Advice on purchsing a crawler or wheeled bucket loader

UncleCarl · Mar 23, 2022

Hello all. Love the site and all the opinions, so please provide inputs. My father (82yrs old) is looking to purchase an older bucket loader to do some dirt work, low water crossings and clear smaller trees. He's thinking a wheeled vehicle over a tracked vehicle because track maintenance scares him a little. We want reliability, ease of maintenance and repairs. And ease of finding parts which are not too expensive. So if you had $10-$12k to spend what would you look for and why? Thanks for all thoughts.

JD Dave · Mar 23, 2022

It's difficult to recommend without seeing the job and the work. A skid track loader, smaller wheel loader or light crawler might work. You have to visualize the size of the job and the
stability of the soil. Any machine with a track will be far more stable in damp conditions.

Bret4207 · Mar 24, 2022

Sounds like he wants a tractor/loader/backhoe. Tires are far easier to work with as far as repair and speed goes than tracks, but tracks will get you into and out of places tires can't.

sms · Mar 27, 2022

My experience with wheel loaders in wooded
areas is that they are about worthless. No
locking differentials, get stuck on wet
leaves. A tractor,loader, backhoe is
better can pull yourself out. I always had
tracks, but lived in the mountains and it
was that or a log skidder with chains.

WNM · Mar 27, 2022

(quoted from post at 09:03:37 03/23/22) Hello all. Love the site and all the opinions, so please provide inputs. My father (82yrs old) is looking to purchase an older bucket loader to do some dirt work, low water crossings and clear smaller trees. He's thinking a wheeled vehicle over a tracked vehicle because track maintenance scares him a little. We want reliability, ease of maintenance and repairs. And ease of finding parts which are not too expensive. So if you had $10-$12k to spend what would you look for and why? Thanks for all thoughts.

Totally agree with JD Dave Tracks are much better in swampy areas
As he said tracked skid steers have evolved into quite the machines

caterpillar guy · Apr 1, 2022

They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Excavator will get trees out easier than other options with less disturbance of dirt. Will get around most places pretty well. Wheel loader will move faster, may be more maneuverable, but will not be good in wet ground nor slippery places like along streams or ditch banks. Tracks will get a long better on most terrain than wheels though will also rough up the ground when turned short or on loose ground. Tracks maybe a bit more maintenance with adjusting to keep them from coming off and such. Tires for one will not be cheap nor readily available depending on size either. I would go with an excavator. With a little practice he can do the low water crossings he wants. Take trees out, do drainage jobs, and even depending on the dirt work load and haul dirt around the place can even level it some with it. For real smooth work you need to finish with a grader or long track dozer. So now you need to evaluate the work and type of situation you will be in to decide.

WilBury · Apr 1, 2022

Like this?
This old hoptoe is waay too heavy for this little crawler and could use a thumb but I can wrap a tooth around a sapling and just *poink* it clean out of the ground.
Bought them for around $5000 in the early 90's but took lots of time & money to get that far in 2009.
This is before new undercarriage & I chickened out up the steeper mountain trail when the tracks came off the second time.

UncleCarl · Apr 2, 2022

Okay, thanks everyone. I'm also in favor of either a tracked skid-steer or a crawler. We looked at an older JD450 crawler at an auction
but didn't bid on it. I didn't like the fact it was a greasy mess underneath, left track was really loose, didn't have much growser left
and they didnt' even move it before the bidding--just started it. And FYI, it went for $8600. Not knowing that much about crawlers I
was happy to pass on it.

WNM · Apr 2, 2022

(quoted from post at 14:15:29 04/02/22) Okay, thanks everyone. I'm also in favor of either a tracked skid-steer or a crawler. We looked at an older JD450 crawler at an auction
but didn't bid on it. I didn't like the fact it was a greasy mess underneath, left track was really loose, didn't have much growser left
and they didnt' even move it before the bidding--just started it. And FYI, it went for $8600. Not knowing that much about crawlers I
was happy to pass on it.

Smart move!! I know the skid steer will be a bit harder for your Dad to get in and out of but I still feel it is the best investment for your needs

Advice on purchsing a crawler or wheeled bucket loader

UncleCarl

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JD Dave

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Bret4207

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sms

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WNM

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caterpillar guy

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WilBury

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UncleCarl

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WNM

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