Skid steer options. need help

[jay12]

I am going to make a purchase in the next few months and Im looking for direction on buying a skid steer. I am currently using a tractor and loader to do harley rake work, dirt and landscape work etc.

Ive looked into new (john deere 318D, New holland 218 or gehl 5240e so far) All machines seem comparable in size and price etc. Most are 2 year warranty some a little better than others. All Finance perks are about the same.

Any thoughts on these machines or machines this size?

Ive also looked into used track machines such as a cat 267b, jd 332, etc. All with various hours and year. Most around the 20k mark which is about all I would want to spend on a used machine. Perks would be more power, traction, etc with track set up and possibly a cab. Down side would be maintenance on the used machine, break downs, tracks, no guarantees.
Also if portions were financed I would think you would pay a fairly steep interest rate through local banking institutions.

Last Ive even considered a new mahindra tractor w/ 4 wd and loader about 50 hp. Not a lot of upsides other than the fact that its a little cheaper than a new skid, 5 year warranty, and awesome finance deals. Down falls- less lift capacity, not as agile harley raking. The list goes on.

Again, we do a lot of harley raking and finishing, some dirt work, and of course rock and dirt moving, occasional need for moving pallets of product (fertilize, rock, salt)

All opinions and help are greatly appreciated.

[jay12]

Surely someone has an opinion
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[bobcat_ron]

Let me educate you on Mahindra tractors; Mahindra is an East Indian manufacturing company that makes all sorts of vehicles for the vast Indian masses. We have the highest percentage of East Indian farmers here on the west coast of Canada, and NONE, and I mean NONE of them will even touch a Mahindra tractor, last berry farmer I talked to, he started laughing like a hyena when I mentioned Mahindra. They all buy John Deere, Massey, New Holland and Kubota tractors here. Not Mahindra.
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[KrayzKajun]

I own a 2012 Mahindra 5010 w/ fel, 4wd, enclosed cab. and i have a mustang 2044 skidsteer. each has its own place in my business. now hopefully the mustang will be traded off this year for a tracked machine with full cab/hi flow.

[ringahding]

Here is the new Bobcat I purchased, ZERO complaints. Get a 2-Speed, you will not regret it later.

[jones68]

going to post on here to see what people have to say. i am in a similar market. but i want to take a closer look into the bobcat 4 wheel steering option because i need to run a lot over existing lawns and they say it saves the tires when plowing on blacktop.

[AWJ Services]

My best advice is to look back at the last 100 or so jobs you did and write down what it encompassed. For example (finish grading a yard with Rake, pushing trees over, etc) Make note of the type of surface you run on for each job. Make note of all jobs you lost because your equipment was inadequate.
These things will help you decide between tracks and tires and also help with the size of teh machine. There is also excellent finincing on used equipment if you have good credit. As low as 4%.
I was in a similar situation as you. I had L3710 tractor with Harley rake that I was using. I felt that going wiith a skidsteer( like a JD318) in a smaller size was a lateral movement and felt that I neede to step up in size so I ended up with a TL140 and I have never had a situation where the machine was too big.

[TomG]

I have a 2006 Bobcat A300. All wheel steer machine. I love it, i will never buy a conventional skid steer again. Saves on lawn damage and tire life when working on asphalt. I'm still running my original tires, and probably have used about half their life up. Best part is with a flip of a switch you can be in skid steer mode for those tight spots.

[alldayrj]

How many hours on the tires tom?
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[4 seasons lawn&land]

compact size of mine is nice but lifting pallets would be nice too.