Skidsteer's/Pushers

[SlimJim Z71]

Okay, I was reading the thread about how awesome pusher boxes are, so before I got it all off topic, I figured I'd start a new thread.

I saw the prices for the pusher boxes, but I was wondering how much a skidsteer would cost me. Do you guys lease them, or buy them? Also, are there better brands than others? And finally, if I look into a used one, what should I watch for, and what are some good prices? Thanks guys!

-Tim

 

[GeoffD]

Bobcat is my brand of choice.

The trouble is the cost of buying a skidsteer isn't much different than the cost of a 3/4 ton pick up.

Geoff

 

[SlimJim Z71]

Really?!?! They're that much huh? How bout used?

-Tim

 

[GeoffD]

Used is like anything else. The cost is less, much ya don't always know what your getting.

Geoff

 

[capital]

skid steers

The cost of the skid steer is high but you have to look at the benefits. I have two properties/commercial were with a truck we would be there forever and not do a very good job. With a skid steer you can get in tight and also have the added benefit of people calling you to move their piles of snow that they can't move with there trucks. This was a benefit I didn't even think of when I bought it.
Now for the strange thing, we have accounts in a gated community were we send the bobcat to do driveways. Quite a few now because the neighbors started talking about the strange machince that takes all the snow off there driveways. We sent the bobcat out there because one of the plows broke on a 2500 chevy. Now my clients out there call me to come and scrap there driveways down with the bobcat.
We do landscaping to so this opened up other avenues, IE grading and leveling for sod jobs.

 

[SCL]

Hi Slim,
New Bobcats start at around $18K, I like my 753 quite well, though if I had to buy another new one I'd probably go New Holland. Easier to see out of, easier to get into, better balance.

 

[Kent Lawns]

I wouldn't buy one FOR snow removal. If you have one sitting around in the off-season, that's a different story.

We have 4.

2 are used to load the salt trucks.
1 is used at a car dealership with a 10' Pro-Tech mounted on it.
1 (our new one) sits all winter.

 

[jrblawncare]

Hey slim,sounds like your feeling better.As said above don't get a skid steer just to push snow..now if you are going to get in to some landscaping thats another story.Around me here there is a bob-cat on every corner so I chose not to get one yet...I can get a bob-cat with an operator and fuel for 35 to 40 hr...I use one as sub.What I'am thinking of doing is setting him up with a pusher and set him loose on some of my bigger lots.What I need still to learn is what kind of productivity I will get out of it...which in turn means $$$.

 

[mowing king]

My bobcat did not cost "ME" a dime. a got a brand new 773 and i did not pay for it. My clients paid for the entire machine. you see i don't need a bobcat the clients do. I charge them for the bobcat. How many could you afford if they were free?

 

[Michael F]

I bought a 753 for snow this fall, withcab, heat, 8' plow, snow bucket, price was around $ 23,000, I belive thats with tax. I was debating buying this or new truck, payments would be same(aprox).
The diference is a truck is worn out in around 5 years of hard plowing, average life for bobcat is around 3-4K hrs(low side), our machine only has 50+/- hrs on it to date, were halfway to our avg snowfall. Shifting from forward to reverse is hydralic, no tras to wear, ect. Feel I can get at least 10 year out of machine easily, still have exellent resale value. It works well execpt on hills, the sites its at have some drives on hills, found it's quicker to send a truck ther for 1-2 hrs to help. One of the sites has no where to put snow, with out the stacking capabilities we'd be SOL, they said previous contractor did it with trucks, don't know how, between lack of space to put snow & curves in drives quality would be poor/very poor at best.
Don't feel it's the best decision I've ever made but definatly not the worst. Good luck.

 

[plowking35]

Mowerking
You must be hurting for money, I bet you actually charge those customers when for the work done.
Dino

 

[john r]

Ive tried Thomas, Takakuci, ASV (posi trak), and Bobcat. We bought the ASV. It's the machine to have. Read about it. compare your notes to the other brands. This machine BLOWS THE REST AWAY!!!!

 

[plowguy06]

You should look in Big Truck trader or Heavy Equipment Trader. (magazine) There are lots of ads for new AND used skidsteers of all brands. I dont know ny prices off hand.

 

[diggerman]

We use a Case 90xt,it is fast and comfortable.It has air and ride control as well as a hydro bucket coupler that is independent of the the aux hydralics.Also it is the only one that had full servo controls other than cat and they are all screwed up as far as control pattern.We looked at asv but I talked to a guy at Conexpo who had one and had some major problem with their machine,ASV was steller about making it right,but a problem still.Also I have had experience with rubber tracks and they are not cheap and we do alot of demolition so that made it very impracticle.

 

[Greenkeepers]

We just bought a new Bobcat 773 for around 18k. Bobcat was offering some great discounts for the year end... We are going to use it mainly for landscaping but next year may get a plow for it and put it to work out there. Depending on the demand.

 

[john r]

I guess I should have mentioned that we have an implemax grapple attachment that we use to drag whole trees to the chipper, and then feed it in. A wheeled machine could not go over turf verry well dragging a whole tree behind it. (the tires would dig in and get stuck)
A track machine has the best traction over any terrain with minimal damage. (Why don't buldozers use wheels?)

Do you think using a pusher on a wheeled machine would have better traction on snow than a track machine?
I hope the guy with the problem ASV was able to fix it. No machine is perfect. We've 550 hrs on our machine and the only problem we've had were oprators beatin on it ridem cowboy yeeha. %^%$^&$##

 

[litle green guy]

I like the New Holland Lx885 the best. Thats the old model, I'm not sure of the new model numbers though. It has a 2 speed trans and the superboom is the best for loading trucks or stacking snow.

I don't realy like the bobcats very much even though I only ran them a few times, I just like New Holland better.