Bobcat Skid Steer S70 or S100 or S130 for Snow Removal - Experience?

[TK Steingass]

Not without chains on each corner! The chains are not pavement friendly at all, esp. on a skid steer!
Depending how "long in the tooth" you are, you might come out ahead hiring it out to a good dependable local contractor that understands exactly what you expect from him in terms of service.
A right sized compact cab tractor with a front blower is a more versatile machine to have around a house over a SS. I plow with a large SS on a few miles of gravel roads on my place, but that's because my tractor does not have a cab!:laughing:

Thanks for the input Rusty!

 

[TK Steingass]

The s130. Have been plowing drive almost just like yours with a 7753 for 15 years. Nice heated cab, sits in a heated garage, do it in my PJs. About the first 10 years used the bucket and lugged tires on gravel drive. Then got heavy wet snow about 5 years ago bought the chains, put them on the rear, night and day difference, going to tear things up. Pain to put on and off. Bought a set of turf tires(like snow tires) on rims, don't need the chains and don't tear things up. Same time I bought the chains purchased used blower, for your drive and snow amounts would be the way to go. I have low flow aux hydraulics and it works fine. With your snow amounts high flow aux hydraulics and high flow blower would be nice. I purchased a Bobcat as there dealer network was good, could get road service and could find parts. Year ago I had surgery and could not replace the water pump, during a snow storm they sent there road service guy out to replace it. Now i am rebuilding the control spool, all the hand and bucket controls, they have all the parts, right down to the dust boot and they are all reasonable priced. It is 15 years old and I can sell it for what i paid for it. I am glad I did not get a tractor, the skid loader is small maneuverable cost effective and has an enclosed cab.

I'm pretty much in agreement with you - the S70 is six feet tall - three feet wide and pushes a 48" front snowblower. I don't need much more than that. Small, maneuverable, with a closed, heated cab. If we get a huge snowfall, I'll just go out twice and blow it out before the whole storm dumps......just like I did with my 28" walk behind Honda SB. My closest dealer is a Bobcat dealer - only 1/2 hour away......sweet. I am going to ask them if I can switch to turf tires when I order the S70. Thanks for your help!

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Eric: Thanks for the information - I am going to stay away from the tracks. Input I got from the Bobcat tech rep in Minnesota was that the SS is more maneuverable in the snow without the tracks.

My local Bobcat dealer has a JCB on their lot - I might take a look at it.

truck diagnostics makes a really good point: get snow tires for your skid steer. Snow tires don't need a super aggressive tread pattern, the just need a narrower contact patch. For the commercial snow clearing, our skid steers all have snow tires and those tires wear good, stick well, and don't screw up the surface underneath.

Any snow tire is better than the industrial tires that the skid loader comes with for getting a job done fast. Another thing: don't buy a used skid loader from a commercial snow outfit: the guys all drive them like rodeo clowns.

 

[chim]

TK, that picture is simply beautiful. On thought about the rear blower. I bought a used Pronovost nearly a year ago and used it this past winter for the first time. With easy-on "cheeks" on the loader and the blower on the back, it works very well. I'll be 66 in a couple weeks and the top half of my body doesn't like to point in a much different direction than my lower half. It still works fine because you only need to see one side of the blower. You don't need to turn your head 180 degrees.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

TK, for what you are doing the s70 seems to make sense. The s130 will be a bigger machine, and will need a larger blower, so..... advantage would be able to do drive in two passes as opposed to three. Rental attachments in IMO are easier to find. Based on your OP the s70 should work fine. Order it with the turf tires, get a set of chains in case. Then buy a blower for it and good new blowers are not cheap. next step is the blower, IMO i think Bobcat is too proud of there brand attachments and there is stuff out there just as nice and maybe nicer, that will function fine on that machine. With that said I looked at the s70 aux gpm 10gpm is not much so find a blower to match?, looking at the specs on Bobcat's blower?. What I do know is you want in cab controls for ALL of the chute functions, turn and the deflector. In the SS world the s70 is a small machine as an example with counter weights I can lift more that twice maybe even three times what yours does. For what you are doing I like it.

 

[TK Steingass]

truck diagnostics makes a really good point: get snow tires for your skid steer. Snow tires don't need a super aggressive tread pattern, the just need a narrower contact patch. For the commercial snow clearing, our skid steers all have snow tires and those tires wear good, stick well, and don't screw up the surface underneath.

Any snow tire is better than the industrial tires that the skid loader comes with for getting a job done fast. Another thing: don't buy a used skid loader from a commercial snow outfit: the guys all drive them like rodeo clowns.

Thanks Eric! I called the dealer today to see if the S70 could be built with the Bobcat turf tires.......looks like the ticket.

 

[TK Steingass]

TK, for what you are doing the s70 seems to make sense. The s130 will be a bigger machine, and will need a larger blower, so..... advantage would be able to do drive in two passes as opposed to three. Rental attachments in IMO are easier to find. Based on your OP the s70 should work fine. Order it with the turf tires, get a set of chains in case. Then buy a blower for it and good new blowers are not cheap. next step is the blower, IMO i think Bobcat is too proud of there brand attachments and there is stuff out there just as nice and maybe nicer, that will function fine on that machine. With that said I looked at the s70 aux gpm 10gpm is not much so find a blower to match?, looking at the specs on Bobcat's blower?. What I do know is you want in cab controls for ALL of the chute functions, turn and the deflector. In the SS world the s70 is a small machine as an example with counter weights I can lift more that twice maybe even three times what yours does. For what you are doing I like it.

Thanks T - I think its the perfect size - I don't need all that capacity, plus it's easy to store on my property. The SB150 blower is 48" and will shoot the snow 40-50 ft. I went to the dealership yesterday and ran a S450 that had the brush attachment - couldn't believe how quickly you can remove and change attachments. The S70 has more than enough flow to push it, plus the chute controls are inside the cab. Looks like I'll be clearing snow in my pajamas this winter.....love that flannel. :laughing:

 

[TK Steingass]

TK, that picture is simply beautiful. On thought about the rear blower. I bought a used Pronovost nearly a year ago and used it this past winter for the first time. With easy-on "cheeks" on the loader and the blower on the back, it works very well. I'll be 66 in a couple weeks and the top half of my body doesn't like to point in a much different direction than my lower half. It still works fine because you only need to see one side of the blower. You don't need to turn your head 180 degrees.

Chim: I'm 67 and stiffer than a dried coyote pelt. :laughing: There's NO WAY I'm going to be able to operate a Pronovost. Everything up front for me.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

TK, just want to reiterate that you get a set of chains. with 99% of snow falls you will not need them. However, with a heavy snow you have to be able to push the blower into the snow. Had a situation where it rained froze then snowed on top. Didn't have the chains, could not use the blower and had to use the bucket to push it off to the side and use the bucket to push me around. I put mine on the rear. Practice putting them on before you need them. Then mark all the links. On my machine I can jam two blocks under the rear tip the bucket, pivot on the blocks and get all four tires off the ground. Also, the first time you can wait until the storm is done and do the drive..... is wonderful. :cool2:That blower will hardly know the difference between 6" and a foot. When the kids sell it off you'll get what you have in it, so you should still be able to get the good nursing home. Steve

 

[TK Steingass]

Steve: Again, thanks for the great advice. I'll get a set of chains for the back. As far as the nursing home goes, it ain't gonna happen for this War Horse.....poor genes on my side. :thumbdown:

Now my wife is another matter - her parents died at 91. :shocked: She'll get the nursing home with the chauffeurs.