Need some input on getting right skid

[playerone]

Been looking around and would appreciate some input on what kind of skid would fit my needs.
I'm looking to upgrade to something that would be able to do the following.
Light landscaping
Snowblowing
Wood processor
Augor
And more but those would be the main use case.
Wood processor probably being the heaviest task.
would prefer a track skid, standard/high flow
90s to early 2000s to stay in my price rang, reliable and easy to work on. Any recommendations? Thanks

 

[mrbb]

Been looking around and would appreciate some input on what kind of skid would fit my needs.
I'm looking to upgrade to something that would be able to do the following.
Light landscaping
Snowblowing
Wood processor
Augor
And more but those would be the main use case.
Wood processor probably being the heaviest task.
would prefer a track skid, standard/high flow
90s to early 2000s to stay in my price rang, reliable and easy to work on. Any recommendations? Thanks

first off welcome to the site
NEXT, to be honest, before you buy anything or consider any machine, think about what your demands are going to be for GPM flow on the implements your planning to use, many snow blowers, need High flow, and what HIGH flow means NOW as to back in the 90's , are two different things, modern machines these days can have huge gains in GPM and that means they can handle and run implements older high flows cannot

SO< knowing what sized implements you will be using, can be a huge part of what machine to even consider, or not too!

then, next is you want an older machine, this is going to be the hard part maybe, as finding good condition older machines is getting harder and harder, then add in your I gather going to want one to be close to you to go look at,
then add in many older machines are bringing top dollar, even not in the best of shape, but seller THINKS it is!
some older machines also, are not the most easy to work on, flip cabs' and or in general
track systems improved a bunch over the yrs
which brings up tracked machines, like all things, PRO"S and CON"S
most tracked machines SUCK in snow, they typically have dirt tracks on them, which suck in snow, so if your plowing/blowing in hilly terrain, your not going to be that happy,

DIRT tires are also poor in snow, but its typically easier to add things like chains to them, to solve that(but chains also can damage driveways or road surfaces) and you can also get snow tires for winter work!, they will be cheaper then buying a second set of tracks for winter use, as they do make tracks better suited for snow work, but they wear much faster using them in dirt work, most larger snow plow comopanys I know, swap tracks for winter and then back for summer
a set of tracks is more cost
Pro's and con's

SO< Next and maybe first to consider is dealer brand support in your area, this can be a huge thing, more than one thinks, as when a machine goes down in snow season, speed of getting back up and running is money your loosing or making!(no if your fixing things yourself, its NOT as important, but good dealers near by is still; worth having, there experience can be hue at times as well as just having parts in stock, as to having to order everything)


so having good dealer support is a big thing to consider when looking at BRANDS, and what one's to maybe look harder for, and ones to leave out!
as for size of machine, I'm going to say your going to want one in the higher HP range and weight class, most higher HP will have higher flow rates, and will handle heavier snowblowers easier!
not really needed for post hole
and or pending what type of wood processing your going to be doing, higher HP means more fuel per hr, so, pros and con;'s again!

back to brands/makes or models
since you buying used, this honestly comes down to the machine that meets your FLOW requirements, lift requirements for your implements, and from there, it really comes down to what is available in your area and is in GOOD shape
there are NO BAD machines really and there is no BEST machine
condition and maintenance that was done or NOT done , matter more than brand!
and this will be determined only by what is for sale near you
which takes things IMO again, back to dealer support, look first for brands with good dealers in your area, and scan away
go look at things you feel are worth looking at, if you DON"T have experience on what to look for or questions to ask, , take some one that does, can save you a lot of $$$ , two sets of eyes always better than one!

I also suggest asking what the machine was used for , some will be honest,many won't, more so these days than ever! sellers these days lie right to you, even folks you wouldn;t think they would!
money is what matters anymore, not reputation for being honest or fair sadly!
scammers every where any more!
and keep in mind, hour meters can be altered swapped or broken , so don;'t use that as a main tool to determine use on them !

