What you can afford is surely going to play a role in what you get. I forgot to mention what I paid for my bobcat mt-50 tracked mini. Its a 2002 with about 600 hours on it now. I bought it in 2006 with 500 hours and paid $7400. I then paid about $500 for a thumb grapple and another $150 to have a local welding shop mount it on my 36" bucket. The tracks were fair and lasted me until recently when I spend another $500 for a set of aftermarket ones. So, overall, around $8,500k invested not including maintenancce and repairs to date which, except for having to replace the radiator, have been next to none.
I'm sure the new boxers, ram rods, ditch witch, etc loaders with higher lift capacities and bigger motors are better than my mt-50 and come with a price tag to match. I plan to upgrade in a couple of years once I pay off some other equipment. The question for anyone considering one of these little powerhouses is: Do I start out with the biggest and baddest mini with a price tag of $20k and up or do I start out with one that will get the job done and a price tag of $10k or even less? In either case, you'll get what you pay for but still be amazed that you went so long without one of these!
If you check out 'mini loader' or 'mini skid steer' on ebay, there are always a bunch of different models up for sale. That might give you an idea of what you can get for your money. Also, a year or so ago, there was a fairly good review of mini loaders in the tree care industry magazine. If you can find that issue, it might be worthwhile checking out. It discussed travel speeds, loading capabilities, engine options, etc for each major brand of mini.
