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John Deere 240 Skid Steer
QUESTION:I am shopping for a small skid steer. Looking at Bobcat 763 and John Deere
240.
Use is house construction support then landscaping, road maint, snow plowing
on 35 steep wooded acres in Colorado Mountains.
Recommendations greatly appreciated.
ANSWER: I just wanted to pass along this about my skidsteer. I have a New
Holland 565. It is a 40hp, the 665 is the same motor with turbo and
adds about ten hp. The New Hollands have the same running gear and
body as the John Deere, just a different motor. I think the wheel base
is a little shorter on the Bobcat and that may give them a little more
bounce, which can be hard to stop on a skidsteer. I purchased my
machine in 1998 with about 500 hrs. on it. It has done everything I
wanted it to and has required little to keep it in top shape. I payed
$16,900 for the machine and a set of forks. Had to add a trailer for
$1900. But if you are working on hillsides or in mud, the biggest
mistake would be not to get a set of tracks. I had to add a set for a
couple of hillside jobs, cost $2700. The track purchase is the only
sore point in my dealings with New Holland, and now I will pay them
back a little.
They offered me 6% money to purchase the tracks, I could hardly pass
that up since my construction money at the time was about 10%. So I
purchased the tracks on a credit line of 6% interest. Every thing was
fine for a few months, all payments where paid on time, then New
Holland informed me that they where selling the credit line and any new
money would be 19.8%. I told them that I had plenty of credit cards
with that kind of rate that I rarely use and I wouldn't be needing
anything from them. I was to be able to pay off the tracks at the
agreed to 6%. Instead I ended up with two accounts one at 6% with the
track balance on it, and one at 19.8% with no balance on it (which I
had told them I had no use for) When I sent them monthly payments,
which account do you think they put the money in, you got it, the one
with the zero balance and 19.8% interest. Soon
they were bitching and complaining about me not sending in my payments
on the tracks. After some time and work on my part, I got them to put
the funds in the correct account and told them to put the 19.8% account
where the sun don't shine. I payed off the tracks to close all
dealings with New Holland, and although my tractor has been an
excellent machine, if you deal with New Holland, watch your wallet,
because their word doesn't mean to them.
Bill Shipley
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