Help me pick a skid steer

[motownbrowne]

Since you are committed to buying probably the worse machine possible for taking care of the land, and spending the most money possible on attachments for doing this, I look forward to following your progress in working your intentionally vaguely described land. It really doesn't matter what brand you buy, they are all so similar that what you are paying for is extra features or HP.

Why not rent one and see how well it performs? I rent them all the time for different jobs. Bobcat is pretty much bullet proof with Kubota engines and years of abuse going into their design from rental yards all over the country.

Good advice was given to you based on many years of experience from those who took the time to reply.

I'm with Eddie. Good luck, man.

If you already know the answer to your question, why ask it here?

Lastly, this is a tractor forum. If you want advice about which tractor to buy, this place is pretty good. If you want advice about skid steers, why not try a skid steer forum?

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

At least somebody bothered to ask. I can already tell this thread is going nowhere with all the assumptions being made. I never detailed the type of land or the type of trees. I was being vague on purpose.


There are plenty of videos of skid steers running around on mud with no problems at all, though, I don't plan on working in a mud pit. I think there are a lot of people that would beg to differ that a small 4 wheel drive vehicle is "worthless on anything but solid ground". Also the tracks that go over the tires are rather cheap.

You do know they have backhoe attachments for skid steers right? Also stump grinders, grapples, trenchers, etc...

Check out this guy moving dirt and pulling stumps:
T3 removing stumps - YouTube
OK, I admit he has tracks, but I don't need to move that much dirt either. Nor do I need to work in the mud.

And I can't think of a better way to tackle the brush than this:
Shred the bush like butter !! Heavy duty Bobcat SkidSteer loader Slasher Brush Cutter 152mm - YouTube


LOL! Obviously you haven't been looking at used skid steers.
Example:
S185 bobcat. 7 hours
Only 700 hours for $13000. The price has been coming down so he will probably take less. Several more in the $10k range with closer to 2000 hours.

I could get one for only SIX grand...now that would be a worn out piece.

Well, since you seem to have it all figured out, why are you asking for opinions?

 

[f150skidoo]

If your clearing a lot trees 12"+ you cant beat a 15+ ton excavator with a thumb. But if your tearing smaller trees a skid steer does work very well at land clearing. I've cleared probably 200+ trees with my Deere skid steer. I've pushed over a 40 foot pine tree with a 12" trunk in a couple minutes with out doing any digging. After it was pushed over I clamped it with my grapple bucket and carried the whole tree away. In a couple weeks I'm clearing out a acre of spruce trees that are 6'-8' tall, those trees I should be able to clamp them in my bucket then just lift straight up pulling the roots with the tree. Now a CUT may be more useful after the trees are cleared but the ones I've ran didn't have enough hydraulic power, plus I knew a local guy that bent the loader arms on his tractor clearing trees.

Now to get on topic I haven't heard anything bad about Bobcats, the older Cases and New Hollands are good machines. the Deere 300 series are good but the older 200 series are known for electrical gremlins, and I have heard problems with the new NH and cases.

 

[Catchad81]

Most of the brands are about the same with some minor differences. Having just went thru the brand debate myself, I like bobcat, kubota, Wacker, cat and Takeuchi. I would get a 74 hp or bigger machine. Weight will be 8k and up.

 

[Rustyiron]

Trying to have a conversation mostly about the machine itself and not the land. The question was not "should I buy a skid steer", but rather "which one should I buy?".

Since we must, the land is mostly flat, there will be little earth moving to do. I want to leave as many trees as I can, there are many old growth hardwoods. If any bigger trees need to be removed I will probably have somebody come in and take them for the lumber. Much of the forest just needs to be thinned out, a few 12" or smaller trees, and a lot of thick vines and brush. There is a creek running through the middle which requires a 50' buffer on each side, which leaves about 2.6 acres where the tractor is not allowed and will be left mostly wild. The biggest job would be putting in a gravel driveway about 1000' long, but I think I can find a path without much over a 12" tree in the way.

One of the reasons I want a skid steer is for the portability, I can bring it with me on a trailer and use it like a forklift to buy heavy things. I realize a big heavy track loader would be better at removing a stump, or moving big earth, but that's not the majority of what I need to do. I need something to maintain the land after it's clear and a skid steer is something I can navigate through the woods more easily. I thought the backhoe attachments looked a little awkward to use, but after watching a few videos they look like they work pretty well:
Bobcat 463 backhoe - YouTube
I like that Avant skid steer but probably not as likely to find one for sale used.

I can get a backhoe attachment for around $2,000, a brush cutter for around $3,000, and $2,000 for over tire tracks...and still spend $13k for a machine with just a bucket.

