Thoughts on Skid Steers

coonie minnie

Well-known Member
So I have 3 Deere Skid Steers... a 250, 325, and 320D.

The 320D now has 4700 hours, is paid for, and starting to have issues.

I'd like to find something different. The E series seems to be the same junk with a Yanmar engine in place of the Deere.

Should I stick with Deere, or look at something else? In the past the Deere dealer has had the best service, but upper management seems asleep there currently.

What have been your experiences???
 
I have a 318E and it is better than the 318D I traded in. The Yanmar motor starts better than the Deere and doesn't sound like it is about to come apart when you first start it like the Deere. Hyraulics seem to operate much smoother also. No complaints about trading for the new one, the 318D(3500hrs) was trouble free so it wasn't a bad machine but I like the 318E better.
 
I have a 317 that has been rock solid. It's at 930 hours, so very hard to justify trading up, even though I'd LOVE a machine with 2 speed. I do wish the bucket curled back a bit more. It's difficult to push your way out of trouble with the bucket versus a Bobcat. After owning this 317 for 8 years now, I drove a Bobcat 773 last summer on another person's farm. I actually missed my 317. They seem to be holding their values well.

My neighbor just traded his 2011 320D for a 2014 320E and he's very happy with it. I'm a bit concerned because it has electric over hydraulic and I didn't like driving a Caterpillar with it back when I pushed snow in Madison. I like to be able to "feel" my way through snow banks, manure piles, and dirt, and I lose that feeling when using electric over hydraulic.

I don't know why you'd consider a John Deere skid steer junk if you had it for 4700 hours with little trouble...
 
Service sells. We have a 313 with around 3000 hrs and it has given us very little trouble. We also have a 244J with the same motor that has 14500 hours and another with just under 10000 hours our dealer has always been very good to work with so I would stay with the Deere in my situation anyway
 

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