Skidsteers/Bobcats

[Bawndoh]

We are planning on moving out of town in the near future and are wondering what would be best for us.  We are going to need something to haul bales, clean corrals,
move snow, and can operate in below zero (-25 degree celcius) weather.  Do any of you have experience with skidsteers?  What model/size would you suggest? 
Most people around here just purchase chore tractors, but I often just hear complaints...and wishes that they had a skidsteer!  Any advice?  It seems like we
would be expected to drop at least $10,000 by the looks of things.

 

[Top Knot]

I have a 743 Bobcat - 36HP with 66" bucket. I can handle round bales and pallets of feed and seed up to 2000lbs. It's a bit light on the back, but it will do the job if you go slow and keep the load low. For bales 1800lb or less - no problem. Good for moving snow. Traction in mud can be an issue. Never fails to start in the cold, although the hydraulics are quite stiff until it warms up. I'm very pleased with it overall.

 

[cpubarn]

I have an older skidsteer, a bobcat 873 , with cab heater and door, bobtach auto hookup,with a number of buckets  grapple, 7.5" snow bucket, dirt bucket, bale fork, hitch & ball bucket etc.......

My utility tractor hasn't been moved since last fall.  Favorite toy on the farm.

These bigger skidsteers are VERY handy and strong.  The question is do you need a pto?  How is the manure going to get spread?  Does hay making come into play?

The skidder will not do those things.

Mark

 

[E.D.E.]

We have a 751, about the same HP as the previous poster.  Last year we put the weight kit on the back door and the rear axels and that has helped considerably when lifting round bales.  Just cleaned out the calving stalls yesterday and it is a snap with the skidsteer.  We can't live without it, it digs post holes, moves rock, moves bales, hauls manure, we use it everyday.  I guess it depends on what size your farm is and what you need the equipment to do.  We currently have a neighbor custom do our hay, I would like to get a good tractor to mow and put up hay, but for now, the skidsteer handles all of our farm duties.  Get the biggest one that will fit inside your stalls, and make sure you have gravel to get to your round bale feeders in the spring.  Mud is the only issue. 

 

[Bawndoh]

Well for now were only looking to have about 10 cows around, and eventually maybe 30 or so.  We are planning on building a home and doing a load of landscaping.  I know it would definitely help there!  We
could also rent it out for extra income.  I certainly know my own family members would probably even use it quite a bit where needed.  I was planning on purchasing all feed (round bales), or getting someone to custom bale if we do end up securing enough land.  I am really not sure if we will need the pto.  I suppose we could pile manure, and have a neighbour harrow for us?? 
Thanks for the input so far.  I am in Saskatchewan, but what are yours priced at where you are?

 

[Top Knot]

Check out tractorhouse.com to get a range of prices for various models. You might even find something close to you.

 

[LazyGLowlines]

We have a S160 bobcat with a grapple, a reg. bucket, hyd. post hole auger, and forks. It's great for cleaning stalls, landscaping ect., biggest problem is mud- it just doesn't work well. I also have a 60hp JD tractor with quick attach front end loader,and use it almost all the time to feed round bales and hayledge (wrapped bales) I use a pallet fork attachment on the tractor to feed with (almost 100 cows) . Also have a McHale balesqueeze to stack bales with the tractor.Skidsteer is just too slow to travel any distance to feed bales not to  mention the ride is almost unbearable above 3-5 mph.
I would not have a skidsteer as my primary equipment on a farm or ranch, but we are a little spoiled as we also have a JD 450g dozer and a large track hoe and a case 580C backhoe.
JMHO

 

[OKshorthorn]

I manage an equipment rental and sales store in Oklahoma, we rent and sale skidsteers every day. Bobcat is the name brand that everyone associates with and they consist of about 85% of our rental fleet, however if I was to purchase one, it would be a Terex (ASV) or Cat. The price is going to be a little more but not much. I would also strongly recommend getting a track skidsteer. That will eliminate all of your mud and getting stuck issues.

Prices are going to vary widely depending on where you are, now is a really good time to buy a used machine. I would call an equipment rental store up there and see what they have. Although be sure you get maintance history, length of rental service, and number of days on rent. They have that information but you have to ask. Buying used I would try and stay under 2,500 hours.

If money wasn't an issue, what I would be purchasing is a PT 80. It's an 80 HP track loader. There are something like 440 attachments you can get for all skidsteers, from brush hogs, to stump grinders, grapples, tree mulchers. Its amazing to think about what all you can do with one.

http://www.terex.com/main.php?obj=category&action=BROWSE&cid=17061dc0ace68e54b0209dbb1662c2e6&nav=prod

 

[LazyGLowlines]

I agree they are versatile, this is a favorite web site

http://www.skidsteersolutions.com/

 

[cpubarn]

One skid steer question I have...

I have a snow blower on a tractor, and a blade on the pickup, but I still move a lot of snow with the bobcat.

How do the track skid steers work moving snow, especially on Ice?  I haven't used my chains yet to push snow but I have them on the shelf for the day I need them.

Mark

 

[OKshorthorn]

Well I have used both the track and wheeled units in the snow, not so much ice. They are much much better. Think about this, the 80 horse unit that we have is a total of 8,972 pounds, the tracks are 18" wide and distribute the weight down to 3.5 pounds per square inch.

 

[LostFarmer]

We have had skidsteer loaders since the early 80's.  We have had Gehl, Bobcat, Case, New Holland and an old Owatana for a short time.  They all have the advantages and disadvantages.  The Gehl had the best hydraulics and controls in my opinion.  It also has the worst engine hard starting harder running.  The Case was a bullet proof engine but I didn't like the way is hydraulics worked just not as smooth and as responsive.  The mucky corrals were hard on the wheel bearings as well.  The New Holland had the best engine yet but the hydraulics are a bit of a pain and the knuckles at the bucket were harder to grease and don't work well.  It was the easiest to work on in every other way.  The New Holland was also the most easy to get stuck.  The Gehl you could not get stuck as you could push yourself forward and back.  The bobcat was a good machine in most ways but the local parts and service department.

