Skid Steer - $15k budget - what to buy

[snowpromod]

We are selling our FEL tractor and looking to get a skid steer for around the house...looking to see what models might be recommended for a $15k budget. I'd like to find a unit with a cab and heat for snow removal when and if we ever get any snow..

Thanks

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

About 5 years ago I bought a 2005 New Holland LS185B with 1600 hours for $16000 CDN.

Some of the best money I have ever spent. I like that it has no electronic or pilot controls. Both the hand levers and foot levers operate linkages directly to the pump body so everything is super farmer simple.

Nice linkage for the boom and very, very strong.

Mine doesn't have the enclosed cab, but many do.

 

[pamike]

New Holland LS170/L170/L180/L185 would be a good choice. The Case XT series is also pretty good Except the 85XT.Case 430/430/445/450 are also good. Stay away from the early Deere machines(240/250/260) they are heavy and clunky.. Was never a big Gehl fan. I had a 5635 and I hated it. Way to heavy in the rear. Some people love them though. The 35 and 40 series Gehl run the oil cooled Deutz which is a little bit of an odd bird...Some of the newer Bobcats are pretty good, but I don't think you will touch any of those in your price range...

 

[Pen & Wrench]

How large a machine are you looking for? I'm a Bobcat person pretty much. A used S185 might be a possibility, but I think if you can find one not beat up and in good condition, that might be more important than the exact brand I've also heard good things about New Holland and Case.

 

[Whasat]

I can't attest to any specific model, and it will be take a good bit of shopping around to find, but I would highly reccomend a tracked unit. You would probably have to forgo the cab and heat, but I think in the long run you would be happier. The tracked skid steers are a whole different level of machine.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you want it to move snow, you had better have tracks !

The two things that go bad on ANY heavy equipment, especially used, are hydraulics and electrics. Both tend to get cobbled up over time. You will be spending a lot on hydraulics, especially hoses. Buy the tools and the ends and learn to make your own.

Same with electrical, but first you need a good set of wiring diagrams. Second, buy 100' of red, black, and white MARINE grade wire. (Each individual stranded is tinned so that it will never corrode.) Also make sure you have a lot of ring, spade and but splices, but again, use the MARINE grade ones with dual wall heat shrink tubing.


"Grease is mother milk !" ANY kind of grease is better than no grease.

 

[Spud1985]

I agree with the others on the New Hollands l, ls, and lx series. They are almost bullet proof. The older Cases and Bobcats are also pretty good too, we just don't see a lot of them down here. The fewer electronics the machine has, the fewer problems you will have. Avoid anything that has emission controls, $$$$$$
Tracked machines are nice but they will destroy a yard if you have to do much driving on lawns. A rubber tire machine with solid tires and a set of steel over-tracks is the best of both worlds in my opinion.
Be patient in your search, equipment prices are high right now and there is alot of painted up junk on the market. Try to find a one owner non commercially used machine if possible, you might have to pay up for it but talking to the person who has operated it is worth tons.
Be super careful because there are alot of flood machines coming out of the south right now.
Best of luck in you search.

 

[jack stand]

You should be able to get a nice machine for that $$. I don't imagine you'll put more than 100 hours a year on it so I wouldn't be afraid of a well taken care of 2000 hr machine. I've had Case, NH, Deere & Gehl. I wouldn't hesitate recommending any of them. I have read about BC & Cat having complicated electrical issues on another forum, but with your budget, that should keep you back before they all have become so dependent upon electronics.
I'd have to disagree with wizard on tracks & snow. You can't chain up tracks & in icy conditions tracks are skates. I run chains on all 4 corners.

 

[purplezr2]

If you want it to move snow, you had better have tracks !

The two things that go bad on ANY heavy equipment, especially used, are hydraulics and electrics. Both tend to get cobbled up over time. You will be spending a lot on hydraulics, especially hoses. buy the tools and the ends and learn to make your own.

Same with electrical, but first you need a good set of wiring diagrams. Second, buy 100' of red, black, and white MARINE grade wire. (Each individual stranded is tinned so that it will never corrode.) Also make sure you have a lot of ring, spade and but splices, but again, use the MARINE grade ones with dual wall heat shrink tubing.


