# Blade size for RC-30



## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

Hey guys,

First post - looks like a great site. I've plowed for other companies in the past, but this is my first year going out on my own. I'm looking at an RC-30 to do walkways, driveways, and hoopefully some small parking lots. If I'm able to put a large enough blade on it, I'd just take two blades sizes along with me, a 48", and a larger one. What do you think, any experience?


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## itsgottobegreen (Mar 31, 2004)

We have 2 bobcat 453 wheeled skid steers. They can push 5' snow plow with easy. They totally saved us on the ice storm we had this year. I personally would go with a wheeled unit over a tracked unit.


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

thanks for the reply - good to know the 453's can push a 5' blade. I've had a lot of people tell me to go with wheeled over track, but I know I'd much much prefer track over wheel in the summer season, thats why.


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## jbsparky (Feb 9, 2008)

An RC 30 can handle a 5 foot blade just fine and for the people that say tracks are not the way to go, they havn't ever run an ASV or CAT with tracks!!


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*RC 30 plowing*

I've got an RC 30 with a Snoway MT 80(6'6") on it and it plows great and can still stack snow with the plow on to over 8' with out driving on the pile. the plow frame lets it stack past the lift height of the machine. while it is plowing it has a salt spreader in the hitch. We just had an 12" Storm go through and it had no problems with it except when the wind row gets heavier than the machine and slides the machine sideways. but all you need to do is put the blade straight and push the weight out of the wind row and keep going. I have yet to run into snow that has recently fallen that it will not push with the blade straight. (Driven it through 3' drifts)


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## TL697 (Jan 19, 2008)

jbsparky;511948 said:


> An RC 30 can handle a 5 foot blade just fine and for the people that say tracks are not the way to go, they havn't ever run an ASV or CAT with tracks!!


Amen, Brother...

The Bobcat, JD, Case, New Holland, Gehl, and Takeuchy large lug tracks are horrible in all aspects...

They suck in the snow and ice... They tear up turf... They just don't have the traction... and they ride rough, Etc...

Anyone who has operated a CAT or ASV, will tell you that they are 10 times better than the other styles... You couldn't get me to go back to a wheeled machine, and I had a CAT 262 wheeled unit before my 257B...

I definitely not trying to offend anyone, but I am suprised the other brands can even sell their tracked units... You couldn't give me one...

An RC-30 will run circles around a Bobcat 453... And you should be good w/ a 6-7 foot blade...


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

Ctll;512212 said:


> I've got an RC 30 with a Snoway MT 80(6'6") on it and it plows great and can still stack snow with the plow on to over 8' with out driving on the pile. the plow frame lets it stack past the lift height of the machine. while it is plowing it has a salt spreader in the hitch. We just had an 12" Storm go through and it had no problems with it except when the wind row gets heavier than the machine and slides the machine sideways. but all you need to do is put the blade straight and push the weight out of the wind row and keep going. I have yet to run into snow that has recently fallen that it will not push with the blade straight. (Driven it through 3' drifts)


Hey ctll, that sounds like a great setup. Do you have any pictures of the rc30 with the snoway blade and salter attached? I'd love to see it!


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll take some this week and post them fo you.


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

Awesome, thanks ctll


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## riverwalkland (Dec 26, 2007)

I can't imagine what people are thinking when they say they prefer wheels over tracks. I hate using wheel skids. They hop somthing aweful when its dry, when its snow they have no traction. You have to back them on trailers half the time so they don't tip over. ASV is by far (In my opinion) the best skid steer. They are expensive though. All I have run are bobcats (wheeled), and after using a tracked cat, with asv undercarrige and demoing an asv... I'll never goback. I am waiting for the new editions of the ASV to make it to dealers, and I am picking one up this summer... a PT60 70 or 80. I have seen a guy working near my accounts with a RC30 and he moves some serious snow!


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## TL697 (Jan 19, 2008)

riverwalkland;515304 said:


> I can't imagine what people are thinking when they say they prefer wheels over tracks. I hate using wheel skids. They hop somthing aweful when its dry, when its snow they have no traction. You have to back them on trailers half the time so they don't tip over. ASV is by far (In my opinion) the best skid steer. They are expensive though. All I have run are bobcats (wheeled), and after using a tracked cat, with asv undercarrige and demoing an asv... I'll never goback. I am waiting for the new editions of the ASV to make it to dealers, and I am picking one up this summer... a PT60 70 or 80. I have seen a guy working near my accounts with a RC30 and he moves some serious snow!


