Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Need advice on a skid steer

Looking to spend $15-$18K.

Is a tracked vehicle worth the extra expense?

Will be using to drive steel posts and around the farm chores.

Any brands/models to avoid?

Thanks

As the owner of a tired skid steer for 10 years, here’s my take. Tracks are certainly not necessary, but you’ll always want a tracked machine if you don’t get one. Mine had steel tracks over the tires when I bought it. I could barely climb the ramps to get on my trailer and they squeak loud as hell, so I eventually took them off. Now I occasionally get stuck, but don’t want to spend the time and effort to put the steel tracks back on because I know I’ll take them back off again. The easiest answer is, of course, a rubber tracked machine. I just don’t use mine enough to justify the expense.

I hate to say it, but that budget isn't going to buy much.

Thought I was going to buy a clean, used compact track loader for my ag services business.

The ones I saw where either trashed out, houred out, or if niether, not much less money than a new one.

Keep looking though, as you may find one that suits your needs and budget.

Get the tracked model if possible.

tracks are great IF YOU NEED them... wet areas especially... like the above said, you will not get much for 15k... a beat up old pos that you spend more time working on that using... I need one a few times a year and it is cheaper for me to PAY SOMEONE than to do the constant maintenance and upkeep on it...

dont buy a case , they are built out of sheet metal

I know this price range is toward the bottom, but it is what it is.

Kubota ok? John Deere?

Any kubota you buy for under 20k will be a beat, pos.

For general farm use i prefer a wheeled machine by a large margin, unless your working in mud. If your going to be driving on concrete or frozen ground alot, the track machine will rattle your teeth out.

Id stay away from a foot controlled machine, but they are usually a bit cheaper.

As for brands in your price range, id look at a gehl. They are solid machines and we've had two that reached 6k hours. This summer we went with a kubota

What about a bobcat?

We have a heavy clay soil here. I thought the tracks might be better.

I have an older Bobcat 763. I think it is a 1996 model. 2600 hours with tires, a bucket, forks, and a snow blade. I rent a post hole digger as I don't need one very often. I have chains for it. It plows my driveway (1/4 mile long) and I haul big round bales with it that weigh about 1200 lb. In the five years since I bought it all I have done is change oil, fluids, and grease it and had the dealer change the oil in the chain cases. It has foot controls and they are okay although the people who have hand controls prefer them and I probably would too.

Tracks are probably "better". But remember all skid steers are heavy, and have very low ground clearance. You can get a track loader stuck about as quick as you can the wheel models.

I'd be more concerned with condition than brand in your price range. Most of what I looked at in the $40-50k price range, I wouldn't waste my money on. They were junk, or risky.

You may be better off renting one.

Most places have a deal if you pick it up Friday, and return it Monday morning, they just charge one day's rent.

Got two, a wore out 1840 Case and a relatively new to us, 80 horse Kubota tracked. It's muddy here now, Case pretty much stays in the shed, tracks do better in winter. Tires are OK on roads, stable ground, prefer tracks for off road. I suspect tracks are going to be more expensive to run as there's alot more moving parts down there. Love my old case, fairly simple to work on, always liked cummins engines. Kubota is strong and fast with heated cab. For the money I'd probably look for an older wheel machine with lower hours.

Got two, a wore out 1840 Case and a relatively new to us, 80 horse Kubota tracked. It's muddy here now, Case pretty much stays in the shed, tracks do better in winter. Tires are OK on roads, stable ground, prefer tracks for off road. I suspect tracks are going to be more expensive to run as there's alot more moving parts down there. Love my old case, fairly simple to work on, always liked cummins engines. Kubota is strong and fast with heated cab. For the money I'd probably look for an older wheel machine with lower hours.

I just bought a used skid steer.

Ended up with a 5 or 6 year old Bobcat S510. A mid sized/powered wheeled loader.

I had a similar budget and shopped for quite a while. I ended up getting this machine with approximately 1,100 hours. In pretty good shape and it seems the only real issue is gauges. The fuel and temp gauge don't work. That's on the list to try and figure out when I get time.

As to sourcing a machine, I bought mine from a large equipment dealer in OK. There is another dealer that specializes in skid steers in Missouri and in South Dakota. They seemed to have the best options that I found.

As to brands, the only ones I avoided when looking was Cat because of parts expense. Kubota is similar story, but both are way expensive up front also.

I almost bought a Terex, which is a little off-brand, but they make pretty good equipment. I just was concerned about parts and service.

I would stick with Bobcat, JD, Gehl, New Holland.

As far as tracks go, like someone else posted, in the budget you are looking at, most any tracked machine will be hammered. Tracked machines are great for getting more push/traction. And great to keep from getting stuck. Not that you can't get one stuck. I rent a track machine 3-5 times a year and it's great for the reasons I mentioned. But, it is really maybe once every year or 2 that I really need a tracked machine. I figure on those occasions, I will rent again. Stick with the wheeled machine.

For the love of Pete, not a John Deere. Just spent 12 K on a rebuilt motor install.... after the first rebuild failed after 13 months. Just over 400 hours.

Oh, the “quote” to install it was “$7k, maybe 8”. Probably worth noting this is actually the third rebuild, since they discovered a cracked block after installing the second........

If you haven't yet, look at machinerytrader.com. Lots of machines to help gauge what you'll get for your price range. My preference is tracked machines with Takeuchi and Kubota at the top. I have a Takeuchi TL8 with a 74 HP Kubota engine - very happy with it. Not a fan of foot controls - just never could get the knack of running them. Thing to watch most on tracked machines is condition of drive sprockets, rollers, idler wheels and tracks (basically whole undercarriage).

My thought would be to find a Takeuchi TL130 w/67HP Yanmar engine. Every so often one of these will pop up in your price range and not be a POS. When those do come up, be ready to buy now. They go quick. Heck, a Case 75XT might do you just fine also. Those have the 'original' Cummins 4BT with no emissions and easy to work on.

Another thing not mentioned is that most machines (if not all) before 2014 don't have Tier IV Final emissions requirements (DPF and DEF).

I purchased a used 1845 c case a few years back. It had 1100 hrs on it and now has 2650 hrs. Plowing snow and dirt work as well as fire wood and round hay bales.
Had to replace two belts and two quick attach fittings and a seat cushion besides periodic maintenance as well as 1 set of tires in those 1650 hrs.
. Will have to replace bushings and pins in the near future due to homebuilt snow blade being too loose and allowing more movement than there should be.
I run with chains on the back tires year around and get around pretty good.
It is a 1996 model and uses 30 weight motor oil and a special additive instead of hydraulic fluid which can be a pain if you don't keep a quart of the additive on hand. Runs fine on heating oil and a shot of additive.
All in all it has been a great piece of equipment for me and have used it harder than I probably should have.
Good luck in your search

I would just add to avoid the old Bobcats with the BOSS system. It can be a pia at times and since they no longer make it parts can be difficult on some of the small things.