What can you buy for $3K

[cat320]

A friend of mine got a macdonalds and needs to have a bobcat there .So he's looking for a used machine in the $3K range .I just laughed and said he would find none .Not at this time of the year at least none that are running machines lol.

[mert0714]

Maybe a 16hp gas unit from the 70's :D Might need to consider double that for something worth even having.

[Blademan]

Reminds me of my favorite line ," you get what you pay for " . :D

Rob

[digger242j]

It's not technically a "skid steer",(though you pretty much couldn't do anything *but* skid it around), but I posted a pic in another thread (http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86) with a machine that I'd sell for $3000. ;)

[BRL]

Your friend could rent\lease a machine for most of the rest of the season though for about that much maybe?

[motrack]

In my neck of the woods that much money will get you a Gehl 2500 or machine of equal age.

a machine thats 25 years old and has a air cooled gas engine is not something I want to make my living with.

[Taylortractornu]

Around here a late model skidsteer wont bring squat. I missed an opportunity to buy 6 late model skidsteers for 3000 each. They never had been used with a bucket just being used wit hthe forks. My uncle runs a seed company and they sell them after 4 years. The banker wouldnt let me have the money as I was out of work. I can get the older Mustang loaders for 850 to 1000. I had a friend sell a TVA Allmand backho all hydro static with 50 hours and bad motor for 500. He may sell it in a few weeks he told me he'd ask 1000 for it and the trailer.a motor is 2000 though.

There is a smaller loader I think a Swinger 4 wheel drive articulated for 3000 but it needs a valave rebuilt on the lift. I may buy it. I m in the mood to buy something lol.

[NoStockBikes!!]

Originally posted by Taylortractornu
Around here a late model skidsteer wont bring squat. I missed an opportunity to buy 6 late model skidsteers for 3000 each. They never had been used with a bucket just being used wit hthe forks. My uncle runs a seed company and they sell them after 4 years. The banker wouldnt let me have the money as I was out of work.

How many hours do they manage to put on them in 4 years? That's DIRT cheap. Up a Bobcat that doesn't even run is still a $5000 machine.

[Taylortractornu]

Nostockbikes They were in and around the 800 to 2000 hour range most had les than1000 on them. The next time Im buying all of them. I can carry them to Tennessee and sell the fool out of them I will keep 1 or 2. Most of the time a few have high hours from idling. I took one to a dealer for them and pressure cleaned it and it looked new. They do have a few things that need to be fixed like lights and the ocassional tire. They have been tradint them in for 2500 at the dealer before my uncle took over and he asked me what the yshould get for them. He told me the next set that comes out of the line Ill be able to buy banker or no banker. They have an older articulated DitchWitch brand loader that is going to the line in a few weeks It has a Duetz air cooled encine and its heating up. Ill put 100 on it that its got a rats den in the air fins on it. My uncle told me its a shame the other bosses didnt know how to price equipmen and such, When I help him he gets me a few deals and I help him keep up his landscaping projects.

[NoStockBikes!!]

What model were these?? I mean that is truly insane price unless they're the super dinky ones. Like I mean you could triple your money with a 10 hour drive. Is your uncle a drinking man??:D

[Taylortractornu]

Nostockbikes The dealer had been buyin htem like that a long time. There re about the the same siz a a 743 Bobcat maybe a little bigger. The dealers have been telling the maintencane man over that dept what they were worth they theyd take hem in on a trade. My uncle and I may buy a gfew of them They have a fleet in Arizona we may go after. They are all Gehl's exept 2 Thomas brands. At the prices they are sellin them I can buy a few of them and sell 2 of the nicer ones to pay for them. I ve bought a few trucks from him like that bought a nice 94 Chevy Silverado with 160 000 miles extended cab will all the buttons clean for a 1000.

[lamarbur]

sounds to me like everything else. New England area just pays much more. Too bad you couldn't get those 6 skid's and ship some this way. I'm sure you can make a decent dollar and still save thousands on this end.

[Taylortractornu]

Lamabur Me and the banker had a pow wow this morning on his lack of faith in me lol I may start selling a few good machines up north. Ive seen the Case dealer here do the same thing on a trade in 1845 that looked new they said it was only worth 4500 on a trade. The fella believed him and the next week on his other lot it was sold for 10 000.

[lamarbur]

there's a ton of flat bed rigs always looking for a back haul. With a little investigation, some connections and of course, cash, you may well turn into a large in country importer :) :)

[Taylortractornu]

Lamabur Id probably get mad at my new job and try out my new CDL's lol. My banker and I had the sit down about how the more I did better the less money they wanted to loan out. I recall when I went in to see him about my first wanting an excavator he told me things were to slow to lend me the money but since its a small bank I was sitting outside and he loaned an 18 year old 2500 for a newer four wheeler. But I guess that never held up that since I was 18 Ive bought a backhoe, dumptruck and a couple trailers and some landscape tractors and never missed a payment lol.
I may do some side selling, Im getting back into the dirt moving, things were slow here a bit after all the mini excavators went so cheap, Every Tom **** and Harry had one and they did the buddy work and under bid my already low prices now alot of tanks they put in and other things theyve done have started to have problems. Ive had 6 jobs to do this week already 3 of them are botched field lines from the same fella all of them have too much fall and a few of them get middle ways and go uphill.

[lamarbur]

funny, never ran a dozer or skid steer, do run a 710 hoe frequently, now and then a 235 excavator and various other loaders. Up here, one has to have ahydraulic license.(MA) I keep mine up to date ecen though I live jsut over the line into CT. I have an unrestricted which means I can do anything but steam/cable.

