Any thoughts on skidsteers

Hemlet

I was thinking about buying a skidsteer for farm use. It would be very handy for scraping (massey 290 with loader a bit too cumbersome), feeding pit silage, cleaning out sheds, etc... I suppose the list is endless.

So my question is do many of ye have one, your thoughts about them, best make, etc...

I have about €4k to spend.

Any feedback appreciated.

irish_bob

you wont buy one for that money , good 2nd hand ones would be closer to ten grand

great yoke providing you stay on a hard surface and dont have to travel anything resembling a long distance between a 1st and 2nd yard , im talking half a mile

Pacoa

I bought a bobcat 643 about 10 years ago for 6k old money.
Like irish bob said you have to stay on the hard ground (unless you get tracks) and you won't be going too fast, 6mph is max i can do. They're handy around tight sheds but traction is a problem i find. Its hard to stick a pike or a bucket into anything as they've no real pushing power but i still manage to clean out sheds and push in silage with it so i wouldn't be without it.


Just had a look on done deal and this might be up your street http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/plantmachinery/1062312

bog_savage

I have one for about 5 years , only paid €3500 .
Couldn't do without it now !
Used to spend my saturdays sweating carlsberg cleaning out small sheds with a grape . All those awkward jobs can now be done in minutes without the hardship .
My one is a small 1995 mustang, 4' wide with 26hp engine , but can still lift a half ton bag of fertiliser into a spreader , not that fast or great on soft ground but does jobs nothing else can .

Some of the newer big ones ( 70 - 100hp ) could replace a tractor around the yard , but some of the advantages in size , economy etc. are lost .

Really depends on your yard , what you want it to do & how much ya wanna spend

Hemlet

Thanks for the input

Been looking on DoneDeal for the last couple of weeks saw a decent looking Bobcat early last week for around €3500 but hesitated and it was gone that day :rolleyes:

I think the general consensus is good on hard ground, good in tight spaces, very handy for tricky jobs.

It would mostly be used for scraping, pushing up silage, cleaning the smaller sheds.

Just have to keep looking bound to be a bargain out there!

John_F

Hemlet wrote: »

(massey 290 with loader a bit too cumbersome),

owwww had one of these... hows yer steering

soon30

nice looking newholland skid on donedeal very good money for its age its in tipp dont know anymore just said id let you know

vanderbadger

ya was just looking at the same one, lovely looking machine isnt it, saw a bobcat on done deal the other week, looked unreal clean, think it was going for 2750, thought it must be a scam

Hemlet

John_F wrote: »

owwww had one of these... hows yer steering

Lets put it this way its very similar to a massey 135 without power steering. Very frustrating to drive, handbrake ceased as well. Had it fixed last year but got again.

How did ya fix your steering, new pump?

Sold the reconditioned mf 135 last year. Father bought it brand new and had it all that time.

Hemlet

vanderbadger wrote: »

ya was just looking at the same one, lovely looking machine isnt it, saw a bobcat on done deal the other week, looked unreal clean, think it was going for 2750, thought it must be a scam

Yeah thats the Skid I was looking at as well, wasn't up too long was it.

I was also looking at donedeal one evening and came across a free :eek: massey 135 (running, good condition). I rang yer man but it was gone. Ad was only up a matter of minutes, ad was then taken down.

John_F

Hemlet wrote: »

Lets put it this way its very similar to a massey 135 without power steering. Very frustrating to drive, handbrake ceased as well. Had it fixed last year but got again.

How did ya fix your steering, new pump?

Sold the reconditioned mf 135 last year. Father bought it brand new and had it all that time.

we had problems under neath, no hydrostatic like and there was a pin that the whole lot was moving from underneath that used to give trouble. shes gone now with a few years, we just had to hammer the yoke into the pin before wed use it :mad: replaced with a 7610, she got a new block then last year.

irish_bob

gosh , i didnt realise you could pick skid steers up for that kind of small money , pleasantly surprised