Which skidsteer should i buy

[William Balaska]

Ok guys, just sold my compact jd650. Good little machine but after five years of it i had enough. Looking for reccomendations on skid steers for general use especially my own personal firewood gathering. I'd like to buy one big enough to mount a grapple. My budget is 8k max. What machines do you guys own and personal experience. I'm leaning toward a bobcat, possibly 743-763 models. I did look at a real clean newholland 555l (38hp kubota diesel) with 2k hours, solid tires good solid machine for 5k but i don't like to have to lift the boom to get at the engine. So let me know your reccomendations.

 

[woodman6666]

Bobcat all the way I have owned many of them and in my opinion are the best skid out there you should see if you can find a 773G in that price range I had a couple of those and they are good machines. Good luck!

 

[sam-tip]

From my experience you cannot get one big enough. You will always want more lifting power. You can do ok with a smaller unit. Just have to cut the log pieces smaller in the field. With smaller unit you don’t need as heavy a trailer. I could use a car trailer when I had a S130. But when I moved up to the A300 I had to also get a much better trailer.

Another thing is aux hydraulic flow rating. How many gallons per minute. I wish I had high flow on my Bobcat A300. The splitter would be twice as fast with high flow.

Do get a grapple. Best thing for clearing brush and picking up logs. The ones with some teeth will help in grabbing large trunks and pulling out felled trees.

Pallet forks are good also. There is another thread on stacking wood on pallets. I stack the wood on pallets with sides and move the wood where I need it.

Good Luck

 

[Walt41]

New Holland is not a bad machine either.

 

[gregfox]

I vote for Case, probably an 1845 for that money. Big factor is if you like hand or foot controls, I like hand. That question is like asking which chainsaw is the best.

 

[kemer]

I had a 4625 gelh that was a great machine and now I have a cat 257b rubber track..You may need steel tracks for a rubber tired ss.What ever brand you get try to get one that has the universal quick connect because you never know what kind of att. you will need.I have forks to move my wood pallets,a grapple bucket for logs and my favorite is a small back hoe with a thumb.

 

[Gamedic]

Not being a professional I can't tell you one brand over another, but in my limited experience I can tell you a few features that make a skid steer much better in my opinion. I have a couple hundred hours on a combination of Bobcat and Caterpillar skid steers. One Bobcat was an 873 with wheels, the other was a T300 with tracks. The Cat was a hightrack machine. I don't remember the model. One thing is true of both machines, tracks are the way to go. I got the 873 stuck a few times, but never the tracked machines. I also feel like the tracks are more comfortable, which made me less tired at the end of the day. The other feature I liked was the joystick controls on the Caterpillar. I know the Caterpillar was less dependable than either of the Bobcats. It had fuel delivery issues and had to have a hydrostatic motor rebuilt in the same year. I can't speak for the overall quality of the line. Maybe that Cats issues were just a fluke, but it didn't have near the hours on it that the Bobcats did.

 

[hunterbuild]

I love my John Dear, wish they would have used green color. It's a 240.

 

[jasult]

I had bobcat 773g and great machine, traded it in for new bobcat t190 and love it. I also have t300 which is in bigger better class but i will not get rid of the t190

 

[Hddnis]

I've run a lot of brands, Bobcat, Case, New Holland, Gehl, Takuchi, John Deere, Mustang, ASV, and Cat.

If I buy another it will be a Cat, 257 or 277 tracked type. I have nothing bad to say about those machines. I've done stuff with them that by all rights needed a bigger machine. Incredible power, and even more important, very easy to control. I don't like the new series from Cat that has the steel chain tracks; that misguided disaster is a step backwards for Cat.

I won't get one with rubber tires, way too limiting in what you can do, literally is half the machine as compared to rubber tracks.



Mr. HE

 

[Jakers]

I won't get one with rubber tires, way too limiting in what you can do, literally is half the machine as compared to rubber tracks.



Mr. HE

I agree 100%. the tracks are the only way to go.... unless your going to be in snow. then its rubber tire with chains or steel tracks over the tires. for most aplications the tracks will work far better than the tires. the other plus is the operating lift capacity is almost double with tracks. you can lift to the full ability of the hydraulics with out tipping the machine

 

[Jakers]

Ive personally seen an old new holland 555 far out preform an 863 bobcat. new holland makes big machines in small packages. they seem to lift and carry better than most. ive run cat, case, mustang, gehl, and bobcat and they all work fine and get the job done. still prefer bobcat myself tho.

