# 2sp skidloader



## DYNA PLOW (Oct 14, 2000)

who is using a 2sp skidloader and a snow pusher?
what brand?
how well does it work?
travel speed?
can you plow in high gear?
is the heater big enough to keep the windows from fogging up?
i,m giving thought to buying a setup like this for next year, i would appreciate any input.
dan

p.s. i have looked at bobcat 873 2sp. salesman said they have not had any problems with the machine working in high gear.


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## chtucker (Sep 6, 2002)

I test drove both the 853 (whatever they call it today) and a cat 246 both 2spd.

The cat had no problem with the windows (I drove around in a t-shirt at 15 degrees outside) I used the slow speed for plowing (had a v-plow on it and the fast for getting in between jobs. The whole town is withing a 3 mile radius. High speed was kinda scary with a joystick and only a few hours of operation in it.

I think with a Blizzard power plow or a V plow I could do my whole route with it.

I did not try it with a pusher box, as I feel a plow is more multi use.

The cat is WAY more expensive than the Bobcat, but holds its value much much better and I feel is a better built machine.

Howard


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

I got to use a Case 95XT (the model number may be incorrect?, or the brand?) 2spd a couple of years ago. We just used it with its bucket , no plow or pusher. It was also open cab. But it cleared snow great, in slow or fast speed. It was a great machine & was definitely better & more powerful than any Bobcat I'd ever used. If I were buying a skidder, that would definitely be on my list of considerations.


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## DYNA PLOW (Oct 14, 2000)

thanks for the input guys, i have several accounts in town where i thought i could just drive it down the street. my village is getting a condo complex this summer and thought this setup could clean all the little nookes and crannies i know they will have.
i would definatly consider the blizzard for that machine, probably much more versitle than a push box. i have a skidder now with a cab but no heat or 2speed. 
thanks
dan


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## bam (Jan 14, 2001)

we own a bobcat 873. this year added an avalanche 10' box. The machine has 2 speeds and enclosed cab.

with this winter made good use of the machine.

we do use high speed going thru the commercial lot and will go in low when cleaning up corners and tight areas. 

very versatile and a saver during the blizzard.


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

I run a Bobcat S250 with 2 sp, heat/AC. I have a 12' snow pusher, 96" 1.25yd bucket, and 8' plow. We use it on all of our commercal accounts for cleaning up loading docks, stacking snow, and plowing driveways when we get too much snow for the 4-wheelers. The 250 has plenty of power, even with the 12' pusher on, to plow in high. Max speed is right around 15 mph. The heater works almost too good. I was just useing it the other day to move and restack lumber and some other stuff, the high that day was 5 above, with 25-30 mph winds (wind chill -20 to -40). I was in the Bobcat for about 1 1/2 hours, by the time I was done cleaning up the yard I had my jacket and sweat shirt off and still had the thremostat turned down about half way. The heater works better in that than it does in my 97 F-350. In my opinion the Bobcat is the single most important thing for plowing that I own. Good luck!!

One thing that you may want to watch out for is, the dealer said that on the Bobcat 873's they had problems with the main lift arms cracking under heavy, extreme use. And about 2 months after hearing this it actually happened to one of my fathers 873's. This is the reason that they redesigned them and are now called the S250. I just wanted to inform you of this, I geuss rather be safe than sorry.


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

So team_yamaha you have no problems pushing with a 12 box on the front of your cat? That is great I didn't know that they made 1.25 bucket for them either.What are you charging for the machine with all the various attachements for summer/winter work?


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## phillyplowking1 (Dec 19, 2001)

I would think anything over a 10' pusher would be to much for a skid steer.


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

Also the S250 what does that replace in bobcat?or is that a totaly new model?Besides it being new does it replace or upgrad and older one?


