I'm looking to buy a skid steer for personal use. I'm curious at how many hours so the components such as a drive motor fail, the tandem drive pump, the hydraulic pumps... etc. I fully understand it also in how you use the machine and maintain it. It's just a big investment and I don't want to start throwing money at something you're making payments on. Thank you
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There is no rhyme or reason to component life. I have seen motors or pumps puke at 500 hours. Then there is our S220 that went 14,000 hours before a drive motor failed. Generally speaking, wheeled machines have very few component problems.
Dan, what has your experience been with the tracked machines? I know they're higher maintenance, but what fails, and when?
So a 5 year old bobcat with 3000hrs on it.... I should be good for a couple of years before a major repair... or is it just luck of the draw?
SkidRoe
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Are you sighting an example, or are you looking at such a machine? Who owned it and what was it used for?
For track machines, the undercarriage is your big added expense. Tracks, sprockets, idlers and rollers. One thing nice with Bobcat is the idlers have no set life span, one goes, just replace that one. Depending when you replace tracks, probably figure replacing sprockets too. track unit drive motors do have a click higher failure rate then wheeled units do. Still not high enough to scare me. As for a a five year old skidsteer with 3,000 hours, that tells me nothing. It could have been babied and over maintained and look brand new. Or a concrete company had it and pounded the living piss out. Hours don't mean anything if I don't know what kind of hours they were. Our 20,000 hour S220 which weren't the easiest hours out there is in better shape then my buddies 4,000 hour T300.
Yeah thats true... 20,000 hrs wow! Just normal maintenance? As for tracks... I know with heavy equipment the if the chains are warn the sprockets are warn.... and if you change one and not the other.... it will wear prematurely... the new chain will wear to the old sprocket or the new sprocket will wear to the old chain.... its all about the pitch of the chain matching the pitch of the sprocket. And keep in mind that's heavy equipment... I wouldn't think that track skid steers would be too far off... Keep proper tension on the track! As an individual looking to buy a skid steer, a tire machine makes more scene to me. The tire machine will be cheaper than the track equivalent with the initial investment... also tracks and undercarriage parts are more expensive than tires and rims(but you might get more life out of tracks). Another issue for me.... is I have read on other forums that track machines don't work well in the snow... weather this is true or not I don't know it's just what I have read. Oh and one more thought... why don't track type skid steers have steel tracks?
reaperman
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First off steel tracks on a skidsteer would be very heavy compared to rubber. You would need quit a bit more power to turn them. The life of a rubber track varies on usage. I think 1500 hours on a set would be considered a fair life in the construction world. Then your shelling out approx. $3000 for another set. The tread wear on the track isnt the only place tracks wear out. Its also the center/underside "links" that the sprocket uses to drive the machine forward or reverse. These "links" can tear out, and when that happens, the sprocket starts to rip the underside of the track each time that bad link runs across the drive sprocket. The majority if not all torn tracks I've seen over the years get ruined this way. Bald tracks aren't like bald tires, you can still run them as long as you wish as long as the sprocket will drive them. Yes tracks aren't the best choice in snow. But they will work. There is just so much rubber in contact with the slippery snow and ice to get the best traction. You see a lot of wheel bobcats with tire chains on in the winter. Because chains give you better traction than rubber, and tires give you better traction than tracks in snow. It sounds like your doing your homework which is good. Its always good to be a informed buyer. I know its a bit overwhelming trying to find a machine you want to spend more time using than fixing. These are spendy little toys so we want to make sure the investment is a wise one. For homeowner use, stick with a tire machine. Be leery of a freshly painted machine. If you like fresh paint, have it done after you buy it. Id stay clear of a older gas machine, stick with a diesel. And keep us posted, good luck
As a professional mechanic, I know that ALL parts are susceptible to failure at some point, but I also believe that these same parts can last a very long depending on how you use them. If you allow any machine / engine to warm up, it will easily last much longer than another one that is not warmed up prior to use. Most mechanical things of this type fall into type of scenario. Now take into consideration of the preventative (not just the repair / breakdown) maintenance it has gotten over its life span. That will tell you how it was "LOVED" versus used to pile up / move dirt. I pay less attention to the hour meter & year of manufacture compared to how the machine actually runs. In all honesty, the age & hour meter reading help to the buyer manage a lower purchase price AND it helps determine when to service it. Your question really centers around an unanswerable riddle! For example, when do you replace the water pump, thermostat or fan clutch or a truck? These parts are all known to fail at some point, but who changes them before the fail? Then, ask yourself, who changes them prematurely in order to avoid those type of related failures or possibly larger repair bills?? Your question is actually a very, very good one, but it is also one that is not easily answered. I will caution you to only buy a machine that you feel comfortable with owning. Try to remember that pretty machines don't make anymore money than a ugly one. To me, the mechanical condition is everything to me; cosmetics are simply a bonus!! As soon as you buy one, perform a complete service on it; change ALL of the filters & fluids before pressing it into hard / everyday service! Good luck on your selection!!
Alrighty... I took the plung.... I even got my wife to give me the thumbs up. I bought a 2011 Bobcat S205 with 3300 hrs on it from Bobcat of Brantford. My biggest concern was the hours and what the machine was used for, also I wasn't able to see the machine because its 16hrs away. The salesman told me the machine was used buy a local farmer and took really good care of it. He sent me more detailed pictures, and the machine looks great! No dents or major scratches, the machine truly looks like the previous owner looked after it. The buying process was very easy, he answered all.... ALL my questions, I had like 20+ of them. Maybe I was a little obsessive with the questioning BUT this is a large investment, I don't buy equipment, and I needed to cover all my bases. The salesman took the time to answer my questions and even explained the servicing they did to the machine when they got it. I sent him an email at 5 in the morning with a couple more questions.... HE EMAILED ME BACK WITHIN 15min.... WOW!!! I had a number in my head of what I wanted to pay for the machine and the number the salesman told me he wanted for the machine was right on! Now I had another little problem... the machine was in Brandford and I live in Thunder Bay Ontario... Its at lest 16hr drive. Not a problem they even set me up with a shipping company to deliver the machine AND the price was less than the number that I had picked. Bobcat of Brantford was awesome.... very knowledgeable about there product, knew what I needed in a machine, told me that "all the bells and whistles" are nice BUT as an owner using a machine for personal use weren't necessary. I look forward to dealing with them again. When buying a machine do your homework, read the forums, watch YouTube videos, read articles on the internet... figure out what you want and what you need there is a difference. I made a list of questions.... a long list but if you don't know you have to ask. Figure out what components wear and their cost... this will give you an idea of what it cost to maintain the machine for the long term. All in all I feel good about my purchase, its going to a good home and I Hope I get some seat time in it.... long story but my wife has more seat time in our riding mower than I do... I think the Bobcat will be the same. Thanks for all your input and support!
