# Skid loaders?



## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Are Bobcat skid loaders any better than their compitetion? I see New Holland and Case a lot in my neck of the woods, but I had always heard that Bobcats were the best. Just wondering what you guys that use them think.


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

That is a good question Joe, I would imagine it is the same as a discussion about which tractor is the best. I see a lot of the same thing you see and just thought maybe it is who will give them the best deal in their area. :cheers:

I wouldn't mind trying a few of them out just for fun, I could write a review on each and maybe they would even pay me for it?????
Nahhhh, it will never happen but I can dream!:wontshare


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

In my opinion Deere and Catarpillar make the best but Gehl also makes a VERY good skid steer. Take a look at them. They are reasonably priced and VERY well built.


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## farmallmaniac (Feb 16, 2004)

Only ones you see around here are deere and bobcat, sometimes a case but not very often.
Ryan


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I was wondering if there was a big price difference between Bobcat and the others, that kept them from being compared "apples to apples". You know that we often will compare Deere vs. IH or Ford vs. Chevy, but seldom Chevy vs. Rolls Royce. Since I'm totally ignorant about skid loaders and their costs, I figured I'd ask and see if One brand was much better but also much more expensive, and therefore other brands sold more because they were available at an affordable price.


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## PeteNM (Sep 18, 2003)

*The best ???*

I'm not sure just how a person would go about determining the best any more than you could with a tractor or truck. If you need one for a job, any would be the best at that time. In my opinion they are all pretty good however some will do a particular job better than another. For instance a bigger Cat won't steer as well in tight places as a Bobcat due to the way they work. But when it comes to flat out moving packed dirt in an open area, they may be hard to beat. 

Lots of opinions will come from the area a person lives in and what dealers are there. Around here there are lots more Bobcat and then Case. I've never saw a Gehl or Deere although there's probably some around. There are a few Mustang loaders that have been hauled in used from Minnesota.

Bobcat is one of the first companies to build skid steer loaders if not the first. They hold their resale value about as good as any brand and there always seems to be more of them around than the others. If you check on eBay a feeling for what's out there can be had. 

I like them all but probably have a dog in this fight since I have two Bobcats....


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Same here there are more bobcats then anything else. And really until 20 years ago all i saw was bobcats you didn't see anything else.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

My friend Jim purchased a Gehl 6635 about a year ago and has had very good luck and performance with his. I was very surprised at the price for a 6635. I believe he paid $21,000. You may not require such a large machine as the 6635 which comes with an 80 hp Deutz diesel in which case the smaller 35 series machines such as the3635 . The 3635 comes with the same engine that is in my John Deere 4410 which is the Yanmar 3TNE88 diesel. From what I saw and inspected on the 6635; they are VERY solid built.


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## Big Allis (Nov 24, 2003)

we had a case 1845c skidloader was good machine we got it used from dealer was trade in got rid of it cause fella came along n had green in his hand lol

we bin lookin at trakked skidloaders used a bobcat 200 on traks nice machine bout all skidloaders are same just service n price is wat matters plus wat controls u like i know cat and case everythings in yer hands bobcat u have foot n hand controls
joe if u are goin buy new best thng do is go 2 dealers in ter area n get info n try them out skidloader is handy machine:thumbsup:


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## MH-33 (May 5, 2004)

*Bobcat*

we have a bobcat 773 G-series skidloader with grouser tracks....that is a very nice and dependable skidloader. we also have a bobcat 751 C-series skidloader for scrapin the buildings, that skidloader needs to be traded off for us though.....very good and dependable skidloader though.


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## Ernie (Mar 18, 2004)

I . use to work on the Bobcat by Melrose back in the seventies.. They were sold thru Clark Equipment co out of Buchan
an Mich.. A very reliable machine, but like the others have said you need to try a few out to fingd one that feels right to you and if it will do the job.


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## Dakota Farm (Aug 20, 2004)

Mustang makes the JD skid loader, not sure about CaseIH or NH. Bobcat skid loaders are built in Gwinner ND. I travel for a living and by far see alot more new and used Bobcat than anything else. I am afraid if you buy a JD, you may be limiting yourself to a servicing dealer, unless you by one at a servicing dealer. Not every JD dealer can sell the JD skid loader.


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## Deerehunter (May 28, 2004)

Did Mustang always make the Deere skidsteers? thought I heard someone mention one time a few years ago that New Holland was making them?


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## balmoralboy (May 22, 2004)

Bobcats are tough little machines. They invented the category and used to own the market. They still have more attachments than anybody else.

Around here their only competition is Thomas, which are built in northern New Brunswick since about 1965, and are really aimed at the Ag market, where Bobcat are more construction and industrial. Deere and Gehl and Case came in later. All of those are 'special order only' None of their dealers have enough faith to stock one they may never sell!

They're a slick design- built with a massive hydraulic pump direct coupled to the engine and with four hydraulic motors (one on each wheel) Sort of the same design as a real Zero-turm mower. The hydraulic system also runs the cylinders for the loader part. Steering is by lever.

The only problem with them is that the hydraulics are strong enough to break things, and if the safeties aren't set up right you can blow seals and bend things pretty easily.

I wish I had one!


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## Dakota Farm (Aug 20, 2004)

You may be right about NH building skid steers for JD, John Deere is outsourcing so much anymore its hard to keep track....JD doesnt' even build the plow anymore....Yetter does that.


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## PowerView (Jul 9, 2007)

New Holland did make the JD skid steers for some time, that is why you see a similar arm design between the two. I did a lot of research before I bought mine and I ended up with the L160 New Holland. The factor that put NH above the others for me is how the bucket doesn't swing over top of the cab when you lift it (and dump a bunch of stuff on your lap). But then the JD and NH both are similar in design. And then, since I am close (physically) to New Holland, I ended up choosing the ones close to home. 

I must say that it is very nice. I didn't get all of the 'cool' options, just weights, forks, LP bucket and lined tires. I have about 70 hours on it now and I have nothing but smiles.


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## jd3203 (Aug 30, 2006)

the best thing about Bobcats in my neck of the woods is the availablity of attachments. We own several Bobcats of various sizes. It is easy to run down to the dealer/rental yard and pick up (rent) an attachment for a once in a while job. Other brands don't offer this versitility, at least in my area.

On the down side, they are expensive to repair. A crew of mine recently had a machine which would not start. Since I was not around to look at it, they called the dealer. $304.00 later, we had a new battery and a skid loader that would start. That was hard for me to take.

To my knowledge, Bobcat is the only company that makes a skid loader with all wheel steer capability. the all wheel steer is very nice for working on hard surfaces or when doing delicate jobs such as loading trucks with pallets.

My $.02.


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## mlebois (Jun 24, 2014)

This is a great device! I found some more information on this website: www.directindustry.com/industrial-manufacturer/skid-steer-loader-73318.html


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