Skid steers

[YellowHammer]

Unfortunately, yesterdays $20K is today's $100K. :D :D

The only one I didn't try the lap bar on was the Bobcat.  Sumday, that's good information.  I was too stunned when he said "The Versahandler series is temporarily discontinued. The T870 in not in stock and a order would have to be placed, it is unknown when one would be available."  Wow, I still cringe when I hear that.  Tough times ahead for Bobcat.

Gary, I looked at the 3TS-8T awhile ago, its back on the short list.  I loaded a log on the WMSuper 70 today, and the loader arms wouldn't lift it.  So I started thinking as long as I get a machine that will lift a log heavier than the loader arms can lift, that's a good thing.  I calculated the log at a tad more than 4,500 lbs.

 

[OH logger]

Glad I bought my T870 when I did. it was 2 years ago and I'm pretty sure I gave $80,000. Dang that's an increase and a half!! Almost literally!!! 🤯

[Magicman]

I loaded a log on the WMSuper 70 today, and the loader arms wouldn't lift it.

I am sure that a Magic Hook (end tong) chained to the log clamp would have rolled it over the loader hinge and allowed you to raise it.  Yesterday I encountered the first log that I was unable to load without tractor assistance.  The toolbox said 6283 lbs. 


 
Note the chain in the above picture.  After it was about 6" off of the ground the continued clamp pressure rolled it more over the loader hinge and I loaded it without tractor help.  It also took raising the log clamp to assist the toe board to raise the top end of the log.

[farmfromkansas]

 I have mostly JD equipment, but a Case skidsteer.  JD had some problems a few years ago, a neighbor bought a new skidsteer, and he would use it, put it in the shed, and go out to get it , and it would refuse to start.  Spent piles of money on it as soon as the warranty ran out, finally traded it for a new model.  Have not heard much about the new one. 

[mike_belben]

must be that out of warranty glitchware they installed on day 1.  the real doomsday clock.

;)



 

[Gary_C]

Yes YH, the only way to find out is if you give one a try. I have moved some big stacks of sawn red oak and mine had no trouble with those lifts and mine is rated at 3000 which is 50% of the tipping load while the one you are looking at is rated at 3695 at 50% of tipping.

I am really comfortable in that cab unlike any other skid loader I've ever sat in and run. Excellent visibility too. 

[Walnut Beast]

You guys sound like my grandfather. Next thing you are going to be telling us is how much a loaf of bread used to cost.  :D

Exactly! You want to play boys you got pay! 

[Walnut Beast]

One thing I've always liked about the ASV big guys is the ease of using the 20" wide tracks to use as steps to get in and out and walk up them to the top of cab. Also the large step area to get in and out. Plenty of room to stand on to open door and shut it. 

 

 

[OH logger]

It's almost amazing how regional SS brands are. Around here bobcat is the most used and Deere second and a few of everything else. Never seen a Tekuchi or JCB or ASV ever in these parts. Kubota is definitely getting more poplular around here. If I ever have to switch from bobcat it'll be to kubota. Dealer is close by and I can get out of cab with boom up if necessary (and it is) 

[wisconsitom]

Gehl makes a lot of skid steers too.  Common brand in these parts.

[jpassardi]

Robert,

I know traction is one of your concerns. With the equipment you already have, have you considered a full size, pre-emissions, clean, low hour track loader with over the bucket forks? Maybe a Cat 9 series, or? Lift capacity would be a non-issue. They typically bring less money than a comparable sized dozer.
If you don't want to do repairs yourself hire a local guy to go through it. Could a lot of work and still be well under $100K and most of it's depreciation has already happened. Ample leg room too.

I've been watching your new youtube posts by the way.  ;)

[YellowHammer]

I'm not giving up, just still looking.  I called up my buddy at the New Holland dealership, and asked him if I was off base for the equipment I was looking for.  I've known him since high school, and buys wood at our place, so he knows us and our farm.  So I asked him if I should be looking for a backhoe or any other piece of equipment that could run a mulcher on the boom and still assist on the farm and sawmill.  He said that a new backhoe was $140K plus a $30K mulcher and I could buy both a compact track loader and mini excavator for the same price.  He said backhoes were going the way of the dinosaur as far as landscapers and local dirt companies are concerned, as people could get two machines for the price of one, and trailering was easier.  

