# Best Value in a Skid Loader



## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm plowing mostly residential driveways, and a couple of commercial places too. I currently have a 1989 Dodge Ram Cummins with an 8.5' Meyer and an Ariens snowblower, but due to many situations I encounter, a skid would be a serious time saver. Some of the places I would like to bid also would require a skid. I'm looking to spend around $10K. I would just run a snow bucket or a plow. I'm looking at a 700 or 800 series Bobcat, Case 1845C, or maybe a New Holland L553. This would mostly be used for snow, and for a few jobs I pick up in summer. What is the best option for my price range? Thanks!


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Lawn Enforcer;1118801 said:


> I'm plowing mostly residential driveways, and a couple of commercial places too. I currently have a 1989 Dodge Ram Cummins with an 8.5' Meyer and an Ariens snowblower, but due to many situations I encounter, a skid would be a serious time saver. Some of the places I would like to bid also would require a skid. I'm looking to spend around $10K. I would just run a snow bucket or a plow. I'm looking at a 700 or 800 series Bobcat, Case 1845C, or maybe a New Holland L553. This would mostly be used for snow, and for a few jobs I pick up in summer. What is the best option for my price range? Thanks!


They are out there, you just have to search and search or just get lucky. I got real lucky I think when I bought mine. I paid 9500.00 with no cab, no heat and in need of tires and some tlc. I sucked it up for a season with no cab, mainly loading snow. This year we enclosed the front, added a heater, new tires, chains, and did about 1700.. worth of service and needed repairs. It still has some minor issues but nothing that wont stop it from running all night. We bought a BOSS skid steer plow with wings for plowing. In a nut shell, they are well worth the investment, you will find jobs for it, other people will call you for work etc. If it were me and I had 10k and the ability to finance, I might put that 10k towards a newer unit with factory cab and heat etc.


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## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

Brian Young;1118827 said:


> They are out there, you just have to search and search or just get lucky. I got real lucky I think when I bought mine. I paid 9500.00 with no cab, no heat and in need of tires and some tlc. I sucked it up for a season with no cab, mainly loading snow. This year we enclosed the front, added a heater, new tires, chains, and did about 1700.. worth of service and needed repairs. It still has some minor issues but nothing that wont stop it from running all night. We bought a BOSS skid steer plow with wings for plowing. In a nut shell, they are well worth the investment, you will find jobs for it, other people will call you for work etc. If it were me and I had 10k and the ability to finance, I might put that 10k towards a newer unit with factory cab and heat etc.


Thank you for the reply sir.

I was looking at some around $6K, but a buddy who owns an excavating company told me to stay away, I'd most likely be buying someone else's worn out piece of equipment that has little life left as a asset to a business. I found a 843 at a local Bobcat dealer for $8K, and they finance too. Looks like it's got good tires too, all I would probably need is a cab. I might go and try it out and see if I like it.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Lawn Enforcer;1118845 said:


> Thank you for the reply sir.
> 
> I was looking at some around $6K, but a buddy who owns an excavating company told me to stay away, I'd most likely be buying someone else's worn out piece of equipment that has little life left as a asset to a business. I found a 843 at a local Bobcat dealer for $8K, and they finance too. Looks like it's got good tires too, all I would probably need is a cab. I might go and try it out and see if I like it.


You take a chance buying anything used so I guess it boils down to price and availability. You can go to Lowe's and have them cut a piece of lexan for the side windows and spend about 60 bucks with hardware, either build or buy a door (like we did) with a wiper. The heater we got is very nice and warm, we paid 143.00 and 300.00 to have it installed (money well spent). HD tires will run you about 800-900 installed.


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## ddb maine (Dec 4, 2009)

L E. I am also in this boat. The finances aren't there yet, but I'm planning on taking this shot sometime next year. I have read a few one way and a few the other, track vs. ss in the snow. I believe the benefit is handed to ss. I have only driven track models and am quite fond of the low psi footprint, which is precisely the reason to not get one for snow use. I am considering the Takeuchi line... Never driven case or cat.


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## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

Brian Young;1118869 said:


> You take a chance buying anything used so I guess it boils down to price and availability. You can go to Lowe's and have them cut a piece of lexan for the side windows and spend about 60 bucks with hardware, either build or buy a door (like we did) with a wiper. The heater we got is very nice and warm, we paid 143.00 and 300.00 to have it installed (money well spent). HD tires will run you about 800-900 installed.


Yeah, you really don't know what you're getting unless you buy it from someone you know and know how it was used. I can be handy and creative so making a cab wouldn't be that far out of the realm for me.
Thanks!


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## shooterm (Feb 23, 2010)

I much rather buy some of those older skids with the same hours as the newer models with same hours. Just me but I think new skids are getting alittle to cheap in quality. Besides the 2speeds I wish they'd just stop putting "features" in them.


