How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

We also call them skid steers and bobcats. My dad bought his first one when I was 10 and always had one until this past spring. Since he doesn’t have one anymore, l put a loader on my Farmall, but I sure miss it. Stopped by my cousins house today to check out his Case restoration and he’s almost done with it.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

My brother in law and his dad had a backhoe business for many years. His dad passed and they sold the business but my bil still operates large equipment and brought a Takeuchi/skid steer by my place this summer and done some work for me. I got to goof around on it for a couple of days. It was a blast, I wouldn’t mind having one.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

We only have 3, all bobcat. 1996 853, 1999 863, and a 2019 s550. We like them. We joke around. We have enough skid loaders we don’t have to change attachments. But we do have a few, 2 buckets, 2 forks, 2 tree spades(32” and 40”), backhoe, auger, angle rotary brush, 66” snow blower, landscape rake, a hydraulic winch(for dragging trees through the woods), and a log splitter.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Had a Skid Steer Bobcat, a Track Layer Bobcat and a Kubota Tracked Mini Excavator but sold all with the business.
I still hold (jokingly)"Squaters" rights and can use them If I need one, and they are of course currently idle.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Man that is a neat looking restoration.

I guess It's like my wife ways, I'm spoiled. By virtue of my business, we have several. I use one almost everyday in my restorations. We have Caterpillars, Kubota's and one Case. Some with tires and some with tracks. They are handy as a pocket on a shirt.

We had this one rented, but ended up buying it.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Not me, but I wish I did. Always wanted one and a 1t dump. Handy dandy pair. I really like that Uni-Loader. Great restoration. I've run that machine a lot. A buddy in the concrete business ran Cases and at times it seemed I had the 1816 more than he did. It was more or less a spare.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I've been in the seat of a skid loader since I was 17(16 years ago). I started out in a Case 1835c, and am now in a Case 1840.

I've been fumbling around for the shutoff valve on a run-away engine on a few occasions. I've been elbow deep in the chain boxes while sitting in the snow. I've pulled, reinstalled, and retimed the same injection pump four times. I've rewired a loader from front to back. I know the sinking feeling of seeing the skid-loader engulfed in flames, while frantically trying to find the nearest fire extinguisher. I've reached through a hole in the block, felt the broken connecting rod, and realized that this engine is toast. I've had my hands on the rocker arms of a running engine, because it accidentally started during a valve adjustment. I've run for 5-gallon buckets to catch the diesel draining from a flipped skid-loader. I've come close to death on at least one occasion, due to bypassed control lockouts. I've fallen asleep at the controls more than once. I've gotten myself unstuck with tractors, pickups, come-alongs, and shovels. On quite a few repairs, I could tell you the entire list of wrenches needed from memory.

So yes, I have a skid-loader. Or rather, the skid-loader has me hooked. They're kind of addictive little buggers!

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I started out on my FIL's 543 then moved up to a 643 bobcat. Back in 2003 I bought my own 763 new off the lot. These things are so handy I could never see myself without one now. 2 years ago I had 3 out of the 4 axle housings go bad due to extended jack hammer use. Only way to solve the problem was to swap out the under carriage. I hired a man to come over and help and we did it right here at the house in about 4 days. I have amassed quite a few attachments and would be lost without them. 709 backhoe, road grader, 5' bush hog, auger with 12'' thru 36'' bits with shaft to 10' deep, root grapple rake, forks, bucket, Harley rake, 4' trencher, jack hammer, stump grinder and a pole setting clamp.

I have been trying to convince myself I need a track machine but so far being broke wins lol


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Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Richard, I have never had a Bush hog for a skid steer. Does it work good? Is it fast?

I have had it on my mind.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I see guys clearing fields/lots with the bush hog attachment rolling right along at transport speed like a zero-turn.

From what my friends that have the backhoe attachment say, they don't get too excited about mounting and dismounting those. I think when you consider the one machine for multiple jobs aspect of it (the whole intent) it's worth it. Ideally it would be great to have each specialized machine but, aside from the expense, you have to ask yourself how much use will each get. Diesel doesn't like to sit for long these days and that's a whole lot of upkeep with multiple machines, sitting or in use. Think batteries for one thing

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I paid more money then I should have when I bought it but it worked out nice once I *cough* removed the safety switch so I could actually use it. It had a built in safety so if you lifted it up off the ground it would disengage the blades. That was no good for me since I wanted it for keeping the tree line back on the field as well as doing the ditches. You have to be super careful or upgrade the front door to lexan if using it for this though. I can lift it to max height and top smaller trees and then mulch them right to grade up to about 5-6" diameter. I can bush hog the field just as quick, if not quicker than the old tractor mounted one with a cleaner cut. My 763 is probably the smallest unit I would use it with but that 75 Kubota you got there would handle it with absolutely no issue. I had it on a T300 bobcat clearing out for some new steel billboards and the higher volume of the 300's pump made a huge difference in the performance (not that it is bad on mine).

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

You go to a track layer and you'll wonder why you waited so long, better traction/stability, cruise right over open ditch's, no more filling the tires w/foam etc.etc.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Tim
my 709 backhoe I can hook up by myself and never get out of the machine in less than 2 minutes. It all depends on what you bought how easy or hard it is to use. That back hoe is so powerful for its size, i have to be careful as it will pull the entire machine into the hole with ease even with the brake locked and riggers down.

The neatest attachment I have is my pole claw. When I used to install wooden billboards I would rent a T300 to put the claw on while I had my auger on my machine. As soon as my other operator would pull out (really wet ground here) I would have to be sitting ready with the new pole before the ground caved in. With this attachment I can roll up to a 14" butt 40' wood pole, grab it about 10' from the butt, pick it up in the air, flip a switch in the cab and rotate it so it is in the standing position. I can then use the weight of the bobcat to help sink the pole in the ground.