 

[William Balaska]

I looked at the 555 today and offered 5k for it, he'll take 5500 so i'll let him stew for a day. Not the same hookup as Bobcat, as it has one center cylinder and two quick release handles for the bucket. I also found a nice Bobcat Brand grapple today for a fair price. I guess mounts could be welded up to make it work.

 

[Jakers]

they are pretty easy to adapt over if it doesnt have the same. and 5500 is still a good deal for one of those if its in pretty good shape. ive had my eye on one for a few weeks now that a guy wants 6k for but its beat up bad

 

[William Balaska]

remember guys I have 8k to spend, machines with rubber tracks are 16k up. Steel tracks over tires works for me.

 

[SPDRMNKY]

I run a JD 315 (45hp) with solid tires...grapple is hooked up 90% of the time...great little machine.

most machines are bigger...I like the small size for getting in and around tight places

I regularly drag whole trees (branches and all) across pastures (avg 18" dia and 40ft tall...usually hedge)

I prefer grapple rakes, but that's just me

not sure on your "wrenchin"...consider dealer support

 

[bundysgn]

Get the new holland. It is the only machine that is rate at fully raised dump height. All other company rate their machines at 4 ft above the ground. I know i can take a 1400 lb silage round bale and raise the boom to full dump height and go across a field and not fall on my face. Use to own a bobcat. Can't even begin to to that or you will fall on your face. new holland part are alot cheaper that a bobcat also. go with the new holland an you'll not reget it.

 

[porta mill]

I have a bobcat 743. and it is almost bullet proof . it does require maintenance just like all others. it is a strong little machine . about 1500 lb lifting capacity I have only got the 743 stuck where I needed help to get it out 3 times once it wase on it's side. and let me tell you I have peen in a bunch or rough terrain. the only draw back to adding a grapple to a 743 is the added weight. I found a company who offered a grapple that only weights roughly 610 LBS, where most are in the 800 LBS range the root grapple is about 32" deep when you add 610LBS and 32" deep tines hanging off the front you know it is there. If you can find a bigger machine in your price ranger bigger is better . but a genera; useage home owner the 743 is a great machine

 

[jrocket]

I would look at either a 1840 or 1845 case, very simple to work on /maintain, reliable as stones, and should be within your budget.
Avoid at all costs any bobcat machine made in the last 15 years, absolutly the worst built POS's on the planet. I work as a heavy equiptment mechanic for a local contractor, we own appox 8 skids, 5 case's, 1 deere(new holland), 1 cat, 2 bobcraps. I"ve worked on them all, and belive me. they get their a** handed to them; The bobcats are the newest and the most troublesome by many times over.
I"m sorry if I"m stepping on any toes but after working on all manner of construction equiptment for the last 25 years I know good from bad.
MHO.

 

[reaperman]

As a heavy equipment operator for over 20 years I can honestly say I have saw it all. In the world of skid loaders there is only one machine that has stood the test of time. In my opinion it would be a bobcat, hands down. That is the brand machine I have for my own personal use. The 743 is a excellent machine and very dependable. It would do anything you wanted it to do as far as gathering firewood. Don't let the lifting specs scare you away, the hydraulics are way stronger than they are rated for. Most lift ratings on a skid steer are rated for " a working load". Basically at what point will the rear wheels lift off of the ground. At your price point a decent 743 falls into or under that range. Skid loaders do hold their value and even a smallish used machine still sell for good money.

As far as a caterpillar goes you would never find one in that price range, and if you could you wouldnt want it anyway. They are junk. Caterpillar parts are way overprice and you would need alot of them because they are prone to break downs. I just had to add that because I have witnessed their un-reliability over and over. My boss bought a brand new one just because it was yellow, spent $62.000 on it. It lasted 990 hours and the motor crapped out. To overhaul the motor? Only a cool $14000 at the cat dealer, not to mention the thousands he spent on additional repairs on tracks, under-carriage, suspension, final drive motors, etc.