My old man is looking at buying a newer skid steer, something not more than 4 years old and under 1,000 hours. He's already decided he wants nothing to do with tracked machines (too many moving parts on the undercarriage). He wants a decent size machine, something in the ballpark of 3,000 lb capacity. What machines should I recommend he consider looking at and what are some of their common issues? I'm only familliar with Cats and I'm not familiar with any other brands.
Once you decide on how much ROC you want 3K. The next decision is how much HP. Stay under75 and you can stay out of SCR. Up to you to decide if that enough for what you want to do with it. At 3K ROC you are about obligating yourself to a vertical lift machine. CASE does offer the radial lift SR270 which could be counterweighted to about 3K, but that is a 90hp machine that of course is SCR. So how much hp do you need?
He just wants something to plow the driveway with in winter and unload hay a couple times a year. No SCR so definitely a lower HP machine.
I’m partial to Cat, one of my side gigs is keeping a fleet of Cat skid steers going. Some on tracks and some on tires. Honestly the non ASV style tracked machines aren’t bad to work on or too hard on parts. I seldom see the tired machines but then again they don’t get used near as much either. I’ve heard guys say tires are better for pushing snow. Personally I wouldn’t have a machine on tires for all around use but that’s just me. Hard to beat Cat on parts and info availability. At work we have several Takeuchi’s on tracks, they’re pre emission 150 and 250. They’ve been all but bulletproof and they get run hard!!
I'm not fond of tracked machines at all. Drive motor hoses always seem to blow because they rub on the frame and rollers leak. Only plus I've found is the ride is a bit smoother.
Round bales are sub 2K typically, square bales are 2K to 2300. I think anything in the upper 2K ROC would serve him well. A 262D, BC 740, CASE SV280 would all accomplish what your looking for, all can be counterweighted for additional ROC if needed. I think all of those machine are competent. Each specing higher in some areas and lower in others in comparision with each other. What I like about the CASE machine is you have a DOC only at 75 HP, there is no DPF, they have great breakout specs. CAT has a better console interface than does CASE but I find the seating position uncomfortable for any length of time, BC does great with attachment interface and their creep mode is best in the market if that is important. It goes on and on. Some things are subjectively better than others, so it is up to buyer to pick the attributes that are important to them. I would ask for a demo from these OEM's and decide.
if your wanting something that new go to a dealer. you will get a warranty. you will have people on here that will give you there preference but bobcat---case---cats--mustangs are all good loaders. wont be cheap though .it might help to rent one for a day to see if he likes it.
DOC only? Is that like what CAT calls a CDPF (Catalysed Diesel Particulate Filter)? This machine might see 40-50 hours a year of use and in all honesty, how hard does a machine work plowing snow and lifting 10 of the small, square hay bales and moving them 100 feet from trailer to barn? If the Case machine indeed does only have just a DOC then that might be a better option.
If you're talking the standard small square bales, I move 10 at a time with a grapple on a 2500lb roc tracked machine and it has no care in the world. For such little use, I'd honestly go look for a clean, older Bobcat S250/300, Case 445+, or the equivalent Cat, Gehl, etc. Get something without any emissions equipment at all. Sure you're giving up some creature comforts but for 50hrs a year I can't see it mattering much. Most of us put 40-50hrs on a skid in a week, let alone a year. I see no reason to go super new for minimal use.
If I were buying the machine, that is exactly what I would do. I'm just tagging along and helping him look over potential machines since I'm the mechanic lol.
I would recommend a Case 1845C Uni-Loader. They are simple to work on and the parts are readily available. I have one and it works very well for the limited usage around my place with 2 buckets and a set of forks. I see a few of them for sale on the Internet with very low hours and in great shape for $12,000 to $15,000.
An 1845c might be a little light in the back end with a 10 bale grapple, especially if you were trying to stack 7+ tiers high. The bales and grapple might be within the roc of an 1845, but having the weight 2-10ft infront of the machine will make it really tippy I would think.
