Buying second hand skid-steer, COST? any info plz!

comeon

Looking to buy a 2nd hand skid steer for the farm.
Primarily to lift round silage & hay bales, clean calf pins & to grab at the silage pit!
I assume all i need is a bucket & grab for these jobs.

How much would they cost, any good reliable dealers? Would u get one for 6-7-8 grand?
Plus, to lift silage bales i'll need a more heavy duty skid steer, more horse power right? Round silage bales weight just under a tonne right?

It'd be awful handy to rip a silage bale apart instead of piking!

MFdaveIreland

comeon wrote: »

Looking to buy a 2nd hand skid steer for the farm.
Primarily to lift round silage & hay bales, clean calf pins & to grab at the silage pit!
I assume all i need is a bucket & grab for these jobs.

How much would they cost, any good reliable dealers? Would u get one for 6-7-8 grand?
Plus, to lift silage bales i'll need a more heavy duty skid steer, more horse power right? Round silage bales weight just under a tonne right?

It'd be awful handy to rip a silage bale apart instead of piking!

Interesting post, looking forward to replies

renandstimpy

comeon wrote: »

Looking to buy a 2nd hand skid steer for the farm.
Primarily to lift round silage & hay bales, clean calf pins & to grab at the silage pit!
I assume all i need is a bucket & grab for these jobs.

How much would they cost, any good reliable dealers? Would u get one for 6-7-8 grand?
Plus, to lift silage bales i'll need a more heavy duty skid steer, more horse power right? Round silage bales weight just under a tonne right?

It'd be awful handy to rip a silage bale apart instead of piking!

Hi Comeon,
speaking from experience you will definetly need the bigger version for lifting roundbales of silage . I had a bobcat 160 and with a grab . Bought the grab in monaghan when i was up there one time and gave €900 at the time 3 yrs ago.
Bought the bobcat in western plant sales in galway and gave €8500 inc vat it was a 2001 yr. The issues i had were as follows.
I could lift 2 round bales of hay /straw with grab no prob
I could stack 3 high with a bit of practice .
I could only drag a round bale of well wilted silage .. could never lift off the ground fully no matter how i tried .wasnt lacking hp as it would lift arse of bobcat clean off the ground .
It was excellent at cleaning sheds especially in tight places .
found it a bitch unless i was on concrete to stop flat tyres when turning .
for the grab you will need one with top to come down over on hydraulics to grip silage but ive no doubt you know that .
All in all i think that you will probably pay nearer 10 grand for one that will suit what you want .. with a bobcat/skidsteer its either able for the job or its not .
And to be honest i sold mine and put 3 point linkage on grab .. only one shed i cant get into .... and havent seen any of the bigger type for sale for a long time .
best of luck what ever you go for ... any thing else i can help you with just ask.

Sharpshooter82

Never thought it wouldn't lift a bale but makes sense that it would topple the bobcat when trying

renandstimpy

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Never thought it wouldn't lift a bale but makes sense that it would topple the bobcat when trying

I suppose to be fair there was the added weight of the grab but i dont know any other way of grabbing silage without it ..

nashmach

renandstimpy wrote: »

I suppose to be fair there was the added weight of the grab but i dont know any other way of grabbing silage without it ..

In fairness though isn't the 160 one of the smaller models?

renandstimpy

nashmach wrote: »

In fairness though isn't the 160 one of the smaller models?

Thats the only one i had so could not tell you one way or the other .. only thing is a friend of mine had a 7 series cant remember exact model and there didnt seem to be an awful lot in difference

Sharpshooter82

renandstimpy wrote: »

Thats the only one i had so could not tell you one way or the other .. only thing is a friend of mine had a 7 series cant remember exact model and there didnt seem to be an awful lot in difference

Could you not add weight to the back

renandstimpy

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Could you not add weight to the back

You could but it would be hanging on the back door and with the wheel axles being so close together it wold have to be a fair weight because of the lever effect .... say tha same weight on a tractor would have 3 times the counter lifting effect due to being further away from item being lifted

renandstimpy

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Could you not add weight to the back

You could but it would be hanging on the back door and with the wheel axles being so close together it wold have to be a fair weight because of the lever effect .... say tha same weight on a tractor would have 3 times the counter lifting effect due to being further away from item being lifted

maxxuumman

renandstimpy wrote: »

You could but it would be hanging on the back door and with the wheel axles being so close together it wold have to be a fair weight because of the lever effect .... say tha same weight on a tractor would have 3 times the counter lifting effect due to being further away from item being lifted

Don't know about Bobcat, but I put 4 x 25kg NewHolland weights on to my NH skidsteer when I got it. They are very tidy, just behind the back wheels, so not adding anything to the length or width. They made all the difference when handling silage bales.

