Gehl 4840 2006 model opinions?

[billy the bat]

Hi, have not been on in a while. Anyway, im looking at buying another skidsteer second hand and i currently have a Thomas T85 Which is great, but just lacking some grunt for the bigger jobs. I will still be keeping the T85 as it is a great little machine. But, i am after opnions on the Gehl 4840 2006 model. Id go for another thomas but they are hard to come by. And then i saw the gehl 4840 and for the price with the specs it is really impressive i thought. 60hp for starters and its working load is 700kg which is very impressive for the price of the second hand machine i am looking at with the hours it has. here: http://awb.industrysales.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?R=12651254&tabid=806397&Cr=12&ShowThumbnail=True&__Ns=p_StockRankSort_Int32%7c1%7c%7cp_Make_String%7c0%7c%7cp_Model_String%7c0%7c%7cp_Year_Int32%7c1%7c%7cp_StockPrice_Decimal%7c1&__No=60&__N=1552%201610%204294954682%201602&render=details&silo=1701&ResultsPerPage=0&seot=1&Location=-1&__Nne=15&SortBy=8&trecs=944&__sid=13ABBAA2947E But i dont know much about Gehls relaiabilty, parts etc.. ? are they pricey to service? So just want to get some opnion? are they lemons? Also another thing that concerned me was they have been taken over by Manitou, and i wasnt sure where that would leave me with an older model? Cheers.

 

[SkidRoe]

One thing that comes to mind is a possible difference in control layout. If memory serves me correctly, your Thomas is all hand controls, with the longitudinal stick movement controlling the drive and "transverse" stick movement controling the loader functions. I believe Gehl machines also use all hand controls, but one stick controls the drive and the other stick controls the loader functions. Somebody feel free to correct me if I am wrong here. For me, if I have 2 machines that I am going to be using a lot and switching back and forth, I would prefer that they have the same control layout. Other than that, I have heard a lot of good things about Gehl machines, but even a well designed machine is only as good as the maintenance that it recieved by its PO(s). My $0.02

 

[billy the bat]

One thing that comes to mind is a possible difference in control layout. If memory serves me correctly, your Thomas is all hand controls, with the longitudinal stick movement controlling the drive and "transverse" stick movement controling the loader functions. I believe Gehl machines also use all hand controls, but one stick controls the drive and the other stick controls the loader functions. Somebody feel free to correct me if I am wrong here. For me, if I have 2 machines that I am going to be using a lot and switching back and forth, I would prefer that they have the same control layout. Other than that, I have heard a lot of good things about Gehl machines, but even a well designed machine is only as good as the maintenance that it recieved by its PO(s). My $0.02

My thomas is not like that. the wheels are controlled by the levers. Arms and bucket tilt by my feet, and the 4 in 1 by a rocker switch on the left lever. I really like that layout, mind you probably only because i am used to it. But i agree, would be nice if they are similar. (i was using a small Kubota excavator the other day and kind of wished i could control the boom with my feet funny enough) Yeh and aslong as there is no major issues with them i am happy to buy one. And i do service my bobcat myself...even if sometimes it goe over the intervals by a few hours.

 

[Grzes]

My thomas is not like that. the wheels are controlled by the levers. Arms and bucket tilt by my feet, and the 4 in 1 by a rocker switch on the left lever. I really like that layout, mind you probably only because i am used to it. But i agree, would be nice if they are similar. (i was using a small Kubota excavator the other day and kind of wished i could control the boom with my feet funny enough) Yeh and aslong as there is no major issues with them i am happy to buy one. And i do service my bobcat myself...even if sometimes it goe over the intervals by a few hours.

I was using for a while a Bobcat 743 (borrowed) with hand/foot controls. Recently I purchased my own Gehl 4610, where left hand controls driving, and right operates the bucket and arms. It was a little awkward in the beginning, but after a few hours I got used to this set up. If you are planning to use your machines often, it shouldn't be an issue. As far as opinion, I heard a lot of good comments on Gehl. It is basically a more available version for a mid shelf clie I also used to work in the local heavy equipment shop, and we would rarely see Gehls. Most often it would be regular servicing (oils, filters) or linkage adjustment. If it required some work, Gehls are really pleasant to work with. They are designed in fashion that the components are fairly accessible, and parts were always available (either from a dealership or internet). Sometimes you can even get away with some replacements. This is one of the reasons I bought my skid steer. This 1988 unit has no leaks, and you can clearly see all the guts inside the engine compartment. Trust me, I saw some bobcats with oil/mud lakes inside. The clock shows 3500hrs, but I just moved this past Saturday 50 yards of dirt without a hassle. Like it was said before, the machine is only the technicality. 95% of the problems are user related. If you take a good care of your toys, they will pay off multiple times. My only word of caution would be to stay away from modern electronic controls. I am not saying they are bad at all, but they are costly to repair or replace.