Considering a tracked skid steer

[KentuckySawyer]

I'm thinking about buying a CAT 247 rubber tracked skid steer for my tree business and possibly some Katrina work. Probably with a grapple bucket. This machine weighs about 7600lb with 56hp and a 1900lb lift capacity. Is this machine big enough for my needs?

What make of grapple bucket is best?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Newfie]

Lift capacity seems a little anemic for that much HP and weight.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

1950lb (885kg) is the "50% tipping load" as listed in the CAT specs. Is there a better measure of the machines power?

 

[DDM]

Try out a bobcat T-190 or better yet a T-300 i demoed a cat 247 because of those stupid non spin servos they put on the cats got it stuck.I had to borrow a friends T-190 to pull out the cat and finish the job. I bought a Solesby Grabble rake when i bought my bobcat S-250 It is Awesome!!!!! The problem with the rubber track loaders is if you run alot on concrete to load ect you will eat up a set of tracks.Thats why i traded the T-190 i had in on a S-250 with removable tracks.If all you run on is Dirt,Gravel or Sand There Great.But a Set of Tires are alot less expensive than a set of tracks.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

For tracked loaders, there is nothing out there to beat the ASV positrack. CAT liked them so much they bought 40% of the company. give them a look.

 

[DDM]

Another problem with the cat & ASV is they have an undercarriage similiar to a dozer which is fine until it wears out and you have to have all the pins and rollers replaced.
The cat dealer told me a new U/C and set of tracks would run 15K.Bobcat doesnt use near as complicated set up.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

Bobcat doesnt use near as complicated set up.

On their rubber tracked loaders, or do you mean on all of their machines? I have little to no experience with skid steers. Closer to no experience. The surfaces I would be on most of the time are lawns and driveways/roads. Generally trucking material out of back yards, loading logs into trucks, stump cleanup, and light grading.

 

[DDM]

There rubber track machines donot use as complicated U/C plus with Cats Servo's
you really dont have a feel for what your are pushing against.I presently own a Bobcat S-250 & a Bobcat S-300 Both were purchased new this Yr. I had a T-190 that i traded in on the 250.After i started seeing the track wear on asphalt from just loading and turning.You can steer a wheeled machine so it doesnt tear up the turf with a little practice. The track machine will tear the turf regardless because of it's slide on a turn.A S-250 with Steel tracks installed will amaze you.It will push out 12-14" pine trees.Plus its rated capacity is 2500 lbs and weighs about 7500lbs.It will lift 4000lbs right to its tip load.
You can install the tracks in about 30 min when needed.The machine,Tracks & Grapple
will run about 15K less than a rubber track machine.Ive never run the tracks on the S-300 i'm sure it would be more impressive.

http://arborist.************/attachment_24369.php

 

[DDM]

I also demoed the Cat 242,252 & 262 before i bought the S-250 No comparission ???? Cat kept getting stuck. The S-250 out performs the cat without the tracks.
The Cat salesman let me keep each machine for 2 weeks but they dont seem to get any traction.

 

[DDM]

Here's the grapple i bought with the loader http://www.solesbeesequipment.com/skid_grappler.cfm
With the 250 you can pick up and carry a 20" oak log 16' long long ways and load it up into a truck.

 

[mtcates]

I owned a Bobcat S250 for two years and have just recently sold it to a friend of mine. It would lift two 16 foot pine logs 20 inches in diameter at the same time and put them over the side of a tandem dump truck. It was amazing to me the lifting power that it had. I once lifted a 23 foot Hickory log 32 inches on the big end and 23 inches on the small end. It was calculated to be a little over 5 thousand pounds. Its a very strong machine.

 

[treeweasel]

Before you buy any tracked skidsteer, you have to demo a Takeuchi TL-140. They are, by far, the best, most bullet-proof tracked machine on the market. That will be my next machine. I own a Cat 262 with steel tracks, and it works fine, but it's a pain in the arse to get in and out of. The Takeuchi is very user friendly, and the under carriage is all steel. No rubber like the Cat 247,257, 267, 277, 287. I demo'd one last winter, and the only complaint was that the ignition froze from moisture...I hear it's a common problem. Otherwise, no complaints, very impressive, no getting stuck, and with a bit of practice, you don't do very much lawn damage.

 

[DDM]

TreeWeasel a buddy of mine has a 2004 Takeuchi TL-140 said he would make you a deal on it.The machine has 190 hrs. He bought a new Bobcat T-190 and the bobcat dealer wouldnt give him squat for the Takeuchi.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

have you considered a tractor? Last year i bought a 3130 Kubota 4wd hydrostatic transmission, i can't believe the work that little machine will do. some points tractor vs skid steer;

i have galaxy tires, a highbred between a true turf tire and an ag tire, but i can make 6 or 8 trips across a nice sod lawn and do nothing more than flatten the grass down a little. and they perform very well in the woods, the only time i have trouble is if they mud up, then they start to spin.

with a tractor set up you have two attatchment points, so i dont have to change gear as much; the 3 point in back and the loader up front. i keep forks on the front and a hydro skidding winch on the back, the winch will pull over some pretty big trees, especially if i climb up on the loader to set my cable. in the woods most trees i just push over with the loader (face and back cut first).
when i'm all done a swap the forks for a bucket and the winch for a york rake, takes about an hour to clean up a pretty big mess with that gear.

also with a tractor its alot easier to get in and out of the "cab", which i do a hundred times a day, i mostly work alone. And you dont have that backup blind spot like on a skid steer. i can see everything all around me from my tractor seat.

the down side is that i do run out of lift power with the loader pretty quickly, 1400# or so. forcing me to get the log truck into the backyard, skid across the lawn, or use the winch to lift the logs up at their center point (like a dog carrying a stick)

Also the hydro pump isnt nearly as HD as that on most skid steers. 3000 psi at 10 gpm i think.

Its probably a matter of what your most comforatable with, i grew up logging with a small tractor, so i'm very familiar with what they can do. a skid steer is probably a more heavy duty piece, but for me the tractor is the only way to go.

best of luck which ever way you end up going.

PS the 3130 with forks, loader, dirt bucket, skid winch, came to just under 25,000 us$. and i latter purchased a real nice 4 ton trailer for 2800$. the whole rig tows along very nicely behind my Fuso FG, which only has that ity bity 4 cylender turbo diesel.

 

[treeweasel]

DDM
Sorry I didn't get right back to you. What is your buddy looking for for his T-140, and why did he go with the T-190? Just curious. Treeweasel