what is the best tracked skid steer?

[bonanno23]

do get a straight answer, you need to be super specific on what you plan on using the machine for. I can give a some good input on cat and tak.

i have (2) 287B (2) 287C (3) 289C (2) TL150 (1) TL130

If you're worried about snow removal, they'll all do the job. The old style 287 tracks are the best in the snow. The 289 and Tak at like walking on a wood floor with socks. you can do it but you need to take precautions.

the 287s will do the least amount of damage to lawns.

the Tl150 ( or Tl250 ) will out push the cats be far. I dont know how anyone can say otherwise. And I say that owning both brands.

the cats offer a much smoother ride than the tak.

We have more cat machines because we do alot of work where we need to be concerned with damaging lawns, athletic fields, sidewalks etc.

If you have specific questions about either brand I can answer them for you. I can speak for bobcat,jd, or any of the other brands bc I've never put any real time in their seats

 

[Drtdigger4]

Asv all the way the low ground pressure is amazing look at some of the videos on you tube will amaze u

 

[zfrepair]

get deere ctl the only machine to have thought takeuchi was good till a few weeks ago we replaced three engines i think they should put a replace engine light in the dash plus we did a lot more takkie engines before this not impressed

 

[JBGASH]

I have had excellent with the Bobcat line, will buy another when time to trade. Just like any piece / brand of equipment, you can get a good one or a bad one.

 

[Reiscon10]

Best skid loader on market by my standards is kubota. Own cat kubota gehl/tackeutchi and bobcat kubota blows cat out of the water 10 times better. Cat makes one of the worst ctl's to me small cab rough ride. I will only buy kubota or bobcat from now on most likely kubota

 

[Digdeep]

Best skid loader on market by my standards is kubota. Own cat kubota gehl/tackeutchi and bobcat kubota blows cat out of the water 10 times better. Cat makes one of the worst ctl's to me small cab rough ride. I will only buy kubota or bobcat from now on most likely kubota

You lost me when you said Cat had a rougher ride than the Kubota.

 

[Reiscon10]

You lost me when you said Cat had a rougher ride than the Kubota.

The cat 289c2 we had had a shorter undercarriage than the kubota svl 90 I believe it looked like it I never checked the specs on it. The 90 is a bigger machine but the cat just beat me to death compared to the kubota. The kubota has a much larger cab and is just a far more Comfortable machine to run no skid loader rides great but there's a big difference between these to. The slide up door on the kubota also makes it much easier to use you don't have to worry about were the boom is to get in and out of the machine and in the summer if you want to you can run with the door open and don't have to worry about breaking the glass if you get into something that can do that you just roll the door up and latch it

 

[Digdeep]

The cat 289c2 we had had a shorter undercarriage than the kubota svl 90 I believe it looked like it I never checked the specs on it. The 90 is a bigger machine but the cat just beat me to death compared to the kubota. The kubota has a much larger cab and is just a far more Comfortable machine to run no skid loader rides great but there's a big difference between these to. The slide up door on the kubota also makes it much easier to use you don't have to worry about were the boom is to get in and out of the machine and in the summer if you want to you can run with the door open and don't have to worry about breaking the glass if you get into something that can do that you just roll the door up and latch it

Track lengths are within .6" and the Cat has a suspension. I don't own either machine, but I've operated both the Kubota machines and the newer Cat D series. The Kubotas are a typical Kubota machine, ruggedly built with many things in the design as an afterthought- only has A/C vents on one side of cab, can't even see hyd sight gauge when putting in hyd fluid, must raise lap bar to adjust A/C or heat, door rattles like crazy when operating with it in the up position, cab is loud as hell, no clean outs in the loader towers and openings right into the engine bay, cheesy washer bottle in the cab, etc. Of course everyone has their preference and that's what makes this industry interesting. Glad you like your machine and I hope it gives you years of great performance.

 

[movindirt]

I don't see how Cat's cabs are too small for people, it bugs me more that the takeuchi cab is so wide because it is harder to see out of, the Cat cabs are nice and narrow and easy to see right down next to the track imo Plus a smaller cab warms up quicker in the winter and is easier to keep cool in the summer.

 

[Reiscon10]

I don't see how Cat's cabs are too small for people, it bugs me more that the takeuchi cab is so wide because it is harder to see out of, the Cat cabs are nice and narrow and easy to see right down next to the track imo Plus a smaller cab warms up quicker in the winter and is easier to keep cool in the summer.

I'm a taller bigger guy so getting in and out all day is why I don't like it. Cat is also so much more money you can get a kubota that has its faults for 60 and a comparable cat that has its faults to is gonna be above 90 probably closer to 100 for a 299 d. kubota insurance is added into your payment for next to nothing and covers everything an operator backed our hard into a tree and dented the door and they replaced it for nothing and no rate increase that's part of the reason I say go for the kubota just so much more affordable and profitable for the company

 

[CM1995]

I'm a taller bigger guy so getting in and out all day is why I don't like it. Cat is also so much more money you can get a kubota that has its faults for 60 and a comparable cat that has its faults to is gonna be above 90 probably closer to 100 for a 299 d. kubota insurance is added into your payment for next to nothing and covers everything an operator backed our hard into a tree and dented the door and they replaced it for nothing and no rate increase that's part of the reason I say go for the kubota just so much more affordable and profitable for the company

A $30-40K difference for the same class size machine?

 

[Reiscon10]

A $30-40K difference for the same class size machine?

