Wanting Expert Opnion On CTL

[Fickster]

Here some info bout my self.
Grew up as a welder and part time heavy equipment operator. I been wanting to start up a Skid Steer/welding service here in central missouri. I been looking at money wise from purchasing a brand new skid steer and mantince it the best I can and dont have plans to buy another one.

Dealers loaction:
Bobcat: St. louis 120 miles
Cat: 60 miles
Case:60 Miles
New Holland: 80 Miles
John Deere: 40

Propose of machine:
Dirt work, clearing brush, fence building, cleaning up/demolation and farm.
Will be using about every kind of attachment there is to complete the job.

Price Tag: Free to 65,000

Looked at Bobcat T-320- I think its a good machine plently of pushing power as the lifting it left good but have the safty feature where itll stop going up and dont even tip a bit
Cat: ran a wheeled machine and I dont like it becuase of the joy stick controls where 1 side locks up and the other spin it ass off
Case: I honestly cant tell never been in one longer than 3 hours
New Holland:never ran one
John Deere: They feel like they have lots of power but demo it at a dealership

Whats your opnion on the machine you have ran, Im not worried bout rear visiblity becuase I work by my self, Emission is no concern due to be in country side.
Want the best bang for buck and not be in a bind when i have a big job to do. Im shooting for the biggest they make.

Service and part/dealer service is very important to me due to being a rual area and need things fixed asap what thr experince you had with the brand dealership.

 

[CM1995]

Welcome to the Forums Fickster!:drinkup

I'll give my $.02 on the subject. The only tracked skids I have owned has been a Bobcat T190 and T250. Personally I would stay away from the earlier T190's but that's my personal experience and my opinions of this particular machine are documented elsewhere on the Forum.

I still have my T250 (sold the T190 several years ago) and it has been a good machine. Strong, powerful and well balanced. It is a 2004 model with 2K +/- hours on it. It has had a few issues in the last year, mainly wear items - hoses, belts, etc. Currently it is at the Bobcat doc getting an electrical gremlin chased to find out why the aux. hyd's will not work.

I'll be the first to admit that this machine has been road hard and put up wet during it's lifetime. Being a smaller machine compared to the rest of the fleet it wasn't looked after as well as the yellow iron and ran by multiple operators that weren't the easiest on machines, back when times were blow and go. That being said it has been a good machine and I have been working through the problems of use and age of the machine over the last year.

I don't have any substantial experience with any other machines of this kind, so all I can opine on is what I have owned/operated.

 

[Fickster]

Thank you for your input, how ever I'm afraid the T-250 will be to small bc the ablity to lift the 5,000 lbs bundles of the steel that comes in semi loads will not
Be accomplished. Your 2 cents can help me save thousands of dollers of I need something that size

 

[KSSS]

I wrote my thoughts on my new CASE TR320 on here. The new CASE Alpha skid steers are impressive. Lifting 5K could be a challenge for any CTL.

 

[Fickster]

I know the T-320 will do it becuase i ve done it sevral times. My steel comes in 5,000lbs boundles no shorter than 8 foot and can be long as 32 ft. KSS i will check out the case TR320. Thank you

 

[barklee]

Im not a skid steer expert like many on here so i dont have a lot to say about the choice of machine. I will say however that 65k for one piece of equipment for a new business sounds like a lot of money. I dont have a doubt in my mind that one could acquire a nice used piece for less than half that price that will do the job. With that said, i personally like to put a toe in the water before i jump right in. There is a ton of competition out there and this is not an easy business to make money in. Not saying i know exactly how you plan to use this or your business plan or your back log of work. I would just hate to see you invest that kind of money only a year from now discovering the business isnt for you and taking a massive hit trying to sell this new machine. Hope this helps, not trying to be a buzz kill........ Good Luck either way!

 

[JDOFMEMI]

There is a lot of good advice already. I will say as far as lifting 5,000# bundles, while it is past the rated capacity, my Cat 287 does it. I have lifted over 6,000# with it, and I am pushing up close to 4,000 hrs on my machine. I have not had much experience with other brands, but my Cat has been very reliable, even with very hard use. I would get another one in a second based on my experience with the one I have. It has had a few minor problems, like hoses, and the undercarriage issues are well documented, but I have had no major problems.

I bought mine second hand, with 1,400 hours on it, and it was used pretty hard in a forestry application before I got it. I have used it for everything imaginable, and it still handles the toughest tasks. Just last week I loaded and unloaded the buckets for a 345 excavator, the largest one being right around 6,000#, as well as the heavy duty demolition grapple, which is even heavier. I am not sure the weight on it, but it was the max I could lift. I suspect it was 6,500+#, but have never weighed it.

 

[05rammer]

Fickster what part of Missouri are you in?

 

[LedgeEnd]

I will say as far as lifting 5,000# bundles, while it is past the rated capacity, my Cat 287 does it.

What do you lift the bundles with? Pallet forks? Chain on your bucket? Chainplate? or something else?