"Grease is mother milk !" ANY kind of grease is better than no grease.

Honestly horrible advice, have you priced out equipment to make hoses, not that expensive to have the made at your local implement dealer.

 

[rjprice]

We are selling our FEL tractor and looking to get a skid steer for around the house...looking to see what models might be recommended for a $15k budget. I'd like to find a unit with a cab and heat for snow removal when and if we ever get any snow..

Thanks

I had a Kubota 4wd 32hp L3000 with FEL. I never used it for bush hogging or any ground engaging implements, just the loader for picking up rocks (S. Texas). I sold it and bought a Bobcat S175 with 1400 hrs. I paid 16k.

The bobcat is tougher, stronger and the ideal loader machine. With a tractor, you cant see into the bucket very well so it makes it hard to do precision work.
Get the Skid steer. You won't look back. The S series Bobcats are plentiful and easy to work on. Just don't get one with too many hrs. Try the skidsteer forum (www.skidsteerforum.com) They have good info there. good luck.

 

[Farmall 1066]

I'd look for a clean, low housed 1845 Case.
Could get a decent one and have money left for attachments.

 

[finn]

I went the other way, and traded in my skid steer for a compact tractor with a front mounted blower.

I had the skid steer for around ten years, and , while it was useful around the yard and for moving the snowbanks back in the spring, I found it a poor choice for routine snow removal on my sloped driveway. A truck and plow was more efficient, but I run out of room to stack snow by February, so I’ll try the tractor/blower set up this year.

The good news is that I recouped my initial investment in the skid steer after 10 years, and repairs were minimal, although the machine had only 850 hours when I picked it up.

The skid steer does excell at dirt work and pallet work, as the visibility is superior to the loader on a tractor.

 

[redneckcharlie]

You guys are lucky if 15k gets you a quality machine. That budget here will get you a pretty worked unit. I have a T190 loaded machine. Im a big fan of the foot controls, rarely use the joysticks. I don’t use the heat or ac, but the enclosed cab is really nice. For our environment a wheeled unit is only good for solid flat surfaces. I do alot of stuff with inclines that are 30 degrees plus and soft soil. The stability of a tracked machine is pretty amazing. Best of luck.

 

[Sabbath]

Tracks are far more expensive than a wheeled machine to maintain. You have tracks and rollers to replace and maintain. Get a good cut in a track and it's all but finished. Get a puncture in a tyre and it's a case of getting it fixed (or not if it's a solid tyre) and you're back in business. Price up a set of tracks and rollers, then price up a set of tyres. Look at the hours people are getting on tyres vs tracks. It's all stuff i looked into. Tracked would help in some of the work i do, but the maint. costs are just too high compared to a wheeled machine for me to make it work at the moment personally. Add into that the places you can take a wheeled machine without worrying about what you're doing to the undercarriage is a bonus. I'll probably end up getting another wheeled machine and a set of tracks to throw over the top.

I run a 2004ish Bobcat 753G almost daily for my business, has 3500hrs on it, old school foot controls, open cabin (which is a real PITA with the amount of dust this time of year) but the amount of stuff it will do is amazing.

One thing to consider though is that the wheeled machines can be a really REALLY rough ride depending on the surface and work. I've just come off 3 days of 8 hour days behind the controls and my lower back is yelling at me pretty loudly to the point where sitting is painful and im only 31.

 

[6768rogues]

I have a skid steer and it has rubber tires. It will plow a lot of snow. My son has one with tracks and the only place we have found it to be substantially better is at his beach house, which has a deep sandy beach. That track machine will pull out any of the neighbors' tractors that are stuck in the sand.

 

[Firebrick43]

Track machines excell at dirt work such as digging holes and grading dirt. They make a wheeled machine look really bad at this work and are well worth the the extra cost. Final grading at a decent pace with a wheel machine takes a top notch operator.

Wheel machine excell at moving piled material on solid packed or paved surfaces. They dig out manure faster and smaller width makes them better inside buildings.

