What is The Best Mid-Size Skid Steer?

[cyclone88]

Hello,
I have never owned/operated a skid steer before, and an looking into getting one. I would like it to be an older (late 90s up to 2010) mid-size, diesel skid steer. I would like to be able to run a backhoe, a grapple bucket, a tree puller/shear, and a normal bucket. I would like a high horsepower machine. And my budget is $15,000. Any recommendations would be appreciated thanks!

 

[4570Man]

At that price point you really can’t afford to be that selective. I’d look for a joystick control if you can find one.

 

[crashz]

Your price point puts you in the range of well used wheeled mid-size machines with hand and foot controls. Typically that means that the bucket and boom is controlled by your feet and the sticks are for forward and backward movement of each side of wheels. Takes some practice to get comfortable with it. Pilot controls (right hand drive joystick and left hand bucket) are worlds nicer and easier to operate (to me). But I wouldn't shy away from a really good deal on machine with foot controls.

You also have about $15K in tools you want too.

Are you in hilly terrain? My SS was terrible slopes. I once nearly flipped it end over end when I took the bucket off to exchange for forks, backed down a hill and stopped. The tail heavy SS wanted to keep going and I had that precarious second of two wheel balance that seems like 10 minutes. Mine was a Bobcat 753.

Why the high horsepower? Do you need high flow?

I highly suggest renting a machine that closely fits the used rig that you want to buy. You may love it or absolutely hate it.

 

[oldnslo]

Case, Gehl possibly deere probably others have option of hand controls for both travel and loader operation. I personally dislike foot controls but to each their own. Like crashz suggests rent a few if possible to see if they really do work for your applications. Older machines may require some expensive repairs if the hydros are getting weak.

 

[dirttoys]

I have a bobcat 773 that fits your description. Been a good machine, getting old. If you can keep them indoors and enjoy working in very tight spaces you will enjoy it.

Best,

ed

 

[mikester]

All skidsteers suck. Your $15K will buy a really sucky one.

 

[LD1]

Have you ever ran one? Decide what type of controls you want and narrow your selection. Bobcat/deere with foot controls? Cat/Kubota with joysticks? Case style?

 

[scootr]

I have a 773 Bobcat. I own a yr 2002 machine with about 3200 hours. Bought for 10k with smooth bucket and forks a few yrs ago. I bought a Titan a 72" brush hog and a broom attachment. These machines are kind of pitchy because of their short wheelbase. Makes it hard to use a mower in rough terrain
This machine has 50+ hp. It is heavy and strong. Visibility is awful with the exception of the bucket which you can see very well. This is the same for all skid steers. Somebody suggested renting one before committing to purchase. That's an excellent idea! I had 100s of hours on this model machine before I bought.

 

[LD1]

I have a 773 Bobcat. I own a yr 2002 machine with about 3200 hours. Bought for 10k with smooth bucket and forks a few yrs ago. I bought a Titan a 72" brush hog and a broom attachment. These machines are kind of pitchy because of their short wheelbase. Makes it hard to use a mower in rough terrain
This machine has 50+ hp. It is heavy and strong. Visibility is awful with the exception of the bucket which you can see very well. This is the same for all skid steers. Somebody suggested renting one before committing to purchase. That's an excellent idea! I had 100s of hours on this model machine before I bought.

I like the suggestion of renting one.

IF the OP has ran one before....I'd stick to that brand or at least one with the same controls.

IF the OP hasnt ran one before, Id rent at least one with all three types of controls and see which he likes best.

Im not a skidloader guru....but:

1. standard controls where the levers drive just like a zero-turn mower and have foot controls for the loader
2. H-pattern where the handles drive just like a zero-turn but left control left-right is loader arms and right control left and right is bucket tilt
3. ISO/joystick where left control is direction control and right control is all loader/bucket.

Having ran all three, there is a learning curve to each. And it is possible to get proficient at each, its hard to switch back and forth. And certainly some are more intrinsic than others, depending on what other equipment you have been around, and if you have operated a loader before.

So again....IF I were the OP, Id want a few hours on each to decide what I liked. If you have owned/operated a ISO controlled machine before and liked it....perhaps its not a wise move to drop $15k on one with standard controls or H-pattern without first having a few hours of seat time to see if its something you are going to like and be able to adapt to

 

[scootr]

I like the suggestion of renting one.

IF the OP has ran one before....I'd stick to that brand or at least one with the same controls.

IF the OP hasnt ran one before, Id rent at least one with all three types of controls and see which he likes best.

Im not a skidloader guru....but:

1. standard controls where the levers drive just like a zero-turn mower and have foot controls for the loader
2. H-pattern where the handles drive just like a zero-turn but left control left-right is loader arms and right control left and right is bucket tilt
3. ISO/joystick where left control is direction control and right control is all loader/bucket.

Having ran all three, there is a learning curve to each. And it is possible to get proficient at each, its hard to switch back and forth. And certainly some are more intrinsic than others, depending on what other equipment you have been around, and if you have operated a loader before.

So again....IF I were the OP, Id want a few hours on each to decide what I liked. If you have owned/operated a ISO controlled machine before and liked it....perhaps its not a wise move to drop $15k on one with standard controls or H-pattern without first having a few hours of seat time to see if its something you are going to like and be able to adapt to

Right. Plus there is a whole range of limits or issues that are skid steer specific. All of which you need to be fully aware of before you drop 15k and regret the decision. Guys tell me the old 773 BC is becoming desirable because new ones are so computer controlled the average guy can not work on them. Well that's the way with everything now, isn't it.

