Skid steer opinions

Ditchrunner

Ditchrunner

Red Skull
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Member Number
4596
Messages
54
Loc
SW Montana
Ok I am bidding on a bobcat 610. It is a gas engine unit and it turns over but doesn’t run. Looks like decent tires. Has a 5’ bucket. Same auction has a set of forks that I could bid on also.

Anyone have one/run one? Older unit so it doesn’t have many frills. Thoughts? I know it isn’t a real power house.
I just need it for around the house for light landscaping and lifting stuff up to my mezzanine in the shop.

Looking at worst case complete engine rebuild I could be dropping 3-4k on a rebuild or 1500 if I build the existing unit.
Best case is the points are burnt and I’m running for $15.
That said I was thinking $25-2800 max bid.
 
Ditchrunner said:
Kinda what I was thinking but I’d rather ask here than pull a dumbass because I was afraid of asking for opinions from people I know have a lot more knowledge.
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I've found all that old stuff is pretty simple to repair with skills and tools most on this board have.

Can probably swap in a different engine if needed. I think is just a keyed shaft to a pulley.
 
Looks like it has a Wisconsin 30hp engine. I am not sure if that one has hydrostatic drive or not. The early ones had clutches I think. I have a 742 which is around 34 hp and it it fine for any stupid stuff I do.
 
I'd be cautious about getting a really old machine. What I've found is that many of the really old machines used a mechanical system vs hydro, and this means lots more wear points and adjustment, along with parts that may or may not be available anymore.

Engines are easy - it's the rest of the machine I'd be worried about, and how user friendly it will be even when it works.

I also have a hatred of gas engines in anything other than cars - seems like I'm always having trouble with fuel or ignition on gas equipment whereas my diesels always start right up, or at worst need priming/starting fluid.
 
sdmuleman said:
I also have a hatred of gas engines in anything other than cars - seems like I'm always having trouble with fuel or ignition on gas equipment whereas my diesels always start right up, or at worst need priming/starting fluid.
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Your climate is way different than mine and the OP's... Diesel in a skid is OK, but you will have to leave it plugged in all winter for it to start (or parked in a heated shop). I can start my gas skid down to 0 easily without plugging it in, and it will even start at -20 if I have a thin winter grade oil in it. A diesel would not only need heavy treatment, but would need a good set of glow plugs and possibly a squirt or two just to get going, and then I'd still have to let it sit and warm up for a really long time before trying to load the engine (the sudden injection of cold fuel shuts down the burn). My diesels all do this in the extreme cold, whereas my gas engines crank up and then are usable within a minute or two.
 
sdmuleman good point about mechanical vs hydro but I can’t justify a $10k unit for my uses. I can justify a $5k all in machine and a little extra work. Worst case I’ll do the minimum to get it running and flip it.
 
Yeah, the 610 is drive belts. I have a 630 which is the same VH4D but hydro drive. I picked it up over twenty years ago for about the same reasons as you and it has served me well.
 
The drive can probably be fixed if needed at a good bearing and drive shop for cheap. If my hydro goes I will take the cage off and plant flowers in it. Not spending 5k to fix a machine that I bought for 3k.
 
cj3a said:
The drive can probably be fixed if needed at a good bearing and drive shop for cheap. If my hydro goes I will take the cage off and plant flowers in it. Not spending 5k to fix a machine that I bought for 3k.
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Yeah I get that.
For some reason people don't think they can fix hydraulic components themselves though.
 
I kinda hate those and would hold out for a hydrostatic machine, but w/e

get it if you want it
 
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sdmuleman said:
I'd be cautious about getting a really old machine. What I've found is that many of the really old machines used a mechanical system vs hydro, and this means lots more wear points and adjustment, along with parts that may or may not be available anymore.

Engines are easy - it's the rest of the machine I'd be worried about, and how user friendly it will be even when it works.

I also have a hatred of gas engines in anything other than cars - seems like I'm always having trouble with fuel or ignition on gas equipment whereas my diesels always start right up, or at worst need priming/starting fluid.
Click to expand...
I had a Case skid that was chain drive, it sucked and didn't at the same time.
 
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