The skid steer thread

Went and looked at a Bobcat 753 F-Series today, but ended up away from it. Had 2500 hours with a Kubota V2403 swapped in, it it appeared to be burning oil (none reading on the dipstick and blue smoke coming out of the exhaust at idle, even after warming up. Guy operated it at idle speed and it appeared to be working ok, but he refused to let me operate it, which was the deal if I showed up with his asking price in cash. I bumped the throttle lever up when sitting in it idling and it blew a big cloud of white smoke out the exhaust, which from reading is unburned fuel? Coolant level was ok and it never got hot, at least idling and slow speed operation. Oil fill cap had some pressure behind it when unscrewed, it didn’t get blown off the valve cover but almost wouldn’t float over it.

He was firm on his $8,500 asking price but I’m wondering if there might be some simple things causing these issues and it would still be worth messing with if he comes down some.
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Went and looked at a Bobcat 753 F-Series today, but ended up away from it. Had 2500 hours with a Kubota V2403 swapped in, it it appeared to be burning oil (none reading on the dipstick and blue smoke coming out of the exhaust at idle, even after warming up. Guy operated it at idle speed and it appeared to be working ok, but he refused to let me operate it, which was the deal if I showed up with his asking price in cash. I bumped the throttle lever up when sitting in it idling and it blew a big cloud of white smoke out the exhaust, which from reading is unburned fuel? Coolant level was ok and it never got hot, at least idling and slow speed operation. Oil fill cap had some pressure behind it when unscrewed, it didn’t get blown off the valve cover but almost wouldn’t float over it.

He was firm on his $8,500 asking price but I’m wondering if there might be some simple things causing these issues and it would still be worth messing with if he comes down some.
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No oil on dipstick, Guy operating it at idle, and refusing to let you operate it is a pretty high flying trifecta of red flags.
 
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Gatorgrizz27 said:
Went and looked at a Bobcat 753 F-Series today, but ended up away from it. Had 2500 hours with a Kubota V2403 swapped in, it it appeared to be burning oil (none reading on the dipstick and blue smoke coming out of the exhaust at idle, even after warming up. Guy operated it at idle speed and it appeared to be working ok, but he refused to let me operate it, which was the deal if I showed up with his asking price in cash. I bumped the throttle lever up when sitting in it idling and it blew a big cloud of white smoke out the exhaust, which from reading is unburned fuel? Coolant level was ok and it never got hot, at least idling and slow speed operation. Oil fill cap had some pressure behind it when unscrewed, it didn’t get blown off the valve cover but almost wouldn’t float over it.

He was firm on his $8,500 asking price but I’m wondering if there might be some simple things causing these issues and it would still be worth messing with if he comes down some.
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Good shape units look to be in the 10-12k area. It worth "saving" 2-3k when engine may be ****?
 
CarterKraft said:
This isn't a good business to enter hoping to not make money.
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Not sure what that means.

Business of running a skid steer?

Mine has never directly earned money. It's used to move logs which end up making money.

Plus snow removal, bush hogging, moving pallets around, etc.

I'd have a very hard time justifying a year's wages (or more) on a new one.

A mini loader would be even more versatile (can lift more, lift higher, travel faster, tear up the ground less) but they are even more expensive.
 
AKnate said:
Good shape units look to be in the 10-12k area. It worth "saving" 2-3k when engine may be ****?
Click to expand...
WTF? said:
No oil on dipstick, Guy operating it at idle, and refusing to let you operate it is a pretty high flying trifecta of red flags.
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Yeah, was bummed about it yesterday and thought it might be worth messing with at $5-6k. Something like “the crank case vent tends to collapse on those, it pumps oil into the intake and makes a bunch of carbon buildup that clogs the injectors. Replace it and run a can of seafoam and it’s good to go.”

I found another 753 for $10k and a 763 for $13.5k that I think is a little high. Will go check both of them our in the next couple days.
 
AKnate said:
Not sure what that means.

Business of running a skid steer?

Mine has never directly earned money. It's used to move logs which end up making money.

Plus snow removal, bush hogging, moving pallets around, etc.

I'd have a very hard time justifying a year's wages (or more) on a new one.

A mini loader would be even more versatile (can lift more, lift higher, travel faster, tear up the ground less) but they are even more expensive.
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We've established already in this thread the new dealer type **** is going to be out of most of our price ranges.

I'm not sharing it to to convince anyone to buy it.

But if we all hang around here long enough this new **** is going to get old.

And lastly this what I tell customers when they get pissy about what stuff costs.

"Fixing these tractors isn't a hobby for me, this is how I feed my family, how I pay for my house, cars, vacations and toys. I'm not telling you how to spend your money but dirt work is a really expensive hobby..."
 
