OT- skidsteers?

I'm not sure you can find a decent one for $6K. The track machines are nice but those tracks can cost a lot on money when they wear out.

I've never owned of operated a Posi-Trac. I do know several people that have and they didn't really like them. We've got a couple of New Holland wheeled machines (LS160 and LS180) and are well pleased with them.

A friend of mine has a Bobcat and I don't like it at all. It's not balanced nearly as well as the New Holland, can't see behind you as well as the New Holland, and is a pain to work on and service.

I worked for a skid steer dealer for 10 years and worked on all brands. I  found the easiest to serevice was Bobcat. You open up the tail gate and can get to the battery and all your filters except for the larger machines then you had to flip up the cab which is two 1/2 nuts to get to hyd. filter. I personally wouldn't own a track machine unless it is under warrenty. They can get very expensive to fix very fast. The most common problem is drive motor failure.  When they fail they can contaminate the complete hyd system. We had to wash and flush out all the lines put in a new oil coller as well as the motor and repair or replace the hydro pump. I seen a few of the bills and they were up around 10k. The bad thing is that you know that it will be back sometime with the same problem.     Matt

i think JD is making everything so it does catch fire!! that way they can sell more machines!! my insurance man says the insurance industry is really looking over all the brands that have the poly fuel tanks mounted where they are!

I wouldn't go with a tracked machine as they get very expensive to repair as stated. The rubber tracks wear quickly if used on hard surfaces at all, and can also get punctured and tear.
Go with a rubber tired machine and then get steel over the tire tracks if needed. The steel tracks will take a beating and can easily come off to give you rubber tires for use on hard surfaces. 

Posi-trac is the same as ASV. Cat owned part of them for a while but not sure if they do any more. They use the Perkins diesels from Cat and Cat used their track system. The old ones were tough but hard to service. Newer ones are going to be more than 6k unless they have a million hours on them. If you buy a Case avoid the XT series as they were a lot of problems. A landscaper friend of mine had one and hated it bad enough to trade it back in on a new 1845C. He has had rubber tracks on the 1845 most of it's life and has had problems for the last 5 or so years with breaking drive chains, at least 1 or more per year.
 If I needed a tracked machine I think I would spend the extra money to get a dedicated track machine as they are built heavier for the extra abuse.

BTW I would't be using it on any hard surface in the forseeable future. Just cleaning calf pens, picking rock, hauling wood and other small tasks. Maybe moving snow.

Matt (Jordan,MN) wrote: I forgot to say if your going to be useing it in the winter go with  a tired machine. A track machine doesn't have much traction on ice or snow. You will go sliding all over. I have been there and done that.  All the landscapers aound here owned tired machines with steel or rubber over tire tracks. Once winter came they brought them in and we pulled the tracks off so they could plow show.    Matt

Really? I'll have to ask my friend and neighbor. He does excavator work, has a sand pit and does snow removal for the city of Hayfield and has both tracked and wheeled Cat skidders. He's one who told me to go with a tracked machine. I never paid attention to what he used for pushing snow.