Let me know you guys recommendations on which good reliable CHEAP skid steer I should look into. I am open to all brands. Also I prefer Hand controls!
Good , Reliable , & Cheap ? Those Words Do Not Go Together . Good & Reliable Is Not Cheap !!!
ok well how about easy to get parts... when my jcb breaks it is so hard to get parts... also i mean not caterpillar prices
Tomcat, How much weight /material do you plan on lifting or moving? You might think of a Terex PT30. It's only 48" wide and is easy on turf, but it's much smaller than the 165.
I was in the septic business 2002-2009 I bought a 1999? Case 1840 in 2004, I used it septic, grading, etc I bought a set of steel tracks to go on it, wore them out bought another set. I sold it to a friend and bought a Takeuchi TL25? used it two years and septic business went to the dogs, so I sold the Takeuchi and bought the Case back Thats a long way to say, I liked the Case 1840, I also have a Case 1845B The 1840 was and still is a good machine, I tried to kill it and it never died I would call it a medium sized machine, you can get parts for it, etc Good Luck
. yea I only plan on using it for running light slag from basically the front yard of a house to the back... I also will be running sand and grading out anything from topsoil to red clay. I want The machine to be very light because those waterfront jobs get sloppy. I believe the jcb I had was almost 6000lbs and that did great for the job. So anything affordable with parts readily available, let me know?
also anything big I need to move I have a JCB 214 Backhoe so I just need this for finishing touches and running no more then a 10 to 12 yards of gravel
? Anyone have any recommendations? I was lookin at the johndeere ct315, the terex pt30, and the bobcat t110. What do you guys think will be most reliable, which one will be the cheapest? Also if there is another machines out there I should look into, let me know.
Are you looking at wheels or tracks? Is weight an issue? Do you plan on putting the skid steer on the same trailer as the backhoe? If that is the case something light like the ASV might be a good solution if your looking at tracks.
What about a compact articulated loader? Way way less turf damage than a skid. Here is my Gehl 340 I use for tree work. It costs more than a comparable capacity skid, but for what I do (operate in yards) I wouldn't want a full size skid anyways. It has a 2 speed transmission and differential locks. Around a yard of sand in the picture in a 850lb high dump bucket.
I am not sure about wheels or tracks. My jcb robot was wheels and it did the job but I have ran a Takeuchi tl130 and TNT thing worked wonders, it obviously was a little big. But my experience with wheeled skid steers is that on water front jobs they dug holes and wanted to get stuck. I also need to be able to load into a f550 with a dump bed. I have multiple trailers and weight shouldn't be a problem.
Not to flog a dead horse, but here is the 340 loading into a tandem gooseneck, the sides are 7' tall from the ground.
Yea that machine looks great, but I will also need a quick machine for snow removal
Since I am a CASE guy here is what I would recommend. I would put the 15.5 tires on a wheeled skid steer to help with floatation. Tracked machines: CASE 440CT model year 06-10. CASE 420 CT Series III 08-10. CASE TR270 this is a new machine and I dont have any personal experience with one, I did buy its bigger brother but have not spent any real time in yet. Wheeled Machines: 420 Series 3, 430, 440 any year. SR150, SV185 Regardless of the brand going with a larger footprint tire is very effective if you are borderline needing a tracked machine for floatation.
6 and 12 mph in low/high range. Granted I've never plowed snow being from MS, but my friends up North say that articulating machines do better skids because you don't cut/reverse power to the tires to turn.
? Yea that machine is great but i just want that prototypical skid steer. THanks though it does seem great, especially with high an low.
I have a septic business and have an medium sized tracked 864 Bobcat, it is easy to haul and get into tight places and big enough to get something done with. It has been excellent with very few problems, parts are easy to get also. When the time comes to replace it, I will get another Bobcat machine.
+1 on the compact wheel loader idea. A customer of mine has a Yanmar V3. It gets used as a yard machine with either a bucket or forks, supporting the heavy equipment repairs. It'll lift off a 29.5 wheel n tyre without any trouble. It's easy to get into and drive, has great visibility, everyone and anyone jumps on it, it gets started and stopped a million times a day, driven like it's stolen, nobody ever checks the oil and the damn thing never breaks down. I make no money from it at all
Yea I def like bobcats, just need hand controls so I will have to buy a new one if I do. This may be a dumb question but how does the machines go in cost. I know cat tends to be the most pricey but what the cheapest and so on an so fourth?
quote Just received the quote for a jd ct315 and WOW a little out of my price range especially for such a small machine, So I am going to need some more recommendations on what to get, Just keep in mind hand controls and small for tight waterfront jobs. Thanks guys you have been a lot of help so far.
