Skid Steers

[cat320]

What is the best skid steer out there is every one like the bobcat the best or the new john deere .I think that the new deers are the best out there. what is every one else's opinion?

[Guido]

The only time I used anything besides a Bobcat as far as ss's go, it was a CASE and I hated it, it ran like crap. I won't blame it on case though, I'll blame it on the rental house. Case has made some good heavy equipment, so I'm sure they're skid steers are satisfactory.

We have all Bobcat's in our Fleet here.

1 553
1 773
2 863
1 873

and a 324 mini-excavator.

3 of the loaders have the old foot controls and 2 have the new hand controls.

I really like the new hand controls. When I'm running a skid for a while and my legs get tired I like to stretch them without thinking and it ends up sending my bucket in the air! The hand controls are a lot better on rough terrain too, where your feet might hit the pedals by mistake.

We've had great luck with our Bobcat fleet, can't realy complain about anything. Some of you may have seen the pic on my website of me with the 863 (I think) stuck in a swamp when I was digging out some contaminated soil. I had it in the mud over the back engine compartment door and filling up inside the cab. The machine never stalled or even hessitated. After a good pressure washing, its good as new!

We've been using our skid steers and mini excavator more than our larger equipment because lately we've been doing a lot of confined area work and road work. The small streets in Germany can't accomodate a backhoe with out closing down the road, so with the mini and a loader with the dump hopper attatchment we can get away with leaving our roads open while we work.

Lately, in all the construction and heavy equip. magazines they're has been a ton of articles on the benefits of theese smaller machines. Today especially because worksites and neighborhoods are getting congested with all the building going on and a lot of the time, all your going to be able to squeeze into some of these places are a mini or a skid steer.

I posted this elsewhere I think in the lawn care forum, but we have ALL the attatchments melroe makes, and a couple of home made ones, so if anyone has any questions, let me know. I'll be posting the pics of our skid steers and all the attatchments on my site in the next 1-2 weeks or so when I get the time.

[tjg]

Cat320, you asked me in the Comm. forumn if I got the G series, yes I did get the new G-series and I did look at a used New Holland that was at the White Star(Bobcat dealer), didn't really like it it was to old and rough, also looked at a 1993 7753 Bobcat w/1400hrs in good shape but for about $70.00 more dollars a month a could get a NEW 773 Bobcat w/ a 3year/3000hrs warranty that changed my mind,could easliy pay for itself if something major(motor)would have gone out of the used machine.The dealership was not pushy in any way and there is two of their company dealerships within 1hr or where I bought it they are 2hrs. away but my salesman comes up here 2-3days a week and said anything I wanted to rent or demo he would deliver. Guido how do the tracks work on this machines.You said you had everything or about, this was one thing I would like to have along w/ the tree shears. One other reason was the rebate or discount of $4700.00 that helped.

[paul]

New Holland here guys, 2 555 skid steers, one 783, one LS190, and one 270 John Deere. We have had some problem with the JD the tourque tube at the rear of the loader twisted and cracked, fixed under warrantee, but still worried about it.

Looking at replacing the two 555 New Hollands this year, with LS160's they both have over 6000 hrs on them, the pins are getting loose and costs more to repin and bush them.

[diggerman]

We run a Case 90xt,when we bought it I did a demo on a JD and I thought it could be the worst machine I had ever run.I was actually sore after a days worth of use.There is another excavating contractor in our town who uses deere and he was so mad after he got his new machine I think he made them do some mods to another machine until he was satisfied.The bobcats I ran were well priced and seemed to be a quality machine, but did not have the options I wanted.I have never run a New Holland but I do not like the long tale swing on them.

[paul]

Jd and New Holland are about the same on the tail swing same as with the Bobcat 873.

[AK Snow]

I've had a Cat 236 skid steer for about 2 months now - so far I'm real happy with it. In size, weight, and lift capacity it sort of falls in somewhere between the bobcat 700 and 800 series machines. Price-wise the local Cat dealer was willing to beat the Bobcat and Case dealer by several thousand dollars on comparable machines - I'm told this is because Cat is still fairly new to skid steers and are trying get some market penetration. If you're on the market, they're worth checking out.

Alaska Dave

[steveair]

hello,

I won't get into my favorite skid steer, but will just mention if anyone has gotten there latest issue of Northern Tool and Equipment and seen that they are now selling used bobcat skidsteer units. They have 753 for 9999.00 w/less than 2000 hrs, and also 853, 873, and newer 1997 753 too's.

Not sure how well they are going to sell, but just thought it was interesting. Look like they are selling 'floor' models, ie. ones with solid tires, uses for shop/indoor work. Always was interested in their refurbished forklifts, so wonder if they plan on working on the same deal with bobcats.

steveair

steveair-

I saw that also, i was looking at construction attachments and on the top of the page they have like 6 skidsteer models. I don't know how many they have, but they probably bought them all from a company and fixed them up a little. they didn't mention aux. hydraulics.


Bryan

[little green guy]

I think the New Holland is the best, I've spent alot of time on the Lx865. The Superboom is the best, I've also run John Deere and Bobcats a couple times but I like the New Holland the best. The John Deere that I ran was identicle to the New Holland.