Exactly what I learned to operate in the 70s. The clutches are different than hydrostatic for sure. You can "coast" downhill and exceed safe operating speed quite easily! Also, I think they're more likely to tip forward with a load as your traveling and trying to slow down. I clearly remember being thrown from the operator seat as I was approaching a dump truck with a bucket full of broken asphalt. I was lifting the arms and braking (probably traveling too fast). I landed between the raised bucket and the front chassis. Scared the crap out of me and I was lucky the machine was stopped by the side of the dump truck or it would have run me over! I also remember chunks of material falling out of the bucket on those machines if you didn't level the bucket when lifting. No ROPS so that stuff would land on the plate over the peddles or in your lap. Be careful in 600 series. Or any skid loader for that matter...
I have a 610 like yours and a 630 (hydrostat), so can you give you some ideas on how they differ from hydrostat machines, what they can do, and what to watch for on them.
I don't know your year, but you can call a Bobcat dealer and they will be able to tell you.
Belt driven skid steers seem less powerful (in terms of torque while digging) than the hydrostat counterparts. However they tend to be more forgiving and less jumpy than the hydrostats if clutches are adjusted right- you just have to get to know the feel of the levers for those "rolling stops". The statements about no brake are definitely true so you learn to drop the bucket when you want to stop. You will find the speed shift lever on the left, but I generally keep at low speed as it can get pretty bumpy at higher speeds.
Since it sat out so long, check whether your Bob-Tach levers are frozen up or not- mine were frozen up with rust. You'll want to check whether the drive belt has excessive wear or cracking (again from sitting out) because they can cause some damage to oil lines or even the driven sheave if they break while turning. The integral steel fuel tank is subject to rusting and exposed at end of machine so check it for rust. The bushings on the steering levers can get pretty worn, but seem like a bear to fix so check them because with extreme wear they can lock forward. They have an auxillary control pedal but the lines for auxillary hookup were optional. the steering clutches are adjustable from a nut on the outside of the machine.
The Wisconsin VH4Ds are pretty small and simple- the biggest problem I have seen is the mechanical fuel pump and carb- mine tends to vapor lock after you run it for a while and some people convert to electrical fuel pumps or insulate the fuel lines. Make sure the cooling fin shields are on the engine since it is air cooled. The exposed muffler also tends to rust but are easily accessible. The charging systems on them aren't the greatest so I charge my battery when not in use.
I've used mine for snow removal and small jobs, and it works great.