I was referring to the large square bales 6X12 roughly. DOC is essential like a catalytic converter on a car (it stands for Diesel oxidation catalyst). I am not sure what the CAT CDPF is, but it sounds like a type of DPF to me. DOC is essentially maintenance free
I know what a DOC is, just haven't seen anything with just a DOC before so I was skeptical lol. I read up on the Case and yep you were right. Looks like the 74hp units are just a DOC. So that's pretty cool! CDPF is a catalysed DPF. CAT uses them on some of their smaller industrial engines. I believe its just a regular DPF coated with the catalyst metals.
The large frame, 74 hp machines have become pretty popular here. A lot of guys are able to do what they need with 74 hp, especially if they are cheaper, and no DEF or SCR components to deal with. They are probably the best option for snow removal, where they are idling more and that seems to be the enemy of SCR, along with low operating temps.
During the massive snow drift winter 3 years ago we bought a 2010 New Holland L185 (a real oddball around this Bobcat country) and with 1300 hours, 84HP Fiat (Iveco) diesel, heater, AC, pilot controls its been relatively trouble-free. The micro switch on the door and a engine temp sending unit so far are the only mechanical issues I've fixed. And like you posted, I do maybe 50 hours/year snow removal, lift yearly 3 2400lb. pallets of stove pellets, load neighbor's 10 large hay bales, etc. LOVE the joystick pilot controls. And with my very limited knowledge cruising the internet now and then, selling price seems to be directly related to the hourmeter regardless of brand.
I like tracks but my brother had a tv380 case. If you got on packed snow one man could hold it back from moveing if you were on a hill you could only go down. I was amased the first time i saw it in the snow. I wouldnt recommend the newer CASEs he had alot of problems with it but when it was working good there was nothing like it. I have a 1830 it has been great and cheap if i upgrade i will look for a 1845.
After plowing snow with a wheeled machine and now a tracked machine there is no comparison. The wheeled machine will move massive amounts of snow and the tracked machine can hardly move it self. Any icy spot or packed snow and you are pretty much done. I plowed in our small town all the business parking lots besides the churches, and many others. Over inches of snow and I would be plowing for 20 hours with a 10' plow. The other guy had a pickup truck, I could move a lot more snow than he could ever move. Even going back and forth in deep snow I could go just as fast. I usually plowed into the center of a big lot and just kept moving it out to the edges. I got all of the tighter spots because you could see much better and turn around and be plowing instead of backing up. I now go south for most of the winter, so enjoy the white sandy beach instead of snow.
The first couple years of the Alpha series were a little tough. I had an early 12 TR320 machine and had problems with the handles, some had wiring harness problems, I didn't but it was a problem. CASE took care of me on that machine. They made continual improvements. I bought a 2014 SV300 that I put 2K on it never saw the inside of the shop for a repair. Really a good machine and it had a DPF, I ran it hard and it seemed to eat that up. I currently have a 17 TV340 and 18 SV340 and both have been solid. An AC line repair on that was covered under warranty. They didn't spend enough time dialing those first machines in before they released them.
The tread pattern of the tracks make an incredible difference. The block pattern tracks are terrible in the snow, but a switch to polar tracks or the zig zag bar tracks and it's a different machine.
That's interesting plus good to know. I would have thought just the opposite.
I've got an older s250 as a homeowner machine, and it's been good. Parts readily available, strong machine.
Sounds like he decided to go with a Case. The Case dealer was the only one in town it seemed that were interested in returning phone calls and emails.
My T770 with NEW camso snow track. Turned it into a toboggan. Unsafe in the mountains. Good for flat flat parking lots or a ice rink video.
One you spin the tracks and make ice you're finished. I usually try to run on snow if Im moving snow until the last pass, if you're clearing a lot slow and steady is the key, if youre on a slope and spin the tracks and make ice things get exciting real quick....