Ready to buy first used skid and need all the help I can get!

[bcontento]

I'm ready to buy our first skid steer and welcome any and all advice! Other than sitting behind the controls of a few for some small projects I am totally green when it comes to these machines.

The details of what I'm dealing with and my must-haves:

We have a small homestead in Minnesota so this will be a general use machine; moving dirt, cleaning up pastures, moving rock and fill and sand; plenty of attachment dreams like grapple auger tiller etc. hydraulic quick attach would be awesome.

Definitely looking for a machine on the smaller side to fit through pasture gates, paths, etc.

The property is pretty soft and after renting and borrowing machines, some with tracks some with tires, tracks are the only option.

In The machines I've used I am not adept at foot pedal controls so I'm definitely looking for joysticks.

Enclosed cab would be great but heat and air conditioning are not necessities.

And of course budget. I'm looking to be in a machine at or under $30k

So with all of that said what are your recommendations (brand, model, size and functionality, hours, maintenance, things to watch out for, etc)?

There's a cat 239D for sale here locally: 3800 hours for $28k. Seller says that it was used by a sod farm and then he bought it to move firewood around his property.

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[mrbb]

I am guessing you have farm experience, and with that I would expect you have an understanding of having BRAND support near by and the benefits of having "X" brand near you
with this I mean, buying brands of equipment that you have good dealer support near by
as for size of machine, from medium size l to large, there isn't much difference in width and all will fit thru any gate you can get a tractor/truck thru just fine!
larger machines, in the 8-10,000 lb range, have benefits IMO over smaller ones , if your planning on moving larger hay bales, grapple for moving larger logs or weights of other things, there just more stable with a load IMO

when looking at any used equipment, its basically all the same, you have to look at condition, if possible learn what it was used for, type of work a machine was used for matters
some things are way harder on things than others

and look really close to see if things look like they were treated well or not
do things look like they were greased often, how is the engine bay, and under carriage, is it full of debris? or looked like its clean(or did someone just clean to sell)
fresh paint can hide a lot of abuse real easy!

how are bushing, , sloppy, egged out, loose?
inside cab, look like someone cared about condition, or sloppy and rusty dirty?? floor look like its gets cleaned often, or not?

how a person some times treats the cab, reflects on what they do else where!( fluid /filter changes, air filter?? what it look like?

there are not real BAD models, or BEST models, or Best brands
when looking at used equipment, its again all about doing your part to weed thru those that were abused and used hard and few Pm's done! and so on!

and having GOOD local support to"X" brand machines you consider

and , when picking models, make sure any model you pick fits your expected MOST needs first

make sure it can handle attachments you want to use most, or down the road
make sure it has enough hydraulic flow rates, to run things has enough lift ability to handle attachments

and be honest, with what your skills are for up keeping things as to needing a dealer to do for you!

many folks like older machines,a s they have less gadgets and electrical things to go wrong and less high tech tools needed to work on them

so, again be honest with your skills to yourself before spending your money

and know what dealers in your area have a rep for being good or bad , is also a good thing to look into , not all dealers are the same!

 

[bcontento]

Excellent recommendations. Appreciate that feedback