Need Track Skid Steer suggestions and advice

[wcampbell47]

It is becoming more and more apparent that we will need a skid steer style machine. However, not sure what to buy? Currently looking at an SLV75, but for no other reason that I am familiar with Kubota products as I have a u25 mini and bx tractor. Aside from K, we have bobcat, CAT, Case, and JD local to my area. For machine size I need equivalent of an SLV75. I have about 15min total time on one of these machines and it was an SLV95 so I am very green at what to look for. Seeking suggestion from those that may know what I should be looking for. For me this would be a very Large Purchase and I dont want to make a mistake here. We do light material handling and a lot drive type grading.

Thank you in advance.

I bough a new CTL in 2017. Did a lot of research on youtube regarding what I thought I needed and wanted. The local Kubota dealer called me and had a unit they would sell me at invoice. Wheeled unit. I signed a paper and hauled it home for a trial run. Took it back the next day. Made too many divits for finish grading for me. BTW most of my projects are driveways and light material handling. I leased a tracked unit from the dealer. Machine was Ok except it beat me up pretty good moving 15 truck loads of dirt. I found out you don't just bump something with a 75hp machine, you tear it up. I could not see the outer tips of the bucket in normal operating position. Thus my experience with "bumping". So after hours of video research I settled on ASV (All Surface Vehicle) with a 60 hp 4 cyl Perkins with turbo. Have over 1100 hours with no issues. I live in Texas but found a good deal in Alabama. Was able to get it financed $0 down 0% interest and dealer paid me to come get it. Mine is an open cab however I just installed an after market cab enclosure for $1k for the winter. Some models of Cat CTL use the ASV track system. Mine is fairly easy to keep clean which I try to wash often. In a lot of the videos I watched the ASV was able to operate where other well known brands did not traverse the mud, the hill or the slope. If you need to load a dump truck then go bigger than the 60 hp. I can do it but it is a stretch. The 60hp is not high flow hydraulics so go larger if that is an option you need. I find the 60 hp is a good fit for pushing dirt around, breaking out concrete and finish grading. For a grading implement look at the Skidmax grader. You can find that on youtube as well. I currently do a lot of road repair on private roads for a private subdivision which would be very difficult without the CTL.

 

[searcyfarms]

FWIW the SLV75 is what i ran that popped the glass and rained shards down my neck. My only other complaint with it was the hydraulic controls compared to the TL8 i rented. They TL8 was so much smoother however i liked the refinement of the SLV75 cab much better. The ASV refinement is good, they are now owned by Terex/rebadged I believe. The SLV75 controls were so much harder to feather and not over drive and as you experienced bumping something can be frustrating and costly. It was not nearly as efficient on the kubota as i was on the Tak or ASV. Maybe kubota has gotten better on their controls.

My cousins ASV is much smoother to run regarding ride but at 1500 hours was ready for some new idlers/tracks to the tune of over 5K and he did all the work himself, i cant justify that since i am not running a business so yet another reason i went wheeled/metal tracks. I have a set of asphalt tires, R4 DEEP tread for dirt, No flats, and tracks. The worn asphalt ones are great for yard work and dont tear up much and make the divots you are referring to, however no wheeled machine will ever run as smooth as a CTL especially with the ASV style tracks, they are very very nice to run.

You learn quickly how powerful these machines are when you have an Ooops moment ;-) trying running an Excavator/Track Hoe oh my...........or a d6 or even a D8 they are scary how much you can tear up and you dont feel the bump on those HA!!!

 

[4570Man]

I’ve never ran a 75 Kubota or the TL8 but the controls in a 95 Kubota are great. I wonder if the controls are different with the 75 it it was a fluke.

 

[crashz]

Are the Takeuchi track loaders the same as the Kubota? I've run a TL12V2 and was impressed, but we had emission issues right from the start with it.

A lot of power when running though.

 

[searcyfarms]

no they are not - to my knowledge - I believe the company that makes mustangs/takeuchi are the same and maybe they make some more i cant remember right off - i believe the TL12v2 and the SVL95-2 both use the 3800 Kubota engine but different variants - i can tell you from running the ones i have ran the tak had much better hydraulics for me, the tak were not near as jerky, what i mean by that is smooth to turn and slowly progressive, whereas the Kubota were move the stick move it a little more move it a little more then they turned FAST so you had to anticipate letting off the lever while turning or while diving into a pile as the progressive valves would fly open and dump hydraulics and move you when you didn't want to turn that fast or sharp or stick it into the pile or when pushing and then kill the engine - it didn't like the feel of both that i operated they were pretty much the same but they were not V2 machines so in all fairness maybe they have adjusted that out or are using different valves. The tak was smooth and predictable when turning or diving into a pile, very sensitive and responsive with no delay like the Kub.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Have you checked out Some online sites like Compact Equipment |. There are some pretty good articles/opinion pieces on the goods and bads.
A friend bought a bobcat and could not get the door open with the forks on and rolled back. He wanted to trade it but with the 0 down/0 percent for 48 months Bobcat couldn稚 make the numbers work.

 

[jmc]

no they are not - to my knowledge - I believe the company that makes mustangs/takeuchi are the same and maybe they make some more i cant remember right off - ....

Takeuchi also made the Gehl tracked loaders, at least when I bought mine, about 15 years ago. I really like it.

 

[searcyfarms]

yup thats it............the GEHL - i like the TAK/Mustang/GEHL machines they seem more simple and reliable - not quiet as refined as the kubota and the kubota cab was quieter

 

[Rustyiron]

Takeuchi also made the Gehl tracked loaders, at least when I bought mine, about 15 years ago. I really like it.

Gehl broke off and now make their own CTL, they've always made their own wheeled machines. They are now owned (in 2010) by the european company Manitou. They make telehandlers.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I watch Andrew Camarata Videos on Youtube every now and then. He has interesting stuff to say about skid steers and track loaders. He just got a Kato track loader. I am guessing it has no computers.