Trying to revive a great thread here. And I think I seen an old $9500 price tag for the cooling fan package? Could be wrong.
Bobcat or ASV for High-Flow Mulching Head?
- Thread starter Samson09
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Geez Louise, $9500? That’s... An expensive option. You could by a PJ trailer for that much money. I like certain parts of Takeuchi machines (mostly the door and the size of the cab), but you can get Cat’s whole forestry package for that much money. Their auxiliary hydraulics are still outperformed by Cat, Bobcat and ASV, and it’s not particularly close. That said, they have come a long way since 2010 when we were all first in this thread. Lots of things have changed in 10 years, especially in the skid steer world.
As things stand right now, as an all-round skid steer, I like my Cat machines (289/299) pretty well and they run a mulcher, the few times I’ve asked them to in recent years, fairly well. Cat’s forestry package works very well even if the backup alarm is kind of goofy.
What I don’t like is how big the back end is and how it affects visibility out the back, and the D series have a backup camera, but it’s hard to pick up when there’s a bright light coming in the front door. What having the back end up so high does, though, is give you a really good attack angle and clearance to hop up and over vertical faces. I had one on a job where we were replacing concrete pavement and it hopped in and out of 10-15” holes without scraping anything. Another contractor had a Deere 333 that wouldn’t do the same. Bobcat has kept their back ends small, and they still have good clearance on the back end. The ride isn’t near as good as the Cat, but they do seem to push better.
It’s also worth noting that I don’t run any small frame skid steers anymore. The large frame machines really aren’t that much larger like we were making them out to be when machines like the T320 and 297C were coming out and are so much more capable than machines like the Case 435 I ran back in the day. Definite culture change in the industry. There is still a place for them, but for the most part we (and I mean civil/site construction & forestry) run large frame CTLs and very few machines on rubber tires or that are small. Even my Case 465, which was a beast of its time, lives most of its time with forks on at the shop because it’s on tires. Nobody uses Loegring VTS tracks anymore that swap to tires, and they were very popular 10 years ago, they just get a CTL and change tracks more often when they’re on pavement. There are exceptions, & paving crews immediately come to mind. Mini skid steers getting bigger have played a role in the death of small frame skid steers, of course.
^^^I spend all day looking at equipment and the price tags get jumbled in the memory. Think I was wrong. I know of a 2017 Cat 299 XHP with forestry package but can't afford it right now. No financing available. Have a 4 br home closing but all of the idiots forgot to get it appraised so that is at least a 3 week delay. Next thing I know winter is back in the Colorado mountains.
I like Tak's steel tracks and record for maintenance - a lot. But their high flow hydraulics seem to pale. So what gets the job done better? The always plodding turtle or the hare that needs a rest all too often?
I have not seen Deere mentioned in the tree mulching category. Though they certainly make a very large skid steer with high horsepower. Plus they have a local dealership - the only skid steer dealership within 100 miles I think. So I have a mountain pass to deal with in every direction. Going to need a truck tractor for dealing with heavy equipment and mountain passes. Another area for research - Mack or Kenworth or Peterbilt or Freightliner? Single screw or double screw etc.
I could either retire or go all in the tree and land clearing business. Boredom or massive investment? Pick your poison.
I like Tak's steel tracks and record for maintenance - a lot. But their high flow hydraulics seem to pale. So what gets the job done better? The always plodding turtle or the hare that needs a rest all too often?
I have not seen Deere mentioned in the tree mulching category. Though they certainly make a very large skid steer with high horsepower. Plus they have a local dealership - the only skid steer dealership within 100 miles I think. So I have a mountain pass to deal with in every direction. Going to need a truck tractor for dealing with heavy equipment and mountain passes. Another area for research - Mack or Kenworth or Peterbilt or Freightliner? Single screw or double screw etc.
I could either retire or go all in the tree and land clearing business. Boredom or massive investment? Pick your poison.
Tak is claiming 40 gpm in their current TL12. Nothing wrong with that! Plenty of horses to deliver adequate pressure. But their ballistic protections are an unknown - to me.
One thing about Bobcat, Cat and ASV - they have machines pretty well designed for mulching and the thrown debris. Especially with the fore$try package.
One thing about Bobcat, Cat and ASV - they have machines pretty well designed for mulching and the thrown debris. Especially with the fore$try package.
PACCAR Units>Mack>Intermational>everything else.
Freightliners earned the nickname Freightshaker a reason. Mack built an excellent unit for a long time, but they do not share the build quality of previous years... Even if the Granite makes a great dump truck chassis. Either way you’ll have to have your class A & for a truck tractor you may as well at least get a Landoll trailer to move stuff.
I’d probably just retire before throwing all sorts of money in one setup.
Like I was talking about 10 year ago before the T870 came out, they’re big. This one is sitting next to a T740, which is an average “big” CTL.
Freightliners earned the nickname Freightshaker a reason. Mack built an excellent unit for a long time, but they do not share the build quality of previous years... Even if the Granite makes a great dump truck chassis. Either way you’ll have to have your class A & for a truck tractor you may as well at least get a Landoll trailer to move stuff.
I’d probably just retire before throwing all sorts of money in one setup.
Like I was talking about 10 year ago before the T870 came out, they’re big. This one is sitting next to a T740, which is an average “big” CTL.
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Ive had a Class A though we can always rest assured that Ingsoc has made it much more difficult. Much more expensive. then they scratch their heads about pissed off youth.
Im already in too deep to back out now. I could have retired for 10 to 15 years but i am shooting for another 30 years of this adventure called life.
Should be exciting when Ingsoc collapses because it weighed a trillion tons while using a 1/4 trillion ton frame.
Im already in too deep to back out now. I could have retired for 10 to 15 years but i am shooting for another 30 years of this adventure called life.
Should be exciting when Ingsoc collapses because it weighed a trillion tons while using a 1/4 trillion ton frame.