I am also partial to my grader attachment when it comes time to grade the 2600' lane

Also forgot I have a snow blade for it as well with power angle

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Totally agree. I have used several rental units over the years.
I rented a T300 to unload a steel billboard off of the delivery truck and we could not get the truck on the site. He had to park on the side of the highway and there was a small ditch. I unloaded the entire truck crossing the ditch every time. Biggest pc was the vertical unipole that was 4' diameter and about 30' long that if I recall was about 5800lbs. My forks were just a wee bit overloaded but everything went like clockwork.

I have been looking at a used T190 here local that is under 2k hours but it does not have heat in the cab or AC. I can deal without the AC but when I am plowing snow for hours on end I want to be comfortable. My 763 was open cab when I purchased it in 03 but I lucked out on Ebay and found an NOS heat and window package for a great deal and installed it all here for about a 1/3rd of what dealer wanted.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

We have an 811 backhoe(the biggest one bobcat made). It hooks on rather quickly. There is the standard plate, then two more levers to lock it solid to the machine, then the hydraulic couplers. It takes 1-2 minutes. It does a better job of digging, getting out rocks and tree tree stumps than a mini excavator will. That’s because of more ballast weight than a mini excavator. The only downside is maneuvering in small areas and weight for transport. And if you use a fuel additive, your diesel fuel will be fine. We fill our 500 gallon tank every 18-24 months.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I have a question to any of you about what this guy told me of a wreck with a skidster and him.. ( I bought a T-5 tranny from him for my 39 and while taking it out of the old S-10 ..he told me this story)

He was going down a steep grade in the skidster and the brakes gave out ,,him and the machine toppled over a cliff and it broke his back and also affected his brain as his head was banged hard against the metal around the seating area ,, he could not get out of the skidster he told me and no way to stop it ..
I ran a bob cat years ago and do not remember that one could not stop it if the brakes went out,, Sure would like to hear your comments on this ..

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Not sure about other brands but bobcat does not have "brakes'' per say. it is all hydraulic motor driven so the only way I see it failing to stop would be busting hoses on both drive pumps or somehow shearing the gears in the pumps so that the wheels free spin

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

After thinking about it more,, I think he said the motor died and he did not have any brakes,, I think the thing I thought about it the most ,,was a guy is trapped inside of the cage and cannot get out ,, like when I had the drill attachemnt on the Bob cat I was running to dig holes for fence post and it hit a rock in the hole and when I pulled it out it swang around banging the front of the bob cat and almost getting me .. that knuckle in the drive line sure did make for a interesting moment until I shut it down,,

This was 1972, they must be a better safety cage in them now ,,arnt they ?

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I would think they are leap years ahead in safety. If you look at the picture of mine above I think you can see the rear window in the cage. Should I happen to tip it up on its face with me inside, There is a rip cord built into the rubber seal on my rear window so if I am still alive and aware, I can simply pull the cord and the window will fall out. It is even big enough for ole heavy here to still fit thru ( i think :lol: )

If my motor shuts down for some reason, it brings the machine to an immediate halt. I can't say what the setup might have been back in 72' I was still in diapers :sexy:

I guess if it was one of the old school bobcats it could have been chain or belt drive right off the motor instead of having hydraulic motors like newer ones

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Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

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I have had a couple of them since 2000. Both GEHL 3000's (about the same size as 72 Tiggers' cousins in the first post). The first one caught on fire because of a fuel leak while I was using it. The insurance Co. bought a replacement for me and I was lucky enough to find a nice one exactly like the one I had. I just finished rebuilding the one that caught on fire so now I have two.

I had a Massey tractor with a bucket on it I was using when we built our house but I sold it after getting the loader. I use the loader for everything from plowing snow, to pulling engines, to removing cabs and beds from the frames, moving non running trucks around, and anything in between. I like the small size because it will fit about anywhere and is easy to store. The picture below is the first loader, taken when the Grandson was helping me work on the house. He is now 27.

LockDoc

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I think a bush hog would get used a lot by us. I need one to use at the house occasionally, and the guys need one to clear right of ways sometimes.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I saw this at a farm show, it would do a nice job of tree trimming.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

I'm sure they still do but they used to have a "Bobcat Rodeo" Know a guy who actually went and competed in it probably 20/25 years ago. He was really good on one, I watched him numerous times in really tight spaces stand it on end and spin it around.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

Like hearing your skid loader stories. The best story I’ve ever heard was from a seasoned heavy equipment operator. He had semi retired (sold his excavating business to his son) and would still do odds and ends to help out. His son sent him to their stack of thick wall large diameter plastic pipe- 40’ long, l think? He wrapped a choker strap around a pipe and proceeded to try to pull it off the stack. He said he went up and down, back and forth and side to side, but the far end wouldn’t break loose. After a minute of fighting it, frustration was setting in and he had enough. He said “I’m going to yank that sucker loose” and with that he backed up up as far as he could without tipping on his nose. If you’re envisioning this you can see where it’s going. When it broke loose, the pendulum affect kicked in and he said he had a split second to duck. The pipe came through the glass and slammed the roof leaving a big dent in it. He felt the top of his head and found it had buzzed him enough to draw blood. He figured that if he hadn’t ducked, his head would have been in the end of the pipe. I could definitely see me doing something like this.

Re: How many of you guys have a skid loader
 

that looks a lot like the one they hang from the helicopter to cut power line rightaways.

If I had a track machine I would spring for one of these. I could make good money with it around here doing ditch banks and such it just stays too wet around here for me to trust my rubber tire machine. with the sickle it will go at a negative angle for doing the ditch banks and is way lighter out on the end versus the bush hogs.

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