I've done this with a SS and you WILL be fine with one. I would keep the dealer distance, reputation & any previous relationship in mind with your purchase. The bigger machine the better for your "work", & continue your search with your criteria (price, hours, size, cond. etc) in mind and when you're happy, get it!
As for some of my general thoughts, 2cents that don't mean diddley, I would stay away from the newer "elecrtically dependant" machines, ie; look for as much mechanical controls as you can. This will prolly be the case with your budget, but I've read some horror stories about these machines, they require a factory (dealer) tech. with a laptop instead of putting rod "a" back on to lever "b" and installing a new cotter pin that worked it's way out so that you can curl the dang bucket!
Like I said in an earlier post, all of the "big guy's" machines will be fine and overall equal (not getting into any specifics). Thomas, JCB, hmmmm, might be unfair to put JCB in this Thomas, but Thomas dealers? is Thomas still around? Another consideration is the boom (arm) config. the radial lift machines have less moving parts & pins to wear out and are considered tougher, while the "vertical lift" machines are the opposite, not that they are fragile, simply more "joints" in the boom. That said, they are better at loading trucks and "fork" work. Either type, on test run, raise the boom about half way and jerk the machine l/r and watch for play in the big pins (look for movement in relationship with the cab post), if the boom is moving slightly l/r and the cab post is not…...
Good luck, & again, you will want the OTT tracks right away.

 

[zmoz]

If you already know the answer to your question, why ask it here?

Well, since you seem to have it all figured out, why are you asking for opinions?

If you're not going to bother to read the question that was asked, why do you even click on my thread? Once again, I never asked "should I buy a skid steer". Not once. I asked "Which skid steer should I buy?". You're right, I already have my mind made up. Go back and read the title post! These type of replies are not ever helpful under any situation.

Lastly, this is a tractor forum. If you want advice about which tractor to buy, this place is pretty good. If you want advice about skid steers, why not try a skid steer forum?

Believe it or not, a skid steer is a type of tractor! OMG! My apologies, I was under the impression that most of the posters here were smarter men that could read a question...you proved me wrong. You may have noticed I've been a member here for roughly a decade longer than almost anyone else replying. This is the correct section of this forum to ask this question, and yes, there even is a skid steer section here. (This section is specifically for posts asking about buying machines, be they skid steer or anything else)

Maybe you need to familiarize yourself with how this forum works.

Since you are committed to buying probably the worse machine possible for taking care of the land, and spending the most money possible on attachments for doing this

It's funny, I've called around to a few professionals to get prices to have them do the job. They are all using skid steers! At $60-100 per hour. I guess they are all so stupid they can't pick a tractor...

Another point I need to make, I'm not on welfare, I'm spending cash I have on hand, I don't really care how much it cost, I'm just buying what I want and that's all there is to it. I certainly don't need to ask permission from my wife like so many here...

I really appreciate those who actually tried to answer the question I asked. The others just wasted everybody's time. I'm not going to bother with this thread any further, unless I need to poke fun at some future stupid post.

Definitely agree, less electronics = better. I'd rather have an older machine with fewer hours than a newer machine with more hours. I think the Case machines with the 4bt have the most power in a skid steer, and they must weigh a lot with that engine. No turbo means the engine isn't working as hard as the turbo kubota bobcats...

 

[Rustyiron]

Farm tractors and especially compacts "fel's" are built for chores and not much more. Scooping a little manuer or loose gravel. Just because the might look like a little like a backhoe doesn't mean that they are built like one. SS's can have traction issues in certain situations, but properly equiped they are a force that those of you who have not used or seen the "over the tire tracks" before would not believe. The difference is comprable to a 2wd tractor vs. a 4wd tractor. The OP would have struggled and in the process, nearly destroyed a CUT by the time he gets done what he has described.

 

[two_bit_score]

At least somebody bothered to ask. I can already tell this thread is going nowhere with all the assumptions being made. I never detailed the type of land or the type of trees. I was being vague on purpose.


There are plenty of videos of skid steers running around on mud with no problems at all, though, I don't plan on working in a mud pit. I think there are a lot of people that would beg to differ that a small 4 wheel drive vehicle is "worthless on anything but solid ground". Also the tracks that go over the tires are rather cheap.

You do know they have backhoe attachments for skid steers right? Also stump grinders, grapples, trenchers, etc...

Check out this guy moving dirt and pulling stumps:

OK, I admit he has tracks, but I don't need to move that much dirt either. Nor do I need to work in the mud.

And I can't think of a better way to tackle the brush than this:
[

LOL! Obviously you haven't been looking at used skid steers.
Example:
S185 bobcat. 7 hours
Only 700 hours for $13000. The price has been coming down so he will probably take less. Several more in the $10k range with closer to 2000 hours.

I could get one for only SIX grand...now that would be a worn out piece.

WOW gotta ask my self why he even made the post. Just to get an argument???

TBS

 

[zmoz]

That's a nice looking machine there, Rustyiron. I dare anybody to say that won't clear a path through the woods.

 

[zmoz]

WOW gotta ask my self why he even made the post. Just to get an argument???

TBS

Why did you make such a totally useless reply is the better question? You have offered nothing of value here, please hit your back button.

Just because I asked a question does not mean I have any obligation to take bad internet advice. I already expected at least half of the replies to be off topic or from people who don't know what they are talking about. That's how forum questions always go.

By watching video of the actual equipment in action as well as calling professionals to ask how much they charge and what equipment they use, I have learned much, much more than this forum could provide.