Thinking about trading the old wheeled unit in – 1600 hours, mud drives it (and us)crazy, can’t grade very flat (too bouncy) etc.
Bobcat and Case are the options (I think)
The reasons would be to get something a little bigger & stronger, to do a better job grading and maybe add a cab (not that important) I’ve heard they do a great job backfilling, push & dig better than the wheeled machines. I know the tracks are pricey. Plus, we have 14 acres and lots of work at home, and instead of renting something bigger we could have it right here.
The major concerns are making the payments (I’m part-time at this) and getting the right machine. I am thinking used.
What can you tell me?
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life – you just might!
Replies
disclaimer: my advice is based on very little use with tracks.[mine has them rubber things]they are a whole different machine with tracks.more push less bounce, more money! from my experence if you use this to make money new is the only way to go. you can buy a used machine with 1500 hrs and save maybe 5k,that's 3.75 per hour for the use on it. i'd be more inclined to buy new and be the seller at 1500 hrs. plus sometimes bobcat has some crazy cheap intrest. have fun moving dirt! larry p.s i saw a used tehachi[spelling?] with tracks used by a bridge building company,3500hrs +[hour meter broke]11 yrs old and used up,bring 13,700 at auction this summer.
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
Since you are not using the machine for full time 'production', take a look at old used stuff.
Depending on your mechanical and welding skills, you may be able to pick up a 5-6 ton track machine (old D2, JD 440 or 350, etc) for a few thousand. Got my JD 440 loader for only $1200 (about 15 years ago) and have seen them recently for as low as $2K.
VaTom in on the east coast and probably can chime in with deals he's seen in VA and MD on older machines. .
A tracked loader is great for backblading areas good and flat.
If you have any trees around at all, put a cab (at least FOPS) on anything you get.
If you find an old D2 or D4, the worst part of those is the pony engine not being started for weeks at a time (condensation in the magneto, hard to start without dissassembly and drying it out)
It's really handy to have a backhoe with a thumb also, but much harder to find on a tracked loader.
My experience for old tracked machines is at least 1 hour maintenance work for every 4-5 hours run time. Operation in heavy woods can run that ratio to 1:1.
Go for it. I have a Bobcat T190 and love it. Up until yesterday, I also has an S250 that somebody wanted worse than me. We discovered it missing this morning. But that's another story.
I've had the T190 for 5 years and loved every minute of it. The track machines have higher initial cost, higher maintenance costs, and higher parts costs....but I also bill more and am 50%-75% more productive in the dirt, have almost no downtime due to weather, and can actually go where I want in the mud. If you are serious about excavating, go for it.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
sorry to hear about you losing your machine.this is so common with these things, be sure to notify bobcat. any time i buy parts for mine they want serial # and cross check it for being stolen. i have wondered about one of these gps locaters that trailer shops sell to locate stolen trailers.i'm not sure what they cost but it would be worth a few bucks to pull up to a construction site tommorrow and walk up to the guy on the bobcat and introduce yourself.maybe have a little conversation with him before the cops got there.it would be shame if his legs got broke as he crawled over the bucket. larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
I was out of town when I was contacted by my brother about the missing Bobcat, trailer, sweeper, bucket, and forks. They stole it out of our locked yard, even took the lock and chain from the gate. As soon as I got back in town, I was doing research about Lojack and the Bobcat GPS locators. The good thing about my stolen bobcat is that it had the keypad start. It is worthless without the code or a Bobcat laptop. So if it turns up, it might be torched or I might get lucky and find it complete and relatively undamaged.
If I did pull up on a site where it was, I tend to have problems with the accelator pedal sticking at times. Also the sledge I carry in the back of my truck tends to fly out at times. I have ZERO tolerance for thieves.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
I have ZERO tolerance for thieves.
That's the way it should be. Hope you recover it unscathed.
jt8
"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." -- Alexander Graham Bell
You might want to look at the JLC article on skid steers. Since you already have one it may be too fundamental for the info you need but interesting general info.
http://www.jlconline.com
"Being a cowboy aint all ridin and shootin" - Tim Mooney
I bought a used 1999 Case 1845 C from Case. It was a rental unit and I figured that while it may have been abused by rentors, when returned Case took care of their investments. It now has about 1800 hours on it and is running strong.
I use it like you have posted...mostly on my own property, but occasionally on our jobsites.
I have never had or used a track machine. I have wondered how the add-on tracks to a wheel loader might work. I have seen some new add-on tracks in Heavy Equipment Trader magazine for $500.00 - $600.00.
If I had it to do over I would have probably bought a Bobcat as most of the rental companies around here have attachements that are set up for Bobcat. I'd check that issue out in your local area as it could have provided additional convienience for me on many occasions.
Thinking about trading the old wheeled unit in - 1600 hours, mud drives it (and us)crazy, can't grade very flat (too bouncy) etc.
Bobcat and Case are the options (I think)
The reasons would be to get something a little bigger & stronger, to do a better job grading and maybe add a cab (not that important) I've heard they do a great job backfilling, push & dig better than the wheeled machines. I know the tracks are pricey. Plus, we have 14 acres and lots of work at home, and instead of renting something bigger we could have it right here.
The major concerns are making the payments (I'm part-time at this) and getting the right machine. I am thinking used.
What can you tell me?
Depending on the age and condition of your skid steer, it may be possible to convert it to a tracked machine. Here's a link to an article about a Loegering Versatile Track System (VTS) conversion to a Cat 236 - total transformation took 48 minutes. Something to consider.
Construction Equipment Magazine Article
Edited 12/27/2006 10:28 pm by boiler7904
I'll agree with Purdue guy. The Loegering VTS is an option if you want rubber tracks. But you'd better be sitting down when you get the price. I think it's around $10k. If all your work is in dirt, either the Grouser or Loegering steel tracks are a fraction of the price and worth every penny.
BTW 1600 hrs on a Bobcat usually means just broke in. My T190 has 1700+ hrs of hard life on it and is doing just fine (with regular preventative maintenance). I sold my 843 a couple of months ago with 2700 hours on it and doing just fine.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
I can only speak about bobcats...if you can find a price that works for you, buy at least a t200 size-wise, unless you work in alot of tight spaces (then maybe the t190). The power difference between the t190 and t200 is considerable, and the tracks on the t200 are wider to boot. If you are looking for a used machine, look for a 2003 or newer if you can afford it. Bobcat redesigned the track system starting with that years' models and they last much longer with fewer problems. Before that they were called 864's, and 1200-1500 hrs were about all the tracks were good for. Once you've gone tracks, you'll never go back!
Also, if you can help it, never use a track machine in the winter (at least in cold climates). Melt water gets into the cracks in the track and then freezes at night and wreaks havoc on things.
Thanks for the info - we are definitely looking larger - T200+ etc. We'll have to pull it in the barn in the winter - great now I need a barn.
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
They mentioned a price of $15,000 in that article.
Ouch!John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
So I got some #'s today at the Bobcat dealer...
2 T250's - used - both around 1700 hrs - one with new tracks $42K, old tracks $39K both have the cab w/heat & AC and the joystick option. Payment (w/our machine down) around $700 for 5 years. No warranty.
New T250 similarly equipped w/new bucket $57K, at $907/mo 5 years
If we were to jump, the new one seems the better deal, but its all too salty unless we get REAL busy.
So for now, we may just stick with what we have and rent to fill the difference.
Brian,
Price seems way high for those hours. Go to http://www.machinerytrader.com to get comps. Once you go tracks you'll never go back. Tires are better only on pavement.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.