RDrancher
Veteran Member
Hello folks. I'd like to have ya'll help me with a future build. Not sure whether this should be posted in the BUYING/PRICING/COMPARING, BUILD-IT YOURSELF, HYDRAULICS or what, so I put it here.
A little background. Long before skid steers were the norm I grew up operating skip loaders, or industrial loaders, or landscape loaders. They're all the same tractor, just different names for different regions of the country. Traditionally they're construction grade tractors with industrial strength loaders and hydraulic top-n-tilt functions with the addition of hydraulic scarifiers. Back in the day I ran models from Deere, Massey and Ford / New Holland. All of them had PTO's which made them quite versatile on the construction site and also on the farm.
Fast forward to the last eight years or so and the selection has dwindled to Deere, New Holland, Case and JCB, with Deere and Case being the most prominent players. My personal favorite is the Deere 210LE, which I rent along with a Kubota CTL, but neither quite fit the needs of my day to day business. Over the years skip loaders have become larger and heavier. We're talking 14,000+ lbs. Models from current manufacturers (with the exception of JCB's underpowered pto model) were only equipped with PTO's as an option...and they're extremely rare. Cabs are as scarce as hen's teeth as well. The current offerings are all available with beautiful cabs and a/c, but in the present economy I'm not in the position to spend $60K or so to get one and then buy another truck and trailer to haul it.
Here's a Deere 210LE for reference.
At present I use a NH TC35D of almost all of my jobs. It's a bit underpowered (for my needs) and not quite up to snuff in the durability department. In other words, I use it for what it was never intended to do. Not the tractor's fault. I've used and abused it for over 2000 hours. I will most likely experiment with my present tractor as far as the hydraulic setup and such, but I don't want to get too crazy since I will be replacing this tractor. I'm also not too thrilled with the linkage setups the dealer offers to run the hydraulics.
So that brings me to my quest for a smaller version of the 210LE that will help increase efficiency and also increase my comfort. I realize that I may have to step up to a small ag tractor platform to get the durability I'm looking for. Right now this is a "future reality", but I'd appreciate any help you folks can offer on selecting the tractor and most importantly, setting up the hydraulic functions like I want them. Most fancy factory hydraulic controls that I see are too spread apart. I'm also not completely against using the Deere 110 TLB for my needs, but my gosh...the cabs for them look REALLY tall! And in reality I only need a backhoe a few times a year. Mini-excavators are readily available to rent and get the job done quicker anyway. Just to slim the pickin's down a bit I'll add that I have no color preference whatsoever. I have JD, NH, Mahindra, Kioti, Bobcat and Kubota dealers close at hand. Here's a list of my wants and needs.
1. 45HP+ and 84" max bucket width. 72" preferred.
2. I don't care about carpet or cup holders, but a cab with good a/c and excellent rear vision is a must.
3. Under 8,500 lbs. with loaded tires, loader and box blade so I don't have to upgrade my trailer and truck.
4. A minimum of three rear remotes for top n tilt and hydraulic scarifiers.
5. Loader remote for a 4n1 bucket or grapple.
6. PTO is a given.
7. A very tough loader with the joystick close at hand. I don't want to have to reach for it.
8. 3 point arms that are much tougher than my current tractor. I will be attaching a 1,100+ lb. box scraper.
9. Power shuttle or hydrostatic trans. PS would actually be preferred.
10. The seat must swivel to make looking at the rear comfortable.
I'm sure I'll think of more along the way.
Here's a photo of the 210LE rear hydraulic controls layout. I envision a similar layout.
So hydraulic wizards, tractor scholars and you ordinary folks that have been looking at a lot of newer models, have at it. I'm all ears (or eyes I guess.)
A little background. Long before skid steers were the norm I grew up operating skip loaders, or industrial loaders, or landscape loaders. They're all the same tractor, just different names for different regions of the country. Traditionally they're construction grade tractors with industrial strength loaders and hydraulic top-n-tilt functions with the addition of hydraulic scarifiers. Back in the day I ran models from Deere, Massey and Ford / New Holland. All of them had PTO's which made them quite versatile on the construction site and also on the farm.
Fast forward to the last eight years or so and the selection has dwindled to Deere, New Holland, Case and JCB, with Deere and Case being the most prominent players. My personal favorite is the Deere 210LE, which I rent along with a Kubota CTL, but neither quite fit the needs of my day to day business. Over the years skip loaders have become larger and heavier. We're talking 14,000+ lbs. Models from current manufacturers (with the exception of JCB's underpowered pto model) were only equipped with PTO's as an option...and they're extremely rare. Cabs are as scarce as hen's teeth as well. The current offerings are all available with beautiful cabs and a/c, but in the present economy I'm not in the position to spend $60K or so to get one and then buy another truck and trailer to haul it.
Here's a Deere 210LE for reference.
At present I use a NH TC35D of almost all of my jobs. It's a bit underpowered (for my needs) and not quite up to snuff in the durability department. In other words, I use it for what it was never intended to do. Not the tractor's fault. I've used and abused it for over 2000 hours. I will most likely experiment with my present tractor as far as the hydraulic setup and such, but I don't want to get too crazy since I will be replacing this tractor. I'm also not too thrilled with the linkage setups the dealer offers to run the hydraulics.
So that brings me to my quest for a smaller version of the 210LE that will help increase efficiency and also increase my comfort. I realize that I may have to step up to a small ag tractor platform to get the durability I'm looking for. Right now this is a "future reality", but I'd appreciate any help you folks can offer on selecting the tractor and most importantly, setting up the hydraulic functions like I want them. Most fancy factory hydraulic controls that I see are too spread apart. I'm also not completely against using the Deere 110 TLB for my needs, but my gosh...the cabs for them look REALLY tall! And in reality I only need a backhoe a few times a year. Mini-excavators are readily available to rent and get the job done quicker anyway. Just to slim the pickin's down a bit I'll add that I have no color preference whatsoever. I have JD, NH, Mahindra, Kioti, Bobcat and Kubota dealers close at hand. Here's a list of my wants and needs.
1. 45HP+ and 84" max bucket width. 72" preferred.
2. I don't care about carpet or cup holders, but a cab with good a/c and excellent rear vision is a must.
3. Under 8,500 lbs. with loaded tires, loader and box blade so I don't have to upgrade my trailer and truck.
4. A minimum of three rear remotes for top n tilt and hydraulic scarifiers.
5. Loader remote for a 4n1 bucket or grapple.
6. PTO is a given.
7. A very tough loader with the joystick close at hand. I don't want to have to reach for it.
8. 3 point arms that are much tougher than my current tractor. I will be attaching a 1,100+ lb. box scraper.
9. Power shuttle or hydrostatic trans. PS would actually be preferred.
10. The seat must swivel to make looking at the rear comfortable.
I'm sure I'll think of more along the way.
Here's a photo of the 210LE rear hydraulic controls layout. I envision a similar layout.
So hydraulic wizards, tractor scholars and you ordinary folks that have been looking at a lot of newer models, have at it. I'm all ears (or eyes I guess.)
Last edited:
