Who builds the best Skid Steer and Why

[Z'mnypit]

All these replys and no mention of Takeuchi?

Ill agree with the CAT comments. Had nothing but trouble from my 257. Oil pump cracked and 800hrs, seized the engine, AC compressor siezed up igniting the belts on fire. Alternator went out, 2 starters, numerous boggies and bearings. Seemed like every 2-3hrs of use required 2hrs maintance. If there were more of an aftermarket parts source for CAT if may not be as bad but if its yellow, go ahead and plan on droping some changed. Not to mention the machine lacked power.

Sold and replaced with a Takieuchi TL130 and let me tell you. Night and Day difference with design, tuffness, and power.

 

[bull]

Doesn't Takeuchi make the skid steer for New Holland?

 

[Bossfoss]

Doesn't Takeuchi make the skid steer for New Holland?

Not that I'm aware of, I know case and new holland are tied together but haven't heard anything about Takeuchi, got me interested on that I will have to look.

 

[alco]

Takeuchi makes the tracked machines for Gehl and Mustang.

 

[Bossfoss]

Takeuchi makes the tracked machines for Gehl and Mustang.

That makes sense. They share a lot of the same styles with tracks and frame build it seems

 

[KSSS]

That arrangement has come to an end.

 

[alco]

That arrangement has come to an end.

For both of them? I had heard rumours that they were going to stop producing for one of them, but not both.

 

[KSSS]

Well now that you say that I not certain it is both but since Mustang and Gehl are the same I would assume that it would apply to both lines. It would surprise me if Manitou would develop their own track machine and only sell it through one line and buy TK's machine for the other, but I guess its possible.

 

[Tracklayer]

As has been mentioned, Cat partnered with ASV to use the ASV track system. ASV has basically evolved from a builder of snow cats for trail grooming. That type of crawler has relatively light tractive effort duty and higher ground speed compared to ground engaging skid steers. So ASV was always concerned about a suspension system to smooth out the bumps for the higher ground speeds. They developed and applied a system of equalized bogie wheels on rocker arms similar to the large high track Cats.

The ASV objective of high ground speed, suspension systems, is similar to the objectives of automotive design rather than bulldozer design. Because of this automotive-like mindset, ASV also chose to use rubber tracks made by Souci. Those tracks are driven by molded rubber lugs on the inner side that engage a lantern sprocket. Souci tracks require a sprocket, idler, and rollers that are nearly as wide as the track in order to spread the load out on the track belt.

The other type of track made by Bridgestone and others; used on Bobcat, Takeuchi, and others has metal embeds molded into the track. These tracks are driven by a conventional plate sprocket with its teeth engaging the metal embeds through holes molded into the track. Metal embed tracks do not require sprockets, idlers, and rollers to be nearly as wide as the track like Souci tracks do because the metal embeds spread the weight out to the full track belt width. However, to an automotive-minded company like ASV, the metal embed tracks seem overly heavy, clunky, and too bulldozer-like.

Because the ASV history is based on snow cats, and snow is soft, ASV track systems are maximized for floatation. So when they introduced their first ground engaging skid steer called the Possi Track, it was championed as having exceptional floatation, so it could work in mud and water. But it was generally considered by many to be under-built for the heavy ground engaging work. It was fast, smooth, and could handle the most difficult terrain, but it did not hold up well to heavy digging and grading.

 

[Bossfoss]

I was close to getting an ASV before I chose new holland. I was interested in the SR 80 but I didn't like how the fuel tank wrapped around the outside and into the front. Being a fence builder I was concerned with piercing the tank with a T post or brush. Otherwise I think they an awesome machine and would love to own one down the road someday.

 

[LanceNE]

Would definitely agree with Cat just slapping an ASV undercarriage on and not building the machine around the undercarriage system. Probably why when we used to run ASV, didn't seem to have nearly the undercarriage problems....although there were other issues. That balancing probably has a lot to do with why the MTL's are self destructing on Cat's. In a years time, we had 2 axles break and 3 that were bent on 2 machines. 4 of the 5 failures were on the front axles. Cat blamed the fecon bullhog .....which was ironic since every time they came out they tried to sell their own line of bullhog to me....which I believe is an FAE. One of the skid steers ran nothing but a shear plus the fact that the bullhog is half the weight of what these skid steers are rated to carry. Typical Cat....even their sales man complained that Cat Corp needs to shut the **ll up and fix the problems instead of laying blame on everybody else.
On another note, ....an independent mechanic I know who deals strictly with heavy machinery keeps trouting that when the Cat's finally go we should look hard at Takeuchi. From what I've heard, they are built like a tank but I have no personal experience with them.

 

[Tracklayer]

I had a Hydramac Commander 4200 rubber track loader for about ten years and used it to do residential grading projects. Those Commanders were known for being hard on tracks because Hydramac and Bridgestone were not on the same page during the development phase. But that little Commander would really get the job done.

I bought a new Takeuchi under the Gehl brand and used it for one season. The Takeuchi is a brilliantly engineered machine. They use the Bridgestone type rubber tracks with the metal embeds in the most perfectly designed high sprocket track system I have ever seen. It handles and moves dirt with the feel of a larger steel track loader.

 

[Fastdirt]

I bought a new Takeuchi under the Gehl brand and used it for one season. The Takeuchi is a brilliantly engineered machine.

Does that mean Gehls are takeuchi's now

 

[Tracklayer]

Fastdirt,

I am not sure how that is set up now. I bought mine in 2004, and then the Takeuchi, Ghel, and Mustang were the same machine in different paint jobs and different dealer networks. The retail price was quite variable between the three brands. It seemed to me that the Takeuchi brand was maybe $8,000-10,000 higher than the other two.

 

[dave esterns]

nope, still waiting on the release of the smaller jcbs this fall...

 

[pafarmer]

I choose the John Deere "D" series for my work. I have a great dealer and always had great luck with John Deere products and service........

 

[nzpatch]

I have a cat 216 ,has been real good for me -3700hrs,8yrs with miner problems -so they can't all be bad? i love the hand controls that cat have over the foot controls.

 

[pp13bnos]

I'm fairly partial to New Holland. I own a LX885, and the company I work for has one too. While, I'm pretty good about taking care of my LX, I can't begin to explain the horrors that the work machine has gone through. Just imagine seasonal employees running the garbage out of it, and never taking a moment to maintain it. But the old girl still works like a charm, starts up without an issue, and runs strong. Poor thing. :/

 

[Tsanch]

Well Bubba here's my input,
It really depends on what you intend on using the ssl for. If it's fine finish grading some shine way above the others. If it's something really harsh like demolition or forestry some fall really short! Another big thing to look for is product support in your area for a machine. For example; if a Case 440 is the best machine for you but the nearest dealer is 200 miles away every time you need help from that dealer it is going to be costly to you taking that machines value way down. Or even by parts availability. If you have to wait two weeks for parts every time from your dealer down the street how are to ever survive?
All that being said and even though I'm not a huge fan of I would have to say Bobcat does make a pretty good overall machine. I'm not a big fan of them because they have historically been low on hydraulic horsepower and difficult to service the cooling systems. As well as they ride a bit harsh compared to some others. But for a machine that just goes, keep all the fancy options down because those cost a lot later Bobcat seems to do real well

 

[Tsanch]

CAT has by far outperformed every other manufacturer with those hand controls. The modulation is so smooth with them making very precise work a much easier chore.