Newbie Question on Skid Steer

[edkemper]

I have almost 160 acres of flat second growth forest land. Overgrown with small (3-4 in) Pines. I want to use a skid steer for cleaning up the property and adding the useful extra attachments like auger, root rake/grapple etc.

I am assuming it would be better for me to get something with high flow for those attachments needing a higher flow.

Starting at the bottom, when did the high flow hydraulics come into play? I need to look to buy by model but am too much of a virgin to know where to start.

Not planning on on large scale crops. Just a garden. Not planning on large scale livestock farm.

Just to clean up the place, and make the land better.

Where should I start?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[edkemper]

I should have added, I want a diesel machine.

 

[PapaPerk]

I have almost 160 acres of flat second growth forest land. Overgrown with small (3-4 in) Pines. I want to use a skid steer for cleaning up the property and adding the useful extra attachments like auger, root rake/grapple etc.

I am assuming it would be better for me to get something with high flow for those attachments needing a higher flow.

Starting at the bottom, when did the high flow hydraulics come into play? I need to look to buy by model but am too much of a virgin to know where to start.

Not planning on on large scale crops. Just a garden. Not planning on large scale livestock farm.

Just to clean up the place, and make the land better.

Where should I start?

Thanks in advance for the help.

How much money u wanna spend?

 

[edkemper]

I can get a Case 580 backhoe for 20K. So I had hoped for less than that. 10-12K or so would be about it.

 

[Rustyiron]

High flow skid steer attachments are things like asphalt planers, (large) snow blowers, stump grinders and rotary mowers, mulching heads etc.
Things with large hyd motors, post hole augers and simple grapple attachments are fine with the std flow. Depending on your soils you might want to consider metal OTT (over the tire) tracks, or a rubber tracked machine. I'm not sure in your area, but for that price around here, you won't get much of a machine for that money. Now for the $20k you'd spend on the 580, you are in the game. I think that a machine of 60+ HP and 2200# load rating would be the size machine you want to not aggravate yourself with a little (or old) machine, or over buy. But generally with machinery, bigger is better/faster. Keep in your budgeting plans that these attachments are great but it doesn't take long before you have $10k in just them. If you want to just push these 3"-4" pines out and pile them close to where they fall and burn them, the backhow would do fine. For any "carrying" of the trees, a SS with a grapple would be the better tool and useful later as you mentioned for other chores. (fence building etc.)

 

[yellowdogsvc]

If you can come up with about 25k, you can get a reliable, used G or K series Bobcat in the 75 hp range with cab and heat and a/c with high flow. Attachments are another story. Unless you are lucky in your search, the attachments will add quite a bit to the deal.

You won't need high flow to run a rotary mower, auger, or grapple but if you found a K series with high flow, you could run a mulcher occasionally with just a few modifications.
Like someone else said, bigger is better and 160 acres is a lot. Also, if you spend a little more, you can find a machine with 2 speed which, I think, would be a necessity on 160 acres or it will take forever to go from point a to point b.
A backhoe is nice but a skid will run circles around it for what you want to do.

Believe me from one large land owner to another, get as much skid as you can and as many attachments as you can.

I would also find a brand that has dealer support. The newer machines have computers in them and the software to update them isn't readily available. If you get standard controls, it won't be as much of an issue if you have to replace some hardware.

If I was going to get a used Bobcat and was in the 25k range, I'd look for an s330 with bigger tires and 85 hp and if it needed a little work, I'd do it. That machine can be found more easily with 2 speed and cab and A/C and high flow. I also like ride control but I'm a little spoiled and work commercially in rough terrain. It was one heck of a reliable machine but wasn't made too long before the M series 750 came out. Not sure how much CTL you can get for 25k so you might be stuck with tires and OTT tracks if necessary. I got away from OTT tracks years ago and do everything with tires but they are pigs in the mud or sand.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Last year I bought a Case 1845C with high-flow hydraulics (60hp, 1750lb Rated capacity) for $12K. It's a clean/tight '98 year model with a little over 3000hrs, so far I couldn't ask for a better machine. I've always liked Bobcat machines but just couldn't find a good deal on what I was looking for.

Right now I just have a utility bucket, toothed excavating bucket and a set of forks. Even with just those attachments I can do most of what I need around the farm and woodlands. A grapple would be very nice in the woods, but it hasn't been in the budget yet.

 

[nwngunner]

I got my hands on 2003 t250 with normal flow for 25000. The machine had 2800 hours, full cab with heat and air. I use it for clearing timber mowing digging putting in fence moving hay and plowing snow. I have yet to get it stuck. I can unload a semi trailer of hay in under 45 mins. I don't have two speed. Wish I did but it isn't bad. Tracks are really so much more stable over wheel loaders. Little rough ridding and noisy but that is part of the game with tracks. Plus the added lifting cap of the tracks is a big plus imo. I have lifted 50 sheets of 1/2" plywood and 25 sheets of 3/4" at one time with out the machine even think about getting tippy. If you go for a bobcat get around 2003 because the service on the tracks are much raiser to service. The newer machines you have to pull the tracks offf. Plus with a older one you can do almost all of your own work on it.