Advice??? Best bobcat skidsteer for homeowner and hunt land

I very much look up to guys (and gals) I've seen comment on here. Tons of respect for some of the expertise that is shared.

I'm looking for a used skidsteer for my project that I can keep for the long haul. I have a couple acres with heavy brush and small trees and a hundred acres way out of town with same. Both need areas cleared of brush and leveling/regrading in areas.

Any advice, suggestions, input on a particular used model that holds up well and meets the task?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to ALL !

763,853,863 would be good ones. I had a 763 was a good machine reliable too. I have operated 853's they are good strong machines with a shorter wheelbase and bit less capacity from an 863. I would go for the bigger machines for what you want since they could lift more. 763 capacity is 1500lb while a 863 is 2000lb. They are radius lift machines so less joints to maintain and work Good for grading and stuff. If you want to lift higher then a vertical lift machine is better.

Thank you. I was looking at the 763 but the 863 might be a better way to go for capacity reasons. I really appreciate that you took the time. Merry Christmas...Happy Holidays.

I bought a 763 years back to do exactly what you are doing. You can't beat the simplicity and reliability of those and the 8 series machines. I still have it 9 years later even though I have a newer larger machine but it's probably going down the road soon. I bought it with a grapple bucket and also bought metal tracks for it, it's been a workhorse with very little trouble.

Don't get me wrong a 763 will do the job and if you ran across a good one i wouldn't worry. But when I wasn't doing dirt work I often wished it could lift a bit more.

Definitely over-the-tire metal tracks for what you want to do.

First, THANKS for the help.
SECOND, a guy at my local dealer said the 863's are dying off and is the wrong way to go because its oil cooled, not liquid cooled. He said the s250 is a much better model and better way to go. He said older engine on 863 didn't compare with a better KUBOTA deisel engine found on the s250. I trust the good advice I've been getting here. I'd been looking for a used 863 based on the prior recommendations. Can you tell me if the dealer guy was full of "hot air"?

If you want to spend the money go ahead on a newer s250. But I wouldn't count the 863 out because its oil cooled. It's just an older model I don't think they are any less reliable than a 763 with a kubota engine.

I had a 2000 763. Nice machine. The only thing I was it lacked a turbo. Currently I own a few Bobcats in the rental business. One is a Bobcat S160. It's the newer version of the 763. I bought it with 475 hours in 2010. It now has 2475. Oil changes and tires is all I have done to it. The S160 has double bucket tilt cylinders, stronger lift arms and the turbo kubota diesel. I would look for one of these. The Bobcat S185 was one of the best selling skid steers for years. They are also available with more horse power in the S205. This version has basically the same weight with the increased hp. Bobcat S250 and 863 are much heavier. That's why we don't rent these, homeowners can't tow them.

The 753 or 63's are tough machines. I've owned almost thirty of them in my career and never had anything but minor problems or none at all on some machines. Watch for the pins hooking the bobtach to the arms. They are tapered into the arms and if they have been run loose can cause a problem.
I've also had several 863's, they are a decent machine the latest models being the best. They can have some engine problems but I never experienced any.

The S series seem to be decent, I bought selectable joy sticks because my knees couldn't take the day in and out of pushing pedals anymore. If pedals don't bother you I would not get anything but a mechanical machine. I get tired of replacing paying for joy sticks when a metal rod never did go out.

I currently have a s250 and with over 4500 hours it has been a very capable and productive machine with very minimal down time. On the subject of oil cooled I would run away, I have an excavator with the oil cooled Kubota, and when I ask the dealer how to ad an engine cooler they treat me like I have the plague. But if you are some where that never sees freezing temps you may be ok.

My experience and advice is to stay away from the 863 with the Deutz engine. I had one and didn't like it as it was constantly eating fuel pumps and pump solenoids. I kept a spare of each in the truck because you never knew when it was going out.

The 763 is probably one of the toughest machines Bobcat made, second to the 843. Over the years I've owned 6 Bobcat skids and CTL's. The 843 was the most dependable and a T190 was the least.

The major issue with Bobcat in my experience with the newer machines is when they reach 2K hours little things start going out, I call it the 2000 hour-itis. It's usually electrical related like solenoids, relays, etc. The 843 and 763 had very little electronics which adds to their reliability.

Now the 743 couldn't be killed, it was a hell of a little skid. Friend of mine that was a landscaper had 2 that he ran heavy and hard and put them up wet. He said if he knew how reliable they were he'd bought 4 and put two up for future use.

Now for the million dollar question - Apprentice what's your budget?

