Buying used Kub svl75 vs NH lt185b vs Bobcat t300 or?

[rms2]

First post here after lots of searching. I currently have a 1999 JD 4200 and am trying to selectively thin and harvest trees on my land to mill for a cabin and outbuildings. I also have 1.5 miles of hilly gravel road to maintain and clear snow from. At first I was looking for a bigger tractor and liked the kubota 4240 but the sales guy put me in a track loader and in my hilly terrain I can see how with a grapple for moving logs to the mill or trailer that would be a great machine. So if that is good advice there are several used machines I am looking at. A 2013 kubota svl75 with 1600 hours, a 2005 NH lt185b with 430 hours, and a 2003 Bobcat t300 with 1900 hours. All run well with no immediately obvious problems. There is also the option of JD 319e 2015 with 900 hours at around 40k. I'm looking used since, well, with kids in college there just isn't enough left to buy new right now.

Having never owned a track steer I am looking for any and all advice you can give me. Is a track steer a good machine for the use I have described? What machine will be best in the woods for tree work in hilly terrain? And for gravel road maintenance and clearing snow? Would I be better off just buying a small utility tractor like I started off doing?

I am looking at only models with cabs as it gets real hot in the summer and plowing snow at 4am to go to work was a real pain on my little 4200 wearing goggles and storm suit.

Also of note, my JD dealer and service are excellent, local Kubota is good. NH is a bit further away but decent. I also have a connection with he local Cat center but haven't even looked there as they seem to be a lot more expensive, but am planning to call them just to check tigons there too.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Not a expert on your machine type. Will say there are a few thinks to be sure to keep in mind.
1. Dealer service, a poor dealer can cost you a lot of money.
2. Depending on your operations and maintence be sure to pick a machine that parts and filters etc are reasonably priced and available.
3. How accessible is it to service. It's really surprising how hard filters and what not can be to access. Be sure to look at what it takes to grease it, change filters, check fluid levels, etc. Some models are so much easier to access.

 

[TSO]

I think you're on the right path, a track machine will be a good choice for the jobs you're mentioning..I currently run Terex/ASV (PT70) and really like my machine. I'm also looking around to add another machine and have been demoing. I recently demo'd a new SVL75-2. Nice machine, huge comfortable climate controlled cab. But power wise i was a little disappointed. Nothing wrong with the machine, i was just expecting it to out-power my PT70, which it didn't. Not many NH track machines running around my area, can't comment on those. With the JD, biggest complaint I've heard/observed is ease of Maintenance can be a challenge due to the lift arm assembly. Apparently you have to have the arms raised to open the side engine panels.

Regarding track machines in general, they are typically more expensive to maintain than wheeled units due to the tracks and undercarriage. An option would be to buy a wheeled unit and get OTT (over the tire tracks). Good versatility, cheaper.

 

[Snobdds]

Plowing snow with a tracked machine is a challenge, especially on hilly terrain. A wheeled skid steer, with chains would be better in that regard.

Now, a skid steer or CTL is a very job specific tool, great at moving material and lifting. I would not want a CTL in the woods as it just tears the ground up so much. I think you were on the right track with the larger tractor. It can move material and lift just as well as a CTL, but it has a little more general versatility. Moving snow is so much better with a tractor, where adding weight is easy and greatly adds to the performance.

I had a bobcat t300 for a while, great machine and did what it was designed to do very well. I used it in my woods and as long as the wood was reachable and I could grab it with the grapple, it was fine. As soon as I tried to pull some logs that were in a spot not accessible, the machine wanted to roll back on itself because it just didn't have the wheel base to pull well. In fact my little Massey was better in that regard, as I could use the backhoe to pull the logs in, while the stabilizers gave balance.

Just something to think about.

 

[sidecarist]

I learned years ago that a CTL or Skid Steer isn't a good machine for pulling. They push very well, the balance etc is set up for work to be done in front of the machine, not behind.

They will out lift, and out push most tractors, Implements are more expensive as there is no 3pt hitch, etc. I used to move snow with a wheeled machine with OTW Steel tracks and on a dirt road Iced over it was the best, I wouldn't use it on any paved surface though.