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the right skidsteer/track loader for me??

billybonds

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
16
Location
ny
I've never owned a skid steer before. I own 2 small horse farms in the suburbs of NY, one is 3 acres, the other only 1 acre. I currently own a New Holland Workmaster 35 tractor with loader, which I am only putting about 100 hours per year on handling all the property maintenance. Regular tasks are loading manure into a dumpster, scraping mud from paddocks and replacing with rca, screening/spreading sand, snow removal, driveway maintenance, riding ring maintenance. The tractor handles all these tasks poorly except riding arena because of the tr3 drag attached to it. I would like to make my life easier, and feel that I should have purchased a skidsteer in the first place, and an old tractor just to pull the arena drag. Which brings me to trying to find out the best machine for my needs.

I am not opposed to buying new or used. I definitely want hvac. It needs to be small enough to meneouver in and out of 8' gates/fence openings with ease. It needs to handle a bucket of sand/rca with ease. I would like it be able to unload a pallet of anything(wood, stone, grain, etc) from a truck or trailer. I would like it to be able to move a mafia block. It will operate almost exclusively on RCA drives and dirt except for a little snow removal on paved surface. I occassionally need to scrape the top layer of a sand arena to be screened for rocks. I feel like a track machine would be ideal, but not sure the added cost is worth it? Would mud/snow ties minimize damage enough? I also prefer pilot controls, hand/foot is very foreign to me any time i have rented a skid, and already having a tractor with loader, i prefer to keep loader operation similar. I may branch out to do some outside property management/arena management/etc, but if not, I would like this to be a one time purchase. I prefer simple emissions system with as little maintenance as possible.

Going in to dealers, I feel like they expect me to know exactly what I want, and seem frustrated with my questions as I try to determine what is best for me. I have been trying to watch the used market, but there doesnt seem to be a lot of good, fresh, used machines out there. Everything is either old with very high hours, or new-ish at practically new prices, which is why I am open to new. Please any input or advice would be appreciated.
 

AzIron

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,541
Location
Az
No such thing as simple emissions

As far as sales men go most only know what the product brochure tells them they have no real experience with equipment

Skid steers are a tad friendlier to operate than track loaders mainly because tight turns like spinning 180 degrees on a dime eat tracks and those are not cheap

As far as brands go find a dealer that has good service and parts that you like and start there machines are not created equal but any brand will for the most part perform what your doing fairly easy.

I would suggest renting a machine to try them out and compare what works for you and what doesnt and try different brands to test out the dealers
 

billybonds

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
16
Location
ny
As far as dealers, I have Case, Cat, and Bobcat 5 miniutes or so away. Out to a 30 min radius, I have Kubota, yanmar, Deere and New Holland, but I have not been impressed with the New Holland service people since thats where I bought my tractor.
 

AzIron

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,541
Location
Az
So you have answered one question in the formula personally I like cat or deere I have never really liked case on anything but that's just my opinion

Typically deere and cat are usually pretty strong with service and parts but sometimes they pay no mind to the little guy
 

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
4,260
Location
North Dakota
Have you asked any of the dealers if they would let you demo a machine? When we were looking, we tried Cat, Bobcat, Case, and Kubota. I would have liked to try a 333 Deere, but RDO sucks as a dealer. Took 4 phone calls, and a week to get a price on a new machine, and they flat out refused to allow us a demo. We ended up with a Bobcat T770, it was a close call between that and the Kubota. In the end, the cab interior put the Bobcat on top for us. Didn't like anything about the Case, and I do not care for the controls in a Cat at all. We are on our second Bobcat, traded for a new one last winter.
 

billybonds

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
16
Location
ny
Will your current tractor lift a full pallet of whatever?

Ed
No, which is part of my problem. I can maybe lift 2k lbs a couple inches off the ground to move it around very carefully, or maybe 1500 lbs a couple feet off the ground. Those numbers go to crap without the 1k lb TR3 on the back of it as a counter weight. And with the drag on, I lose all maneuverability in tight spaces. Without the drag, I have to be careful with even a full bucket of sand or rca.

Im not so worried about a demo. I'm a 100 hour a year user. I know I need a smaller machine. Someone made a point about wearing the expensive tracks out with too much tight maneuvering....I assumed the same thing and asked the Bobcat salesman the same thing about a month ago and he told me it wasnt an issue. He also told me I would have to go elsewhere if I wanted a mud/snow tire instead of the standard industrial tire. I guess I was just hoping to narrow down my option a bit by reliability and ease of maintenance in that size machine. Bobcat 590/595, Deere 320 or smaller, Cat 246 or smaller, etc
 

Ct Farmer

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Connecticut
Withthe size machines you mention I'm not sure you are going to lift a full pallet of whatever. At least with ease and without counterweight. Most pallets of paver I get are over 3000 lbs. Forget mafia blocks unless you get the mini ones - full size 2x2x6 blocks run upwards of 4000lbs. You are well above the rated capacity and close to the tipping load on your chosen machines. Now this is not really a problem if you don't mind some tipping and running on 2 wheels. I often run near tipping load on mine but I know I am pushing the limits of the machine.

As for tracks on pavement. The dealer is full of it. Especially when the machine is loaded they wear like crazy and the machine works hard to push them around. Another thing- on hot summer days the tracks will actually destroy chip seal and tear tar snakes right off.
 

billybonds

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
16
Location
ny
Withthe size machines you mention I'm not sure you are going to lift a full pallet of whatever. At least with ease and without counterweight. Most pallets of paver I get are over 3000 lbs. Forget mafia blocks unless you get the mini ones - full size 2x2x6 blocks run upwards of 4000lbs. You are well above the rated capacity and close to the tipping load on your chosen machines. Now this is not really a problem if you don't mind some tipping and running on 2 wheels. I often run near tipping load on mine but I know I am pushing the limits of the machine.