Picked up a 763 F series today, I believe it’s a 98. Has 1850 hours, guy had replaced a lot of the lines on it, lifted the cab up, engine and everything was really clean. Tires are shot but they are foam filled so I might keep these as a backup for demo work and get new rims as well. He was asking $13,500 which I thought was on the high side, I ended up getting it for $11,500. Came with pallet forks and a bucket.

IMG_2955.jpeg
IMG_2956.jpeg


Now for the bad, I test drove it there and everything worked great, got it back to town and ran it for 30 minutes with zero issues. Then the bucket tilt up/curl function got extremely slow, almost nonexistent. Lifted the cab up and there is a small but consistent drip coming from somewhere on the control valve block, I can’t tell exactly where.

From a bit of searching, it looks like the spool valve seals are a likely culprit? I saw some stuff on a solenoid or the aux flow being stuck on that can cause similar issues, but I wouldn’t think that would create a leak. Fluid level in the reservoir is full. Lift works fine up and down, tilt down works fine and doesn’t seem to drop. Anything else worth checking or just order the seal kit and swap them out?
 
Flip the cab again and see if it’s still clean.

I chased a leak for years. Thought I found it. Told buyer everything I had done and that I couldn’t think of anything else. I spent hours cleaning the thing of all junk in hopes of finding clues…


The buyer said it started leaking immediately and ended up being a broken bolt on the pump….
 
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rockota said:
Flip the cab again and see if it’s still clean.

I chased a leak for years. Thought I found it. Told buyer everything I had done and that I couldn’t think of anything else. I spent hours cleaning the kitchen the thing of all junk in hopes of finding clues…


The buyer said it started leaking immediately and ended up being a broken bolt on the pump….
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I can see a drip on there, but it doesn’t appear to be spraying. Just steady drops from the bottom of the valve block. Major issue is the almost non functioning curl. I can see the hose to the cylinder jump when I hit the pedal, so it looks like it’s applying pressure but not allowing it to flow out?

It’s hard to mess with anything while running with the safety interlocks. I lifted the arms up, put the safety catch down, and tried moving the pedal to see if the leak increased or the linkage wasn’t moving all the way, but it was locked out even with the seat bar down. I need to take some type of clamps or weights to hold down the interlock switches I guess.
 
I was able to pull the spool without removing the block on a 742. It was easier the dealing with all the hydraulic lines. Fixed the leak but all my functions work before.
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
I can see a drip on there, but it doesn’t appear to be spraying. Just steady drops from the bottom of the valve block. Major issue is the almost non functioning curl. I can see the hose to the cylinder jump when I hit the pedal, so it looks like it’s applying pressure but not allowing it to flow out?

It’s hard to mess with anything while running with the safety interlocks. I lifted the arms up, put the safety catch down, and tried moving the pedal to see if the leak increased or the linkage wasn’t moving all the way, but it was locked out even with the seat bar down. I need to take some type of clamps or weights to hold down the interlock switches I guess.
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THere's a kit wiring harness that you can buy or build.

Bobcat sells them so you can run the machine even with the cab raised. Wheels need to be off the ground obviously...

I think they supply that harness so you can run the machine while adjusting the wheel motors to synchronize the speeds.
 
Anyone have any experience with the cheap skid steer sickle mowers? I have a need for one, but I don't have a $4-5K need for one... Seeing cheap ones for $1400-1600 on FBMP
 
Well I had ordered the spool valve kit, as it seemed most likely for the symptoms but I went back again today to look things over again since the machine had been off. Same problem even with everything being cold, but I noticed that while the lift arms move up and down, they didn’t have the same level of power when attempting to lift the front wheels off the ground.

Flipped the cab up and noticed a small split/hole in the main hydraulic line coming from the lift/tilt pump to the control valve assembly. I’m hoping the leak I can see from the bottom of the control valve is fluid traveling down this line and dripping off the bottom.

The weird thing is, the reservoir is full but the hose isn’t really spraying/shooting fluid, regardless of whether I’m operating the control valve or not. This is the most I’ve dug into hydraulic systems, but I’d imagine there is a relief valve on the control valve that returns fluid back to the reservoir, or some type of pressure bypass. Shouldn’t the main line from the pump to the control valve have enough pressure on it all the time to spray out of a hole or split rather than just drip?

IMG_2980.jpeg



​

 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Well I had ordered the spool valve kit, as it seemed most likely for the symptoms but I went back again today to look things over again since the machine had been off. Same problem even with everything being cold, but I noticed that while the lift arms move up and down, they didn’t have the same level of power when attempting to lift the front wheels off the ground.

Flipped the cab up and noticed a small split/hole in the main hydraulic line coming from the lift/tilt pump to the control valve assembly. I’m hoping the leak I can see from the bottom of the control valve is fluid traveling down this line and dripping off the bottom.