As far as snow, track machines can be better or worse than a wheeled machine. Some tracks have large pads staggered, maybe 6x6 in size. These tracks **** on snow and I would take a wheeled machine any day in snow over these.

The tracks with thin rubber grouser bars running across the length work pretty well. They also make snow specific tracks that are awesome.

As for tearing up yards, that's depends on what's between the operators ears and the ground condition. Track machines can if you spin in place, but have some forward motion and take gentle turns they are not bad. A wheel machine probably better if the ground is dry and hard but if it's soft, they are a rut making machine. If muddy the wheeled machine are a trench making machine. Putting metal over tracks on a wheel machine don't help much in the damage department as they have no idler wheels, but they do increase traction and keeps you from getting stuck while your tearing things up.

As far as brands, I hate older new holland controls. Don't really care case or bobcats with foot pedals either (have spent 500 plus hours in our families 743 bobcat) I prefer cats with joystick pilot controls. Might be hard to find another brand with joysticks under 15k but because cat has been doing it so long you could find a pilot joystick model for that. Everyone now has copied cats/iso control pattern or you can electrically switch between the cat/iso pattern and the manufactures specific pattern.

I worked for a case dealer for a few years as a mech and their engines (Cummins/case co design b series) were top notch before they went to iveco's but still don't care for their controls.

Never buy a skid steer from a co-op or a county/state. More than likely they were used to load fertilizer or salt. This gets down into the belly pan and after a few years are a maintence nightmare.

 

[bepjrfan]

If you want it to move snow, you had better have tracks !

The two things that go bad on ANY heavy equipment, especially used, are hydraulics and electrics. Both tend to get cobbled up over time. You will be spending a lot on hydraulics, especially hoses. Buy the tools and the ends and learn to make your own.

Same with electrical, but first you need a good set of wiring diagrams. Second, buy 100' of red, black, and white MARINE grade wire. (Each individual stranded is tinned so that it will never corrode.) Also make sure you have a lot of ring, spade and but splices, but again, use the MARINE grade ones with dual wall heat shrink tubing.


"Grease is mother milk !" ANY kind of grease is better than no grease.

You ever move snow with a tracked machine??? Its absolutely terrible! For snow removal, a wheeled machine is significantly better. There is too much floatation with a tracked machine in the snow. You'd have to stud it to get decent traction on ice.

Going to be tough to find a $15k skid loader with cab and heat that isn't completely worn out. Around here, $15k gets you a decent machine with no cab. With a cab, most skid loaders in that range will have 4-5k hours on them in the 50-65 hp range. If you are patient, some people need to make a quick sale and you can get a good deal, but would have to act quick.

If you do decide to go with a tracked machine, avoid the ASV track drive systems, they wear out insanely fast and aren't cheap to replace.

 

[Farmall450]

New Holland LS170/L170/L180/L185 would be a good choice. The Case XT series is also pretty good Except the 85XT.Case 430/430/445/450 are also good. Stay away from the early Deere machines(240/250/260) they are heavy and clunky.. Was never a big Gehl fan. I had a 5635 and I hated it. Way to heavy in the rear. Some people love them though. The 35 and 40 series Gehl run the oil cooled Deutz which is a little bit of an odd bird...Some of the newer Bobcats are pretty good, but I don't think you will touch any of those in your price range...

There's nothing wrong with the 85xt...

Also, I'd go with chains on a wheeled machine for snow. Pretty easy to throw on when you need to push snow and take off in the spring.

 

[ishiboo]

If you want it to move snow, you had better have tracks !

The two things that go bad on ANY heavy equipment, especially used, are hydraulics and electrics. Both tend to get cobbled up over time. You will be spending a lot on hydraulics, especially hoses. Buy the tools and the ends and learn to make your own.

Same with electrical, but first you need a good set of wiring diagrams. Second, buy 100' of red, black, and white MARINE grade wire. (Each individual stranded is tinned so that it will never corrode.) Also make sure you have a lot of ring, spade and but splices, but again, use the MARINE grade ones with dual wall heat shrink tubing.


"Grease is mother milk !" ANY kind of grease is better than no grease.

