Possible new CTL

[finn1]

There痴 a similar threat that was brought back from the dead, but most of the posts are sixteen years old, and technology has come a long way in that time.

Anyway, to get to the point, I traded in my 2004 Deere 240 Series ll skid steer when I bought my Kioti CK 4010 SE cab tractor almost two years ago. I have come to realize that a compact tractor is in no way a replacement for a piece of construction machinery. The tractor handles snow removal well, but lacks when doing loader or fork work because it is too light and forward visibility is poor compared to the skid steer.

Our property is on the lake, and my current project involves adding a lot of drain tile, including trenching with my mini excavator, and adding 2a rock under and over the tile. I pit a couple hundred feet in last year, and the 4wd tractor was marginal at best in the wet, sloppy conditions.

I determined that I will purchase a CTL for this and other general use projects. Eventually I may pick up a hydraulic snowblower to replace the tractor. Renting will cost about $1500/ week, but I am retired and don稚 want to deal with schedules. It may take all summer to complete this project.

I priced out both the Deere 317g and 325 G machines, and almost pulled the trigger on the 325G, but on the spur of the moment called the Case dealer. He quoted on a TR310, for only about $2000 more than the Deere 317G, and considerably less than the 325G.

On paper, the Case is a much more robust machine than the 317G. More power, wider tracks, more lift, lower ground pressure (as quoted), ore hydraulic flow(Case std flow.

Everything quoted is cab, a/c, iso, air seat, cold start kit, etc.

My quandary is that I have no experience with Case, and have 10 years of excellent service from my old Deere.

Any suggestions or recommendations? Anyone have experience with the newer Case machines? Not really interested in info on older machines, as I don稚 think that痴 relevant.

Same questions about the newer Deere products.

Other makes aren稚 really in the running. No Kubota dealers, not interested in Bobcat, and the Cat dealer is too big to get any personal attention.

I have good experience with my mini ex purchase, and was impressed with the Case Sales person.

 

[jk96]

I have a case tr340. 2015 model. Can't say much for service since it hasn't needed much so far. I love the machine though. Excellent visibility and is an absolute work horse. Really like the iso control and abiloty to adjust response rate. Don't use my tractor for much now other than road maintanance and mowing.

 

[arlen4720]

Given that you were happy with your Deere it would be a pretty major factor for me in sticking with them.
I like the parts and dealer network. With skid steers you can go to both the construction and ag dealers for support.
The newer Deere skid steers have came along way since your 240.
I have a 320D which I like since it is a tier 3. However the new ones have a Yanmar engine that might even be better than the JD powertech engine that mine has (if that’s even possible).
I haven’t played with a newer Case, but a friend of mine has an older one. It’s drive system seems smoother and more refined than my much newer Deere. My drive system seems to be a little jumpy and noisy... like a Bobcat.

 

[finn1]

Well, the plot thickens: my kid is an engineer for Chrysler (FCA). Since FCA is the parent company of Case, it looks like the loader is eligible for an employee purchase plan discount. If true, it probably makes financial sense to switch to Case.

It sort of rubs me the wrong way when the Deere salesmen use toe old higher resale line in their sales pitch. I would rather hear about how good their warranty is, service department reputation, fuel economy, performance specs, etc.

If a given (green) $50-60k machine brings a $10k premium new, is it really going to bring that same $10k in ten years when I sell it? Or, am I better off investing that $10k in the stock market, and buying a yellow machine?

I’m leaning towards thinking that as long as the Case is a competent machine, with on red flag design or operational issues, and does the job in a reliable manner, the premium for the Deere isn’t a good investment.

This is gust a personal use or hobby type machine for me at the moment, so I don’t expect it to be used like a crotractor with a hired driver would.

Fundamental question is: is this a competent machine, or is it obsolete, difficult to use / service / deal with and a dead end purchase.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve been looking for a used one and I’ve seen some of the best prices on Deere so I’m thinking that idea is BS. I’ll probably buy a Kubota unless I come up with a good reason not to in the meantime. I don’t like Deere machines for the most part but my backhoe says Deere on the side so maybe I don’t dislike them that much.

 

[arlen4720]

I always thought JD was pretty competitive price wise in the skid steer market. I can’t see why you would have to pay much of a premium.
In your shoes, it makes sense to go with a Case. They are good machines in my opinion.

 

[finn1]

To be fair, the Deere was equipped a little better, with a backup camera, stereo, and high flow, which I don’t need, but is nice.

I”m looking for the XLT of CTLs, not thr King Ranch or Platinum version.

Also, I find that these large dealers with three, six, or more stores, tend to order stock spec’d for what their customers buy...not a lot of spec variation within a given dealers inventory.

 

[4570Man]

I probably wouldn’t buy high flow. It’s about a 2k option and the only use I see for it is a mower and buying a high flow mower is another 1500-2k.

 

[finn1]

I do see a lot of used machines with 10 to 300 hours (and more, of course),

Not sure what’s up with why someone would buy a $50-60k machine and sell it after 10, 90, or even 172 hours like I see on Machinery Trader.