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

i like new holland or deere for a used machine. i have never owned a smaller skid loader

but as for the larger ones, case was too slow, cat was too fancy, bobcat was too fancy. the deere and new holland seem to be "primative" still, so they are easy to work on, i like the verticle boom lift, and the height that it will reach, 2 speed is fast, and i like that with no tools, all the engine covers can be removed to allow access to every side of the motor. very mechanic friendly, at least for the repairs that i have had to make...


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## EvenCutLawnCare (Aug 12, 2008)

I noticed you mentioned an 1845 Case, these are the toughest machines built IMO. Ive seen several with over 4000 hrs and still going strong. But its all in how one was maintained over its life. You can also get a cheap ebay plastic cab for a couple hundered dollars and then a good heater and you're set You can always upgrade in a couple years when the money is there....I run CAT equip and wouldn't change that for anything but they tend to be a little higher priced.


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## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

EvenCutLawnCare;1119000 said:


> I noticed you mentioned an 1845 Case, these are the toughest machines built IMO. Ive seen several with over 4000 hrs and still going strong. But its all in how one was maintained over its life. You can also get a cheap ebay plastic cab for a couple hundered dollars and then a good heater and you're set You can always upgrade in a couple years when the money is there....I run CAT equip and wouldn't change that for anything but they tend to be a little higher priced.


I got a buddy with and 1845, and it is a tough machine. They've been using it as long as I can remember!


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

Brian Young;1118869 said:


> You take a chance buying anything used so I guess it boils down to price and availability. You can go to Lowe's and have them cut a piece of lexan for the side windows and spend about 60 bucks with hardware, either build or buy a door (like we did) with a wiper. The heater we got is very nice and warm, we paid 143.00 and 300.00 to have it installed (money well spent). HD tires will run you about 800-900 installed.


Brian,
did you use the door you were trying to sell? and what brand heater did you get? ,,features?
steve


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

xtreem3d;1119073 said:


> Brian,
> did you use the door you were trying to sell? and what brand heater did you get? ,,features?
> steve


Yeah after a few calls to the manufacture, it works is all I can say. There are gaps everywhere so we'll see how well it works this winter. The wiper is nice but it only clears about a 12-14" path. The heater we got is a Marauder 8500 BTU cube heater (I think thats how its spelled) they are out of Cleveland I think. It works great. I had a dealer install it because it goes through the cooling system and I didnt want to monkey with it. If the skid steer works well with pushing I will probably end up getting a factory door with wiper.


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## Maxamillion67 (Dec 31, 2009)

I bought a 2002 Cat 242 from a guy that bought one at an Iray auction. It has 2800 hours on it runs good. It did not have a enclosed cab, I ran it for a year and a half before I enclosed the cab and installed a heater this year and should work out real good. Iray auction has a few coming up at auction they are out of Foley, MN. Check out there website, the address is http://www.iraymn.com/index.html

Here is a link to some skid steers that they have on auction coming up on December 3rd. I also think you can bid on-line for the equipment here is a link

http://www.iraymn.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?iray12/category/SKID-STEERS


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

There are so many nice used skids on the market. For $10,000 you can find one with factory cab and heat. The more features the better IMO. Something with around 2000 Hrs should be fine depending on what it's been used for. Try to find out what type of work it was used for if it's not obvious. Make sure the tires have plenty of grip left if you're doing snow with it. Remember, even the smaller machines will move snow around no problem. Good luck and happy hunting!


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## ryde307 (Dec 3, 2009)

WIPensFan;1119285 said:


> There are so many nice used skids on the market. For $10,000 you can find one with factory cab and heat. The more features the better IMO. Something with around 2000 Hrs should be fine depending on what it's been used for. Try to find out what type of work it was used for if it's not obvious. Make sure the tires have plenty of grip left if you're doing snow with it. Remember, even the smaller machines will move snow around no problem. Good luck and happy hunting!


I agree there are alot of deals around. I would get a cab and heat. You should be able to find something for 10k with cab heat decet tires and around 2000 hrs. Our first skid was a 773 I forgot the year but had heat cab radio 1700 hrs and very clean ( it was Brock Lesnars Skid for his farm actually) for 10k.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

ryde307;1119504 said:


> I agree there are alot of deals around. I would get a cab and heat. You should be able to find something for 10k with cab heat decet tires and around 2000 hrs. Our first skid was a 773 I forgot the year but had heat cab radio 1700 hrs and very clean ( it was Brock Lesnars Skid for his farm actually) for 10k.


Brock Lesnars....how did he fit into it. He could probably move everything the loader could,lol wesport


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## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

Brian Young;1119509 said:


> Brock Lesnars....how did he fit into it. He could probably move everything the loader could,lol wesport


:laughing:


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