Anyone seen a Boxer 700 series firsthand?

[KentT]

Since Gehl is no longer importing the Avants as a Gehl Avantage, this seems to be the only small "commercial-grade" articulated loader left on the US market. I've never seen one myself, but they certainly look a lot like the older Avants.

BOXER 700 Series Articulating Loaders

Now, Avant has revised/updated its whole product line, introducing a smaller 400-series and a larger 600- and 700-series. That small 400 series is a neat LITTLE machine. These things could make a PT owner green with envy when you look at the specs and all the attachments.

Avant Home

But, both the Boxer and the Avant are very, very expensive in comparison to the Power Trac...

Just curious if anyone had seen the Boxer and what their impressions are....

 

[MossRoad]

Geez... impressive little beasts! :licking:

Kubota makes wheel loaders, but they are hardly small.

 

[KentT]

Geez... impressive little beasts! :licking:

Kubota makes wheel loaders, but they are hardly small.

Yes, Gehl is still selling "compact" articulating loaders also -- but they're about the size of the Kubotas...

Here's their smallest one, the 140 -- which weighs almost 4,000 lbs:

http://www.gehl.com/const/specspg_al.html

Compare that to the 14HP (diesel) 400-series Avant. Even with the optional telescoping lift arm (which gives almost 10' of height at the QA plate", this only weighs a little over 2200 lbs:

That 400 Avant mpresses me, for example this kind of option would be invaluable for those who live in cold climates. The larger ones are even nicer -- some offer a choice of 3 cabs, for example.

I'd like to stumble across a good deal on a low-hours Gehl Avantage someday, even if they are now the "old design" just to get that small Kubota 20HP diesel with 10.6 GPM PTO and telescoping boom.

 

[Gravy]

Those Gehls all have really short wheelbases. I can't see using them on my slopes. I'd be taking a tumbling ride down to the bottom. Not that I could afford one...

 

[3238dpw]

I have always :drool: over them. The one thing I don't like is the rigid design, even though on this page they say it is somehow an advantage. Avant Features

I also have always loved this attachment because I am afraid of heights and thought this would make it a little easier.Avant Attachments

 

[Gravy]

The rigid design may well be an advantage...on a parking lot.

A lot of construction zones are mostly flat. The rigid design might well be more stable when lifting a heavy load on a flat surface. For the rest of us, it's safer to have all four wheels planted on the uneven ground.

Don't get me wrong - those look like REALLY nice machines, and they look to be much more industrial grade than PTs. I just don't think they are the best answer for most of us PT owners. We bought our unconventional PTs because we have unconventional needs, and we have human scale budgets.

But whadda I know?

 

[KentT]

We bought our unconventional PTs because we have unconventional needs, and we have human scale budgets.

I certainly understand about budgets. Heck, I bought a used PT with ONLY 5 attachments... but then almost immediately went shopping in Tazewell for a new minihoe, LM and grapple bucket... not counting a couple more used attachments since... :laughing:

But, compare this to the price of a new PT 425 trailer package:

IRON Search - 2003 Gehl AL20DX Articulating Loader For Sale By Hines Equipment in Pennsylvania

$21,000 for:

2003 Gehl AL20DX Articulating Loader

• 25 HOURS
  20.00 HP/ENG
• Rental Return
• All-Wheel Drive
• Kubota Dsl
• Hydro Drive.
• Package unit: Trailer-7000GVW
• Post Hole Digger 6inauger
• Stump Grinder
• Trencher 6x36
• Pallet Forks
• Bucket.
• GEHL FINANCING AVAILABLE

Not that I've got $21K for another tractor, but IMO this would be very tempting if I were in the market for a new 425 or 1430 and attachments...

 

[KentT]

By the way, if you want to check out some neat attachments and get some ideas for your own PT, check out Avant's YouTube channel. Some neat stuff -- but CAUTION you could waste some significant time with 100+ videos there...

YouTube - avanttecno's Channel

 

[RegL]

Since Gehl is no longer importing the Avants as a Gehl Avantage, this seems to be the only small "commercial-grade" articulated loader left on the US market. I've never seen one myself, but they certainly look a lot like the older Avants.

BOXER 700 Series Articulating Loaders

Now, Avant has revised/updated its whole product line, introducing a smaller 400-series and a larger 600- and 700-series. That small 400 series is a neat LITTLE machine. These things could make a PT owner green with envy when you look at the specs and all the attachments.