[Taylortractornu]

Lamarbur When you mean hydraulic liscence does that mean before you operate a hydraulic machine you have to be liscenced? Or does it referr to underground cables and steam pipes? Here you dont have to have a liscence for either unless you put in a new tank at a new home site you have to have it inspected or lie about it lol.
On the operating side the only thing I ll ever be better at than my dad and older brother is a crane. Dad hasnt used a skid steer much but hes one of the best TLB, paddle wheeel scraper, excavator, and dozer operators around these parts. He doesnt like my older backhoe but he never ran it sinc ehe bought it I stayed on it all the time. If I ever get a dozer Ill be able to keep it busy, Dad stays busy on the weekends working for others.

[lamarbur]

In Massachusetts one has to have a hydraulic license to operate any kind of machinery. I still believe it is another way for the commonwealth to raise monies. But, yes, you have to qualify backhoe, dozer, other crawler, crane, excavator, loader, etc, etc. I don't believe skid steers come under any license requirements thoug

[cat320]

they do mention bobcats on the license but hard to enforce.

[lamarbur]

I'm reading the front of mine right now and it says for me, 1C-2A-4A-
1C,equipment w/telescoping booms with or without wire ropes
2A, crawler and rubber tired excavators, backhoes and loaders
4A, unrestricted no mention of skid steer or bob cat types on mine
I've had this since it started out and this particular license was just re-newed this past October.

[cat320]

Your right i just looked at mine and it does not mention bobcats but when i took the test many years ago it said or mentioned skidsteer equipment maybe they clasify it as a loader, or just removed it entirely but I do rember reading it on the paper at dept. of safety.

[RonG]

I live in Connecticut but have done a lot of work in Mass. over the years,could I have gotten arrested?

[lamarbur]

It use to be that out of state or new operators learning had to have a licensed person standing within 50 feet of whatever machine was operating, providing the license holder and their license matched the machine that was operating. I do not know if this is still the way or not. I'm down to 700 or so hours a year and I am sent on single machine operator jobs only. It is rare if I have a helper with me unless needed. So, the last few years I really haven't kept up with what is law or isn't. You do need a operators license in Mass and I thought CT was going to do the same. Evidently, they are not.

[Steve Frazier]

Is this something that is enforced regularly or just when the need arises?

[lamarbur]

I can't answer for the other guys other than it's a good bet if one is doing municipal, prevailing wage work, that an inspector will show up un-announced at a job site. I've heard of inspectors showing up on private jobs now and then, but never been involved myself or ACTUALLY saw an inspection at a privae site. They say it happens now and then and it probably does,

[mikegamb]

Originally posted by lamarbur
It use to be that out of state or new operators learning had to have a licensed person standing within 50 feet of whatever machine was operating, providing the license holder and their license matched the machine that was operating. I do not know if this is still the way or not. I'm down to 700 or so hours a year and I am sent on single machine operator jobs only. It is rare if I have a helper with me unless needed. So, the last few years I really haven't kept up with what is law or isn't. You do need a operators license in Mass and I thought CT was going to do the same. Evidently, they are not.


man thats crazy.whats next we need a LIC to take a dump in a public bathroom???

just nuts i worked for a heavy equipment dealer for a bit.everyone drove equipment around they even let us drive the old macks with the 3 axle drop trailers around without a lic for a while also.i had a CDL so i was okay,but i know everyone had to sign a waiver about runing the equipment.just something to cover there butt i guess

[lamarbur]

It's not so crazy when you realize that supposedly the Pilgrims landed in Mass first and therefore had underground water, septic, electric and other lines long before anyone else. It also means many lines known and unknown, and many more ripped out foolishly by supposed operators who weren't really operators other than them telling you so. I agree that sometimes it goes too far and especially for those who live in CT and have to work in Mass for a living and vice versa.

[mikegamb]

they want $5500 OBO for this junker 1978 clark/bobcat 825 hour meter reads 1700 but it stopped working long ago.does run good

[RonG]

I am honored that I was working in such distinguished company while working in Massachusetts but I worked there for weeks at a time and noone ever approached me asking for any qualifying credentials.This was an elderly housing project on a major highway in full view of the world in Southwick. I wonder how they missed me?
Maybe when they saw my work they kept moving:))
I agree that there are a lot of operators on jobsites that are keeping it a secret from everyone else,the only clue being that they are occupying the seat where one would look for an operator. Ron

[lamarbur]

Ron G,
as I said in previous posts here, sometimes a license thing may prove good, more times than not, it is another way for the commonwealth to make monies. I have to laugh at the majority party that has held that state the last 50 years. "We're here to help you succeed" is their war cry. All I've seen them do so far, is things like the hydro license and more requirements on a job site than you can shake a stick at. I finally just left the contractor that I've run his 710 at for years and years. Totally out of hand. I have a small 40 HP compact tractor with detachable hoe. I will do "now and then" work around here in this area of Connecticut with it. I probably will re-new the hydro license in Mass one more time, just in case I have to go there for some reason.

[Landman]

there was a bobcat on ebay a few weeks ago that had a fire and cab, motor, hose, tires were all shot and it still sold for $4500.00

[cat320]

I don't know about buying somrthing like that buy the time you get the parts have it repainted and then have the parts installed even if you say do it yourself who pays for your time? And what if there is something else wrong with it .

[jsimpson]

I bought my diesel 453 for $1000. It's rusty and ugly, but has low hours and is in good mechanical condition, tha bis until the latest problem suddenly POPPED up!