If You had to Buy a CTL-which one would you get?

OK I will try to make this short and am looking for your opinions.
I have a NH L170 with 400 hours and a Komatsu D21A-7 that I feel I could replace both with a CTL and have more versatility with just 1 machine. I only use the D21 about 35 hours a year and dont do super heavy digging with it. So my thought was to get a CTL, keep the few SS attachments I have and get a dozer blade also. I would also like to get high flow for a stump grinder attachment and sell my Vermeer tow behind SG.
How do you guys feel about dozing with a CTL?
Size wise what would you guys do? Think at least a size bigger than the wheeled ss above?
And lastly whose track machines are best in your opinion?

I like the visibility of my NH L170 and have 2 stealerships near me and a JD dealer near me.
Bobcat dealer is about 45 minutes from my shop and over an hour from my home.
Komatsu and Tak are Anderson Eqpt and their close to my shop and good to deal with.

Ready to take any thoughts you folks have.

I have a 2012 CASE TR320. Its a radial lift machine with a ROC of 3200 pounds. It has two hi flow settings, one called enhanced high flow which is a high pressure/high flow and a regular high flow which is high flow and lower pressure. I like that because you can tailor the high flow to the attachment and the job. The machine has excellent push power. The cab is nice. Its a machine that I really like to run for extend periods of time. It is 90 hp gross, and about 264 foot pounds of torque. The latest models are around 288 foot pounds.

If your not going to do a lot of lift and carry type jobs, I like the radial lift linkage, always have. The sight lines are cleaner, less moving parts which makes them more durable. As to a dozer blade on a CTL. I think they are better than a dozer blade on a wheeled skid steer, but your length of track on the ground is still less than a real dozer, so you must deal with the tortoising effect. I think with practice its possible to become somewhat proficient with a blade on a CTL but its hard for me to find a project that a bucket cant do the same thing with more versatility.

As to which is best, that is up to you to decide. The only machine I would not consider would be a CAT MTL but I did consider the CAT CTL when I bought mine. Its best to get some demo machines, spend a day in each and see which one you like and can afford.

C'mon guys I can take the abuse so what other opinions are out here?

If you can't get any better answers, I don't have personal experience but from everything I've heard, "dozing" with a CTL is not very effective. If you watch the youtube videos, they are almost always pushing loose dirt, not doing any digging at all.

YMMV. It all depends on your needs.

Best compact tracked loader - international 100B!

ejb17 said:

C'mon guys I can take the abuse so what other opinions are out here?

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Case #1
NewHolland #2

The best one is the one you like and performs the job you need done. Brand A versus B is fun and does cause kool things like truck pulls but that is as far as it goes! Now if you'll excuse me I have to go use my chevy to pull a ford out of a mud hole, then I'm sure it'll need a jump start.

KSSS said:

. As to a dozer blade on a CTL. I think they are better than a dozer blade on a wheeled skid steer, but your length of track on the ground is still less than a real dozer, so you must deal with the tortoising effect. I think with practice its possible to become somewhat proficient with a blade on a CTL but its hard for me to find a project that a bucket cant do the same thing with more versatility.

As to which is best, that is up to you to decide. The only machine I would not consider would be a CAT MTL but I did consider the CAT CTL when I bought mine. Its best to get some demo machines, spend a day in each and see which one you like and can afford.

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I agree.



As for what brand of CTL..."MY" choice #1 = Bobcat #2 = Takeuchi

I like bobcats, but that is just me. First look at dealer support in your area. The best machine will break someday and having a dealler two hours away is never handy. Demo everything you can get your hands on buy what you like.