SO, how a machine was used or abused matters, certain jobs are just way harder on them than others, so knowing this info can help eliminate some for you(back to knowing someone that knows what to look for and ask)

Once you FIND a few you think are GOOD< THEN do some deeper research on how easy or difficult they are to do basic's, change fluids, lift cab and so on, there all going to be different here!
they can all be easy in one area and poorer in others, ,as again, ain't no BEST make model! , engenders seem to love to make some things simple and other super hard just to be jerks! HAHA!

and even if there was a so called BEST, there may not be any in your area for sale, or owners might be asking crazy prices , due to its the so called BEST, so not worth it really!

you can also, once you find some you like, come back here and ask more detailed questions on the models/yr and so on!

Hope this helps some

 

[playerone]

first off welcome to the site
NEXT, to be honest, before you buy anything or consider any machine, think about what your demands are going to be for GPM flow on the implements your planning to use, many snow blowers, need High flow, and what HIGH flow means NOW as to back in the 90's , are two different things, modern machines these days can have huge gains in GPM and that means they can handle and run implements older high flows cannot

SO< knowing what sized implements you will be using, can be a huge part of what machine to even consider, or not too!

then, next is you want an older machine, this is going to be the hard part maybe, as finding good condition older machines is getting harder and harder, then add in your I gather going to want one to be close to you to go look at,
then add in many older machines are bringing top dollar, even not in the best of shape, but seller THINKS it is!
some older machines also, are not the most easy to work on, flip cabs' and or in general
track systems improved a bunch over the yrs
which brings up tracked machines, like all things, PRO"S and CON"S
most tracked machines SUCK in snow, they typically have dirt tracks on them, which suck in snow, so if your plowing/blowing in hilly terrain, your not going to be that happy,

DIRT tires are also poor in snow, but its typically easier to add things like chains to them, to solve that(but chains also can damage driveways or road surfaces) and you can also get snow tires for winter work!, they will be cheaper then buying a second set of tracks for winter use, as they do make tracks better suited for snow work, but they wear much faster using them in dirt work, most larger snow plow comopanys I know, swap tracks for winter and then back for summer
a set of tracks is more cost
Pro's and con's

SO< Next and maybe first to consider is dealer brand support in your area, this can be a huge thing, more than one thinks, as when a machine goes down in snow season, speed of getting back up and running is money your loosing or making!(no if your fixing things yourself, its NOT as important, but good dealers near by is still; worth having, there experience can be hue at times as well as just having parts in stock, as to having to order everything)


so having good dealer support is a big thing to consider when looking at BRANDS, and what one's to maybe look harder for, and ones to leave out!
as for size of machine, I'm going to say your going to want one in the higher HP range and weight class, most higher HP will have higher flow rates, and will handle heavier snowblowers easier!
not really needed for post hole
and or pending what type of wood processing your going to be doing, higher HP means more fuel per hr, so, pros and con;'s again!

back to brands/makes or models
since you buying used, this honestly comes down to the machine that meets your FLOW requirements, lift requirements for your implements, and from there, it really comes down to what is available in your area and is in GOOD shape
there are NO BAD machines really and there is no BEST machine
condition and maintenance that was done or NOT done , matter more than brand!
and this will be determined only by what is for sale near you
which takes things IMO again, back to dealer support, look first for brands with good dealers in your area, and scan away
go look at things you feel are worth looking at, if you DON"T have experience on what to look for or questions to ask, , take some one that does, can save you a lot of $$$ , two sets of eyes always better than one!

I also suggest asking what the machine was used for , some will be honest,many won't, more so these days than ever! sellers these days lie right to you, even folks you wouldn;t think they would!
money is what matters anymore, not reputation for being honest or fair sadly!
scammers every where any more!
and keep in mind, hour meters can be altered swapped or broken , so don;'t use that as a main tool to determine use on them !

