Skid steer hours

Looking at getting a New Holland L175 or L220 skid steer. I see some with 6,000 or 7,000 hours on them for cheap. I suppose that is just too many hours for a skid steer? Should I be looking at maybe a maximum of 3 or 4,000 hours? Opinions?

(quoted from post at 20:35:26 02/16/18) Looking at getting a New Holland L175 or L220 skid steer. I see some with 6,000 or 7,000 hours on them for cheap. I suppose that is just too many hours for a skid steer? Should I be looking at maybe a maximum of 3 or 4,000 hours? Opinions?

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I bought a Deere 7775 (NH 775) with 3000 hours 10 years ago and thought that was a lot....but it has been a good machine. It all depends on how it was used and serviced.

As long as it?s been taken care off I wouldn?t worry about it

If the 220 are anything like the 218's run away from them. Local dealer keeps two engines in stock all the time and puts at least one in a week.They like to break rods and vent the side of the block. Last winter in a week of super cold weather the plastic fan blades broke off a dozen or more. The 175 is a great proven machine and at most sales in my area will outsell the newer ones. As far as hours just remember every time the key is on it is putting on hours. Tom

The L175s are a better machine than the L220s. I would not look at anything over 2000-2500 hours myself. If your looking at a 4-5K hour machine then it had better have a new motor in it and the hydros run well.

I always trade mine when they get around 3,000 hours one them. The repairs after that can be pricy.

I bought a 1995 960 Mustang in 2000, so 5 years old, with 2700 hours showing on the meter. It ran and operated excellent. The hour meter never moved again in 18 years of use. I have no idea how many hours were actually on it when I bought it, and I figure conseverativly I put about another 2700 hours on it my self. My guess is 5400hrs minimum on that machine, could have been way more.........I really don't know. Anyway, I just sold it a few months ago, but that machine was as dependable as anyone could ever hope for. Never, ever fails to start and run excellent. I would have never gotten rid of it, but I had an opportunity to buy a nice, one owner, Melroe S-185 from a family estate that had 900 actual hours on it. Plus it had the heated cab, auxiliary hydraulics, and standard quick tach plate for renting other attachments, etc. I paid $9500 for the Mustang in 2000, and sold it for $8500 18 years later. It didn't owe me anything! Only repair I ever did was replace the water pump on the Isuzu diesel motor. It still had 2 of the original tires on it yet. I can only hope the Melroe is as good of a machine as the Mustang was.

I have a NH LS 170 That made it 14,000 hours before it croaked. A connecting rod nut came off. When I tore it apart the wear was very minimal. The machine was well taken care of and serviced regularly by the previous owner.

I have a Mustang 940 that had over 8000 hours on the meter when I bought it 20some years ago. Meter didn't work and the new one shows 1800 more. Over 10,000 hours for sure. The yanmar diesel is still basically untouched other than a water pump and a couple gaskets. The only real problem with it is the chains and sprockets are all worn out. It still runs and drives, but its only a matter of time... They would probably be the biggest wear issue with a high hour machine. Also hardest to check.

I am currently working on another 940 that I will combine with parts from my original to make one good machine. I looked at the meter on that one and it reads 9500. I bought it with a bad engine, so I have no idea if its still working.

I guess it depend on how much you'll use it. 1-200 hours a year and a 6 or 7000 hour machine would probably last you a long time. 1000 hours a year, not so much.

wow. Guess I shouldn't worry about mine that's getting close to 4000! One of the best machines here for sure.

(quoted from post at 05:33:08 02/17/18) I bought a 1995 960 Mustang in 2000, so 5 years old, with 2700 hours showing on the meter. It ran and operated excellent. The hour meter never moved again in 18 years of use. I have no idea how many hours were actually on it when I bought it, and I figure conseverativly I put about another 2700 hours on it my self. My guess is 5400hrs minimum on that machine, could have been way more.........I really don't know. Anyway, I just sold it a few months ago, but that machine was as dependable as anyone could ever hope for. Never, ever fails to start and run excellent. I would have never gotten rid of it, but I had an opportunity to buy a nice, one owner, Melroe S-185 from a family estate that had 900 actual hours on it. Plus it had the heated cab, auxiliary hydraulics, and standard quick tach plate for renting other attachments, etc. I paid $9500 for the Mustang in 2000, and sold it for $8500 18 years later. It didn't owe me anything! Only repair I ever did was replace the water pump on the Isuzu diesel motor. It still had 2 of the original tires on it yet. I can only hope the Melroe is as good of a machine as the Mustang was.

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If it had over 5000 hours and original tires, it had an easy life LOL!

(quoted from post at 20:35:26 02/16/18) Looking at getting a New Holland L175 or L220 skid steer. I see some with 6,000 or 7,000 hours on them for cheap. I suppose that is just too many hours for a skid steer? Should I be looking at maybe a maximum of 3 or 4,000 hours? Opinions?

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good morning gleanerguy, if your just going to be using it for chores around the farm and it has been serviced and greased and looked after I wouldn't be to worried about the hours. biggest thing is try and get as much history as you can from the seller. how much slop in the pins and bushings? drive it around listening for knocking, grinding sounds. you should be able to feel with your hands how much slop is in the drive chains, when you push forward do's it start moving as soon as your hands moves, are both sides moving the same? or is it trying to turn when you have even pressure on both sticks? when you get it home DO a complete service, all the oils, hydraulics, pull the bottom skid plates steam clean everything up so you can get a good look at hoses, linkages. when I bought my case 1845c I was told buy the seller that it had just had a complete service at the local case dealer NOT! when I pulled the plugs on both chain case drives (supposed to be 5 quarts of 10/30 oil on each side) out came 8 gallons of water/oil slurry from each side! is the machine straight? has it had a bunch of welding and crack repairs? i'm sure you know the drill gleaner, check the seller out, his place out, his other equipment out, on your way in to look at the machine, and you'll have a pretty good idea how he looked after the machine.