I demo-ed an SR-80 a couple weeks ago, and it was nice... Not as nice as the CAT 287, but nice... about $15000-$20000 cheaper than the CAT...

I'd like to trade my 257B on an SR-80 or the new PT-80 for the extra HP, but we'll see...


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*pics of RC 30*

Here are some pic of my RC 30 with the Snoway MT 80 blade and Snoway spreader pics are from my phone because good camera did not want to work:realmad: sorry for the quality.


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## yamaguy (Aug 26, 2007)

When my buddy was looking at a new tracked skid for his Construction company, he was told by a few people one of which was the Cat dealer that the ASV undercarrige will not hold up to the conditions that he will be using it in as well as some other brands. Plus it is alot more expensive to repair. I do not know how true this is, but if the Cat dealer is telling him this? He ended up buying a Takeuchi which has been badass so far!!


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

thanks ctll!

not the clearest pictures, but got a good idea of your set up. it looks awesome. i'm really hoping to get a small skidsteer this spring/summer. i've been looking at dingo's and they'd work great for my summer work, but i want something I can use in the winter as well. My only problem is that I can get a dingo for less than half the price of an RC30.


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*cheaper but?*

being able to sit in the heated cab in the snow and riding instead of standing made the extra monthly payments well worth it. The guy who plows across the street does the walks with the dingo on tracks, it only has a 4" blade. But he has on coverall and ski mask and gloves in the snow while I am siting in the cab with carhart pants and a sweatshirt both side window open about two inches. The heater on the RC 30 is just like one in a truck running off the engine coolant, not just a electric heater like some other small machines have, it will run you out of the cab.


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## TKLAWN (Jan 20, 2008)

I have a 773 bobcat with a 9 foot bucket it woks great for all applications and pushes way more snow than our trucks, plus the heat is so good I can plow in a t-shirt. I'm not really sure way alot of people are negative about bobcat lately, they still are the number one seller in the u.s. and their support is top notch.


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

Ctll;527644 said:


> being able to sit in the heated cab in the snow and riding instead of standing made the extra monthly payments well worth it. The guy who plows across the street does the walks with the dingo on tracks, it only has a 4" blade. But he has on coverall and ski mask and gloves in the snow while I am siting in the cab with carhart pants and a sweatshirt both side window open about two inches. The heater on the RC 30 is just like one in a truck running off the engine coolant, not just a electric heater like some other small machines have, it will run you out of the cab.


That makes sense. What do you use the rc30 for in the summer? I've rented in the past, but think I'm ready to buy one this year. I do a lot of fencing, decks, stone patios, etc, so I think it'd be a great asset for me.
Also, do you keep it at one site, or do you trailer it around?


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*Rc 30*

I use it to haul mulch, dig out for patios, backfill houses, finish grades and landscape bed prep and planting trees. I've got combo bucket, light material bucket, forks(will lift a 2000lbs pallet of ice melt into the dump trailer with 400lbs in the hitch), 48" tiller, 12"&24" augers, FFC Power rake, Erskine Log Spliter and Snoway MT80 Snow plow. So It is pretty productive most of the year. As for hauling it I usually take it to a sight before a storm is coming and leave it that way I don't have to pull it in to start the storm, it stays at on of my zero tolerance sites until it is done there, then it gets hauled around to do drives, and 6 small dry cleaners lots. After those are done it get hauled anywhere that we need to move back snow or stack. Dump trailer is a little bit of a pain to haul around loading and unloading the ramps gets fun when they are icy, but it works well the rest of the year hauling the machine.


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## flairlandscape (Sep 26, 2007)

Your line of work sounds quite similar to mine. Are you a solo-operation? Would you buy that same machine again, or are you gonna try something else when this one is done?

Thanks again Ctll, I enjoy talking with someone with first hand, and year round experience on the machine.


