Help me Pick a Skid Steer

[Skidster]

Hello Forum, I am looking to buy a used skid steer to do farm work, I've had experience renting these and the place I rent them from has always had bobcats and they seem to work quite well. Now my budget is about 17k so it has to be an older one but on the other hand I'll probably not put more than 50-75 hours a year on it. Would a 773 Bobcat be a good choice? what would you say the maximum hours should be on these for someone like me? is 5-6K hours too much?

Also where is a good place to buy these, I've seem them on Ritchiebros and other auctions go for cheap! However I'll not be able to see them in person, does anybody have experience buying these from an auction? I also see them for sale on Ebay, they are more expensive than the auction ones but if the seller has good reviews I assume the skid steer is probably not in dire shape!

All tips and advice appreciated, thanks

 

[KSSS]

There is no way to say for certain how many hours are too many hours. Someone can destroy one in a 1000 hours and I have seen some run over 10K hours that were in great shape and ran well. I would just plan on what ever you get, plan on spending money to get it fixed if your buying something with that much time on it. As far as buying something at auction or Ebay....it is almost as simple as flipping a coin as to whether your getting a reliable machine or not. My experience buying at RB may not be yours. Buying from a dealer would no doubt cost more, but at least you can run it, maybe get some kind of limited warranty. You can spend 17K on an auction machine, and have to put 5k into it, or buy a machine from a dealer for $22K and know what your getting with someone who will have to stand up for the machine. A 773 were a popular machine in the day, if you have run them, and like them, its probably as good a choice as anything else.

 

[Arny L]

That's the annoying thing about hours meters, they don't tell the true story, unless the machine was fixed at the dealer its whole life, there is no real way to know its accuracy, or what its been through. Hour meters get changed all the time, there is no law that I know of that says you have to report a meter change.(I could be wrong about that) Find a guy like yourself that bought a machine new or nearly new, and only used it for around his acreage or farm.(Sounds easy) Auctions are were people trade in and dealers dump machines that are ready to need lot of work, and are a risky bet, IMHO, unless you know the machine that your bidding on, and know its value. But as KSSS mentioned, you WILL have to put some money into it, no matter what you buy. Take someone with you who knows what to look for, and look at lots of machines, to get a feel for whats out there. Then when a decent one comes up, you will feel a bit more confident. Be patient, buy the wrong one, and you can burn through a lot of cash in a hurry.

 

[Drag racer]

Hello Forum, I am looking to buy a used skid steer to do farm work, I've had experience renting these and the place I rent them from has always had bobcats and they seem to work quite well. Now my budget is about 17k so it has to be an older one but on the other hand I'll probably not put more than 50-75 hours a year on it. Would a 773 Bobcat be a good choice? what would you say the maximum hours should be on these for someone like me? is 5-6K hours too much?

Also where is a good place to buy these, I've seem them on Ritchiebros and other auctions go for cheap! However I'll not be able to see them in person, does anybody have experience buying these from an auction? I also see them for sale on Ebay, they are more expensive than the auction ones but if the seller has good reviews I assume the skid steer is probably not in dire shape!

All tips and advice appreciated, thanks

Look thru the skidsteer forums you will see some of the problems and brand problems.
Good Luck.

 

[92U 3406]

I've seen skid steers look like they were pushed off a cliff at 500 hours. One machine I remember in particular had (if I'm remembering right) over 12,000 hours on it and before I turned on the key and saw the hour meter I figured it had been used maybe 2,000.

Usually equipment is at an auction for a reason. Unless you can actually start and run it a little bit I wouldn't touch it without factoring in a big chunk of cash for anything that may be wrong with it.

 

[bad Tom]

Look for a good dealer who will treat you well. Some dealers don't care if they help you or not. You may have to get a different brand of skid steer to get a good dealer to work with.

 

[JBrady]

I know there are a lot of horror stories around auctions, but one positive about them is you get a chance to see a LOT of whatever you are looking for. At the local equipment auction here, you can go out there anytime they are open and look, drive, and inspect all of the inventory. When I was looking for a skid steer, I went out there and within an hour drove Cat, Kubota, Bobcat, Tak, Case & John Deere. I decided what I liked best and then waited until the right one came around.

 

[Coaldust]

What are your options for dealer support in your area? I had a customer in Bethel that purchased a Wacker Neuson and wonders why customer support is bad. On the other end of the spectrum, the mega dealers often won’t give the lone skid steer owner the time of day, either.

 

[thendrix]

One up side to a dealer is financing. If you have $17k to spend, you might consider putting half of that down on a good machine and paying several payments out of the other half. I don't know about your area but there are several Mustang brand machines around here. I've never run one or looked close at one but I understand they use Yanmar engines and are a slightly cheaper option than most others here.

 

[stefuel]

I want to throw a little twist in this. You say you want it for "farm work". That typically means working in the dirt and mud. You also said you have rented. Did you rent a wheeled or track machine? Personally, I think tracks are better suited for farm work. That said, if your only experience is with wheels, rent a track machine before you commit.

 

[Scott stryker]

Good advice on putting some of your cash down, then financing at a dealer if you can. The tracked machines are nice for your farm but they cost more. With that being said, don’t forget about Facebook marketplace. I know I know I hate Facebook too. But I looked at 10 machines, all beat up junk, and then my wife started giving me leads from Facebook and they were some of the best machines I looked at. Ended up buying a little 2001 Gehl mustang From a guy 25 minutes away from me. It had 1800 hours showing, no leaks and no major problems that I could see. 3 cylinder 36 horse yanmar. Great engine. Had to pay 15 k for it and he gave me 3 attachments. The only problem I learned with this machine is it’s a little small. I can max it out on this farm. If I were you I would look for something bigger like 50 horse 7000 pound machine. Or whatever….This machine is only 4600 pounds. Good luck