As for tracks on pavement. The dealer is full of it. Especially when the machine is loaded they wear like crazy and the machine works hard to push them around. Another thing- on hot summer days the tracks will actually destroy chip seal and tear tar snakes right off.

wont be much operation on pavement other than snow removal, but most operation will be on course RCA, which i am sure will be just as abrasive. Really the machine is going to be operated daily with buckets of manure, sand, or rca. I only want the capability to lift a pallet of stone or a barrier block off of a truck or trailer if one gets delivered.

While I am picking your brains, what kind of tire will I want to minimize damage to the ground. I am going to be maintaining sand riding arenas and paddocks, so I will want to disturb the base as little as possible while operating and maneuvering. I would assume a turf type tire wont give me great traction in for snow removal or if it gets too muddy. A good mud/snow tire?
 

AzIron

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,541
Location
Az
Turf tires wont be pretty there to soft

Take this with a grain of salt I rarely run a skid steer they by nature are not easy on the ground the skid to steer but that makes them highly maneuverable with a little feness you can do ok

Another thing to consider is the control style you want
 

ianjoub

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2018
Messages
1,437
Location
Homosassa, FL USA
I only want the capability to lift a pallet of stone or a barrier block off of a truck or trailer if one gets delivered.
If you are referring to one of the concrete barriers used on the highway you will need the biggest of skid steers to do that. They weigh +/- 5k lbs..
 

billybonds

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
16
Location
ny
Turf tires wont be pretty there to soft

Take this with a grain of salt I rarely run a skid steer they by nature are not easy on the ground the skid to steer but that makes them highly maneuverable with a little feness you can do ok

Another thing to consider is the control style you want

on the few occassions I have rented or borrowed one, they have all had hand/foot, which felt very foreign to me. I have always had a tractor so am used to that style of loader control. So if I buy new, I am def going for pilots.
 

Penny Taylor

New Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
1
Location
Houston, TX
Hi Billybonds, I work for Doggett Heavy Machinery, a John Deere dealer out of Houston and in my opinion, skid steers are one of the most universal pieces you can own. I'm not sure about other manufacturers, but Deere sells a steel track to go over the skid steer rubber tires that could help with your wear and tear issues. I know that you mentioned wanting a compact track loader, but this fix would make a skid steer more versatile.
 

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
4,260
Location
North Dakota
FWIW, we had over 1000 hours on our first 770, and it did a lot of pushing and grading gravel, crawling around in the bush doing tree removal and root-raking, and at least a couple hundred hours of snow removal. Our tracks were getting down, but I'm certain they would have made 1500 hours. I know tracks will definitely cost more than tires, but incompetent operators are a large part of short track life. We use our machine hard, sometimes our operator runs it harder than I'd like to see, but the machine performs. Now, I also realize that we're not spinning around in circles on concrete or asphalt with a pallet of whatever on the forks, but from what you describe, I personally think tracks would be your best bet. Like AzIron says, finess is everything. You're not trying to do the job as fast as you can, so if it takes you a little time to maneuver around without tearing everything to pieces, so be it. In my opinion, the stability of tracks far outweigh any benefits of tires on any machine except one that lives exclusively on concrete or pavement. Also, your comments about moving pallets almost require you to have nothing less than a 2000 lb machine, and carrying anything around on tracks is better all day long than tires.
 

InsleyGuy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
75
Location
Howell, Mi
Skid steer or track loader are both going to tear up your ground, it's the nature of the beast. Since you're basically doing routine maintenance on finished surfaces you might consider a small articulated loader. Kubota 520 or similar.
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,943
Location
Lawrence, KS
With the weights you want to pick up and mostly working on improved surfaces, I would be looking at compact wheel loaders. Being in NY, it shouldn't be too hard to find one coming off a snow season lease.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
Everyone has their opinions on what is best and generally speaking no one is wrong. I really like the CASE machines. They have worked well for me. I currently have a 2017 TR340 and 2018 SV340. Given what you listed for tasks, I would look for a radial lift machine under 75 hp. The sight lines are cleaner, your not loading trucks so the radial lift would provide the best option for you. Some things I personally like as options are high flow hydraulics, heated seat, ride control and EH hand controls. As far as CASE product line, I would look at something like a SR240. It has 2400 pounds of lift, under 75 hp which means no DEF to deal with. You can put 14X17.5 tires under it if you want. Get some demos on the machines closest to you, put them in the dirt and see what works the best.
 

td25c

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
5,250
Location
indiana
I've never owned a skid steer before. I own 2 small horse farms in the suburbs of NY, one is 3 acres, the other only 1 acre. I currently own a New Holland Workmaster 35 tractor with loader, which I am only putting about 100 hours per year on handling all the property maintenance. Regular tasks are loading manure into a dumpster, scraping mud from paddocks and replacing with rca, screening/spreading sand, snow removal, driveway maintenance, riding ring maintenance. The tractor handles all these tasks poorly except riding arena because of the tr3 drag attached to it. I would like to make my life easier, and feel that I should have purchased a skidsteer in the first place, and an old tractor just to pull the arena drag. Which brings me to trying to find out the best machine for my needs.

Given the tasks at hand I would stay with the farm tractor & loader arrangement .

I aint up on the new models but after looking at the New Holland Workmaster 35 rig would be inclined to go with something bigger .

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin.../manufacturer/new-holland/model/workmaster-35


New Holland 545 skip loader would fit in fine .

You got the 4x4 , loader , PTO , lift arms .

Tough rigs built off the old Ford 4000 platform .

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...-to-99-hp/manufacturer/new-holland/model/545d

Or just go with a Ford 4000 . LOL ! :D

 
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