Avant Home

But, both the Boxer and the Avant are very, very expensive in comparison to the Power Trac...

Just curious if anyone had seen the Boxer and what their impressions are....

Personally, I consider my power- tracs to be commercial grade. Mainly because I use them commercially and I charge good money to do so. They may not be as pretty as those foreigners, but they will get the work done just as well.

 

[BobRip]

I liked the stump buster2. I wonder if I could put a bit like that on a PT post hole digger head?

 

[JD-Beach]

Another nice machine ...

Home

 

[MossRoad]

Ouch! I have a searing pain in my wallet!!! :laughing:

 

[Clumber]

Another nice machine ...

Home

Appears to be same machine as boxer, difference brand. They seem to be higher -- wonder about center-of-gravity. Impressive, love the attachments. Boxer is having a sale: $3000 off the low end model and $6000 off the 49 hp model see link.

2Q_700series

 

[PTWannaHave]

Yes, the Boxer appears to be a rebadged Italian-made CSF brand MultiOne model/series...

Like most things Italian, they are strong on style and performance, but I would be very weary of durability and cost. (Think Lamborghini & Ferrari... Everyone who owns one these cars will tell you the initial purchase is just the beginning of the wallet drain... But I'm not speaking from personal experience.)

Dealing with retailers of niche market machines is challenging enough (think PT buying & customer service experiences), let alone a foreign brand with limited North American exposure... (Hope you own a complete set of Metric tools...)

As far as I can tell so far, no one will touch PT on the bang-for-buck proposition for the Common Joe.

Cheers,

 

[Gravy]

Yes, the Boxer appears to be a rebadged Italian-made CSF brand MultiOne model/series...

Like most things Italian, they are strong on style and performance, but I would be very weary of durability and cost. (Think Lamborghini & Ferrari... Everyone who owns one these cars will tell you the initial purchase is just the beginning of the wallet drain... But I'm not speaking from personal experience.)

Dealing with retailers of niche market machines is challenging enough (think PT buying & customer service experiences), let alone a foreign brand with limited North American exposure... (Hope you own a complete set of Metric tools...)

As far as I can tell so far, no one will touch PT on the bang-for-buck proposition for the Common Joe.

Cheers,

Agree with you 100%.

 

[capt_met]

i got to run one of the very small gehl articulated loaders at the rental place. i used it to load a couple attachments into the back of a flatbed. it had telescoping loader arms which was nice. great visibility and was easy to run. i would love to have one at the shop for loading/unloading trucks. that being said i will echo that it would make me a nervous wreck on any kind of side slope. my thoughts were great shop machine limited yard machine where i live. perhaps somewhere flatter it would be a viable multi use machine.
good luck,

 

[Gravy]

that being said i will echo that it would make me a nervous wreck on any kind of side slope.

That leaves me out. My Appalachian property has left me without the ability to understand the concept of "flat".

My "flat" spaces would probably look steep to flatlanders.

Not that I could afford Italian exotica anyway...

 

[KentT]

That leaves me out. My Appalachian property has left me without the ability to understand the concept of "flat".

My "flat" spaces would probably look steep to flatlanders.

Not that I could afford Italian exotica anyway...

Where's Fourteen when you need him? You can always reverse the whieels to improve slope capability... :thumbsup::laughing:

But, I know what you mean. That's why I have much larger wheel motors, reversed wheels, AND loaded tires...

BTW, the Gehl/Avant is Finnish, not Italian -- but still foreign...

 

[Gravy]

Where's Fourteen when you need him? You can always reverse the whieels to improve slope capability... :thumbsup::laughing:

But, I know what you mean. That's why I have much larger wheel motors, reversed wheels, AND loaded tires...

BTW, the Gehl/Avant is Finnish, not Italian -- but still foreign...

I hope Fourteen is OK and happy... but his advice didn't work out well for me. On my steep rocky slopes it only took a couple of weeks with reversed wheels to cause leaky shaft seals. I won't do it again unless/until I replace the wheel motors with bigger better badder ones.

Finnish? That explains a lot. Finland isn't exactly notorious for rough mountainous terrain. (I'd use a laughing smiley here, but the smileys option seems to have disappeared).