Zmoz skid steer

[bdog]

Saw your thread got closed due to some heard arguments. Just wanted to give you some shopping advice if you are still wanting a skid steer. I have owned three of them and love them. All of mine have rubber tracks so I can't really comment on wheeled units. All three of mine have been Deere.

Skid steers and tractors are different animals. Depending on what you want to do one or the other might be better for your application. I will say this I use my skid steer daily and my tractor has not been started since I planted my fields back in early May. For loader work a skid steer will kill a tractor. They are nimble and you can see what you are doing much better than in a tractor. Skid steers are slow if you have to travel long distances. A tractor will go 2-3 times as fast. My tracked skid steer will go through way more mud and soft ground than a tractor. A wheeled skid steer will probably get stuck before a tractor.

It all depends on what your needs are. I use my tractor for plowing and planting and shredding and do everything else with the skid steer. I love it. When buying used you really need to check the machine out thoroughly. They often get used hard. Check all the pins and bushings for slop. My old skid steer was an open station hand foot I bought used. My current one has a cab and I bought it new. It has a pressurized cab, air ride seat, stereo, pilot controls, etc. it is a real joy to run.

Mine weighs 13,000lb but is small and compact. It's loader will lift more than my old tractor which was over twice the size of it.

As far as brands go I prefer Deere but bobcats are good also. I also hear a lot of good things about taks. Cat are nice as well but are overpriced in my opinion. A good dealer is probably more important than the brand as they are all pretty good. I would try and stay under 2,000 hours if buying used and have someone knowledgeable check it out for you.

 

[DK35vince]

We have a couple of Case skid steers at work with the 2 speed and they can move along pretty good.

 

[Bamaman1]

In recent years, so many users are paying big money and going to the track skidsteer loaders. The tracks greatly improved the stability of conventionally designed tired skidsteer loaders, and many units like Takeuchi and ASV are making some really heavy/high horsepower units. These are some work horses, but they're difficult for a landscaper to tow around without a 1 ton truck and a heavy trailer.

The downside of the tracked skidsteers is having to maintain the undercarriage. Get an operator hot dogging a tracked skidsteer on pavement, and they're going to quickly and easily go through a $3500 set of rubber tracks. Properly equipped, tracked skidsteers can do jobs previously done by John Deere 350 crawler dozers. But they still don't have the guts of a steel tracked dozer.

I once was in a tractor dealership that sold and maintained a bunch of skidsteer loaders. The dealer was bragging that his customer were so hard on their units that they had to buy two sets. One to run while the other set was in the shop for heavy maintenance--chains, hydraulic motors and pumps.

I'd prefer to buy a skidsteer new, as you never know what you're buying used. They're very quick and efficient machines, but proper maintenance is required.

Only nice thing I can say about the Bobcat brand is that they have a good dealer base. Otherwise, they're a pretty poor design. Give me another brand any day.