 

[LedgeEnd]

I will say however that 65k for one piece of equipment for a new business sounds like a lot of money. I dont have a doubt in my mind that one could acquire a nice used piece for less than half that price that will do the job. With that said, i personally like to put a toe in the water before i jump right in.

I agree but with a slight twist... If 65k is your total all in pile of cash don't spend it all at once (spread the fun out a little, eh?). Don't forget to account for equipment to haul your equipment. Don't forget to add in the attachments. Keep a little back for maint. and repair.

Along the way you may find a niche that is more profitable than others but it will be best done with another machine (smaller even). It would be nice to have some cash to jump in at that point.

Used equipment prices seem to vary with the season. If you have time you could save yourself a bunch of cash and have some time to test the equip. before the first job.

 

[Fickster]

Dixon. By fort Leonard wood

 

[Fickster]

Fickster what part of Missouri are you in?

Dixon Near Fort Lenord Wood

 

[Fickster]

I agree but with a slight twist... If 65k is your total all in pile of cash don't spend it all at once (spread the fun out a little, eh?). Don't forget to account for equipment to haul your equipment. Don't forget to add in the attachments. Keep a little back for maint. and repair.

Along the way you may find a niche that is more profitable than others but it will be best done with another machine (smaller even). It would be nice to have some cash to jump in at that point.

Used equipment prices seem to vary with the season. If you have time you could save yourself a bunch of cash and have some time to test the equip. before the first job.

I have a peterbilt semi and been leasing a 45 foot Drop deck from a old friend of mine i used to work and weld for in the domolation business, how ever this is a trailer that he bought to scrap n decided to keep it, all it needed a new floor. there is another guy who i used to work cattle with and some hualing for, he runs the same business as i want to do and he said that Im welcomed to start one up in his area and wont be no bridges getting burnt and had possibly talked bout renting his attatchments for a certain price per day etc.

 

[dneedelman]

If it were me I would have the Cat & Bobcat dealers do a demo on new CTL's. Try & get them as closely equipped as possible & see which one you like more in your application. Everyone test drives a new vehicle, so you might as well do the same with your tractor. Put them side by side & look at ease of maintenance as well as which will do the job for you.

 

[Fickster]

I grew up on john deere tractors and equipment, We been having really good luck with them due to having tractor 1 size bigger than needed applicationa and mantaoince. I been really leaning towards a John Deere 333D becuase service/dealership are relativly close to use and the do come out to where the equipment is if we are unable to fix it or under warrenty ETC. Cat & Bobcat want ballpark figue 500 a day to do a demo on the machines and deere is free unless theres damages and im liable for it which i understand the concept of that what i want to know is the best bang for the buck, something that i can fix if its simple, less down time, it gonna be 1 operator and i dont share my equipment at all due to a valuable lesson i learned when i was 16.

How many of you guys have to pay to do a demo?

 

[dneedelman]

I actually work for a Cat dealer in sales & have never heard of charging for a demo. The Deere does make a very good machine, but if it were me spending that kind of money I would still ask the other dealers to do a free demo like Deere. Obviously I lean towards Cat, but I really think it's best to try them all out to see what is best for you.

 

[Digdeep]

Never heard of anyone charging for a demo.

 

[05rammer]

Fickster I am from New Have it's betwen Hermann and Washington. Did you know that there is a Bobcat dealer in Jefferson City?

 

[Fickster]

Fickster I am from New Have it's betwen Hermann and Washington. Did you know that there is a Bobcat dealer in Jefferson City?

Is it a group of bobcat of st. Louis?? As I mented earlier there a guy who does the same work I been wanting to start up owned a bobcat no I can not tell you the model how ever it is a vertical lift on tires. He had several problems due to electrical after bobcat worked on it n gave him so many hours warranty on it. He was clearing brush and stopped to eat lunch soon as he got out of machine he saw smoke n used 3 bottles of fire extends her how ever it was not enough the machine went up n flames had to call the fire department to put fire out n bobcat said electrical caused it n will not pay a portion of the machine, he went n bought a Kubota 90 horse n so far he likes it. I not lookin at Kubota because it's not an American product. And have a kubota engine in my Lincoln vantage 300 welder n leaks oil everywhere n bad with 1,000+ hours

 

[Fickster]

Im not a skid steer expert like many on here so i dont have a lot to say about the choice of machine. I will say however that 65k for one piece of equipment for a new business sounds like a lot of money. I dont have a doubt in my mind that one could acquire a nice used piece for less than half that price that will do the job. With that said, i personally like to put a toe in the water before i jump right in. There is a ton of competition out there and this is not an easy business to make money in. Not saying i know exactly how you plan to use this or your business plan or your back log of work. I would just hate to see you invest that kind of money only a year from now discovering the business isnt for you and taking a massive hit trying to sell this new machine. Hope this helps, not trying to be a buzz kill........ Good Luck either way!

That just gave me an idea n your right I think I should do that because I've bought my welder with 200 hours on it for 7,000 and my peterbilt for 20,000. I completely forgot bout that. I think I'll look around n try to find one with less than 500 hours like a repo or demo ones. Thanks. That was a good idea