# Question on skidsteer



## caz41 (Nov 29, 2004)

I am going to be picking up a skidsteer this summer. (not sure which brand yet). It will be used both in the winter for snow removal and in the summer for some minor excavating type jobs and partial use at the in laws farm. My question is getting one with tracks or tires. I have used several in the summer, but have never done any snow removal before with either. Just looking for some input on which is better in the snow? Thanx.


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## heather lawn spray (Mar 11, 2003)

We have a Bobcat 463 with SB150 4 foot snowblower attachment. It works out just fine. The SB150 was new this season, previously with 44 inch bucket. Bucket is much slower than blower. Blower can move and place snow better than bucket. Blower of course is much more expensive than the bucket but does more. You would have to decide if you have enough work to feed it. The 463 is tiny so it must stay with its 'mother ship' a K3500 with V-Boss but it is great in the corners and sidewalks and chewing through snow drifts. when the truck just can not push it. We had the little Bobcat MT 52 ride-on tracked loader as a loaner when ours was out of action for a day. We put our own blower on the MT 52. It is the same Hp as our 463 and about the same weight. So: same blower, same Hp, same weight. It was a disaster. The tracks won't cut through the snow but try to ride up on top. If the weight shifts on the tracks from front to back or vice versa, it changes the radius of turn. The rear stand on platform was constantly getting stuck while backing up. This is just the view from the miniature skid stears, the full size might have a different view


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## karl klein (Jan 28, 2001)

i would strongly recommend one with tires the tracks spread the wieght over a larger surface and make it slide more on the ice. as for the brand i would recommend a bobcat or mustang if you want the feet and hand controls or a cat if you like the joystick controls.


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## bugthug (Oct 13, 2004)

I just bought a mustang 940 I thought i might use it next year to move snow. I cant believe the work I have got just from it sitting here. I keep it busy almost daily. and I am not in that business.


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## karl klein (Jan 28, 2001)

bugthug? how do you like the mustang i rent to of them all winter and love them they don't seem to have as many gadgets as a bobcat, that could be good or bad but they are a great runner, don't you think? you never relize how handy they are until you have one


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## motorider000 (Feb 5, 2005)

I love how the john deere series II loaders run. But.....I sure have broken alot of them (too many stupid safety sensors). The rental place fianally wired is up so that thier regualr customers can bypass the safty systems ( they show you how to do it when they trust you) but other than that i love the loader.


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## fernalddude (Feb 15, 2004)

*cat tri-track*

I have a guy that subs for me and he has a cat 267 track and man it is sweet it runs circles around a bobcat and it is fast. I have used bobcats before and the track could do things wheeled one cant with its lower psi on snow it can drive right up piles and make moutains of snow. We had this one making 40' high piles and just running up on them all within a heated cab in shirt sleeves. and the lifting power could move huge blocks of ice and snow at cleanup. Just my 2 cents..


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## lars (Aug 10, 2001)

I put in quite a few hours pushing snow and doing excavating work on our ASV RC-60. After using tracks I will never go back to tires again! It is simply amazing what tracks can do. Just for fun I drove it around in a foot of snow and it handled just as good as a snowmobile and it never got stuck. It has also gone over 6 foot piles with ease.

The tracks offer a LITTLE less traction than tires but not much. The machine pushed 6-8" without a problem. And pushing back piles is never a problem as you can push when you are in 6" of snow.

The real payoff comes when you are using it for excavating work. A track machine grades way better than a wheeled machine. You are not affected by small bumps as much. Also it is much more friendly on turf than wheels. And of course, it is nearly impossible to get it stuck. It will go where you can't even walk.

You will pay more for a track machine. I reccomend ASV and Cat with Cat being the superior machine. I would stay away from Bobvat and Tack's.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I have seen a lot of posts saying tracks won't work in snow, but I'm not sure those are coming from people that have actually used them in snow. Our 190 works great in snow with the snowblower. Have not actually plowed much with it because we use it for loading salt.

Which brand depends on what you are going to be doing with it. The Bobcat and Cat have different styles which can be good or bad. Some of the hills we use our 190 on would never get done with a Cat or ASV because the bogey wheel suspension can not sidehill without throwing the tracks. But you get better ride out of it, so look at both, test both and see which one is best for you.


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## Curbside (Nov 16, 2004)

I run a T-300 and a 773G. There is no comparison between the 2 for pushing snow. The T-300 will run circles around the 773 and push and lift3-4 times the amount of snow. The T300 uses a 100inch bucket and when heaped is nearly 3 yards of snow. It also pushes a Blizzard plow which the 773 is not able to do. Both on ice are equally as bad. Neither has any traction but if their is something to grab onto the track will find it first before the wheel machine will. On pure ice there is not many machines that function at all. More than once I have had to pull out one of our wheel loaders 30 000lbs out of a sunken loading dock because it cannot get back out. The track machines are also great because you never have to worry about getting hung up in the snow you just driver over it. As far a grading, backfilling etc even with grousers which are good with the wheeled machines their is no comparison with the track machines.


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## bobcat s-160 (Feb 27, 2007)

Go with the bobcat brand last forever i like the s-160 myself


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