No Kubota for me. The nearest dealer has a poor service reputation, and doesn’t do CTL or excavator Sales anyway.

Bobcat dealer has a poor service rep, too, so it’s pretty much Deere or Case.

Still haven’t heard anything bad about either, so I think it will be a price base decision, looking at the price /feature trade offs.

One other thing, the Deere is vertical lift and the Case is radial lift. Any real world advantages to vertical lift for a non professional use environment?

 

[RickB]

Vertical lift is better for loading out of a stockpile, radial lift is better for dirt work.

 

[arlen4720]

High flow would be nice if you are thinking about a snow blower!

Vertical lift is nice if you use pallet forks. Is there a lift height difference between the 2 machines?

 

[jmc]

I do see a lot of used machines with 10 to 300 hours (and more, of course),

Not sure what痴 up with why someone would buy a $50-60k machine and sell it after 10, 90, or even 172 hours like I see on Machinery Trader.

When I was shopping for my CTL, there seemed to be dealers that rented new ones by the hour for enough hours that the rent more than made up for the limited depreciation on a "virtually new" machine.

 

[finn1]

High flow would be nice if you are thinking about a snow blower!

Vertical lift is nice if you use pallet forks. Is there a lift height inference between the 2 machines?

Both the Deere and Case salesmen said that the snowblower they sell for a std flow machine works well, and we get around 300” of (mostly lake effect) snow annually. The high flow will, of course throw the snow farther, but the high flow blowers cost several thousand dollars more than a std flow blower.

For now I have a blower on my 40 hp tractor, and entry / exit is easier with the tractor compared to a CTL.

It would be nice to get rid of the tractor to simplify life, though, if the loader works out.

I just did some checking and found out that my old Deere 240 Series ll was a vertical lift machine, per the inter web...it worked well loading my F450 dump truck.

The smallest vertical lift machine Case makes is the TV370, which is, I think, a larger frame , and thus more expensive, than the TR310.

I think I need more quotes. It’s easy to let scope creep set in, to the point that costs get totally out of hand.

 

[finn1]

Pulled the trigger on the Case TR310.

Better specs than the Deere 317G, and much lower cost than the Deere 325g.

Not a perfect fit until I put cost into the equation.

On the other hand, I am a homeowner, and this machine doesn’t have to but bread in the cupboard.

The savings will be more than enough to upgrade my car trailer to something that will haul the loader and mini ex around.

If the Deere dealer had been more aggressive in pricing in the first place, I would never have looked at the case.

I am kicking myself for not looking at a case machine last year when I bought the Deere excavator. Probably would have been able to go up one weigh class for the same money.

 

[jk96]

Let us know how you like it. Love my TR340.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have been doing a lot of research trying to solve a problem on a friends TEREX PT 80.

I would do a lot of reading on the Internet, and as they say, DEMO everything. Not just driving around the dealers lot.

New gen of JD supposed to be good. Case, cat and Bobcat, NG! Just what I have read. Mustang and Takahoochi (sp?) supposed to be real workhorses and very simple machines without all the computer crap.

All in all, tracked loaders are very expensive to run for undercarriage replacement.

 

[finn1]

Mustang and Takeuchi are no go. No local dealer, ie within 300 miles.

Deere wasn’t cost competitive until I told him I was going with Case. Suddenly his price dropped by another $3500.

I don’t play those games. He had his chance but got greedy and blew it.

The Case arrived Tuesday. Spent some time leveling some of the mess I left from last year with the Kioti. Seems simple enough that I will adapt quickly, and is way more sophisticated than my old Deere. Can’t really put it to work until the ground down by the lake dries up.

Best I can tell, the Case machines had wiring harness issues when the Alpha series was released several years ago, but subsequent design changes fixed the issues.

Now I need a 14k trailer to haul this thing around. My old Deere was light enough that I could haul it locally on my car trailer, and was a wheeled machine so I could drive it down the road a mile to my shop. Not entirely comfortable drivein a tracked machine a mile on pavement on a regular basis.

Looked at a few trailers today. Two looked really cheesy, and the third seemed to be priced too high.

Might be time for a road trip to somewhere that has a couple of trailer manufacturers in the area.

Any suggestions? Texas is a three day drive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would not fault the Deere dealer. It's a bargaining process. So he sharpened his pencil a bit. As a business owner, there is the profit I would like to make and maybe should make, but sometimes if push comes to shove, I have offered and accepted less. No sense cutting off ones nose despite ones face. Business should be flexible.

 

[Rustyiron]

How about north of the border for your trailer shopping choices?
I wouldn't get rid of your tractor after seeing what your CTL is like in your winters, and congrats on your new machine. I've had Case SS's and I like their construction line, but that was way before they ALL got overly complicated with emissions and computers.
You know we need pics or it didn't happen.

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend has one of those ubiquitous 1840 CASE machines with the Cummins. Basic and reliable.

All that modern computer stuff in the Skid Loaders is just so much pain and expense waiting to happen. The worst thing is, there is virtually nothing that you can usually do yourself. You are at the dealers mercy.