The weird thing is, the reservoir is full but the hose isn’t really spraying/shooting fluid, regardless of whether I’m operating the control valve or not. This is the most I’ve dug into hydraulic systems, but I’d imagine there is a relief valve on the control valve that returns fluid back to the reservoir, or some type of pressure bypass. Shouldn’t the main line from the pump to the control valve have enough pressure on it all the time to spray out of a hole or split rather than just drip?

IMG_2980.jpeg

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​

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I don't Bobcat... That looks like a smallish hose on a thin pump section, pilot or charge pump maybe? Low psi sub 1000 psi maybe.
All WAG...
 
Anybody come up with a way to carry often used tools along on these things?

Major item I can see wanting with you is a chainsaw, I think I can build a mount that will carry it behind the cab, keep it protected while operating, and still allow the radiator cover to open with the saw mounted. Tipping the cab back will require removing the saw, but the mount itself should be able to stay in place.

It seems like a 10’ piece of chain could be handy to carry as well, plus a shovel. Thinking of a couple eye bolts in the rolled edge of the fender and a bungee for retention on that one. I ordered some weld on chain hooks I planned to put on the top edge of the bucket, I might be able to just wrap it around those with a shackle.

For the smart asses, yes, I know they have a big ass bucket on the front that could carry a whole bunch of stuff, but I’m talking about stuff you want at the ready while you’re doing work, not just carrying A - B.
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Anybody come up with a way to carry often used tools along on these things?

Major item I can see wanting with you is a chainsaw, I think I can build a mount that will carry it behind the cab, keep it protected while operating, and still allow the radiator cover to open with the saw mounted. Tipping the cab back will require removing the saw, but the mount itself should be able to stay in place.

It seems like a 10’ piece of chain could be handy to carry as well, plus a shovel. Thinking of a couple eye bolts in the rolled edge of the fender and a bungee for retention on that one. I ordered some weld on chain hooks I planned to put on the top edge of the bucket, I might be able to just wrap it around those with a shackle.

For the smart asses, yes, I know they have a big ass bucket on the front that could carry a whole bunch of stuff, but I’m talking about stuff you want at the ready while you’re doing work, not just carrying A - B.
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Mine has a big hollow tube in the loader arm. Someday I'm gonna cap the ends so I can store chain in it.

I've seen some neat ways on tractor forums, something about sewer pipe caps maybe?

Also, a friend of mine once told me he was gonna mount a nice big box on the roof of his bobcat to store slings and chainsaw, etc. It's about the only unused real estate (unless height is a problem...).
 
These are sweet, but $$$. They use 4 super strong magnets to hold on.

There are others that have u-bolts or strap, but they're obviously more permanent. I like the magnet because it can be swapped between equipment.

For for $300, I'm more inclined for find a source for the big magnets and modify one of the cheap ones to do the same thing.

1754964533669.png
 
bgaidan said:
These are sweet, but $$$. They use 4 super strong magnets to hold on.

There are others that have u-bolts or strap, but they're obviously more permanent. I like the magnet because it can be swapped between equipment.

For for $300, I'm more inclined for find a source for the big magnets and modify one of the cheap ones to do the same thing.

1754964533669.png
Click to expand...

You put 6-10 of the quarter sized rare earth magnets on it and it ain’t going anywhere unless you knock it on something.
 
bgaidan said:
These are sweet, but $$$. They use 4 super strong magnets to hold on.

There are others that have u-bolts or strap, but they're obviously more permanent. I like the magnet because it can be swapped between equipment.

For for $300, I'm more inclined for find a source for the big magnets and modify one of the cheap ones to do the same thing.

1754964533669.png
Click to expand...
yeah, its hard to believe nobody has copied them. I have some starboard material to whip up a copy of it in the corner.

I attached a section of 3 or 4" sch40 PVC pipe to the 45% diagonal on my bush hog to insert the chainsaw bar into using monster zip ties; worked great until i popped the zip ties backing into dense brush. Need to upgrade that design with big hose clamps whenever i remember to buy some.
 
CarterKraft said:
Would it be more beneficial to build a "job box" of sorts that you would carry in the bucket then dump out at the "site"?
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I could see somethin like that roof rack being handy. We would end up a mile or two from the truck every so often. Stuff to work a track back on, tool bag, fire extinguisher big enough to do something, lunch box. Would be pretty nice to have with you, but not in the cab.
 
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Couple pieces of angle iron with a flat side facing each other. Just enough gap for the bar to drop in. Bolt with a T welded to the head. Screw it in to keep **** from moving.
 
Ok, if anyone happens to see a deal on a 2013 or older "pre -emisions" larger tracked unit of any brand im actively looking. Ill pay up for low hours.... ideally 2k or less
 
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