Skid Steer How to pick the best brand, the right size & choose between Tires or Tracks...

Heat. Heat. April in Minnesota. Very good, guys. Perhaps they are thinking of buying a mini loader and taking the big step. There's a reason it ranks third on the list of essentials for any landscaping or excavation company. Eventually, when they have one, they will find that they will use it in almost every project they undertake. So today we'll be very specific to help you narrow down your search and find the ideal machine for you. We'll talk about the brands. Do you want John Deere, Case, Caterpillar, Volvo, New Holland, or any other brand? We'll talk about anyone who manufactures skid steer loaders. In addition, we will help them determine the size of machine they need. Do you want a small, medium, or large chassis? And then the fundamental question : do they prefer tires or tracks? And how do they bridge the gap between the two? Because if you're only going to buy one machine and you want it to do almost everything for your business, you need to choose the right one from the start. Hopefully , by the time we finish this video, we will have covered all of that. And I'm going to look for another shirt because this one is too tight. Now, the next question is: who has the best brand? Does Bobcat make the best brand? Caterpillar or Case? Well , the answer is really simple. They all do it. They all invest millions and millions of dollars in perfecting their equipment. So they'll all have pretty good teams and, occasionally, they'll have a pretty bad one. How do you choose which one is correct? That answer is also simple. It's not about the brand. This is the dealership in your area. If you have a dealership in your area with a bad reputation, even if they sell good equipment, avoid it at all costs. It's not worth dealing with them because even the best equipment will break down and need maintenance, and then you'll be stuck with that dealership. Now, if they have a dealership with an amazing reputation, that's the person they want to work with. Think of it this way. When they buy a piece of equipment, it's almost as if they're marrying the dealership that services it. It will be a long-term relationship, so it's best to start off on the right foot. Don't hit your truck. So, you've already chosen which brand you like. I don't care which one it is. Bobcat, Case, New Holland, whatever. The next thing you need to know is what exact size of equipment you want. Do you want a small chassis, a medium chassis, or a large chassis? Let me show you a little bit over here. Both machines you see in the background are what I call medium-sized machines. They don't have a long wheelbase or a large chassis. Now, before we go too far, I should show you a large chassis machine. next to a medium chassis machine. What I really want you to see is the size difference between the units. The smaller T180 can do almost all the work the larger one does, with some exceptions, but the larger one cannot enter the same areas as the medium one. So, if you're only going to choose one piece of equipment that's right for you, I'd recommend a mid-range one. It's like the story of Goldilocks, isn't it ? A medium-sized machine will allow you to enter small areas, but it will also allow you to handle larger jobs. Perhaps not as efficiently as a large-body one , but better than a small-chassis one . By choosing the middle ground, you have more opportunities to tackle a wider variety of projects without worry. Do you have the right equipment? Very good, guys. At this point, we already know which brand you need. We also have a pretty clear idea. Do you want a small, medium, or large chassis loader? But do you want tracks or do you want tires? Let's get into it. For this, I'm going to count on the guys in the comments to help you decide . Thank goodness for caterpillars. This job would not be possible without a tracked machine. There's simply no room for error in this snow. Although the T180 isn't a great machine, it's still better than one with tires. One wrong move and that skid steer loader is beyond saving. Okay , guys. Here's the truth about caterpillars. When you need them, nothing beats them. The problem is that, with caterpillars, sometimes you can't use them at all. In other words, if you have a dedicated tracked machine like this and you still have to use it, you're going to end up destroying those tracks. And at $1,000 per side, it becomes quite an expensive lesson. Now , there is a way to close that gap, but it's not perfect. It gives you the capabilities of both teams, but not as efficiently. Let's talk about it. Now, if I could only choose one piece of equipment, I would buy a wheeled machine like this 185 and put rubber tracks over the tires. And I say this specifically because the rubber tracks will allow me to float in a similar way, although not as efficiently as a tracked machine. Okay, you know what? Instead of talking to you about it, I want to show you. And these guys have the best demonstration I 've found of how effective a good set of tracks on tires can be in converting a skid steer loader into a mud-moving machine. So, check this out. In fact, I'm quite surprised that this guy can move at all in mud like this. In fact, the fact that it can move is quite impressive. Now, this is more like what you would expect to happen with tires in mud like this . Basically, getting stuck like a turtle flipped onto its shell. Now, let's be very clear. I have absolutely nothing to do with this company, but I want to give them credit because they have the best demonstration I've ever seen of how effective a good set of tracks on tires can be. So, I'm going to put a link to their website down here . If you're thinking of buying one, take a look at them. They don't even know I'm doing this and I definitely don't get any commission, but they obviously have a good product. Here it is. Now, it's immediately noticeable that this machine can move where before it only got stuck and skidded. But one of the important things to be careful about with tire tracks is what I call " cowboying" with them. And that means turning too fast or working on a side slope and literally coming off the tracks. Very good, guys. In fact, I need your feedback. I have never dealt with this company or these caterpillars. So, if you've done it, I want to hear from you. Is it a good company? Yes or no? Put it in the comments below so everyone else knows if they're on the right track too . But it also gives me the ability to remove those tracks if I 'm working on a hard surface like asphalt or concrete , or doing demolition work. I can remove those tracks and then I can use the skid steer tires to continue with that job. Very good. Now, caterpillars can do a lot, but they're not magic. And often what happens is that someone gets comfortable with a tracked machine and then overdoes it. And when things go wrong, sometimes they go wrong quite quickly and quite badly. Now, in an absolutely perfect world, I would recommend having two skid steer loaders. One with a dedicated set of tracks and another with a dedicated set of tires. If you can do that, that's great. But that's not within everyone's budget. So, if we're going to choose one, we'll try to compensate and close the gap between the two. Now, here's something you need to know. With rubber tracks, not steel ones, but rubber ones, you need to have very good tread pattern on the tire itself, because it is the tire that adheres to the track, and that is what gives you traction. Okay, let's also talk about steel tracks. They provide superior flotation, especially compared to tires alone. But in my experience, steel tracks tend to wreck the machine they are placed on. When they loosen, which inevitably happens, the operator doesn't notice and continues operating it, and that track destroys the equipment quite quickly. You don't have that problem with rubber tracks. But of course, if you have a good operator, then you won't have that problem at all. Very good, guys. So, let's recap what we learned today. The first thing you should do when trying to choose which skid steer loader is right for you is to choose which dealer is the best in your area. Every machine is going to break down and you'll end up married to that distributor for all your service. So that's more important than anything else you could choose. The next thing you need to know is what size machine you want. Now, for me, if I were only going to buy one piece of equipment, I would choose that 185 or a mid-sized piece of equipment. It's large enough to handle bigger projects if needed, but it can also fit into tight spaces and do smaller jobs at the same time. Now, if I were to go for a tire unit, I would also get a set of rubber tracks to put over those tires. That would allow me to hover and get into situations that would otherwise be inaccessible, unless I had a tracked mini-loader like the one next to it . I hope this video has been helpful. Let me know what you think in the comments below. And if you like videos like this, well, then I'll try to make more for you. May God bless them. Come on.