Bobcat 773 to Deere 260?

[ishiboo]

I found a "good deal" (I think) on a 2002 John Deere 260 skid loader. It seems to have much better visibility and cab accessibility than the Bobcat, which is much harder to get into than the Gehl 6635 I had. (The 260/6635s are larger machines than the 773 so I am not faulting Bobcat)

The Deeres seem to be pretty well-regarded skid loaders, no? Am I making a big mistake "upgrading"? The 260 has 900+ hours, my 773 is a 97 and has less than 600 hours. The 260 has a better operating capacity, but also higher gpm (not a high flow machine though) and it's a 2-speed which would be nice at times.

I could get the 260 for about what I could get for my 773, however I'd need a new bucket and snow plow as my current plow is just big enough for the 773's width.

Any thoughts?

 

[ishiboo]

Well I called to go see it and they know for a fact the hour meter was replaced and it has at least 2500 hours on it from the previous original owner. Not sure why they advertise it as 900 hours. Still curious what you guys think. It looks fairly clean, actually better looking than my 773, and there are a lot of "upgrades" to the 773.

 

[swick1]

My brother in law bought one with 2000 hrs and it has all sorts of problems. He bought it for $18k and has at least $6k in repairs. Dumb stuff too like starter ring gear was missing teeth, gauge cluster didn't work, heater hose busted while working in 70 degre weather giving me a coolant shower, door handle broke, etc. It still has electrical issues. I ran it a few times and I thought it felt weak. I had to run it at 3/4 throttle to get it to climb up the trailer ramps. I wasn't impressed. The hand controls wore me out too fast.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Quality and reliability wise you are better sticking with what you have. The 200 series Deere skid steers were Deere's first attempt at building their own unit, and they had a ton of issues. The 200 series II machines were better, but still not what I'd call a good machine. I looked at many 200 series Deere's before I bought my Case 1845C, and I was not impressed. A lot of them had low hours and were selling for cheap, if that tells you anything.

Bobcat, Case and New Holland are where I'd look if I were you.

 

[OrangeGuy]

Equipment Trader lists 1001 Bobcats for sale; only 40 Deere skid loaders. I think that says it all. A less than 600 hour 773 is a treasure. 773 is one of the best Bobcats ever built. I don't know much about the JD 260 but a neighbor had one for a short time. He now has a Bobcat.

 

[jerry shannon]

Equipment Trader lists 1001 Bobcats for sale; only 40 Deere skid loaders. I think that says it all. A less than 600 hour 773 is a treasure. 773 is one of the best Bobcats ever built. I don't know much about the JD 260 but a neighbor had one for a short time. He now has a Bobcat.

I know we are not talking about a comparable unit, but I have a 1996 Bobcat 863F series Turbo. Have had it for about 5 years now. Unit is rock solid. I prefer the foot controls and they historically are less prone to issues than hand controls. My brother in law is a dairy farmer with 3 skidsteer's. One case, One Gehl and one brand new JD. He hates the JD unit. It is beautiful looking, roomy, and has all the whistles and bells. It's fast too. He hates it! Underpowered, many breakdowns, and the speed it too fast for his farm. He loves my Bobcat as it is rated at 73hp and is easy to work on and with. I do wish mine was a HI FLOW and was faster on the ground. At 7.5 mph when traveling from the back of my 50 acre field it seems to take forever.