Skid Steer Loader---Bobcat

[bimmer1980]

Hey Guys,
Does anybody on here have a skid steer loader? I'm looking to buy one and I was curious to see what guys think. It is a early 90's bobcat 853 that has about 4600 hours on it. It looks to be in good shape. I'm planning to go look at it this weekend. The guy has it listed for about $7000.

Let me know what you all think....

Also, if anybody has a bobcat and would be interested in renting it, I would be curious about that as well........ However, if I can get a good deal, it never hurts to have a new toy! I'm in the York, PA area.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[Tman]

I put a lot of hours in an 853, good machine with lots of power. At that time we had upgraded from 500 series.

 

[kuhner]

I have an 853. Bought it used when my brother worked at a dealer. Got it cheap because it needed seals in one wheel and one motor. Leaked fluid like crazy.
Used it when I was building my garage. Not much for digging in clay, adding teeth to the bucket helped. I could load my F600 dump with it. Easily lift 2000Lbs.
The 853 is the short wheel base model, the 873 is longer wheelbase. If you live in hilly areas may not be the one for you, you can go up some pretty steep grades but need to be careful. But the short wheel base turns on a dime.
No matter what skid steer you run, buckle up when you get in.

 

[cw_racefan]

We have a "mini" skidsteer. Its a stand on, Kanga G520. I know not quite what you were looking at, but its a little workhorse. Bought it used off of Ebay, and we use it all the time. It's amazing what you find just doing yard work that it can help with. One thing that's nice with the little one is it does much less damage to the yard, but still has a capacity of 550-600 lbs, and there are a bunch of attachments you can get for it. Depending on what you need one for, you might consider something like that.

 

[PAToyota]

I picked up a Bobcat 630 when I started my garage build. The plan was that I could turn it around and sell it for the same money when I was done with the build rather than paying all that money in rental fees. Funny, but over ten years later and it is still around... Actually, last year I ended up adding a X320 Bobcat excavator as well. It is amazing the projects you take on when you have one available to you!

 

[1atom12]

You said early 90's, w/4600 hrs, don't pay 7k for it, offer 5.5k, right now money talks. There are many of these kind of units around, and there are better deals out there. Check your closest Bobcat dealer or www.machinerytrader.com, and do some comparison shopping. You may spend a little more now, but get a longer service life machine. Look it over real good for leaks in the motor compartment, axles, and lift the cab. Most people don't but it holds the hydraulic pump and hoses. Two bolts on each side of the saftey control switches in the cab, remove those and lift cab. I got a 99, 763 with 1800 hrs., bucket and forks for 8k.

 

[bimmer1980]

Good deal, that's what I was curious about. I've seen a lot of machines listed for $8000 to $10,000, but that's not necessarily what they sell for. Thanks for the info!!

 

[64duece]

I bought a used Gehl from a guy I was originally renting in from. The intent was to use it to clear my land and sell it afterwards. I have 60" bucket, pallet forks and grapple.

Let's see....
I've cleared over an acre of fairly dense woods. Loaded 40 cu yds of old concrete. I rented an augur attachement to dig my fence posts. Used the forks for material handling, and also have a plywood covered pallet as a great platform to work high up. Borrowed a boom to slip over the forks to raise my truss's on my 13ft top plate. Spread the commercial blend for new driveway and plowed snow a few times. Frequently move firewood up to the house. Countless other "little tasks" It's been worth it's weight in gold!

 

[FunfDreisig]

Before you buy a skid steer make sure it's the right tool for the jobs on your "things to do list". Skid steers are great at some jobs. But tractors can be more flexible.

FWIW I seriously looked at skid steers before buying my Kubota tractor. I chose the Kubota because many of the projects I had on my "things to do list" required a back hoe or box blade. Skid steers CAN do these things but not as flexibly; tractors use both ends My Kubota is usually configured as a TLB (Tractor, with a front end Loader, and Backhoe). But I also have a pallet fork attachment for the front and a box blade for the back. BTW the Pallet Forks and FEL bucket use standard skid steer quick attach couplers.

For example, I used the Kubota with the pallet forks to lift the fully assembled 24' x 16" LVL (3 1-3/4"x16"w/ a 2x6 jam header) and place it on the 9' cripples on my 3 bay garage earlier this week. I lifted all of the roof deck 8' 6" so we only had to pull each sheet off the forks onto the roof. Tomorrow I'll lift the builders felt on a pallet....

Funf Dreisig

 

[usa#1]

While I don't own a skid steer, I have been doing some research myself. From other forums I've been reading (note: I don't consider myself a novice much less an expert) 4000 to 4500 hrs seems to be the expected life of the engine for these machines. I don't think I would purchase a used machine with over 1000 hrs. I definitely wouldn't pay near the ask price for this machine, but that's me. Do a search for "Skid Steer Forum". Some good discussions on problems and fixes.

 

[PAToyota]

Sent you a PM, bimmer.