SO, how a machine was used or abused matters, certain jobs are just way harder on them than others, so knowing this info can help eliminate some for you(back to knowing someone that knows what to look for and ask)

Once you FIND a few you think are GOOD< THEN do some deeper research on how easy or difficult they are to do basic's, change fluids, lift cab and so on, there all going to be different here!
they can all be easy in one area and poorer in others, ,as again, ain't no BEST make model! , engenders seem to love to make some things simple and other super hard just to be jerks! HAHA!

and even if there was a so called BEST, there may not be any in your area for sale, or owners might be asking crazy prices , due to its the so called BEST, so not worth it really!

you can also, once you find some you like, come back here and ask more detailed questions on the models/yr and so on!

Hope this helps some

Thank you! This well very well thought out, with a lot of key points I hadn't considered. Amazing reply and explanation I came to the right forum!

 

[adamk1]

one of the biggest things to consider is what will the machine be used for 90% of the time. I would buy more on that and then rent the rest of the time. when I first started out with my pt30 (48") wide machine I was doing parking lots I had no business doing with that small a machine. it is easier to have the right size for the 90% and then rent or fight for the 10%.

 

[Landenh18]

first off welcome to the site
NEXT, to be honest, before you buy anything or consider any machine, think about what your demands are going to be for GPM flow on the implements your planning to use, many snow blowers, need High flow, and what HIGH flow means NOW as to back in the 90's , are two different things, modern machines these days can have huge gains in GPM and that means they can handle and run implements older high flows cannot

SO< knowing what sized implements you will be using, can be a huge part of what machine to even consider, or not too!

then, next is you want an older machine, this is going to be the hard part maybe, as finding good condition older machines is getting harder and harder, then add in your I gather going to want one to be close to you to go look at,
then add in many older machines are bringing top dollar, even not in the best of shape, but seller THINKS it is!
some older machines also, are not the most easy to work on, flip cabs' and or in general
track systems improved a bunch over the yrs
which brings up tracked machines, like all things, PRO"S and CON"S
most tracked machines SUCK in snow, they typically have dirt tracks on them, which suck in snow, so if your plowing/blowing in hilly terrain, your not going to be that happy,

DIRT tires are also poor in snow, but its typically easier to add things like chains to them, to solve that(but chains also can damage driveways or road surfaces) and you can also get snow tires for winter work!, they will be cheaper then buying a second set of tracks for winter use, as they do make tracks better suited for snow work, but they wear much faster using them in dirt work, most larger snow plow comopanys I know, swap tracks for winter and then back for summer
a set of tracks is more cost
Pro's and con's

SO< Next and maybe first to consider is dealer brand support in your area, this can be a huge thing, more than one thinks, as when a machine goes down in snow season, speed of getting back up and running is money your loosing or making!(no if your fixing things yourself, its NOT as important, but good dealers near by is still; worth having, there experience can be hue at times as well as just having parts in stock, as to having to order everything)


so having good dealer support is a big thing to consider when looking at BRANDS, and what one's to maybe look harder for, and ones to leave out!
as for size of machine, I'm going to say your going to want one in the higher HP range and weight class, most higher HP will have higher flow rates, and will handle heavier snowblowers easier!
not really needed for post hole
and or pending what type of wood processing your going to be doing, higher HP means more fuel per hr, so, pros and con;'s again!

back to brands/makes or models
since you buying used, this honestly comes down to the machine that meets your FLOW requirements, lift requirements for your implements, and from there, it really comes down to what is available in your area and is in GOOD shape
there are NO BAD machines really and there is no BEST machine
condition and maintenance that was done or NOT done , matter more than brand!
and this will be determined only by what is for sale near you
which takes things IMO again, back to dealer support, look first for brands with good dealers in your area, and scan away
go look at things you feel are worth looking at, if you DON"T have experience on what to look for or questions to ask, , take some one that does, can save you a lot of $$$ , two sets of eyes always better than one!