Also do you guys know if all the gehl and mustang track loaders are still made by takeuchi?
For Year End Taxes I Just Bought A Cat 262C Loaded For Alot Less Than JD 328D With Same Options ! Cat Was Always Higher On My Deals Till The Last Two Machines We Bought ?
. Yea I will lookinto cat. Jd wanted a sticker price of 42,000 for the ct315 which was crazy !
Check out a Tak 120. I demoed one and liked it for tight work, at the time I got a Mustang MTL16 much cheaper so got that instead. The only bad would be for snow work but if septics is the money maker?
You can buy a T250 or T300 with 1000 hrs and a few years old for under 20K . Either of these machines will be a great asset to a septic business. the tracked machine is very easy to clean up the worksite at completion and even works good if it is somewhat to wet. A wheeled skidloader is Ok, but in my opinion a tracked machine is far superior choice in all areas..
Yea Yea it's the money maker, but I would need it to Do a couple small parking lots for snow. I know track machines do not do well on ice, but I still know alot of people who use them for snow removal and get the job done.
We stay in the 60 to 68" compact equipment size. There was one time in the last 20 years when we couldn't fit in the back yard and that's because the only access was a 36" gate between the pool house and the house so we rented a Bobcat MT52. I would recommend a Bobcat T190, which is what we use. Even though the T110 is light, it has a 4.6 psi ground pressure rating, where the T190 has a 5 psi rating. The reason for such the insignificant difference is the fact that the bigger the machine, the wider and longer the track pads, the more square area it has in contact with ground, thus the better it displaces the weight of the machine. All machines, from the MT52 to the new 12,000 pound T870 have ratings of about 4 to 5 psi. So basically I would go with the midsize CTL, as long as fits your budget because it would also make loading bigger trucks easier. From the sound of your budget though, it sounds like you are either out of touch with the cost of CTLs (although I agree all machinery is so overpriced these days) or it doesn't fit your budget as your not going to find many for less than $40,000. I would stay away from ASV, Terex, and Cat as they are all built off of the ASV undercarriage, which I have heard from multiple people that they are constantly replacing the rollers, idlers, sprockets, and track motors. So I would get prices on the T110 and T190 and see if either fits your budget, if not then I think you can make do with the wheeled versions S130 and S185 which will save you about $15,000 to $20,000. Although the track loaders are nicer, we always used to get by before when all we had were skidsteers. Hope that answered some of your questions.
Yea I agree I will check out bobcat and get some quotes because the 42000 for that jd ct315 was ridiculous that machine was extremely small for that kind of price tag. Also what you think about gehl and mustang? They still made by Takeuchi and how much would a mtl16 or gehl ctl60 run ? More or less then bobcat?
The newest Gehl machines are not TK machines. That deal is over.
Honestly all machines are in the same ballpark these days. I would price shop a little, but it comes down to you are going to be using the machine, so get one that you like, that is comfortable, and that gets the job done. We have had all Bobcat equipment since we started 25 years ago, and the machines and our dealer have never let us down. We did get one 763 that had all kinds of problems about 15 years ago. To the point where our dealer said they had enough, had the factory build us a new machine, and they gave us a significant rebate. The new machine had no problems at all, and we have since bought about 15 to 20 machines from our dealer. So Bobcat may not be the cheapest, buy they are very reliable machines, and when they are not, the dealers and factory stand behind their machines.
Some guys have changed the tracks and claim a CTL does good but have never done it myself. I think you could find a good TK130/Mustang MTL16/Gehl for high teens to low twenties. The TK 120 is a bit more rare but Gehl dumped their version really cheap a while ago and you might find one of those? I think the TK(and sister version) are the best CTL if a regular Case skid isn't an option.
? Yea I mean a case would be an option, all the new ones I see look big and I hear alot of mixed reviews about them? Also what kind of engines are in case cummins?
If you're looking to try out a Gehl Ctl55 (same as Tak 120/220) let me know.
? Yea I may be interested, you a dealer or owner? Also what part of Maryland ?
look for the closes dealer by you. Then go from there.
Run a low key home/property improvement biz since '87 and have owned several of these smaller Tak/gehl track machines. They are the cat's meow when it comes to working in the suburbs like Columbia. They have their downsides, but the upsides far outweigh them for the work I get into. zip me an email if you like... swannbuilding at aol dot com