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*I would buy it again in a heart beat*

no doubt in my mind I would buy it again. There have been many times where guys that are used to wheeled machines just stand and watch saying there is no way that little this can do that, but then it does. Now don't get me wrong, a bigger machine would be great in several situations such as lifting pallets and loading trucks, and moving tons of dirt. But this RC 30 will do alot more than you would think looking at it next to a big machine, plus it fits places that even a 700 series bobcat will not. The hydros are way over powered for the machines weight, it can lift way more than it has the ballast to do on its own if you make a weight kit.(mine is a bracket off the front of a tractor welded to a drawbar mount for a pintle hitch, then you just add suit case weights until you have enough. makes it easy on and off)


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

*working weight no extra ballast*

by the way the 60"FFC power rake that I use says it weights 855 lbs right on the serial plate and the machine can pick It up to full lift and carry it through a 4' gate over a 6' fence.


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## Mike S (Feb 11, 2007)

Ctll;528637 said:


> by the way the 60"FFC power rake that I use says it weights 855 lbs right on the serial plate and the machine can pick It up to full lift and carry it through a 4' gate over a 6' fence.


Think about looking at one thats for sale $12,000 400 hrs. What you think? My JD CT322 is brooken and not coming back and going to trade it in for 110 tlb but want to get a track loader still. Sounds like you love yours! ussmileyflag


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## TL697 (Jan 19, 2008)

Ctll;528255 said:


> I use it to haul mulch, dig out for patios, backfill houses, finish grades and landscape bed prep and planting trees. I've got combo bucket, light material bucket, forks(will lift a 2000lbs pallet of ice melt into the dump trailer with 400lbs in the hitch), 48" tiller, 12"&24" augers, FFC Power rake, Erskine Log Spliter and Snoway MT80 Snow plow. So It is pretty productive most of the year. As for hauling it I usually take it to a sight before a storm is coming and leave it that way I don't have to pull it in to start the storm, it stays at on of my zero tolerance sites until it is done there, then it gets hauled around to do drives, and 6 small dry cleaners lots. After those are done it get hauled anywhere that we need to move back snow or stack. Dump trailer is a little bit of a pain to haul around loading and unloading the ramps gets fun when they are icy, but it works well the rest of the year hauling the machine.


Nice list of attachments... I'm about to trade my CAT 257B in on a new SR-80, but I used to rent those RC-30's when necessary. They are great little machines. They won't do 75% of what I need, but it would be a great addition to anyone's skidsteer fleet...


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## Ctll (Jan 2, 2008)

I would look at it and see how well the owner maintained the tracks and the rest of the machine. If it still looks nearly new after a good cleaning then that sounds good. I have seen some that have been worked very hard(somewhat abused) and not maintained well that would make that a bad deal. Check the under side and make sure it is not all bashed in at the hydro tank drain plug, and look for any fluid puddles on the skid plates. you know general stuff that you always look at. I find it useful to talk to the previous owner if at all possible to get a feel of the service and maint schedule. It is not near the size machine you are replacing so keep that in mind too. I think you will be really happy with it if you remember it only weighs 3500 lbs. 
I too have run the SR80 and want one to compliment my RC30. But for what I do I will not get rid of the 30 unless they update it, then I just trade it for a new one. You are right in saying for a construction contractor the RC30 is too small, but not for a landscaper.


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## Hegartydirtwork (Oct 26, 2009)

ctll did you get the adapter plate to run typical skid attachments or did you change the attachments? I am looking into the rc-30


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## Hegartydirtwork (Oct 26, 2009)

sorry I know this is a older thread


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## Jim15 (Aug 5, 2010)

tklawn,

I'm with you. For us Bobcats just plain work. Bobcat invented the skidsteer, they may have not been the first to put tracks on a skid, but they were right there. As far as service, there's no way in MA that Milton Cat's service coverage can match Bobcat of Boston, no way. Plus we have dealt with those guys for 25 years. As far as using a track machine on asphalt for snow work, all I can say is enjoy replacing the final drives, sprockets, rollers, track, and idlers when you blow the u/cs apart. If you are going to be operating on pavement (whether snow covered or not) or on rocky or ledge surfaces, start off with the wheel skidsteer. They are cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, and easier to fix. Blow a tire, you can plug it or a new tire is $200-$500. Rip a track or need to replace a track? $2,500 per track for the offbrand, for the small tracks, up to $6,000 PER track for the wide tracks. We have run all makes, alll models, and in the end the Bobcats are always on top. I do agree with you as far as size though. The S250/T250 - S330/T320s are absolute animals, but the T190/S185 class is where its at. Feel free to disagree but we'll continue on keeping the track loaders in the garage when doing snow work/working on asphalt and putting the money in our pockets instead of into the u/c's


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