I also suggest asking what the machine was used for , some will be honest,many won't, more so these days than ever! sellers these days lie right to you, even folks you wouldn;t think they would!
money is what matters anymore, not reputation for being honest or fair sadly!
scammers every where any more!
and keep in mind, hour meters can be altered swapped or broken , so don;'t use that as a main tool to determine use on them !

SO, how a machine was used or abused matters, certain jobs are just way harder on them than others, so knowing this info can help eliminate some for you(back to knowing someone that knows what to look for and ask)

Once you FIND a few you think are GOOD< THEN do some deeper research on how easy or difficult they are to do basic's, change fluids, lift cab and so on, there all going to be different here!
they can all be easy in one area and poorer in others, ,as again, ain't no BEST make model! , engenders seem to love to make some things simple and other super hard just to be jerks! HAHA!

and even if there was a so called BEST, there may not be any in your area for sale, or owners might be asking crazy prices , due to its the so called BEST, so not worth it really!

you can also, once you find some you like, come back here and ask more detailed questions on the models/yr and so on!

Hope this helps some

You don't need to buy a second set of tracks for Winter. You just need Chains for Tracks. I've got a CAT 239d with Block style tracks that are dirt tracks and they are terrible on snow. My machine is basicley a sled on any incline. But after a set of Chains I can now push snow uphill in my machine. They also only took 20 minutes for me to install. I cant imagine having to swap my tracks twice a year for winter and summer.

 

[mrbb]

You don't need to buy a second set of tracks for Winter. You just need Chains for Tracks. I've got a CAT 239d with Block style tracks that are dirt tracks and they are terrible on snow. My machine is basicley a sled on any incline. But after a set of Chains I can now push snow uphill in my machine. They also only took 20 minutes for me to install. I cant imagine having to swap my tracks twice a year for winter and summer.

how do you find these added tracks do for marking the surfaces there used on, as in pavement and concrete if you used them on it?

I am sure it depends on what type of chains are used, but just asking from your experience, have you found them to make marks or not?

and I would also like to add, since you add me to things here
That I NEVER said you had to BUY a second set of tracks!

I said, many do so , when using tracked machines for snow work, because it gets them better traction in snow and ice , over standard tracks!

I also stated that chains and carbide studs can be added to a basic track to get more traction if needed!

weight of machine will still matter here and I have Yet to see a real comparison of a liked weight machine, one having tracks, vs one with tires
then add chains to both(so this is Not me saying one is better than the other just food for thought on each design) no bash on either tracks or tires is meant here!

I see a few ways things could go EITHER way,
but a tired machine tends to be cheaper to buy, chains for tires seem cheaper to buy as well, and when you consider the way down force/pressure is on tires over tracks
tracks have less down force, ground pressure
so, if equal weighted machines,
I would sort of thing more weight would be added to tire chains over track chains!

But I would think if one WANTED too, a LOT more chains can be added to tracks for more contact and thus maybe more traction to compensate for the less ground pressure
but that would for sure add costs to things, and well, I would think add more damage to the surfaces used on!
like all things in life , there are pro's and con's!

as I said, just food for thought on set ups!
and again would like a reply on what you found using chains on tracks, with any marking or damage to concrete /pavement you may or may not have found

it just helps others too, learn what to expect, no bash here! appreciate all info , so we call can learn more!

 

[ward]

Back in the early 2000 I worked for a rental company in Virginia and we had about 20 240 John Deere skid steers in the fleet and only one set of steel over tire tracks, one of them happened to have the tracks on.
Saturday evening we got 15" of snow and the boss called and said don't bother coming in monday as over sunday evening we getting maybe15 more inches which we did, most of the guys could not get out until monday afternoon / evening so Tuesday when I arrived the shop guys were plowing snow with everything we had in the yard the unit that had the tracks would easily push snow all the way across the lot, the wheeled units had to keep backing up and getting a run so a lot of snow got carried.
The backhoes we had there did not seem to have a problem to speak of, this was a semi wet snow.