New to me a used skid steer advice

[Sawyer Rob]

Well l got my 333D skid steer back from John Deere today. I was shocked at the repair bill ($1650)

Welcome to the world of skid steers!!

I know a guy with a deere skid steer and the sprocket/finals are out of it. NO ONE but deere has the finals (no parts to rebuild them) and they are $4,500.00 a side... SO, for now it sits, apart...

SR

 

[kwbretired]

I knew John Deere was going to rake me through the coals but still hurts. Hopefully I’ll be good to go for a while. Now just need for the rain to quit so l can get in it and start getting used to the controls. When l unloaded it off my trailer for rhe first time it scared the heck out me when it broke over onto the ramps. Time will make it better although l shouldn’t have to hall it too much just until l get the yard fixed up.

 

[laurencen]

on my old Deere the battery went bad, try changing the battery or even boost it, the only way to get to it is lift the arms fully, that allows you to remove the top cover then the side panel, that was a 2 man job and a forklift, arms up a bit at a time fortunately this machine is mechanical valves for lift and curl. since that time we installed a cable and plug, if it goes dead again we simply plug in boost cables.

dealer figured 500 to change the battery with it dead plus pickup.

what I do know working lots on the Bobcat 773, 205, 599 and toolcat is they are compact, most tools need modifications to work best, everything is super tight and you have to remove lots of parts to get to the part you are fixing, last week put a block heater in the 843 with the Isuzu motor, it was easier to remove the motor in the end than struggle in the engine compartment and the frost plug was a pain, in all took 5 hours, again dealer was 600 estimate not including the block heater at 80 dollars

the other thing parts are from the dealer most times, and they come with a premium cost

 

[truckdiagnostics]

4in1 buckets are a joke!---Make sure you have a REAL bucket for it! Forks do come in handy,--I use forks more than the buckets.

Agree the forks come in real handy you can use them like fingers. the 4 in 1 buckets are a joke but. I have a bad back between the forks and the 4 in 1 i can do a LOT with out having to pick up a shovel. takes a while. The tracks will be real nice much stabler machine. Be real nice for going a crossed the lawn the wheeled machines sink big time. Grouser tracks are hard on a machine, mine are on most the the spring and summer depending.
I bought mine 20 years ago. I can sell it for more than I paid for it. Granted I put a lot of work into it and it doesn't owe me anything. a track machine will do a huge amount of work.
Took me a while to figure mine out, i have put 3,000 hours on it you will get so you know every noise and creak it makes.

 

[RickB]

One of the worst days of my time doing road service was changing a starter on a New Holland LX985 with the boom down. Had it not been a large frame machine it might not have been possible.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

One of the worst days of my time doing road service was changing a starter on a New Holland LX985 with the boom down. Had it not been a large frame machine it might not have been possible.

The "one" thing I will give bobcat you can work on most things with the boom down.

 

[laurencen]

The "one" thing I will give bobcat you can work on most things with the boom down.

yes I agree by putting the radiator horizontal it allows a lot of access when its not starting

 

[Sonny580]

All skidloaders are hard to work on and parts for most of them are dealer only item. Specially Deere, ---I passed up several Deeres because of the parts problem.
Neighbor has a big new Bobcat Hi-track and likes it. ----I looked at it and see NO way you could ever work on it!
I am sticking to my New-Hollands. ( L-775, L-778 and L-781 ) A bit easier to work on. Everybody has their preference as to brand and model.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

All skidloaders are hard to work on and parts for most of them are dealer only item. Specially Deere, ---I passed up several Deeres because of the parts problem.
Neighbor has a big new Bobcat Hi-track and likes it. ----I looked at it and see NO way you could ever work on it!
I am sticking to my New-Hollands. ( L-775, L-778 and L-781 ) A bit easier to work on. Everybody has their preference as to brand and model.

Agree they are proud of there parts. Every time I have needed a part Bobcat has been able to get it. I am to the point I would rather work on a car than a skid loader. Preference I have found is more about what you are used to than anything else. Getting worse as I get older....... there was a time I could move from one piece of equipment to the next with out an issue. I think they call that muscle memory. I guess what i am trying to say the machine kinda grows on you, you get used to it. It is like a dog with real expensive vet bills.

 

[searcyfarms]

congratulations!!!! i hope you have good service out of your deere, always a lil hitch here n there on anything, sounds like they got it fixed, it has a WTY and if it leaks or wont start guess who gets to tear back into it, there is some positive to that also. I have done a few things to mine over the years and honestly it wasnt bad at all - i have replaced drive spindles/bearings/axles, chain, on my old scat trak, pulld the hydro pump and had it rebuilt, pulled the starter a couple times, pulld oil cooler and radiator, pulled seat, removed exhaust manifold tube and turned 180 and fabricated my own exhaust, replaced foot and control arm cables on valve body, replaced several hoses over the years, added lights, wiring for fan, i havent really thought its bad at all getting inside mine. i have the next generation scat trak now Volvo wheeled machine - track machines do require more maint and rocks are hard on them so i hope you have good luck - i would practice opening it up and looking around and checking things under the cab and access for stuff so it doesnt seem so overwhelming and familiarize yourself with it, maybe you will just soak it all up and it will be a win win