Buying My First Skid Steer ~ Please Help / Advice Appreciated

I have had a New Holland foot controls since I was a kid that served our farm well, definitely a respectable machine I ripped that thing and was creating jumps for my dirt bike at a young age lol. Now that I am in the market for my own and even though I have owned and operated a skid steer all my life I am not sure which manufacture is best. I see now that Bobcat is Korean owned / operated and will shortly be switching from Kubota to something Asian. Here is my dilemma, I have had foot controls all my life and have tried the joystick in the newer models, but I like my foot controls better.

What was the best, most reliable, most powerful skid steer with foot controls ever built? Bobcat has the Kubota, I think some Case and Terex have cummins, which I am a huge fan of cummins. You know how in the pickups everyone raves about the 12v cummins or that 7.3 powerstroke, which is that 12v cummins / 7.3 powerstroke for the skid steer? I must say our New Holland served us really well, but I would appreciate some advice for you guys.


Thank you

Please understand that I have no vested interest in any brand , nor your business.

I grew up with foot controls.

I struggled to learn H pattern hand controls.

I learned ISO pattern hand controls.

I have a loader with foot controls, that I love.

I would never purchase a skid steer now with foot controls.

I know, that's not what you asked. But, to determine the best for you, we need to know the era you wish to purchase, and your intended use for the machine.

-Josh

Hey Josh, I appreciate the response. I would like the most reliable, most powerful skid steer available with foot controls. I have tried ISO, it is wonderful, personally I would like to stick to foot controls. I'm trying to figure out if the Kubota or Cummins are more reliable. I am reading good reviews on both, but nothing that compares actual workability ( how much weight it can hold, how much faster the machine travels, things like that ).

I would like something that is not too computerized, I would like reliability as apposed to luxury. This will be a workhorse. I would like something to where I could bring it in and rebuild it without it costing an arm and a leg

Since you qualified it with 'most powerful' then I'd have to suggest the Gehl 7800/Mustang 2109/2105 model with 110 hp cummins and yanmars, both of which are my most favorite, reliable engines. There are more of these models with the T bar control, fewer with case style controls, and fewer with hand/foot control. My least favorite is hand/foot, but I can adapt to whatever pretty quickly. As far as electronics, they do have a module in the console which rarely goes bad, but overall they are pretty reliable machines that are absolute beasts.

I'm currently working with a Case 90xt on a demo job removing a second story deck with a root grapple bucket. Pretty impressive machine as I'm taking 12'x15' sections of deck at a time and lifting them straight out, carrying them 100' and stacking. Grapple weighs about 900 - 1000 pounds, so it's no slacker. Cummins engine, some electronics, but very reliable.

Why do you need the most powerful machine, anyway?

To be honest I just was always taught bigger is better, there is no replacement for displacement type of guy. I would rather have overkill than be stuck lacking.

Thanks Swanny! So the Gehl / Mustang you would recommend. Out of those which one of those has the foot controls? I am not looking for any hand control units. At the end of the day if I go hand controlled I will buy brand new. Do they make any brand new foot controls skid steers?

iBlitz said:

Do they make any brand new foot controls skid steers?

Click to expand...

Yes they do... I sat in a few new units at the Bobcat dealer today, I was amazed at the number of them on the lot. Salesman stated they still sale a lot of them with hand and foot controls. I grew up with hand and foot controls but after running several with ISO hand controls, I will never own anything but pilot hand controls. But to each their own....that is why they make all kinds...

I believe the new Kubota tire machines have hand foot controls. They look nice and the track machines perform well around here so I would guess the tire machines will too. Might be worth a look. I have a Case 450 with H controls and love it. It's a tuff rig

Kubota has a great engine from what I have researched. Up until recently Kubota has made a good amount of the engines running on a Bobcat. I would love a Kubota or Cummins at 75+hp. Yanmars are great also and speaking of Yanmars, is that what is on the John Deere skid steers? I know Yanmar makes a lot of John Deere engines so is it the same with the skid steers? And if so would a John Deere not be a great choice?

More specifically the John Deere 332 models. Humbling how troubling it is to find information on different controls and engines. I am getting there though and I am really liking the Mustang 2109, but on the Mustang 2109 some of them say perkins and others say cummins, which is confusing. I found that the Gehl 7800 / 7810 is run by a Yanmar and I have read good things about Yanmar.

If I get the Mustang 2109 which one has the Cummins? The Gehl is the one with the Yanmar I am pretty sure right? If Kubota made a big horsepower wheeled skid steer I would most likely buy it, too bad. I am not much inclined to purchase a track skid steer.

What about that Bobcat S850? They say it has a nice Kubota in it. Are the arms weak like some other Bobcat models?

