Skid Steer Purchase

[Armadillo79]

Morning! First post here!

I am looking to purchase a used but new to me tracked skid steer. This will be my first. I've never owned one. I'm a firefighter with 14 years concrete construction background looking to do side work.

Currently looking a a few different options.
2015 John Deere 329e - 3440hrs - $33k
2014 John Deere 323e - 2850hrs - $32k
2018 John Deere 325G - 3500hrs - $36k
2012 - Bobcat T750 - 2900hrs - $34k
2008 - Bobcat T300 - 3980hrs - $24k
2014 - Bobcat T770 - 2500hrs - $36k
2014 - Cat 289D - 3496hrs - $35k
2019 - Cat 259D - 22320hrs - $32k
2008 Takeuchi TL240 - 3800hrs - $23k

All appear to be in good shape. All are joystick controls with enclosed cab w/ heat and a/c.

All have aux hydro, and I believe all are 2 speed.

I have really only ever run Cat equipment (289d and 299d2) owned by the company I worked for and very little John Deere 333G.

I have no real preference on brand. Currently leaning towards the 289d, 323e, or 329e.

Only real criteria is being able to lift and move 2500-3000lbs. Will be used for general construction, grading, remove and replace concrete, etc.

Just looking for input from people who have used them.

Thank you in advance!

 

[brdgbldr]

Morning! First post here!

I am looking to purchase a used but new to me tracked skid steer. This will be my first. I've never owned one. I'm a firefighter with 14 years concrete construction background looking to do side work.

Currently looking a a few different options.
2015 John Deere 329e - 3440hrs - $33k
2014 John Deere 323e - 2850hrs - $32k
2018 John Deere 325G - 3500hrs - $36k
2012 - Bobcat T750 - 2900hrs - $34k
2008 - Bobcat T300 - 3980hrs - $24k
2014 - Bobcat T770 - 2500hrs - $36k
2014 - Cat 289D - 3496hrs - $35k
2019 - Cat 259D - 22320hrs - $32k
2008 Takeuchi TL240 - 3800hrs - $23k

All appear to be in good shape. All are joystick controls with enclosed cab w/ heat and a/c.

All have aux hydro, and I believe all are 2 speed.

I have really only ever run Cat equipment (289d and 299d2) owned by the company I worked for and very little John Deere 333G.

I have no real preference on brand. Currently leaning towards the 289d, 323e, or 329e.

Only real criteria is being able to lift and move 2500-3000lbs. Will be used for general construction, grading, remove and replace concrete, etc.

Just looking for input from people who have used them.

Thank you in advance!

One thing to look at is maintenance. In other words, how close are you to a dealer? Can the parts be bought online? How available are the parts?

I am a Bobcat fan but they are difficult to work on if you need the Bobcat software since they do not want to share it. There are however a few companies out there that you can buy it from. This however isn't a problem if you plan on having a dealer do major work on the machine.

Also, some of the newer Bobcats have had some issues that have still not been worked out.

 

[mrbb]

well, I'm not going to pick any of your provided machines,as to be its an impossible thing to do based on just "X" model and price!
there is so much more to consider than just that info when looking at machines IMO!

SO, not sure if you want this info or not, but will add in in case, its what I tend to use to break down how I look at used equipment I am considering!

SO??
IMO< all brands have pros and cons
so I never get hung up on "X" Brand when buying a used machine
the number 1 thing IMO when buying, honestly is dealer support NEAREST you
what brands are close to you, and what is the reputation of the dealers of them near you!

this can make or break fixing it when it goes down!
SO, its way better you buy something you have good support for, than a brand you don't!
after dealer support, I look hard at condition,

to determine condition I use are as follows,
I look closely at all grease fittings, and pins and bushings, do they look like they were greased often, or, just recently for the sale!, are they loose or tight?
same with engine bay and if possible lift cab and look under it (belly pan full of stuff, or was it recently cleaned) just in general look as to how clean or dirty things look, was it cleaned often, or just again for the sale?

then inspect hoses, as there getting very costly these days, so better condition there in , less likely they will soon need to be replaced!
next look for new welds to boom, and or any where, broken weld, IMO tend to indicate a person operator was beating on machine on a regular basis!

and on all tracked machines, looking at track system for wear and tear,
its NEVER a bad idea to price wear and tear parts in advance, and compare brands , again with dealer support near you, not all drive systems are the same or cost the same on parts!