He told me that they just got in a Kubota track loader yesterday where the guy was mulching around a pond and the bank gave way.  He ended up underwater and had to escape through the fold up front windshield.  Apparently a very scary experience and he was glad of the front fold up door of the Kubota. 

I need to find a full size ASV to sit in and I just found a Takeuchi dealer the next town over.  

I have yet to find a Cat to sit in.  If nothing else, you guys should be getting entertained with all the trials and tribulations I'm going through.  

We are planning on visiting the JCB dealer when we have a chance to take a day off and drive there.  That's the problem.  The dealer is a looong way away.  

Jpassardi,
I haven't really looked at full size track loaders yet, I may yet have to get there.  Will they run a mulching head?  Thanks for watching the videos.  They sure take time to make and it's hard to justify doing them, except people may want to see what we do.

[jpassardi]

I'm not giving up, just still looking.  I called up my buddy at the New Holland dealership, and asked him if I was off base for the equipment I was looking for.  I've known him since high school, and buys wood at our place, so he knows us and our farm.  So I asked him if I should be looking for a backhoe or any other piece of equipment that could run a mulcher on the boom and still assist on the farm and sawmill.  He said that a new backhoe was $140K plus a $30K mulcher and I could buy both a compact track loader and mini excavator for the same price.  He said backhoes were going the way of the dinosaur as far as landscapers and local dirt companies are concerned, as people could get two machines for the price of one, and trailering was easier.  

He told me that they just got in a Kubota track loader yesterday where the guy was mulching around a pond and the bank gave way.  He ended up underwater and had to escape through the fold up front windshield.  Apparently a very scary experience and he was glad of the front fold up door of the Kubota.

I need to find a full size ASV to sit in and I just found a Takeuchi dealer the next town over.  

I have yet to find a Cat to sit in.  If nothing else, you guys should be getting entertained with all the trials and tribulations I'm going through.  

We are planning on visiting the JCB dealer when we have a chance to take a day off and drive there.  That's the problem.  The dealer is a looong way away.  

Jpassardi,
I haven't really looked at full size track loaders yet, I may yet have to get there.  Will they run a mulching head?  Thanks for watching the videos.  They sure take time to make and it's hard to justify doing them, except people may want to see what we do.

Unfortunately, not that I'm aware of but you could rip through, pile it up and burn - not ideal, I know.

[KenMac]

Yellowhammer, there's a JCB dealer in Leeds, Al. just 8 miles from me. Is there anything I can check on for you? I'd be glad to help if I can., They had a small telehandler that really interested me a while back.

[YellowHammer]

KenMac, 
I appreciate that.  I called the Leeds dealer yesterday and had a somewhat confused conversation with one of their sales guys.  They said they could get one within a couple weeks, and sometimes had them on the grounds.  I told him I may come visit, and try them out.  

However, were spectacularly uninformed on the specs.  I simply asked how much it would lift.  He said his book showed 35% of the tipping load.  Nope, wrong.  Then he said 50% of the tipping load. I said, no that's not it either, that's just the safe number.  Then he went the other way and said more than the tipping load, that's why it's called a tipping load, and I said I don't believe that a 74 hp machine can lift more than 12,000 lbs. At that point, I had to explain to him that the tipping load was based on the frame stability and arm geometry, not on the pure power of the hydraulics in a deadlift to clear the ground.  I said if I put weights on the bucket pin, how much weight would it lift off the ground to 6 inches? I said that's called boom breakout force.      

So then he simply said he didn't know....but he was sure that it would lift somewhere between 35% tipping load and 100% tipping load or somewhere between 3,000 and 12,000 lbs.  Well, duh.  

They also explained that any warranty work would charge for about 5 hours travel time, back and forth, plus mileage.  About $1,000 per warranty call.  Ouch.  