We paid 65 for kubota svl 90 in 2012 new with cab everything you can get and I just looked on machinery trader for a 2015 new cat 299d that has 5 more hp than the kubota weighs about the same they were asking 95 probly going to add taxes on top of that to so that would put you over a hundred. A 2013 cat 299d with 1200 hrs asking 67. 2015 kubota with 30 hours same features as cat back up camera and everything 60 with 0 percent financing for 48 months

 

[movindirt]

I am guessing that if you went to Cat and said you were interested in the Kubota for $60k they would drop the price on the 299D $10k or more. That being said I would be willing to spend more for a Cat just for the parts and service.

 

[Reiscon10]

I am guessing that if you went to Cat and said you were interested in the Kubota for $60k they would drop the price on the 299D $10k or more. That being said I would be willing to spend more for a Cat just for the parts and service.

The service and parts for where we are is far better with kubota because cat shut down there dealer and now it's more than 100 miles to the closet one in our sales district we get most of our cat parts now for our other stuff from a komatsu dealer we run mostly cat stuff I'm just not impressed with there ctl's

 

[CM1995]

We paid 65 for kubota svl 90 in 2012 new with cab everything you can get and I just looked on machinery trader for a 2015 new cat 299d that has 5 more hp than the kubota weighs about the same they were asking 95 probly going to add taxes on top of that to so that would put you over a hundred. A 2013 cat 299d with 1200 hrs asking 67. 2015 kubota with 30 hours same features as cat back up camera and everything 60 with 0 percent financing for 48 months

Machinery trader is known for high retail pricing, great resource for auction values and such but some of the pricing for used equipment is higher than I can buy it new locally. Case in point my local dealer has a package deal 259D with a 14' trailer, binders/chains/straps, PM kit, 66" bucket, forks and a Pelican cooler for $60K plus tax. Used ones on MT, the average for sale price without high and low is $53K just for the machine. Just food for thought.

Did you quote a Cat in 2012 when you bought the Kubota?

 

[Digdeep]

Having spent a little bit of time in both machines I can understand why the Cat would be priced higher, but $30k seems high and CM1995 is correct regarding Machinery Trader. Very similar to published list prices for cars vs the actual transaction price.

The Cat cab is considerably nicer- air ride heated seats, modern ergonomic switches, factory fit LCD and rear camera vs some aftermarket job that each different dealer must source, a Bluetooth radio vs an aftermarket version, load sensing pumps vs gear pumps and a boost flow high flow system, suspension, self priming fuel filters, much quieter can, much better sealed cab, etc. All these factors add up to a higher price.

This is taking nothing away from a Kubota CTL. They make a rugged and inexpensive machine.

 

[Reiscon10]

Having spent a little bit of time in both machines I can understand why the Cat would be priced higher, but $30k seems high and CM1995 is correct regarding Machinery Trader. Very similar to published list prices for cars vs the actual transaction price.

The Cat cab is considerably nicer- air ride heated seats, modern ergonomic switches, factory fit LCD and rear camera vs some aftermarket job that each different dealer must source, a Bluetooth radio vs an aftermarket version, load sensing pumps vs gear pumps and a boost flow high flow system, suspension, self priming fuel filters, much quieter can, much better sealed cab, etc. All these factors add up to a higher price.

This is taking nothing away from a Kubota CTL. They make a rugged and inexpensive machine.

The only thing kubota doesn't have is LCD screen that will quite in 5 years and need replaced in my opinion so thats just a none needed look at me luxury and Bluetooth radio and camera which is one thing kubota does need to add we put one in ours. Kub has electronic load sensing hydraulics and travel management system near identical undercarriage only cat multiterrain loaders have suspension and that's just an asv machine. Both have triple flanged idlers and rollers. Same buttons and switches in cab just each the company's own version. Both have air suspension seat. Not trying to argue just saying there fairly close machines cat just has the fancy factor kubota has the reliability. I go against cat small machines because of the problems we have had with our 236 and 304 cr both couplings between engine and hydralic pumps broke within 2 weeks of each other 304 came from factory with cracked block replaced engine on warranty at 900 hrs and ac problems. And so far kubota svl 90 and u55 haven't had a single problem at 2000 and 1500 hrs each

 

[Reiscon10]

Cat does have that torsion axle suspension I forgot about that I can't tell any ride difference with it though

 

[TheCRkid]

do get a straight answer, you need to be super specific on what you plan on using the machine for. I can give a some good input on cat and tak.

i have (2) 287B (2) 287C (3) 289C (2) TL150 (1) TL130

If you're worried about snow removal, they'll all do the job. The old style 287 tracks are the best in the snow. The 289 and Tak at like walking on a wood floor with socks. you can do it but you need to take precautions.

the 287s will do the least amount of damage to lawns.

the Tl150 ( or Tl250 ) will out push the cats be far. I dont know how anyone can say otherwise. And I say that owning both brands.

the cats offer a much smoother ride than the tak.

We have more cat machines because we do alot of work where we need to be concerned with damaging lawns, athletic fields, sidewalks etc.

If you have specific questions about either brand I can answer them for you. I can speak for bobcat,jd, or any of the other brands bc I've never put any real time in their seats

Were looking for a skid steer to use in building and maintaining MX Track
We need to move Dry and wet dirt and groom surfaces
This is an investment that will basically be 100% cost with very little gain other than advertising for our Dirt Bike company so price is a huge factor
We have used a wheel bob cat and a new terex track machine and favor the track machine but the cost is very high on these

 

[Swannny]

I go against cat small machines because of the problems we have had with our 236 and 304 cr both couplings between engine and hydralic pumps broke within 2 weeks of each other 304 came from factory with cracked block replaced engine on warranty at 900 hrs and ac problems.

Interesting you mentioned the engine to pump coupler - I recently heard a CAT dealer supposedly sells the heck out of the new coupler that has no plastic in it like the original ones. Pain to change in the A series - no room to work, and no clean outs in the belly back there.