 

[haymaker]

well, I'm not going to pick any of your provided machines,as to be its an impossible thing to do based on just "X" model and price!
there is so much more to consider than just that info when looking at machines IMO!

SO, not sure if you want this info or not, but will add in in case, its what I tend to use to break down how I look at used equipment I am considering!

SO??
IMO< all brands have pros and cons
so I never get hung up on "X" Brand when buying a used machine
the number 1 thing IMO when buying, honestly is dealer support NEAREST you
what brands are close to you, and what is the reputation of the dealers of them near you!

this can make or break fixing it when it goes down!
SO, its way better you buy something you have good support for, than a brand you don't!
after dealer support, I look hard at condition,

to determine condition I use are as follows,
I look closely at all grease fittings, and pins and bushings, do they look like they were greased often, or, just recently for the sale!, are they loose or tight?
same with engine bay and if possible lift cab and look under it (belly pan full of stuff, or was it recently cleaned) just in general look as to how clean or dirty things look, was it cleaned often, or just again for the sale?

then inspect hoses, as there getting very costly these days, so better condition there in , less likely they will soon need to be replaced!
next look for new welds to boom, and or any where, broken weld, IMO tend to indicate a person operator was beating on machine on a regular basis!

and on all tracked machines, looking at track system for wear and tear,
its NEVER a bad idea to price wear and tear parts in advance, and compare brands , again with dealer support near you, not all drive systems are the same or cost the same on parts!

I'm sorry I have to laugh just a bit mrbb. You are right price compare wear parts prices, but we all know when you go to buy them next year they might be twice as much or unavailable.
The more machines of your choice out there the more likely you will be able to get OEM parts longer and more aftermarket parts should be available.

 

[mrbb]

I'm sorry I have to laugh just a bit mrbb. You are right price compare wear parts prices, but we all know when you go to buy them next year they might be twice as much or unavailable.
The more machines of your choice out there the more likely you will be able to get OEM parts longer and more aftermarket parts should be available.

HAHA, yes prices sure can change fast these days, but even if prices jump on "X" parts, they tend to jump up in price on all brands
so I still stand by what I said

and agree , models that sell more, May hove more parts down the road, as well as more used ones for parts maybe
but that doesn't mean its a better deal
a beat up machine is just that, and poor dealer support near you, can add up to a lot of down time and shipping costs on parts!
not to mention poor advice or repair work your driving farther yo get if, you don;'t do your won repairs!
and as I said , this is just food for thought to consider before getting hooked on any "X model or brand

there are good and bad of all models and brands, and they all have loyal customers, just as well as they also have folks that dis like"X brand and had nothing but bad experiences

so, to me its back to how the machine was used and cared for or not , and a good local dealer, over picking "X model and brand!
prices vary from location to location too, so what is a good price in my area might not be in your area, for more to think about!

best of luck to you, and I hope you post back what you end up with!`

 

[haymaker]

I have 2 Bobcat dealers 20 minutes away. They are parts changers.
I use the dealer 95 miles away when I really need something done.
We all know why.

 

[mrbb]

I have 2 Bobcat dealers 20 minutes away. They are parts changers.
I use the dealer 95 miles away when I really need something done.
We all know why.

Yup NOT all dealers are the same quality for sure! some are just plain terrible and rely I think on big company's that don't care what things cost
or sure don't seem to be worried about the average guy!or a returning small time customer!

 

[Armadillo79]

Thanks for all the replys and useful information! I've actually found a deere 325g I'm hoping to make a deal on. 3500 hours. 1200 hours which it sat and ran a hydro concrete saw. Clean machine, good tracks. Looks to be very well maintained. I have a deere dealer within 15 minutes that has really good reviews. Also 3 others within about 45 minutes to a hour. I haven't ruled anything out yet so we'll see what happens. Only downfall is does probably have a decent amount of idle time.