[Redhorseshoe]

Man I can't believe how this thread took off!  (I'm OP)  anyway thanks everyone for playing along and offering up your advice & words of wisdom.  I just found a machine and will hopefully pick it up this weekend.  I've ended up with a case sv250.  This wasn't anywhere near my personal first choice of a cat 259 but the used market is so tight around here I felt like I had to take what I could get and think this will work well for me.  2015 model, 2500lb operating capacity, 500ish easy hours doing property maintenance for the now previous owner, no leaks, tight & dry machine plus the price was right.  I think it will serve me well and am anxious to put it to work!

[customsawyer]

In response to the guy that ended up in the pond. My deer CTL has a emergency exit latches on the door and the back glass. Even my NH with open station has a emergency exit out the back glass. I would hate to have to be trying to exit the back glass of either machine but they are there. Makes you wish they had the handles over your head that you pulled the eject and it just shot you out. I would probably land on the mulcher.

[Bruno of NH]

In response to the guy that ended up in the pond. My deer CTL has a emergency exit latches on the door and the back glass. Even my NH with open station has a emergency exit out the back glass. I would hate to have to be trying to exit the back glass of either machine but they are there. Makes you wish they had the handles over your head that you pulled the eject and it just shot you out. I would probably land on the mulcher.

Landing on the mulcher would hurt  :D

[YellowHammer]

Redhorsehoe, I'm glad you found your piece of gold, I'm still wallowing in the mud.  How is it working out?  Have you put it to work yet?

Apparently, the guy who ended up in the water ruined quite a bit of his machine, but Kubota Insurance is replacing everything that was damaged, no problem.  Good to know.  

Within one week, I've seen one CTL that had burned to the husk, and heard of one machine that had ended up in a pond.  I think I'll make a practice run on the whole emergency escape hatch thing, and make sure I can actually get out.  I don't want to be upside down, on fire, or swimming with the fishes trying to read the manual or squeeze through a hole I can't fit. I know it should be pretty self explanatory but I don't want to be looking for my glasses trying to read the label. :D :D

This is just another thing I've learned form this thread.  I never would have really thought about it, but even with a basic, non emergency rollover, I'd need to get out in an easy, non panic way, so I could go get another machine to turn it back over.  

Makes me wonder if any of you guys have had to do this?

      

[Walnut Beast]

If I was in your shoes with everything you want to do and I had to pick the top three it would be TAK,  CAT and ASV. I think you would like the cab inside and view in the CAT 299 when you sit in one. 

[customsawyer]

Robert here is your opportunity to develop a ejection seat for these machines. You can then sell it to all of the manufactures. 

[YellowHammer]

I talked to a Tak sales guy yesterday, on their TL12 V2, he said the cab had 6 more inches of width than the Kubota, was taller inside, and had a little more ground clearance.  110 hp, and this guy actually could talk specs, and seemed to know what he was talking about.  The machine is a 12,000 lb class with almost 8,000 lb boom lift force.  So it's one of the stronger ones I've looked at.  The dealer is relatively close.  

I've noticed that the front swing door opening machines (Bobcat, Deere, etc) have tapered door bottoms, and so the door openings are smaller at the bottom, which means it makes it harder to get in and out.

I operate my tractor with the cab windows open many times anyway.  Besides being able to communicate with my wife, who absolutely HATES when I beep the horn at her to do something, I like breathing the fresh air, and I've also noticed that dusty cabs with fans and blowers simply recirculate dusty air the filters won't catch, and it's nice to ventilate the cab sometimes.

I still have yet to sit in a full size ASV, I'm putting that in my priority list to actually locate one.  People sell them, but don't have them for me to butt check them.  

[barbender]

Haha your wife doesn't appreciate the horn, either?😂

[Tom King]

I know a couple of guys around here, who ran a Cat, and a Bobcat for years, are now towing Tak's around.  One of them I consider the best heavy equipment guy around here.  He doesn't even have a track loader now.

[stavebuyer]

I know its an odd new world; but even with todays monopoly dollars, $100k is a substantial sum. Drive it at your place before you buy or do without.