I own a skidsteer, finally bought one 3 years ago to work on my property like you I suspect. I am not a dealer and I don't own an business that uses equipment like this. I did own a Kubota tractor with a loader...what a mistake, slow and overated. Sold it to buy my skidsteer. I own another Kubota tractor to mow with...about the only thing its good for...but it is fast and fun to drive and mows great.
Started renting skidsteers in 1988...Bobcat...that's all you could rent (more on that later)...nice unit BUT...if you want something that will flip, bounce, roll over or quit on you right when you need thats the one to buy. These seem to be especially good at bouncing around loaded. They are too light and poorly balanced end to end.
I know more people who have been upside down in one of these. Don't know anybody who has flipped a Case, NH or Deere and the people I know who own them have probably tried. Bobcat also seems to have problems deciding on which engine to use or whether to use a turbo or not.
I have a couple friends who own equipment rental companies and they are switching to Case, because of all the problems with their Bobcats. I understand one reason you see so many Bobcats at rental places is because of the cozy deal Bobcat makes with the rental companies.
In late 2002 I rented a Case, Bobcat and asked two local dealers if they could provide me with an NH and a Deere to evaluate, all on the same weekend. They were all roughly the same size. Side by side its easy to see which one works the best. Veterans Day weekend gave me three days to decide if I could last long enough...these things will wear you out opertaing them for a long time.
At the time NH had just stopped supplying Deere with skidsters to resell. I really liked the NH seemed fast and easy to use. Good lift height. The new Deere ran really well and had lots of power. Really liked the way it looked too. The Bobcat was a turbo unit and I think the heaviest one I had operated up to that point, although it didn't seem light like the others it did seem off balance. Lots of power with good fuel consumption. The Case was a really solid unit, heavy to feel. I had to get used to the hand controls being used to the foot controls on the Bobcat.
I had lots of things to do that weekend, but with 4 skidsteers between me and my wife we got alot done, digging, hauling, lifting, towing, you name it. The rental cost me just over $500 including delivery and pickup of the rental units, but it was worth it since we got all that work done and we learned what we like and why.
To make a long story short the Case was absolutley the best unit of the 4. Prior to renting the Case I had never operatored one for any period of time expect when we test drove one on dealers lot. At the time I had no idea you could even rent Case until I asked around. Never found anybody that rented a Deere or NH, then or since. We bought a used 1994 1845C in early 2003 with a new 62 hp diesel. I got a good deal on new tires, a brush grapple, pallet fork and low profile bucket to go with the standard bucket on the unit. Since then its only had minor problems with nearly every one being mostly an aritifact of it being used. I unexpectedly bought this from a Case dealer. I can do alot of my own maintence, however the dealer also has winter specials on service and parts which has turned out to be very cost effective for me to use.
Hope this helps. The decision on which one to buy is not the tough part, finding the right unit once you have decided is the tough part.
Good luck.
ric