Want to learn about skid steers

[ruSSrt]

Howdy folks,

I got a good job with great schedule and I have time to side hustle. I'm also will be looking to purchase some acreage in the next 6-12 months. So I've been throwing around an idea to purchase a skid steer. I would like to learn more about them. Would you have a good forum you can suggest where I can read and learn before I buy one.
I know I want tracked steer. But I want to know what to watch out for. Their maintenance, what models to stay away from and which ones are most sought after. I won't be buying a new one for sure. So I'll be looking at actions and local pages. Any advice I would be appreciate!

 

[skyactiv]

It seems many contractors rent them from United Rental, Sunbelt rental... having them delivered and removed from the job site. Sounds crazy?
Many such business don't want to hire a mechanic they pay $25+ an hour + benefits + workers comp, is sick or on vacation when they need equipment fixed. It would suck to take on a job and have the skid steer break down and you can't get it fixed for a week.

Renting is a good idea if it allows you to take on a job you would otherwise miss out on.

If you buy, I would get something there isn't a parts issue with because of today's time.

 

[ruSSrt]

It seems many contractors rent them from United Rental, Sunbelt rental... having them delivered and removed from the job site. Sounds crazy?
Many such business don't want to hire a mechanic they pay $25+ an hour + benefits + workers comp, is sick or on vacation when they need equipment fixed. It would suck to take on a job and have the skid steer break down and you can't get it fixed for a week.

Renting is a good idea if it allows you to take on a job you would otherwise miss out on.

If you buy, I would get something there isn't a parts issue with because of today's time.

I have means to transport skid steer. All maintenance will be done by me unless it's something significant like motor rebuild.
And I've never had one so I don't know what to look for. Would like to get an insight from someone who has one, works on it and operates it.

 

[wpod]

Rent one for a week. Tear up some dirt. The cost of the rental will be the worth it for the education.

 

[IndyIan]

How many acres do you have? If money is a consideration, implements for skid steers are a bit pricey compared to tractors. But for some jobs a skid steer is the right machine for sure. There are a few guys on tractorbynet that do smaller landscape/driveway jobs with tractors. Some really explain their jobs and take lots of pictures. Usually bushhog and box blade work. For real nasty grass lots, full of junk metal, etc a tracked skidsteer with hydraulic bushhog is the way to go.
I've bush hogged the unknown in tall grass with my tractor but I need to go slow with the front bucket acting as a feeler... it folds lots of stuff over too, so you need to mow again in couple days once everything stands up and you know there's nothing bad to hit. I also know a guy that does backyard landscape jobs with a BX25, its easy to get into a yard and maneuver without destroying everything.

 

[BrianF]

I have many friends that run ranches, farms and construction type business. All of them say the major manufacturers are fine. All have plus and minuses. Case, JD, Bobcat, Cat, kubota, etc. Take your pick.

Look at lift capacity for your intended use and go from there. Then look if you need small, medium or large frame. Each has there pros and cons for use. Large frame is more stable and handles more weight but less nimble and fits in less spaces.

Then look at the radial vs vertical lift. Not sure the cost difference but it might assist you in your intended uses.

Those are just a few things took for. I am by no means a pro, I just started learning a few things due to necessity.

My wife's new position managing an indoor riding center got us access to a brand new JD 318G wheeled machine.
Great machine and absolutely slick as snot to run. Mid size frame, with a vertical lift and 1900 pound lift rating. The G model apparently has upgraded hydraulics. Lifts like a boss but the machine is a bit small for heavy lifting. But it is very nimble and more than makes up for it.

Its very sand soil at this place and we really could have used a tracked machine as we tear the ground up bad and can sink it down fast. But the wheeled is no slouch.

Quick tach accessories, which I think all brands have a version. Never leave the cab to swap buckets. Very handy.

This one does not have the performance group so it is only ISO controls, electric over hydraulics, which are slick. Left moves the machine and right is solely hydraulics. Some models can switch between ISO and H pattern.

Get a back up camera, makes running these things very safe and quick. Just get one.

I am glad this machine has a vertical lift as I will be testing out a Talet postpounder today. The vertical lift will minimize the arc of the boom lowering while pounding the posts, making things much slicker to use.

Anyways, thats just a drip in the bucket. They are really productive machines.

 

[wpod]

Nooo! Not a wife that likes Horses !!! My wife and daughter have Horses which means I have Horsies.

 

[BrianF]

I figure I will grow to like horses to. 18 years together and still waiting.....

Tried out the post pounder. Looks like it will do the trick.

Skid steer attachments are pricey but so very useful. For once I can't wait to do fencing.

 

[Merek]

We have one at the shop, it's a Northwestern who exited the skid steer business a long time ago and sold it to someone else so finding parts have been a pain, the only reason dad purchased it was that it had a Perkins diesel which for the most part are bulletproof.

Had issues with it today though, he wanted to get it running and it has been outside for several years and one of the fuel filters had sprung a leak due to sun damage so we replaced the filters and cleaned out the sediment bowl and everything was nasty, evidently had water in the fuel as it was this brown muck everywhere inside so obviously it's been ran with water in the fuel for all that junk inside the filters... he always wants to half everything, don't want to spend the time or the money to do it right but that tank either needs to be removed or at the very least cleaned out. I took the line off the sediment bowl and used compressed air back to the tank but it's not pumping fuel so I ordered a fuel lift pump which should come in a few days. The first filter has a glass bowl on the bottom and it's bone dry, the sediment bowl is a metal housing so can't see anything inside of it. If I had to guess this thing is either late 70's to early 80's model.