If you plan to go between the two properties, consider the capacity of your trailer, or what trailer you'll need if you dont have one, and what your truck can tow. Do you want hand/foot controls? Machines w/o foot pedals (just hand controls) generally have a flat foot area ...a lot more leg room, and are usually a lot easier to get into and out of. If you are older, or plan to keep it for a long time, that might be something to think about. When I see my dad get into and out of his skid loader (with foot pedals), it's a struggle. If he had the Case like I do, it would be so much easier and safer for him. Also, if your property is hilly, you might want to look at a longer wheelbase machine for better stability. Gehl machines have hand controls and also good visibility around the machine. One nice thing about a bobcat unit is their trencher/backhoe mounts 'hard' to the machine and could be a good addition if you needed one for digging up stumps, trenching or something along those lines. Backhoes pop up at auctions relatively cheap from time to time. Also consider what local dealers are in your area for service/parts, which hopefully you won't need. There are a lot of good older machines out there.

The oil cooled Deutz in the 863 is nothing to be afraid of in my oppinion. We bought our 873 new in 1998 and aside from a head gasket going out early on it's been reliable and problem free. Just make sure to replace the timing belt on it...

Also, some other things to toss around while looking for a skid unit: If you plan to use the skid loader to move snow, do you want a heated cab ..or high-flow hydraulics? Running an open cab skid on a windy winter day is a miserable experience after a while.

Some guys say they 'need' to find a skid loader with foot pedal bucket controls because that's what they're used to running ...and limit themselves to only those machines, but, guys I know who use multiple machines enough say either one works find ....ya get used to just about any machine once you start using it. I personally like hand controls better but could use foot bucket controls too. I don't know where you are in IL, but if you are in N. Illinois, there is a pretty good sized rental place, M&D in Monroe WI, and they have a wide variety of different skid loaders for rent and sale. You can get in and out and see what things you like and don't like in a couple hours of time. Good luck..

Jeepwalker said:

Some guys say they 'need' to find a skid loader with foot pedal bucket controls because that's what they're used to running ...and limit themselves to only those machines, but, guys I know who use multiple machines enough say either one works find ....ya get used to just about any machine once you start using it.

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Agree We had both a hand control 1845C Case and a foot control 743 Bobcat along with the JCB 185 Joy-stick control. At times if asked I could not 100% say which control on which one did what. But sit in the seat and seemed my brain would automatically boot up to the right system for the machine I was sitting in!

Only real preference would be when plowing snow. The Case and Bobcat were both open cabs, no heat. The JCB was an enclosed cab with heat but not that great. With heavy Carhartts on and heavy boots the foot controls were a little more work than using the Case with hand controls.

One other note. When pushing wet sloppy snow with open cab slow down before you hit the snow bank especially if there is a puddle at the foot of the snow pile!

I remember when we would get deep snows like 2' or better doing driveways in an open cab bobcat, the whole leg area would fill with snow and it took forever to warm back up. But the money was better than any other work you could do.

Todd v. said:

I remember when we would get deep snows like 2' or better doing driveways in an open cab bobcat, the whole leg area would fill with snow and it took forever to warm back up. But the money was better than any other work you could do.

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Yes I remember pushing snow with a snow suit over my regular out side gear and still couldn't feel my feet, can't say good old days, but It certainly appears to have built character that is lacking in the new "work force".

cdm123 said:

Yes I remember pushing snow with a snow suit over my regular out side gear and still couldn't feel my feet, can't say good old days, but It certainly appears to have built character that is lacking in the new "work force".

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Well said.

Here is my take.. If money is no object go buy a rubber tracked machine. TL130 (8000 lb sized machine 75 hp)if you have a 3/4 ton truck. If you have a F550 look for a TL150 (12,000 lb sized machine 115 HP). Expect to pay a fair amount to maintain the tracks and under carriage.

If $600.00 to $1200.00 repairs would bother your wallet get a 75 HP wheeled machine. The bigger the machine the more fuel it will eat. The extra horse power on 90 HP machines can eat 10 more gallons per day on cost of running....

If your hunting land is sandy you will want metal or rubber tracks. If the ground is firm wheels will be fine unless you get to close to low areas.

Walkers comments on your haul vehicle are spot on. Base the machine on your tow rig. It is dangerous to pull a 5 ton machine with a F250/F350 truck... It will wreck you very easily. Working on large tracts of land will make you want the bigger machine. Clearing small trees and pushing brush piles is much faster...

I try to use only bigger machines to clear with now. I look for an excuse to take a 953 to the jobsite.... it is made for clearing a skid steer is made for tending small growth.... I have been spoiled with 30,000 lbs of push and lift...