T_Bone, No doubt there are many opinions on skid steers. I've got a NewHolland LS170 which I'm generally happy with. It's got over 2500 hours on it now, and hasn't been overly well maintained. I've done most of the wheel bearings (3 I think), and the splines on the reduction gears and motor drive shaft stripped out a couple years ago, so I got to change all that stuff out, along with the chains on that side. One problem I've found with that machine was that the final drives are not well protected to abraision from the ground, so if it's dragging around in the mud (which I do a lot of), it wears the bottom of the final drive, right through, and loses it's oil. That's the source of a lot of the problems I've had. One of these days I will get around to reinforcing the patches... That problem could be true of a lot of machines though.... Beyond that, I love the lift ability, stability, rear visibility, and the general handeling characteristics of the machine. It's very versatile. I've also run older Thomas machines, and there was no comparison to the NH. Also beware of Thomas, because they will be cheap, and probably not supported anymore, as the company ceased manufacturing several months ago. Beyond that, try out several machines. See which ones you like, and which controls you like or can live with. Personally I prefer the foot controls that I have. They take some getting used to, but I'd rather them to hand controls. Only thing I find with foot controls is that it can be a lot on your lower legs if you spend the whole day in the machine. Also, I think tracks would simplify the machine, and make it more stable. I wouldn't hesitate to at least try one. Good luck. Rod
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