Alright so I am set on a Cummins engine. That being said is the Case, Mustang and Gehl the only that offered cummins? Obviously I know that the Kubota and Yanmar are arguably just as good with the Kubota having high recommendations regarding its reliability. Plain and simple I want a Cummins because it is a Cummins lol.

I also found some answers to my questions. Both the Mustang 2109 and Gehl 7810 have a cummins, the perkins was discontinued early due to failures. Perkins raised it's price while providing terrible support and many early issues. All of which was fixed when the Cummins replaced the Perkins. Stay away from Mustang 2109 and Gehl 7810 with the Perkins engine. Are the only skid steers with Cummins the Mustang, Gehl and Case?

At the farm we had a Gehl 7800, 2 7810's, and a V400 (not all at the same time) before giving up on that large of a skid steer and going with a mini wheel loader. The V400 was ok, definitely not a favorite, the 7810's were nice better. Fast, lots of power, good reach, etc. The biggest gripe most of us had with them is how far the rear of the machine stuck back behind you, it made tight spaces very difficult to maneuver compared to a shorter skid. Also it was to big and bulky depending what you were trying to do. It was great for moving bales, loading feed, etc but when it came to dirt work or tight quarters everyone would go grab one of the smaller machines. After the last V400 left and the mini loader showed up not a single person ever said a word about wanting a skid steer that big again. The mini loader gets used for everything the big skid was used for and then some more, the 2 smaller skids (95xt and TR270 ctl) do everything else and are much more agile. Another thing to watch with the 7800 style machines is how steep your trailer ramps are, the rear is low enough that loading on/off some trailers is a hassle due to getting hung up.

Mark B thank you for the reply. I have been looking strongly at the Gehl 7800 and also the Mustang 2105 which are the same. Emissions changed from my understanding and the 7800 / 2105 with the yanmar have good reviews. How would you rate the 7800 / 2105 compared to the Cummins 7810 / 2109? Any big difference? Any particular differences between the models that you like over one another? Thanks again Mark!

Also I am looking at the bobcat s850. That one looks nice

I never ran the 7800, it had come and gone before I started helping them. The Cummins powered 7810 was fine for power, never really gave much trouble or seemed to fall on it's face if you were working it hard. The long wheel base made it ride pretty nice and it had a quick ground speed. Another downfall of it was it runs 14-17.5" tires, they're quite a bit more money to replace then normal 12x16.5 skid steer tires. A skid steer that big seems to be a niche machine, there's a lot of jobs or situations where a smaller machine could out work it simply because it's easier to move around or squeeze between things.

Do you need to transport this skid loader? The larger units will require a larger trailer to move around which is a consideration if you are already set up with a trailer

Hmmm I am indecisive, one thing I hate and love about myself. Reluctant to pull the trigger here.. Thinking about a Mustang / Gehl - 7800 / 2105 or Mustang / Gehl - 7810 / 2109 ( with cummins ). Then I am also thinking about the Bobcat s850 or the cat 272's.

Between the Cat 272's and the Bobcat s850, which one would you all prefer?

Maybe you still don't have enough answers, which is understandable. I would think if you're serious, you should be able to get a dealer to let you demonstrate (or at least rent at a reasonable price), for a day. Maybe after spending some time in each of the machines you listed, one will become a clear winner, or at least fall to the bottom of your list so you can check it off and narrow it down. I think it's nice to dream about having 'the biggest machine' but is it going to be practical for you? You haven't really indicated what type of work you are going to do that you need the biggest machine...

I have to agree with "Jeepwalker", you should size your equipment to the job you be will doing most. You don't use a large track hoe to dig a small fish pond.
Size is number one, once you've figured out the optimal size then you look at the features and horsepower that are available in that size from all the different manufacturers, don't rule out any one brand or machine yet. you need to look at all the different criteria like Parts availability, Dealer Location, Dealer Reputation, and Reliability of the Dealer and the Equipment.
When you have looked/researched all of the above information then you start to short list. Your local dealers can be huge source of information if you are up font and honest with them.

trust me when I say you will need to have a good relationship with the dealer that sells and services the brand you finally choose.

I appreciate all the advice. I would like to avoid talking to the dealer until I figure out what machine is best for what I would like.

After I get a better understanding of reputable skid steer models I will contact the dealers. Right now I'm preparing so I dont go in like a moron. " Ugh I operated a skid steer all my life and I don't know sh*t about them ". I'd rather look like a fool online, thanks

I'm in a similar situation as you. I'm in the market for a large skid steer and I was debating on the s850 and 272 XHP. I'm going with the cat. Both great machines I just have more faith in the Kubota than the doosan motor in the bobcat. Plus I've had such good luck with my 336 e I just might as well stay with Cat.