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

Cat, 
I had the 1.25 yd bucket made at a local welding shop since I found that my 78" low profile bucket was way too small for moving snow. The machine didn't even know that the 78" had anything in it. In a light powdery snow the Bobcat doesn't have any problems pushing a loaded 12' snow pusher. In heavy really wet snow I use low range just to be on the safe side, since I don't want to be tearing anything part on a new machine. Right now I am charging $55/hour for the machine (including plow or bucket) and then also charge $50 per storm for the pusher. this year I am going to charge $45/hour it with operator and bucket, and $40/job (or day for 2 or more days) for brush hog, $30/job for auger, $40/job for demolition grapple. I bought the pusher used from my father when he traded in his W14 Case and bought a Case 912 and also a 16' pusher with a high back, so I don't really have that much $$ into it, I bought it from him for $800, it was banged up a little and also required a few mods for use on the S250. But I hardly ever use the pusher, since most of the time the trucks do the big lots. The pusher just sits at one of our big jobs just in case the trucks can get there soon enough we can at least get started and get the lot cleared for the semis.

As far as a 12' being too big, yes in a way it is. If it wouldn't have been for the price, I wouldn't even have bought it. But it does what I want it to do. One thing it for sure, my S250 with 75 hp is the smallest that you would want pushing it.


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

The S250 replaces the 873. They were having problems with the main lift arms cracking with heavy repeated use. So they redesigning the arms, and was told that they gave it a few more HP, as well as made the wheel base like 2" longer. I am sure that there are a couple other this as well, but since this is the first "Bobcat" that I have owned I really don't know how much other stuff was changed, and this other stuff is just what the dealer told me. Before that I had 250 John Deere, but that was in the shop of most of last summer so I was using the a 270 John Deere that the dealership had as a loaner.


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## phillyplowking1 (Dec 19, 2001)

How much can the s-250 lift?


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## paul soccodato (Nov 9, 2002)

2500#, 2600# with counterweights


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

Paul is correct, that is what they are rated at, but they will lift a lot more. This last fall my old truck, a 91 International 4700 single axle with 6/7 yard dump got a flat tire on our job site after running over a piece of re-bar. Since I have spare tires for the Bobcat, dump truck, and trailer all mounted on the trailer and also have air hose, impact wrench to run off the trucks air system in the tool box on the truck. I decided to try and change the tire with the assistance of the Bobcat, before going 30 miles back to the shop to get the jack. So I got under the hitch plate and ended up lifting the back end of the truck off the ground about 3-4 inches before the Bobcat wanted to tip. So I had one of my guys stuff some blocking under the axle, changed the tire, lifted the truck back up and he was on this way to get another load within 30 minutes. The empty weight of the truck is 14,610 lbs, is don't know what the rear end of the truck weighed, but it was much more that the 2,600 lbs that the rating tag says. 

Granted this isn't a recommended, but is falls under one of two categories, 1. necessity is the mother of invention, or 2. you gotta do what you gotta do

Later guys


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

Team_Yamaha,Hows that brush hog on a skid steer?When I'm not welding i help out a landscape contractor and do his brush hogging,i have no idea how many hundred hours i have logged(he starts early summer and goes thru very late fall-EVERYDAY)i've been on that tractor for 12-14 hrs straight before on some pretty rough fields and could not imagine doing it in a skidsteer!


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

The brush hog that I have on the Bobcat actually came off my tractor. I had the local welder do the mods and mount the hydralic motor. I found that for the brush hogging that I do, mostly empty building lots, hilly fence lines and side hills, and also swamps, the tractor was way too big and cumbersome. I feel for my uses the Bobcat is better than a tractor mounted hog, since the brush hog is out in front it gives better visibility on what you are mowing, like fence lines. Also with the tracks mounted I can mow softer ground like swamps with marsh grass wear a even my Ford 545 4X4 tractor used to get stuck.


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## paul soccodato (Nov 9, 2002)

hey team_yamaha, 
what type of tracks do you run or you're skid loader?


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

I run Loegering Trail Blazers (I think thats how you spell the companys name). They are a nice track not too aggresive I can run across yards with out tearing them up. But aggersive enough to get through most of the nasty mucky stuff. They have great floation with the wide cleats that they have.


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