 

[Lloydthumper]

I bought a 2005 John Deer 250II turbo in 2006 with a 4n1 bucket with 89hrs on it from a guy getting divorced and it got repoed I went to John Deer and picked it up with the guy he gave me copies of the recipt where he bought is hadn't even had the 1st 100hr oil change for the price of $6000 I still can't believe it the bucket wasn't even scratched up on it. The reciept said the guy paid $28,000 for it and put $18,000 down on it he made $4000 worth of payments and sold it to me.

 

[wingfootedgodhead]

I just bought a Bobcat T 300 for $16,000 with the gold package and 2200 hours.

Needed a track machine as I've got a lot of wet ground from irrigation run off and anything with wheels would of sunk in or caused a huge mess.

Plan on buying attachments as required. Not sure what to do about an excavator. You can get them but the process is cumbersome and the excavator attachment is expensive to begin with. Might just be better to get an used 334 Bobcat excavator.

 

[6768rogues]

I have had a skid steer made by Prime Mover for about 15 years. It has an Isuzu diesel engine with 45 HP. I was told the engines need an overhaul at about 5000 hours. I bought with 2500 hours and now have about 3500 hours on it and it seems as though I use it quite a bit. I also have pallet forks which proved to be very handy. Put the forks close together, angle them into the ground and drive ahead, then tilt them to pop trees out of the ground.

 

[Delray]

I bought my (1998 I believe) 763 3 years back for $7,000 It has the Kubota engine. I've never done anything to it but normal service. 3,300 hrs always starts and only sips fuel.

 

[jshillin]

If you're looking for a skidsteer, look at the New Hollands. Of all of them I have ran, they seem to be balanced better than the rest.

 

[FunfDreisig]

...Hands down more versatile than a tractor, not that tractors are bad, they just can't turn on their own wheelbase...

Yeah right. That must be why I see so many Skid Steers with ...
Finish mowers,
Back hoes,
Landscape rakes,
Box Blades to crown roads,
Log splitters,
Cement mixers
Harrows,
Plows, ...

BTW A tractor doesn't need to turn in it's own wheel base, 'cause it has usefull stuf at both ends

Funf Dreisig

 

[PAToyota]

Yeah right. That must be why I see so many Skid Steers with ...
Finish mowers,

Back hoes,

Landscape rakes,

Box Blades to crown roads,

Log splitters,

Cement mixers

Harrows,

Plows,

...

BTW A tractor doesn't need to turn in it's own wheel base, 'cause it has usefull stuf at both ends

Funf Dreisig

Not only have I seen all those attachments (see pictures), but you can get a 3-point hitch adapter and then run any tractor implement

Check out all the Bobcat attachments here - angle broom, post hole digger, horizontal boring unit, hydraulic breaker, wood chipper, concrete pump, grader, snowblower, stump grinder, tiller, tree spade, trencher, vibratory roller...

As for turning, it is nice that a tractor has attachments on each end but try to load up something in the bucket and make a 90 degree turn in close quarters. Having a backhoe on the other end doesn't do much good in such situations.

 

[rcleaver]

The following is from my son who was trained in the Marines to use heavy equipment. He never met a piece of heavy machinery he couldn't operate.

If you think a skid steer is the ultimate in flexiblity, then try digging a basement with it. Or try digging a 1/4 mile trench for electric and phone service. You can do it but you'll wish you hadn't.

The skid steer is useful for a number of things. If you want the best from an ease of use point of view, get a Takeuchi, just about any model. If you use it a lot in all kinds of weather, you'll be glad if it's got A/C and heating. There seem to less used ones available because people don't want to give them up to buy a different brand.

 

[PAToyota]

If you think a skid steer is the ultimate in flexiblity, then try digging a basement with it.

Have done it with a tracked Bobcat - much more flexible than a full-sized tracked loader for a smaller project and easier to maneuver than a tractor-backhoe.

Or try digging a 1/4 mile trench for electric and phone service. You can do it but you'll wish you hadn't.

Have done that with a trencher attachment. No problems.

 

[PAToyota]

Another thought on brands - decide what sort of controls you like to use. I like the combination foot/hand controls of the Bobcat. Makes it very easy for me to control the bucket and move at the same time. Put me in a Case with only hand controls and I'm pretty awkward. Likewise, I know people that just can't seem to figure out operating the bucket with their feet in a Bobcat. Some of the Bobcats let you switch between the two - foot / hand or all hand controls.

 

[FunfDreisig]

Not only have I seen all those attachments (see pictures), but you can get a 3-point hitch adapter and then run any tractor ....

Obviously one CAN do all these things with a skid steer. In fact, I CAN do all these things with various manual tools (e.g. a wheel barrow, shovel, hoe, axe, hand rake, push lawn mower, etc.). My point was that although I see lots of skid steers, I rarely see one configured to any of the jobs I mentioned. OTOH I often see tractors configured for these tasks. Not because skid steers can't do them, but because tractors are actually better suited to these tasks.