MfMan

comeon wrote: »

Looking to buy a 2nd hand skid steer for the farm.
Primarily to lift round silage & hay bales, clean calf pins & to grab at the silage pit!
I assume all i need is a bucket & grab for these jobs.

How much would they cost, any good reliable dealers? Would u get one for 6-7-8 grand?
Plus, to lift silage bales i'll need a more heavy duty skid steer, more horse power right? Round silage bales weight just under a tonne right?

It'd be awful handy to rip a silage bale apart instead of piking!

Most reliable dealer I know are McArdles in Glaslough, Monaghan. I'd say what they don't know about these machines isn't worth knowing.

I have a mustang 2060; very handy, and it can lift a round bale up and over into a round feeder (with pallet prongs widened out to the last) though I wouldn't like to have to travel too far with it. It's a fairly heavy machine, 60hp engine, but the bale still tilts it forward a little. I also have a shear grab for the pit and there's probably no better machine for getting silage blocks right into the feeding barriers due to it's compact size and working area.

Not so easy though sink the grab into a round bale and take chunks out of it as the bale tends to push away when trying to push in the prongs, though it works to a certain extent when grabbing from the top.

Very handy machine also for scraping out sheds, lifting 1/2 ton bags of fert. into spreader and lifting stones on walls in fields (in summertime). Hard enough on tyres which aren't cheap and you're better off paying a bit more money for a better machine. Advisable also to deal with a fairly reliable dealer as it's not every mechanic that has experience of these machines of anything goes wrong and you don't want to be left waiting for days if you're relying on the skidsteer for feeding.

renandstimpy

MfMan wrote: »

Most reliable dealer I know are McArdles in Glaslough, Monaghan. I'd say what they don't know about these machines isn't worth knowing.

I have a mustang 2060; very handy, and it can lift a round bale up and over into a round feeder (with pallet prongs widened out to the last) though I wouldn't like to have to travel too far with it. It's a fairly heavy machine, 60hp engine, but the bale still tilts it forward a little. I also have a shear grab for the pit and there's probably no better machine for getting silage blocks right into the feeding barriers due to it's compact size and working area.

Not so easy though sink the grab into a round bale and take chunks out of it as the bale tends to push away when trying to push in the prongs, though it works to a certain extent when grabbing from the top.

Very handy machine also for scraping out sheds, lifting 1/2 ton bags of fert. into spreader and lifting stones on walls in fields (in summertime). Hard enough on tyres which aren't cheap and you're better off paying a bit more money for a better machine. Advisable also to deal with a fairly reliable dealer as it's not every mechanic that has experience of these machines of anything goes wrong and you don't want to be left waiting for days if you're relying on the skidsteer for feeding.

100% there Mfman thats the crowd i bought the grab off

Massey10

They are super machines for working in small areas and around the farm yard but go near soft ground or any bit of a hilly field in the wet and your in trouble .Also lifting heavy loads like a bale in a feeder can leave you being banged around inside the machine ,because when they tip forward and lose the load they just fly right back which can be fairly rough when your sitting inside .

comeon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwNVGbI8v4

This looks fairly stable, with weights on the back.

Can you take the weights off ?

comeon

Do McArdles in Glaslough, Monaghan deal in second hand skid steers?

Massey10

comeon wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwNVGbI8v4

This looks fairly stable, with weights on the back.

Can you take the weights off ?

Do you think the bale he was lifting was like a silage bale from ireland .I had one sold it for a tractor loader .Also if your at dung or what ever your sitting very near the bucket so stuff keeps blow back on top of you .

Massey10

comeon wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwNVGbI8v4

This looks fairly stable, with weights on the back.

Can you take the weights off ?

If you mean the main weight it can come off but thats wht stop her from falling back over herself .

comeon

Is their a major difference between a sheer & tine grab.