There are good and bad with all the machines.  Overall I like the NH best and it comes down to the best service department.   Chains are a must if you have any real winter.  

 

[steel]

I have had a cat and a nw holland.  Hands down new holland!  They seem to be slower in hydraulic pressure until u shim the relief in the pump then u have a machine.  We run used army Humvee tires on our they are alot cheaper and last as long.  As far as traction goes we have grouser tracks that u can take on and off in the winter time.  They help alot in the snow and mud.  With the dirt bucket and teeth u can pick up an bale of hay with a 66" bucket.  LS 185.B is the best machine i have ever run. 

 

[OKshorthorn]

I have had a cat and a nw holland.  Hands down new holland!   They seem to be slower in hydraulic pressure until u shim the relief in the pump then u have a machine.  We run used army Humvee tires on our they are alot cheaper and last as long.  As far as traction goes we have grouser tracks that u can take on and off in the winter time.   They help alot in the snow and mud.  With the dirt bucket and teeth u can pick up an bale of hay with a 66" bucket.   LS 185.B is the best machine i have ever run.   

To each there own, but of all the skidsteers out there, the New Holland and Takeuchi are by far the bottom of the barrel IMO. I obviously can't speak for you service which goes a long way in making a customer happy. Also, I am talking about a commercial aspect of the machines, they are run hard everyday and sometimes by people who have no clue as to what they are doing, and the Bobcat, ASV, and Cat are the only ones that stand up to the abuse. There are a few Johne Deere's out there in the commercial world but there steering and hydraulics make it tough.

 

[LostFarmer]

We put 1000 - 1200 hours a year on a machine in a dairy environment.  Not sure that you could have a harder environment to be honest.  I have never been on a Cat machine and they are likely excellent if you want to pay for the the Catitude that comes with it.  The bobcat we had was always having problems and the parts department was always ordering and reordering.  When the machine was running it was a very good machine.  Loved it in many ways just not the dealer.  The NH has its problems but at $12K less on the purchase price than a Cat I had a hard time going that route.  The NH for me is better only because of dealer.  I do think there are some problems with the knuckles at the buckets.

Bottom line and this goes for most things is dealer service. 

 

[OKshorthorn]

I couldn't agree more! You are right on the money, it wouldn't matter if you had the most expensive, best machine on the market, if you can't get the correct parts to you in a timely manner, it doesn't matter what color it is.

 

[Shady Lane]

Bawndoh,


I'm an Ag machinery salesman by trade and I have sold a lot of different makes and models of equipment of all descriptions.

As for your question about skid steers, they are a wonderful invention and a very handy machine. I have owned and operated several different models over the years.

One thing to remember however, they do not replace a tractor as you do not have the means to operate a number of different common AG implements.

Without a PTO you are not going to be able to operate a baler, mower conditioner, bale processor, manure spreader, auger etc etc


If you can live with that then they make a great LOADER. They are great for feeding bales and especially for cleaning small pens etc.

One thing about a skid steer though is they do not have a great deal of ground clearance which makes them cumbersome in mud, soft ground, sand, deep manure, snow and so on. Tracks will help this to a degree as far as traction but won't help your ground clearance issues.

A skid steer is essentially designed to run on a clean surface, IE you clean your own path as you go, if you start to clean a bedding pack or pen you start on one edge and work your way in but you will have a hard time driving over built up material or it bulldozes and drags underneath the machine badly.

They also are not made for diving much distance at all as they have a very slow ground speed and having a very short wheel base and small tires they are very rough riding and tend to bounce you around a lot.

So you aren't going to run back and forth to a bale stack a half mile down the road by any means.

Like others have suggested, your local access to parts and service should be a major consideration. If you are living in rural Saskatchewan, as you might guess there are fewer places to service your machine and you would be best to stick with a major brand that has good parts availability locally.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[fryguy]

I own a cat track skidsteer. Now I have owned and operated a lot of others and hands down the cat hydraulic system and pilot controls are the most smooth. I have a friend who bought a bobcat and after running mine wishes he bought the cat. I have had no serious problems with the machine what so ever. The cost maybe more up  front but just look at the resale value, they hold their value. Now on the down side if your in mud on those certain days where its gets below freezing at night don't even think about moving it the next day. Its a very poor design with the asv undercarriage as far cleaning out the mud, you never can get in there. Cat does have their own undercarriage now that does look better. Also forget about starting it when it gets below freezing unless its in a heated garage. All in all skidsteers are a very versatile machine and the attachments that you can buy or rent go on forever.

 

[pds]

I sold equipment for the last few years and also owned a excavating company and farm I have run jast about all of them they all have pros and cons try before you buy look at visability and local service for me I have bobcat 743b, 873, NH l175 with 2speed. as far as stability and visability NH has it but is a little longer wheel base to get in some of the pens that we have. the 873 is a big machine and the 743b is to lite some times but each has a place around here.

 

[mlazyj]

We have a bobcat on our place and it's a great piece to have . They do get stuck fairly easy in the snow/ice and mud with wheels , you learn to bucket your way out . I like the bobcat for the ease of servicing it . Open the back door and everything is right there . The last ranch I was on had a Case and it was terrable to change the oil on . They don't replace a tractor your not going to pull anything with them and they are slow . You cann't beat them for what they can do if you buy the right attatchments . cleaning pens, moving feed , building fence .