This entire post seems crazy

First, tracked machines are FAR worse in the snow than wheeled machines. Cost of ownership is WAY higher. $15k is not going to get you a tracked machine which is not very high hours, and then you have the very high maintenance costs of the tracks to deal with.

Second, with all my machines I have maybe had to replace two hoses in 7 years. Unless you're using it for something more substantial than "around the house", the investment of buying a hose crimper and hose stock seems like a total waste of money. Buy a hose or two when you need them.

Third, while you might run into some electrical issues... you can fix them correctly instead of running a new wire. It would be silly to have a bunch of wire laying around.

 

[ishiboo]

You ever move snow with a tracked machine??? Its absolutely terrible! For snow removal, a wheeled machine is significantly better. There is too much floatation with a tracked machine in the snow. You'd have to stud it to get decent traction on ice.

Going to be tough to find a $15k skid loader with cab and heat that isn't completely worn out. Around here, $15k gets you a decent machine with no cab. With a cab, most skid loaders in that range will have 4-5k hours on them in the 50-65 hp range. If you are patient, some people need to make a quick sale and you can get a good deal, but would have to act quick.

If you do decide to go with a tracked machine, avoid the ASV track drive systems, they wear out insanely fast and aren't cheap to replace.

I bought a Bobcat 773 with cab (heat, no air) with less than 500 hours for about $10k. Sold it for $15k I believe with barely more hours on it. It seemed to be a good size for general purpose use.

 

[snowpromod]

Wow, thanks for all the replies and insight. A cab is not needed, but would be nice! We live near Akron, Ohio - so moving snow is very hit or miss, most winters around here it is a miss. We do however how around 1800' of drive. MY FEL tractor is being picked up tonight, so I will officially be in the market soon.

 

[crewchief888]

FWIW,
we have MANY skid steers out on lease for snow removal this year..

not a tracked machine in sight...

the landscapers that already own track machines park them for the winter and lease tire machines....

but as mentioned, finding a cab/heat tire machine this time of year is probably not gonna be easy or cheap... everyone just "realized" it's december, snows coming !!!!

most auction machines are there for a reason, they typically need as much or more in repairs than what they sell for.

ive seen machines sell for $12K that need that much more to be usable condition.

 

[slimcake]

If you want it to move snow, you had better have tracks !

The two things that go bad on ANY heavy equipment, especially used, are hydraulics and electrics. Both tend to get cobbled up over time. You will be spending a lot on hydraulics, especially hoses. Buy the tools and the ends and learn to make your own.

Same with electrical, but first you need a good set of wiring diagrams. Second, buy 100' of red, black, and white MARINE grade wire. (Each individual stranded is tinned so that it will never corrode.) Also make sure you have a lot of ring, spade and but splices, but again, use the MARINE grade ones with dual wall heat shrink tubing.


"Grease is mother milk !" ANY kind of grease is better than no grease.

I sell Case, New Holland, and Gehl skid steers and I will echo what others have said. This entire post is WAAAYYYY off base. Trackloader on snow/ice is like having skates on. Terrible idea. Tracks cost a ton more $$ to keep up. Making your own hoses? Come on man. I have companies with 10 skidsteers that put thousands of hours a year on each that maybe bring us a couple hoses a year to fix. But if ya want a 6500 dollar hose crimper and about 5k in fittings I know a guy that will sell em to ya!! Wires? once again, come on man.... However I do agree with the grease.

 

[Radix2]

I'm curious about what jobs you have around the house that are better for a skid steer than a tractor. Are you on a farm with a bunch of specific jobs that work better with a skidsteer?

Day to day landscaping, snow removal ( get a blower), gravel maintainance, can be done with a tractor very well with the critical benefit that you can drive everywhere without destroying the ground. The FEL tractor becomes a powered wheelbarrow for gardening, moving firewood, whatever, and no need to fear wrecking what you have.

I had a big tracked ASV skidsteer for a while, and

1. Yes it was useless for moving snow.
2. it would remove every bit of sod wherever it went.
3. Awesome for moving a lot of dirt for rough excavation and grade...but that is about it, not something that comes up at the house all the time.

