First post - newbie questions.

[pgmrdan]

I own a piece of land that always has something that needs to be done. I have a tractor for mowing, pushing snow, etc. but I have a need to dig and move dirt, put up fencing, move and spread gravel, move mulch and ??? on occasion. Would a skid steer be appropriate for that type of work? (I've never used one so please excuse the stupid questoins.) I found a dealership nearby with used Bobcat equipment. Would a 743 be overkill, too small, or about right? If not a good choice what make and model would you recommend? I'm getting tired of using a shovel and trailer to move stuff around. A machine with a bucket that will actually dig sounds mighty nice. Thanks.

 

[OldMachinist]

Yes, a skid steer is appropiate for that kind of work and a 743 about the right size for personal use. Plus they don't have any electrionics to give you trouble.

 

[Bandit1047]

Yes, a skid steer is appropiate for that kind of work and a 743 about the right size for personal use. Plus they don't have any electrionics to give you trouble.

Skid steers are very versatile machines however they do have some drawbacks.
The machine will tear up your grass and make ruts if the ground is soft. They have no suspension so traction in mud or soft soil can be a problem and tracks can be a pain if you need to also run on a hard surface that you do not want to tear up. If you can afford a track machine, I would go for it.
If the dealer has a field where you can learn to operate and see how it does on turf, take the opportunity to see what it does.

 

[Tazza]

Skid steers are very versatile machines however they do have some drawbacks.
The machine will tear up your grass and make ruts if the ground is soft. They have no suspension so traction in mud or soft soil can be a problem and tracks can be a pain if you need to also run on a hard surface that you do not want to tear up. If you can afford a track machine, I would go for it.
If the dealer has a field where you can learn to operate and see how it does on turf, take the opportunity to see what it does.

Om hit it on the head, the 743 is a good size, it has no electronics to stop working on you. Just about all the pump and engine parts are available after market too.
That size is rated to lift about 700kg, tipping at about double that. It is the most popular sized machine. THey later moved the 7x series to S numbering that is harder to translate to the same sized machine.
They do tear up grass, but if that isn't a problem, you just smooth over it after you are done. Any skid steer when it's been wet will make a horrible mess of the ground.

 

[pgmrdan]

Om hit it on the head, the 743 is a good size, it has no electronics to stop working on you. Just about all the pump and engine parts are available after market too.
That size is rated to lift about 700kg, tipping at about double that. It is the most popular sized machine. THey later moved the 7x series to S numbering that is harder to translate to the same sized machine.
They do tear up grass, but if that isn't a problem, you just smooth over it after you are done. Any skid steer when it's been wet will make a horrible mess of the ground.

Thanks guys! This helps a lot. I called about one yesterday after I began this thread. Hours? Unknown. Broken hour meter. Engine has been rebuilt but who knows when? Could have 5,000 hours on the rebuild. Scares me away from this one but there are other 743's out there in my area so I'll keep on looking. I've seen some advertised with around 1,500 to about 2,500 hours. Is that a moderate amount? How many hours on one would scare you away? Thanks again!

 

[calypso428]

Thanks guys! This helps a lot. I called about one yesterday after I began this thread. Hours? Unknown. Broken hour meter. Engine has been rebuilt but who knows when? Could have 5,000 hours on the rebuild. Scares me away from this one but there are other 743's out there in my area so I'll keep on looking. I've seen some advertised with around 1,500 to about 2,500 hours. Is that a moderate amount? How many hours on one would scare you away? Thanks again!

Pgmrdan , check craigslist locally they sometimes have a machine for sale... I got a good deal on mine thru a local estate sale... I use mine on a farm too its a 743 . I have a pair of forks and a tooth bucket . So far ive used it for moving round bales of hay , loading and unloading pallets of minerals and feed , digging up stumps and moving brush and tree limbs around . The tires are pretty worn down so it really isn't that bad on the ground unless you turn a lot in the same spot. It is an awesome piece of equipment to have on a farm so so many uses...

 

[calypso428]

Pgmrdan , check craigslist locally they sometimes have a machine for sale... I got a good deal on mine thru a local estate sale... I use mine on a farm too its a 743 . I have a pair of forks and a tooth bucket . So far ive used it for moving round bales of hay , loading and unloading pallets of minerals and feed , digging up stumps and moving brush and tree limbs around . The tires are pretty worn down so it really isn't that bad on the ground unless you turn a lot in the same spot. It is an awesome piece of equipment to have on a farm so so many uses...

Oh and as far as hours are concerned I bought mine with 2850 and it has a strong engine still and only a couple of small leaks which are common ... Works great for what I use it for ! Ive heard some say you can get up to 6000 hours out of a well maintained engine

 

[Tazza]

Oh and as far as hours are concerned I bought mine with 2850 and it has a strong engine still and only a couple of small leaks which are common ... Works great for what I use it for ! Ive heard some say you can get up to 6000 hours out of a well maintained engine

When the Koboats get to about 6,000 hours, they are starting to feel their age. With that said, i had one with about 6,500 hours. It wasn't easy to start, but when it was going, it went all day without any issues. Just needed to get enough heat into it to get it going. Took a good 30 second glow to wake it up in the morning.

 

[pgmrdan]

When the Koboats get to about 6,000 hours, they are starting to feel their age. With that said, i had one with about 6,500 hours. It wasn't easy to start, but when it was going, it went all day without any issues. Just needed to get enough heat into it to get it going. Took a good 30 second glow to wake it up in the morning.

I found a 1997 751 online at a dealer. Looked at it Saturday. The salesman came across as a good guy; low pressure and seemed honest, took his time with me. 3,866 hours. Maybe on the high side but all-in-all it looked better than anything else I was considering and it was in my price range. It had been sitting a while but it started right up and seemed to run quite well. It's being delivered this week. For acreage maintenance it should last longer than I'll live.

 

[Tazza]

I found a 1997 751 online at a dealer. Looked at it Saturday. The salesman came across as a good guy; low pressure and seemed honest, took his time with me. 3,866 hours. Maybe on the high side but all-in-all it looked better than anything else I was considering and it was in my price range. It had been sitting a while but it started right up and seemed to run quite well. It's being delivered this week. For acreage maintenance it should last longer than I'll live.

3,600 hours is fine. My S150 has four and a bit thousand on the clock. It starts right up, no issue with power, a little so with the AC on though, but that is to be expected.