starting a skid steer business

[tim]

hi.

i was wanting to get your thoughts on starting a skid steer business and was wondering what you thought you thought of the case 450ct for starting the business

heres the specs http://www.casece.com/files/tbl_s85...SpecificationPDF470/3293/450CT_CCE1180504.pdf

tim.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Welcome to HeavyEquipmentForums.com Tim!!:drinkup

How did you find us?

What kind of work do you expect to be doing? I can't read the spec sheet you posted, the print's too small. You'd need to determine if the working weight rating and hydraulic flow rate will be sufficient for the work you intend to do. After that it will be a matter of brand preference, I'd look for who has the best dealer support in your area.

 

[tim]

i found this site from a link on lawncafe

i mostly will be doing landscape installs

the dealer for case here is really good but i might be moving soon

tim.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Tim, welcome to the forum!

I think your idea is sound, but as Steve suggested, it might be easier to try to match a skid steer to a job rather than the other way around at first. You may want to figure out what you'll be doing -- given that you're in Hawaii, you obviously won't be moving snow. However, given the city you live in, perhaps you'll run into rocky soil or clay, in which case you'd want a larger machine (possibly). But the important thing is to have an idea of what you'd like to do... be it landscaping, heavy digging (pools, foundations), or just whatever comes your way. If you choose the latter, I would urge you to go away from a CTL as they're somewhat specialized machines... I wouldn't start a business with one unless the weather absolutely, absolutely supports it. remember, CTLs have higher maintenance costs, are prone to track wear (expensive tracks!), and are designed to be used on asphalt/hard surfaces all day.

Other models I'd consider in that size class are the Bobcat S250; Cat 252B/262B; Case 440, 445, or 450; Deere 325; or Gehl 6640/Mustang 2076 or 2086.

Of those, for a starting business, I think the Case and Cat will be easiest for you to learn on (unless you already have experience). However, as Steve said, you'll want to get a look at hydraulic performance as well. Finally, dealer support will be key, especially in your area.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[tim]

ok so what would you think of me getting 435 and after a little while get the 450ct

why i was looking at the 450ct or 445ct was for i plan on also planting some trees on established lawns so i wanted somethingwith very littile impact on grass and landscaping

tim.

 

[D10R]

Operating on established lawns is a complex issue, you can use a non track mount skid steer, you just have to know how to use it without tearing up the grass while turning.

 

[tim]

what would you think about the case xt series also what diffrences are there between xt series and the case 400 series

tim.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

ok so what would you think of me getting 435 and after a little while get the 450ct

why i was looking at the 450ct or 445ct was for i plan on also planting some trees on established lawns so i wanted somethingwith very littile impact on grass and landscaping

tim.

I think you'd do well with that plan. Test the 435 and 445 and see which one suits your needs better -- remember the two are now nearly identical machines except for engine and ROC. You may need the extra ROC of the 445, so perhaps that machine is more appripriate.

As for the CTLs, I think there's a misconception about them: you can't split the tracks on a CTL any more than you could with a skid. If you want to turn on grass, you'd need to be very, very careful -- even with a CTL. Granted straight on, straight off is better, but turn is still tricky.

If yo don't work in severly hilly, rainy, or swampy areas and are mainly worried about grass impact, I'd urge you to look at the Bobcat A300. You may have an aversion to Bobcat, but it's definitely a machine to look at. IF you don't feel comfortable, try out an A220 and see how the controls work out.

what would you think about the case xt series also what diffrences are there between xt series and the case 400 series

ksss is a better source for this, but the majority of changes were in the cab and in the engine. The engines are now Tier II and more powerful. Hydraulic options have much remained the same; the 450 and 465 have identical loader arms as the 90XT and 95XT (respectively), but the 445 (85XT) now uses the loader arms of the 435 (75XT). Case added the 440 (2200 ROC) in between the ex-70XT (430) and ex-60XT (~420). The cabs have changed instrumentation, and some there are some tweaks somewhere to get the weights on the 450 and 465 down. (Kaiser, if I'm missing anything just jump in!)

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Case added the 440 (2200 ROC) in between the ex-70XT (430) and ex-60XT (~420).

Oh boy, big, bad mistake... I was eating lunch (I'm in France) when I realized that I made it.

The 440 is NOT between the 60XT and 70XT... it's bigger than the 70XT (2000 ROC). My bad.

 

[tim]

i was also looking at the jcb's what do you think about there controls.

tim

 

[Tigerotor77W]

i was also looking at the jcb's what do you think about there controls.

tim

Unfortunately, I am not very well-versed with JCB. They don't do as, erm, "pleasant" a job with students looking for information nowadays.

I will tell you that I think their singleboom idea is good if you find yourself changing attachments a lot or want possibly the best visibility of the industry. Duh. But as far as they go product-wise, meh, unless you have a great JCB dealer and a lot of people around you who use the JCB skid, you might be better of with something a bit more natural. Of course, if you want to try it, by all means go ahead. JCB won't put a blatantly bad product on the NA market. Just be sure you want a revolutionary idea in your skid -- same premise goes for the ATL concept.

 

[KSSS]

If your buying a CTL for the sole purpose of planting trees on established lawns, you may be making a mistake IMHO. Hawaii is very diverse. You may find yourself needing tracks one day and digging in volcanic rock the next. The latter would destroy tracks in a heartbeat. I would go with a wheeled machine. Either rent a CTL when you need one or get a set of rubber or steel tracks for your machine. BobcatS250 hit the highlights of the 400 series. Except for improved drive motors and two speed options on all but the smallest machine. I have had a 440 on order since late last year and they have yet to fill the order. On paper it is the strongest machine of its size on the market. I have only run around the dealer's yard with one but I liked it. If your doing a lot of lift and carry then you maybe better off with one of the vertical lift machines, but you wont have the power of the 440 unless you get a 465/95XT.

JCB would not be an option for me. They have solved a problem that most owners are not convinced was a problem which is steping over the bucket or getting crushed from walking under raised loader arms. The right rear is completely blind, and until just recently both rear sides were blind. Resale will suffer. However demo's are free so maybe you'd like it. Like what was already said define what you expect to do and then purchase a machine to accomplish that mission.