 

[4570Man]

All skidsteers suck. Your $15K will buy a really sucky one.

I own a wheeled and tracked skid steer. The wheeled machine doesn’t do well in soft ground. If the ground is fairly firm but muddy on the top it doesn’t do well. It also rides like a pogo stick. If you’re working on fairly smooth and dry ground it’s a capable machine. The tracked one is a completely different animal. You’re not buying a tracked one that’s not at a fire salvage sale for $15k but a tracked machine is very capable. A tracked skid steer will make a tractor look silly. The wheeled machine will still outperform a tractor on dry ground. The tractor wins in mud. You can run steel tracks on the wheel machine to help with the mud. I don’t have them on mine because I don’t like them for one thing but I drive the machine on roads and driveways so steel tracks are out of the question.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Your price point puts you in the range of well used wheeled mid-size machines with hand and foot controls. Typically that means that the bucket and boom is controlled by your feet and the sticks are for forward and backward movement of each side of wheels. Takes some practice to get comfortable with it. Pilot controls (right hand drive joystick and left hand bucket) are worlds nicer and easier to operate (to me). But I wouldn't shy away from a really good deal on machine with foot controls.

You also have about $15K in tools you want too.

Are you in hilly terrain? My SS was terrible slopes. I once nearly flipped it end over end when I took the bucket off to exchange for forks, backed down a hill and stopped. The tail heavy SS wanted to keep going and I had that precarious second of two wheel balance that seems like 10 minutes. Mine was a Bobcat 753.

Why the high horsepower? Do you need high flow?

I highly suggest renting a machine that closely fits the used rig that you want to buy. You may love it or absolutely hate it.

We always kept a skid steer for cleaning out chicken houses. My brother rolled one over backwards while we were changing implements. The look on his face as he went over... priceless.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I own a wheeled and tracked skid steer. The wheeled machine doesn’t do well in soft ground. If the group is fairly firm but muddy on the top it doesn’t do well. It also rides like a pogo stick. If you’re working on fairly smooth and dry ground it’s a capable machine. The tracked one is a completely different animal. You’re not buying a tracked one that’s not at a fire salvage sale for $15k but a tracked machine is very capable. A tracked skid steer will make a tractor look silly. The wheeled machine will still outperform a tractor on dry ground. The tractor wins in mud. You can run steel tracks on the wheel machine to help with the mud. I don’t have them on mine because I don’t like them for one thing but I drive the machine on roads and driveways so steel tracks are out of the question. View attachment 764545

I was thinking 15 grand might get a parts machine. Plus he's wanting all those attachments. These new 100 horse machines have Def, so I rent. I done been through having a machine that was in the shop for months longer than I was able to use it. Funny though, they still wanted the payments.

 

[4570Man]

We always kept a skid steer for cleaning out chicken houses. My brother rolled one over backwards while we were changing implements. The look on his face as he went over... priceless.

The tracked machine is a lot better in that aspect. They’re still back heavy but nothing like the wheeled machine is. The tracked machine is all around much more planted to the ground.

 

[4570Man]

I was thinking 15 grand might get a parts machine. Plus he's wanting all those attachments. These new 100 horse machines have Def, so I rent. I done been through having a machine that was in the shop for months longer than I was able to use it. Funny though, they still wanted the payments.

My Kubota 75 doesn’t have def. It’s still got the DPF crap which seems to be a lot more reliable than DEF. That’s one of the reasons I bought it vs a 97. My Komatsu is a 2006 pre emissions with a 85 hp yanmar.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

My Kubota 75 doesn’t have def. It’s still got the DPF crap which seems to be a lot more reliable than DEF. That’s one of the reasons I bought it vs a 97. My Komatsu is a 2006 pre emissions with a 85 hp yanmar.

We have a 75 and 95 Kubota. Might as well not had the SVL95 because it spent more time per year at the shop, over 6 months each year, sometimes 9 months. First year def or dpf whatever. It would shut down and at least it would idle, so we could load it. Haul it 100 miles to the shop again. I'm not blaming the shop. They were good people. But Nash Tx was the closest place.

 

[ning]

Before I pulled the trigger on my tractor I was thinking "wait, these skids seem so much more capable!"
I rented a tracked unit to drill a zillion holes in the ground for trees one spring (it was wet so thankfully the yard gave me a tracked unit instead of wheels) and that was awesome.

More recently I rented a skid (wheeled) to drill other holes (deep ones for a ground mount solar array) and I almost rolled it on a minor rise moving from one pasture to another (yes the bucket was low!), and I knew then that I'd dodged a bullet in not getting a wheeled skid instead of my tractor - I don't like driving sideways on even a minor hill on my tractor (like 10 degrees - we know the tractor won't roll unless you're driving too fast and drop a front wheel in a hole but I still avoid it) but at least I know it won't roll over going up and down even my much steeper hills!

Someday I'm going to have a bigger piece of land and likely will have multiple machines to do a lot more with - excavator to dig, skid to move dirt, tractor for swiss army knife work. Here, though, I'll rent skids when I need something more specialized that my tractor won't do, and try to avoid the wheeled units as much as I can.

 

[4570Man]

If you buy a wheeled one I recommend you have something else to unstick it because you’re going to need it.

 

[scootr]

Or buy some new tires and stay out of the swamp lands

 

[4570Man]

Or buy some new tires and stay out of the swamp lands

My tires aren’t that bad. It just doesn’t go.