You wouldn't be able to lift a silage bale with a sheer right? are sheer exclusively for silage blocks!
tine would be the best bet for both silage pit grabbing & silage bale grabbing

tine
https://www.google.ie/search?q=tine+grab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=5rWCUobzG-yf7gbsuID4Cg&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=898

sheer
https://www.google.ie/search?q=tine+grab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=5rWCUobzG-yf7gbsuID4Cg&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=898#q=sheer+grab&tbm=isch

bogman_bass

OP, does it have to be a skidsteer?
would a small loading shovel give more flexibility?
something like this?

http://www.donedeal.ie/plantmachinery-for-sale/kramer-612/5977565

Sharpshooter82

bogman_bass wrote: »

OP, does it have to be a skidsteer?
would a small loading shovel give more flexibility?
something like this?

http://www.donedeal.ie/plantmachinery-for-sale/kramer-612/5977565

Now your sucking diesel
It's just a little higher but that would be the job once you cleared the sheds

Massey10

comeon wrote: »

Is their a major difference between a sheer & tine grab.

You wouldn't be able to lift a silage bale with a sheer right? are sheer exclusively for silage blocks!
tine would be the best bet for both silage pit grabbing & silage bale grabbing

tine
https://www.google.ie/search?q=tine+grab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=5rWCUobzG-yf7gbsuID4Cg&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=898

sheer
https://www.google.ie/search?q=tine+grab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=5rWCUobzG-yf7gbsuID4Cg&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=898#q=sheer+grab&tbm=isch

With the tine grab a skid steer will struggle to break the silage from the pit .She will just rise up behind .

49801

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7XFVQIq-zs

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdbKO0AsOXQ

Gives you an idea of what they are like feeding pit silage.

MFdaveIreland

Have driven a Kramer alrad 1997 for a few years, really good machine. Could turn on a penny, good for narrow feeding passages, only issue is the hardy splicer developed a problem and could not be replaced, be it availability of parts. Age etc,

Regards articulated shovels, avoid matbro and terex, nothing but bad experience with them, awkward to work in tight gaps. Regardless of people saying getting used to them., nothing as maneuverable as the four wheel steer , or skid steer , although telescopic not an option on most kramers or skids

trg

Hey, I imagine all weights are different but would it be possible to drive over cattle slats with a skidsteer?
We have one big calf pen at the back of cubicle house, can't get near it with tractor so always cleaned with pike & Barrow, takes for ever so you end up leaving a build up, clearly not ideal.
Skidsteer could get there but would need to drive on slats. Seems to me that it should be fine as it, with a load of dung, would not be much heavier than a couple cows. What ye think?
We have a bucket for tractor loader, would that work on skidsteer?
Lastly, if the slats aren't a problem would there be a scraper type attachment that goes on the skidsteer to scrape out the passage? Time getting scarce now & been thinking about automatic scraper but skidsteer would speed up the process.
They're only 2 uses, I imagine there would be loads if it arrived, only have tine grab for pit unfortunately.

delaval

trg wrote: »

Hey, I imagine all weights are different but would it be possible to drive over cattle slats with a skidsteer?
We have one big calf pen at the back of cubicle house, can't get near it with tractor so always cleaned with pike & Barrow, takes for ever so you end up leaving a build up, clearly not ideal.
Skidsteer could get there but would need to drive on slats. Seems to me that it should be fine as it, with a load of dung, would not be much heavier than a couple cows. What ye think?
We have a bucket for tractor loader, would that work on skidsteer?
Lastly, if the slats aren't a problem would there be a scraper type attachment that goes on the skidsteer to scrape out the passage? Time getting scarce now & been thinking about automatic scraper but skidsteer would speed up the process.
They're only 2 uses, I imagine there would be loads if it arrived, only have tine grab for pit unfortunately.

My view is that because its so narrow with solid wheels the weight would really be concentrated on the slats.

With a tractor the weight is spread more.

Btw I drive over slats with a loader to bed one shed daily, right or wrong?

Zr105

It would depend, there are tractor slats but even they bend with a bit of weight, not sure what the ordinary ones are like?

Could be wrong but i think the tractor slats are supposed to be able to take a 6or 7 ton load?

Sharpshooter82

Always do be wary of driving on slats with tractors