If the new pump still won't work then I'll have no choice but to open the fuel lines and start blowing air back through to clean them out. The pump was certainly cheap enough once I found the correct one. I would certainly find something newer where parts won't be much of an issue, maybe stay with one of the name brands, Bobcat, New Holland, Gehl, etc....

 

[wpod]

Algae grows in Diesel.

 

[TheLastWord]

You say "side hustle" so you want to hire out your services?

Do you intend to make income on this venture (perhaps I should say adventure)?

Given what you have told us about you know and don't know, why would anyone hire you? What competition is there?

Sorry to be brutal but see post #4 before you procced.

 

[Warlord]

Start out with a compact tractor and get a feel for what sort of jobs people are wanting done in your area. Tractor does all the same things but cheaper and slower. Upgrade to a skid down the road if you feel the need.

 

[Fitter30]

Like any piece of equipment have to have a good idea exactly what u want it to do. Pick the wrong machine it might be able to do the job but won't be as efficient. One thing using it for yourself another to make money.

 

[BrianF]

I was a toss for a while on what machine to get. A smaller tractor, say 30 to 40hp can do a pile of work. PTO, 3pt hitch can run a lot of accessories. Usually PTO driven is a pile cheaper than hydraulic or skid steer compatible.

But the lift and maneuverability no where near what a smaller skid steer can do. You really need to figure out what you aim to do.

 

[Donald]

Howdy folks,

I got a good job with great schedule and I have time to side hustle. I'm also will be looking to purchase some acreage in the next 6-12 months. So I've been throwing around an idea to purchase a skid steer. I would like to learn more about them. Would you have a good forum you can suggest where I can read and learn before I buy one.
I know I want tracked steer. But I want to know what to watch out for. Their maintenance, what models to stay away from and which ones are most sought after. I won't be buying a new one for sure. So I'll be looking at actions and local pages. Any advice I would be appreciate!

What are you looking to do on this average that requires machinery? How many acres? I would not focus on a skid steer. Decide what you will do on the acerage. Then what machinery can do the work you need. A 4WD farm tractor can perform a variety of tasks. Lots of attachments for 3-point hitch.

I bought a used Bobcat 843 for my 26 acres and never did much more than scrape the dirt drive smooth. Finally sold it.

 

[ruSSrt]

There are some good info here. Thank you guys.

To answer and clarify some of the info here.
I'll be looking to get 5+ wooded acres. So I was hoping to get at least 1 acre cleared up for home site. After that, I got co-worker who is a professional tree feller. But most of his work is limb/brush clean up. So he rents skid steer 2-4 times a month. He said if I get one he'll throw some work my way.
After working on my property I hope to get some experience on it and then slowly start growing in property clean ups, driveway builds, grading and material loading/spreading.
I live in the county and my area is growing rapidly. Of coarse I'll do market research but I don't think I'll have trouble finding small projects and couple days rentals around.

 

[Donald]

So before you buy a skid steer do a realistic business plan. Include liability insurance. You may find with the cost of liability insurance you cannot make money unless you did it full time. I would not do any work with a skid steer where you get paid without liability insurance. You can get a skid steer and use it on your own property without commercial liability insurance but once you get paid, you are a business and need liability insurance.

Many people who do light excavation have a track skid steer and mini excavator. And a blade for the skid steer that can be angled at a different angle than horizontal. Maybe a forestry mulching attachment for skid steer.

And it will take you some time to get good using the machines. You will not get the knack overnight.

 

[IndyIan]

So before you buy a skid steer do a realistic business plan. Include liability insurance. You may find with the cost of liability insurance you cannot make money unless you did it full time. I would not do any work with a skid steer where you get paid without liability insurance. You can get a skid steer and use it on your own property without commercial liability insurance but once you get paid, you are a business and need liability insurance.

Many people who do light excavation have a track skid steer and mini excavator. And a blade for the skid steer that can be angled at a different angle than horizontal. Maybe a forestry mulching attachment for skid steer.

And it will take you some time to get good using the machines. You will not get the knack overnight.

Ask your buddy about working under his insurance for his clients to start, they won't have your back if something expensive goes wrong...
I've done a bit of work with my tractor for my immediate neighbors, but far away from anything expensive, stuff like mowing trails, bush hogging a field, moving some rocks around, and I've turned down stuff that had the potential to be risky for me, my tractor. Jobs for others always seem to take a bit longer or have a small issue to overcome, so its not easy money per hour, other than trail mowing. At first it was fun to get paid for tractor time, but now I'd rather let it sit until I need it. A skidsteer is a bit more robust than an Ag tractor for general crashing around, and obviously no flat tires, which is a bit of worry in unknown territory.

 

[dlundblad]

Bobcat built its reputation on having a Kubota engine. They are now owned by the same people who make Kioti tractors so no Kubota engines. No experience with them either.

I agree with renting various machines and trying them out. I’d entertain all of the major brands.

 

[ironman_gq]

Avoid any of the Cat tracked machines with the ASV undercarriage, they are a maintenance headache. I've got 7 machines, 3 on tracks and so far the newer bobcats with the all steel running gear has been the best, no rubber wheels and nothing to really fail. Rubber tracks cost $25-3500 to replace and lifespan varies wildly depending on what you run them on. We run two sets of tracks on our machines, a construction pad set for warm months and harder surfaces and a "winter" track for months that have snow, makes a huge difference in traction. If you're buying used it's worth it to see if the seller will let you pull fluid samples to get analyzed, we've seen a lot of hydraulic issues tend to start to show up around 3-5000 hours and it comes up on the fluid samples in plenty of time to mitigate them.