I would like some opinions on what skidsteer model or skidsteer size would best fit my situation. I am building a house on 10 acres that I keep mowed like a yard. I did all of the dirt work a few months ago and the construction of the house is going to kick off in the next couple of weeks. 1. I plan to use the skidsteer to move dirt around and light material during the building process. I also will use it for cleanup. This will probably be the only house I will build in the foreseeable future. 2. I have a 320 acre piece of land that I also plan to use the skidsteer on for installing tinhorns, fixing some trails and washouts, etc. I don't have any grand plans just a little work on the place every now and then. 3. While the whole 10 acres has been graded a lot of it is rough mowing and I was thinking that a skidsteer would be my best bet for keeping the ground as smooth as possible for mowing. I am thinking that a skidsteer would also serve well after I move in to continue to improve the smoothness of the land and repair washouts, fix holes, etc. I have little experience with skidsteers but I am somewhat familiar with Bobcat models so I kind of lean that way. I will put very few hours on the machine per year and plan to keep the machine for many years so what should be my limit on how many hours on a used machine? I also want to stay under $15k. What features, horsepower, attachments, models etc. should I look for considering how I plan to use the machine?
For smoothing out the ten acres, probably a tractor with box blade is best, especially with a landscape rake for the final smoothing. Yes, a skid steer can do it, especially in the hands of a skilled operator, but a tractor will do it better and quicker, IMO. If you go the ss route, there are some "land plane" attachments that will help. This one looks very interesting but I only know what I see on the web page: http://www.everythingattachments.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BR%2DLand%2DSculptor%2D106400 For digging and heavier work, a ss is a great machine. But for lighter work, a tractor usually does better. Also a tractor usually does less ground damage than a ss. Ken
why not just rent something if you are not going to be putting too many hours on it? That way you wont have to upkeep it and it shouldn't be near as expensive (renting every once in a while) as buying one.
I am still on the skidsteer hunt. I have decided on a skidsteer instead of a tractor because the front loader is so much easier to use. I also like operating the skidsteer better than a tractor. I don't want to rent but would rather own the machine. I don't plan to use it a lot but when I need it I want it there and ready to go.
Bill, I am sure that you are making the right choice in going with a skid steer. We have a ranch down in the Texas Hill Country about the same size as yours. I stumbled upon the opportunity to buy a Mustang 940 about ten years ago and have found many, many uses for it. We keep up the roads, dig post holes, grub mesquites, even used it to build a metal barn. There is no end to what you can dream up to use it on and best of all you can make your own attachments. I wouldn't rent one because you will be needing it all the time to lift feed tubs, etc. We bought a John Deere tractor with a loader to mow, plow, etc. I rarely use the loader because the skid steer is so much easier to use and stronger. Good luck on finding a skid steer.
I like the hill country of Texas. I go to Austin pretty often and have friends all around that area. I hope I enjoy my upcoming skidsteer purchase as well for as well as you have yours. Which skid did you have?
We are 100 miles west of Austin in the Llano uplift. I still have my Mustang 940. We have fixed a broken chain once and I am afraid that I am having problems with the chain on that side now. With the bad economy I decided last April to look for a new skid steer and found a 2007 Bobcat S175 that was brand new but had been sitting on the lot for a long time. My Mustang had 3,100 hours on it when I got it in 2001. I have put 1,200hours on it since then. I need to rebuild the lift cylinders, fix the chain, rebuild or get new drive motors (they leak). The motor runs great and I wish I had the time to work on it. I may end up selling it for parts.
You should be able to find a used Case 1845C in decent shape for that price range. They're pretty dependable machines that some construction crews still use daily.
HI, New guy here, I am looking to purchase an older machine also. My son is doing contracting work, he could use it around the job sites, and for back filling occasionally. I could use it a lot for work around the old farm house I bought. I am looking a mid sized machine, less that 6,000lbs, because I don't want to have to buy a new equipment trailer. I am thinking that I want an older machine prior to the computer controlled units because I can usually figure out mechanical things, but computers and electronics are a bit above me. I know this is subjective, but are there any machines to stay away from? Any machines I should try to find? I like the older 700 series bobcats, would that be a good purchase? OH yea, price, I am trying to stay under 6-7K. I just passed up a really nice 940 Mustang at an auction today for $5,500 because it was too large. I am thinking I should have bought it and found a larger trailer? Jim
Grass cutting Your going to better off with a small tractor for all that work. Your going to rack up a lot of hours just cutting grass with it, and it's not cheap to change all the filters and stuff every 500 hours. Plus my machine weights in around 8k lbs so each time you make a turn your going to rip your yard to pieces. Plus a small tractor will be a lot faster when it comes to cutting grass.
I love skidsteers, I demoed a new t650 from bobcat the other day and loved it. (My first time on a tracked skidsteer) I have spent lots of time on wheeled machines and they don't compare in pushing power, down pressure on the bucket, and steep grading. The tracked machines are a bit slower moving around and when lifting and turning they power out a little but for me they are exactly what I need. Only problem is you are going to spend 30k and for the hours you plan to put on it your hourly cost is going to be very high, you have to be putting at least 25 hours a month on before it even breaks even. Not fully understanding your situation it is hard to say what what would be best for you.
Besides the higher initial cost, compact track loaders are also much higher in maintenance costs than a wheeled machine. From what I understand, there are high rebuild costs for the undercarriage at around 2-3000 hours. Tracks may only last 1-2000 hours depending on use ($$$) They also tend to slide around more in certain mud conditions than a wheeled machine with over the tire tracks. There are no perfect solutions, that's why there are so many options.
Yes they have a higher initial cost, and they cost more to maintain. Tracks for a Cat 279c run $5500.00 for the pair,(bobcat is $3500.00) lets just say for arguments sake you get 1000 hours out of your track, that is $5 an hour. The question is can you do $5+ an hour more work? I believe based on running your machine 25 hours a month you can justify the extra expense. Granted the MTL's cat/asv are not a general purpose track and are much of the reason the tracked machines got a bad rap when it comes to cost to operate and maintain per hour. Bobcat and the new CTL from Cat are a much more durable track. With the extra stability and lift capacity I don't think you can go wrong.