 

[Aberdale]

I have had a Case 1845C and currently own a John Deere 320 that I traded the Case for. Both have been good machines. Both are wheeled, and have moved snow with no problem. Both are hand control models. It's what I learned on and just couldn't get used to foot controls later. Both have been super reliable with minimal repair or maintenance costs.

I own a small farm (80 acres) and I'll admit I use the skid steer far more during the year than any of my tractors. I use it for contouring fields. I use it to move dirt, snow, round bales, mulch, manure, tree clippings, stumps, and just about anything else that needs moving. They've been real back savers. I rarely lift anything with grunt force anymore.

I have a 6' bucket, a set of pallet forks, a 6' boom, and a bale spear. There's a lot of other attachments that could be handy, but you can do a lot with just the basics.

The 1845C cost $14,000 used, but that was 15 years ago. After using it for 8 years, I traded it on the new John Deere, and got every penny back. If the machine has low hours and been well maintained and not abused they hold their value pretty well.

I would lean towards a Case, John Deere (260 or newer), or a Bobcat. All good machines with good reputations and a strong dealer network. You will be able to tell a lot about a machine by it's general appearance. Almost any machine used for construction work (especially concrete) will likely be pretty well beat. Try to find one owned by an individual or for farm use. It will likely have lower hours and will have seen lighter duty.

 

[ishiboo]

I'm curious about what jobs you have around the house that are better for a skid steer than a tractor. Are you on a farm with a bunch of specific jobs that work better with a skidsteer?

Day to day landscaping, snow removal ( get a blower), gravel maintainance, can be done with a tractor very well with the critical benefit that you can drive everywhere without destroying the ground. The FEL tractor becomes a powered wheelbarrow for gardening, moving firewood, whatever, and no need to fear wrecking what you have.

I had a big tracked ASV skidsteer for a while, and

1. Yes it was useless for moving snow.
2. it would remove every bit of sod wherever it went.
3. Awesome for moving a lot of dirt for rough excavation and grade...but that is about it, not something that comes up at the house all the time.

I agree. My tractor gets used 99% of the time... only time I use the skid loader is when I have a ton of rough grading or really heavy stuff to move. For "around the home" stuff, I cannot live without my tractor with loader... I can live without a skid loader.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I rented a 1845C for some landscaping. I took a hour to get used to the controls and then it was total fun. I have tried the Bobcat and JD and I think one is as good as the other. Made in USA is important, to me. My landscaper friend has a bobcat on rubber tracks. He likes the tracks. Part of his business is snow removal and control. We do not get snow here on the West Coast very often.

 

[moreover]

I'd look for a clean, low housed 1845 Case.
Could get a decent one and have money left for attachments.

I did a ton of research and settled on a Case 1845C for my lawn remodel and plus I've always wanted a skid steer. It has the Cummins 4B (not turbo) engine and they are reliable as they get (according to forums). I paid $12,500 for my 2000 model with 2800 hours and new tires and steel over tire tracks. They can be had with heat if I understand correctly. Easy to repair as they are all manual linkage controls.

 

[TomC750]

I bought my NH LS160 used in 2003 with 303 hours (2002 machine). It now has close to 2000 hours. So far I replaced the battery earlier this year, otherwise just routine maintenance. I do have a problem for the last couple of years, one one side it leaks hyd oil into the chain case. I have to add hyd oil once or twice a year. If it doesn't get any worse than that I'll put up with it.

One thing I have done when checking out a used machine is to lift the front wheels off the ground, take hold of them and rotate to see how much slop is in the chains. I have checked a few this way and rotated them close to a quarter of a turn!

 

[machsnell]

Firebrick43 is on it with his comments about machines and operators until he says that cat is the way to go. But to each his own cat is a decent machine.

I have owned them all through the years and have settled on Bobcat. I own lots of track and lots of wheel machines. I have some with 8000 plus hours. The newer tier machines are a little more temperamental but for 15k you will be looking at s and t models that are in bobcats prime.

I have never lost a Kubota motor in one of my bobcat machines. Pumps and wheel motor rarely. Everyone does also but we really beat the snot out of our machines.