Funf Dreisig

 

[bimmer1980]

Hey guys,
thanks for all the comments and input. I got some info on an auction place from one of the guys and I'm planning to go to one of those auctions in the next month or so. I also found a few other auction places in the area to check out as well. I think that will be the best ticket for getting the best price. I was able to get some data on what equipment has sold for in the past that will help me determine if something is a good deal or not. If any one is interested in the spreadsheet, let me know. It covers a lot of skid steer options that are less than $10k.

Ideally, I'm going after the Bobcat 753, 763 or 853 or 863 and am hoping to pay about $5k to 6K. We shall see if its do-able......

 

[rcleaver]

Have done it with a tracked Bobcat - much more flexible than a full-sized tracked loader for a smaller project and easier to maneuver than a tractor-backhoe.



Have done that with a trencher attachment. No problems.

Sure you can do it but why? I guess you don't realize that it took you much more time and effort than it needed to? And it's made worse if you encounter some problems like boulders.

 

[PAToyota]

I don't see how either job took "much more time and effort than it needed to" - compared to what? What should I have used for these tasks?

 

[voetsek]

No one has mentioned the big dog in the fight. The Hydraulic systems. Make sure that they are running right and not down on power or leaking. The pump, cylinders, controls, and drive motors are the expensive pieces on these. Make sure that these are in order before purchasing. Engines tend to outlast these systems by a 3 mile margin. Single speed or two speed, track or wheel & preferred controls are also considerations.

If the unit is for personal use, the two speed is probably not a big deal as you won't need to get anywhere fast. Tracks are much better in a lot of ways including ground pressure and ability to dig/get traction. I have a cheap late 70's New Holland wheeled skid steer with bobcat type controls. The bucket is controlled by foot pedals and the motion is controlled by the sticks to the sides. Newer skids have several different setups including everything on the sticks.

Most if this is moot if all you are planning is running a bucket on certain types of ground and the bucket comes with, but worth thinking about.

Wheeled loaders are much cheaper to replace the rubber on. The tracks are mucho expensivo but I find myself wishing for tracks a lot. Where I am in MD, everything is clay and the tires tend to dig themselves holes rather than pushing the bucket. This is partly the fault of the machine as it is really light and partly attributable to the tires.

Before buying one, go look at the dealers or rental places in your area and ask a few questions to make sure you are buying something that will work for you in your area. Under 10k you can pick up just about any type of unit, so get one that will do the job for you.

You will also want to make sure the machine you are getting has both the connections for extra attachments and high flow hydraulics if you are going to run attachments. W/o either, you will be sorely disappointed in the attachments available if you are going to use anything other than a bucket.

Many machines are spec'd without these options as they won't be used. If it has quick connects for implements, it will not necessarily have the high flow hydraulics needed for some implements.

One other thing you want to look for is the attachment method for the bucket. Most everything is now using the bobcat quick tac attachement plate & if all you are looking at is bobcats, that will not be an issue, but if you expand your selection, make sure that the machine has that plate on the front or you will be modifying stuff that you buy to get it to attach.

 

[bimmer1980]

This weekend I went to one of the auction houses and test drove a bunch of skid steers and a couple of the compact tractors. I do like the Bobcats--the controls, etc. However, the Cat 226b is also a really nice machine. the joysticks are super easy to run. I notices while driving the tracked bobcats that they make a lot of noice from the tracks. Is this normal? a lot of clunking and banging--at least compared to the wheeled versions. The new Holland 170 and 180 are decent too, but the foot pedals were not at quite the right angle for me. I tried a tracked AVS or ASI, that was cool, but it had an issue with the right track--otherwise that was a slick little machine. I noticed on a high hour 853 that the pivot joints were really sloppy. It was constantly banging when the bucket was raised and lowered. Over all, it was a fun time. I highly recommend it. All the keys were in each machine, just hop in and start driving....

 

[jklingel]

4600 hrs is a 65 yr old man; has he been taking care of himself, or not? I'd be wary of that many hours, unless you know the individual who used it ALL that time, his/her maintenance, disposition while operating, etc. I have a large frame JD and can not see much a SS can not do, and do well. There is an endless list of toys to attach to them, but make sure you have the high-flow option if you intend to use a high-flow implement. They don't, apparently, work like a dozer real well; too light, usually. Maybe my 9500 lb machine will cut undisturbed dirt OK, but the lighter ones don't.

 

[Jared]

It is normal for the tracked machines to make more noise than the rubber tired ones.

 

[bimmer1980]

I went to an auction this past week. All the skid steers went for higher than I wanted to pay, but i did have fun test driving them. They had about 35 for the acution. I drove at least 15 to 20 of them. I did end up buying a "trencher
bucket. I was able to fit it into the back end of the BWM..... crazy, I know, but I didn't want to have to run home to get my little trailer.....

 

[bimmer1980]

here's the pic...

 

[PAToyota]

The things I've drug home in the back of my Saab 900S...

But I think that takes the cake!

 

[Virago9577]

why not try the Cleveland Bros - Cat Rents store - They can rent a Cat compact machine w all the attachments and I understand their rates are reasonable and theycan deliver.

 

[mad57]

check the pins in those machines if there worn out its a pricy fix close to $1800, a sloppy machine could cost you more in the long run, good luck ,mike.