# skid steer



## murdock (May 3, 2009)

hey guys im a first timer on here. im a union electrician and i do some excavating on the side. i have a mini ex, small dump truck and a trailer. ive been doing the excavation for a couple years now and plan on buying a skid steer. my question is used or new. prices are low on the used but i could finance a new one with low or zero interest. my next question is tracks or tires. just seeking some input thanks... murdock


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

whoa


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

murdock said:


> hey guys im a first timer on here. im a union electrician and i do some excavating *on the side*. murdock



in other words, you're a scab


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## JDavis21835 (Feb 27, 2009)

dayexco said:


> in other words, you're a scab


He would be a ratt. Scabs cross picket lines. Ratts are working non union.


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## murdock (May 3, 2009)

i do residential excavation septics and such. no union outfit around here would waste their time on that stuff. wasnt lookin to ruffle any feathers but i guess i did. looks like i wasted my time puting up that posting on this site. thanks


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

No you wasted your time posting a question no one but you have enough information to answer.





murdock said:


> my question is *used* or *new*. prices are low on the used but i could finance a new one with low or zero interest. my next question is *tracks* or *tires*. just seeking some input thanks... murdock


Now how the hell should we know what your financial position is? Or how much debt you want to take on?

I personally prefer new, but I hold on to my machines for a long time and I am pretty much the only operator, so I like to have new toys not something someone else has possibly run 1,000 hours with no oil changes or abused in some manner.

Tracks or tires? Well that depends on what you will use it for. The cost to maintain and purchase the tracked machine will be more. If you will be running it on the street I would recommend tires.




murdock said:


> im a union electrician and i do some excavating on the side.


Guys doing excavating on the side sometimes get a few of us riled up. We don't do electrical work on the side, or painting or drywall or build decks etc. We move dirt, that's how we feed our families.

We end up competing against Firefighters, off duty Police, Part time farmers and any other guy that has a few bucks to spend on equipment and can hold down the seat.

On the face there is nothing wrong with that, but when I go out to bid some work and the potential customer says something like "my buddy can do it for 1/3 of what you want to charge, but he can only work on the weekends"..... 

It just brings down the legitimate rate for us guys that have to pay our own health insurance, put money away for retirement, don't get a paid vacation, if we get a vacation at all. Pay workers comp and have liability policies.

As someone who works in the trades I would think you can understand what I am talking about.

I hope I have answered your questions. Sorry for the cool reception.....It's been a week.

Darn rain.


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## murdock (May 3, 2009)

tgeb thanks for an honest reply. i have a very good friend who quit his full time job to start his own excavating busines. i known how it is with workmans comp and u pay 18hr for a 10hr guy, insurence, accountant, etc. but u cant blame a guy for trying to making $. im an apprentice as far as the electrician part and i need to make ends meet. I also would like to run a full time legitamate excavating company and i have to start somewhere. Back to my question i am looking at a used thomas 175 skidsteer with joystick controls.this is something i can afford and i can always upgrade down the road. any input on the skid would be appreciated


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## DJ9222 (Apr 28, 2009)

I would not take a thomas skid steer if you gave it to me, it is a piece of junk. Buy a New holland ,bobcat ,or caterpillar


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## wellbuilthome (Feb 5, 2008)

I don't like the Thomas but my friend has to larger units 8000lbs i think he likes them . I have a mustang 6500lbs and no one really likes them either . I think my mustang is great and its much better then my bob cat 753. It had 820 hrs and it cost me 8000 + tax . Ive already made my money back in less then a year . I wanted a new BC but this was a steel and its very simple to work on . If i was moving dirt every day i would want a larger machine with tracks , but some times smaller is better.


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## OnSiteGrading (Mar 26, 2008)

hey murdock we run track skid steers out here on our sites but it depends are u running up alot of slope, flat ground, street? track skid steers have higher overheads but me personally favor them more due to the variety of work they can do if your leaning tword track i would lean tword caterpillar we got 247's 277's and a 287 and have no complaints except the price also we have rented on numerous times takeuchis never had any problems with them but only weekly rentals only complaint with those is how far offset the bucket is from the cab compared to a cat hope this helps


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