how strong is a skid steer??

[sikgq]

Hey all, Im new to this, I have recently bought a bobcat s130 just to use for around home... I dont have much experience on one... Im wanting to know how strong they are to use.. im worried about breaking it, i know it sounds silly but i just dont know.. I use it for moving dirt around, putting the 4 in 1 over tree stumps to pull out, i find sometimes it struggles doing some of the harder work. Im also wanting to know is the bucket designed to break/crack if it were to break or can you damage the actual arms on the bobcat.. Hope someone can answer my question.. Thanks..

 

[Iowa Dave]

Over 20,000 hrs with Bobcats of all sizes, and I have never "broken" anything of consequence. Wore a lot of stuff out, like pins (grease them ALL THE TIME and they won't wear out),and every mechanical thing you can imagine--but you will not "break" anything. The machine will do a nosedive if you try to pick up too much, not break. I suppose without good common sense you could theoretically spring the bucket or arms, but it ain't gonna happen. Go slow, use your head, carry loads low, and don't get too sure of yourself too soon and you will be fine. Owner-operators never BREAK stuff anyway. Employees working in a system where they are not held accountable break stuff and not always by accident. The machine will show you its limits before you crack it up. Bobcats, with some common sense, are indestructible. Be safe and enjoy!

 

[Tazza]

Over 20,000 hrs with Bobcats of all sizes, and I have never "broken" anything of consequence. Wore a lot of stuff out, like pins (grease them ALL THE TIME and they won't wear out),and every mechanical thing you can imagine--but you will not "break" anything. The machine will do a nosedive if you try to pick up too much, not break. I suppose without good common sense you could theoretically spring the bucket or arms, but it ain't gonna happen. Go slow, use your head, carry loads low, and don't get too sure of yourself too soon and you will be fine. Owner-operators never BREAK stuff anyway. Employees working in a system where they are not held accountable break stuff and not always by accident. The machine will show you its limits before you crack it up. Bobcats, with some common sense, are indestructible. Be safe and enjoy!

You say you want to pull stumps with a 4 in 1 bucket, remember the machine only has about 1 - 1.5tonne of lifting force it can apply when you grab hold of the stump. Don't expect it to simply pop it out of the ground. If possible, cut the trees a few metres above the ground to give you leverage. Grab hold up high and drive forward and backwards to try and free the roots up a little bit.
I agree with Iowa Dave, the machine will not simply break if you are sensible. Don't plow into dirt or trees, it will damage you and the machine, just go easy. Sure, things can go wrong for no reason, but keep it greased and don't abuse it. If you are being flung around the cab, you know you are driving it a little hard.

 

[Kermode]

You say you want to pull stumps with a 4 in 1 bucket, remember the machine only has about 1 - 1.5tonne of lifting force it can apply when you grab hold of the stump. Don't expect it to simply pop it out of the ground. If possible, cut the trees a few metres above the ground to give you leverage. Grab hold up high and drive forward and backwards to try and free the roots up a little bit.
I agree with Iowa Dave, the machine will not simply break if you are sensible. Don't plow into dirt or trees, it will damage you and the machine, just go easy. Sure, things can go wrong for no reason, but keep it greased and don't abuse it. If you are being flung around the cab, you know you are driving it a little hard.

You will be beat up long before your machine will be. Lots of grease and you should have no problems. You might be a little optimistic about pulling stumps with a 130. It depends on your definition of "stump" I guess.

 

[xcmark]

You will be beat up long before your machine will be. Lots of grease and you should have no problems. You might be a little optimistic about pulling stumps with a 130. It depends on your definition of "stump" I guess.

forks will work better for stumps. Put the forks about 8" apart , point them down and drive then in and tilt to snap roots. Do that a few times around the base it will make much less mess of the area. Dont expect to grab a 20" wide stump and get that out , your S130 has limitations. have fun , you really will never hurt the machine just keep it greased and do all the PM work and it will last a long time!

 

[jklingel]

forks will work better for stumps. Put the forks about 8" apart , point them down and drive then in and tilt to snap roots. Do that a few times around the base it will make much less mess of the area. Dont expect to grab a 20" wide stump and get that out , your S130 has limitations. have fun , you really will never hurt the machine just keep it greased and do all the PM work and it will last a long time!

Just be careful using forks to dig out stumps. You can bend them pretty easily if you are not careful. Don't try to "pick" immovable objects (stumps, roots) with the tips, unless you are slow and careful. Full bore, and you can bend forks. Keep the forces as close to the 90 degree bend in the forks, not the tips. I made a simple J-hook that slips over the forks; it tears out roots real well, and keeps the forces where they should be. If you want pictures, let me know or search in the home-made area for root ripper. Enjoy your machine.