Bobcat makes a solid machine.

We push snow with all of our machines. Track and wheel. Using it around your house you will want a track machine unless you will only use when ground is hard and dry or it's a farm and you don't care about tearing up things. Even then it has to be hard ground to support wheel machines.

Get a t190 or t630 or t650. Small ish and light but powerful enough for what you need.

Just my 2 cents

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Dragfluid]

The OP has over a 1/4 mile of driveway?
Balls! I've got 500' and I think that's a shitload.

Are you thinking about a snow blower some time in the future? You'll need a machine with "high flow" hydraulics. But if snow is a rarity, then that really wouldn't make a lot of sense to make that investment. I love my Case 1845C. I bought it used about 12 years ago. After having it a short while, I wished that I would have gotten one 20 years sooner! Very handy for many tasks. I paid $10K from a private party, and that included a regular bucket, a landscape drag, a clamshell, and the fork attachment with nice, strong CASE forks. The cab isn't enclosed, but it wouldn't be that difficult to do if I wanted. I use a truck to plow the driveway and yard, so it's a mute point. I was doing a lot of demolition on the place and after the 3rd flat, I got a used set of solid tires. Best $1800 I've ever spent! Not that great of traction for snow though.

As far as hoses and other supplies, buy it when you need it. A NAPA or someplace similar will make one while you wait.

 

[drmarkr]

I bought an '07 Cat 226b in 2009 with 700 hrs on it for $20k. Stellar machine, but more than your stated budget. Zero issues.

 

[ishiboo]

The OP has over a 1/4 mile of driveway?
Balls! I've got 500' and I think that's a shitload.

Are you thinking about a snow blower some time in the future? You'll need a machine with "high flow" hydraulics. But if snow is a rarity, then that really wouldn't make a lot of sense to make that investment. I love my Case 1845C. I bought it used about 12 years ago. After having it a short while, I wished that I would have gotten one 20 years sooner! Very handy for many tasks. I paid $10K from a private party, and that included a regular bucket, a landscape drag, a clamshell, and the fork attachment with nice, strong CASE forks. The cab isn't enclosed, but it wouldn't be that difficult to do if I wanted. I use a truck to plow the driveway and yard, so it's a mute point. I was doing a lot of demolition on the place and after the 3rd flat, I got a used set of solid tires. Best $1800 I've ever spent! Not that great of traction for snow though.

As far as hoses and other supplies, buy it when you need it. A NAPA or someplace similar will make one while you wait.

No need to invest in a snow blower, and I wouldn't want to do a 1300ft driveway with one. Put a cheap QA plow on or build your own with a truck blade like I do.

 

[WhiffySpark]

You can use track for snow. We run half a dozen of them. It’s easier to put up with them for a couple weeks of snow rather than loose months of spring work having tire machines

 

[Jurlilane]

With 15k you can get some decent small models. If a add a bit more, you could get a very good electric skid, which is doing the work 10/10. It will also save you a lot of money on oil and fuel, which is also a big advantage. I got this model https://www.heming-engineering.co.uk/tractors-and-machinery/kovaco-electric-skid-steer a few months ago, and it's just so much better than the old model which I was using. No more noise, co2 and all the unpleasant eliminations of these machines during the work.

 

[dcg9381]

I think there are "normally" lots of options in that range. Which one you get - it's largely about load capacity and what you plan to do with it. Around here, due to all the rock and need to be able to clear trees, 75hp+.

That being said, having attended a "farm and equipment auction" in the last 2 months, prices for used stuff (at that auction) set all time records. Hopefully stuff has come down.

 

[mcbane]

$15k will go further if you have a time machine you can use to take advantage of 2017 prices.

 

[Firebrick43]

Another zombie thread is AAAAALIIIVEEEEEEEEE

 

[Nthill93]

15k won’t even get a mini skid steer now.

 

[jrsavoie]

We are selling our FEL tractor and looking to get a skid steer for around the house...looking to see what models might be recommended for a $15k budget. I'd like to find a unit with a cab and heat for snow removal when and if we ever get any snow..

Thanks

What is FEL? I'm guessing the L is for loader