Skidsteer - Which is best

[dig dug dan]

I am looking to replace my ageing bobcat this year, which although is in fully working order, its old and its petrol.
I have the smallest bobcat, about a 350kg lift, about 3' wide.
I have been looking at equivelents on the market, and narrowed it down to a few, Thomas, Gehl, Bobcat.
I can get a thomas for £9995.see here

thomas

a bobcat is about £12500. Not sure about a gehl

But there is also a guy in devon who is going to be selling some chinese imports. A larger machine, for about £7500
diggers
(Cheap diggers too!)
anyone have any advice? It is simply a yard machine for laoding crushed and sand etc, when the farm manitou is not available, and maybe the odd landscaping job.

[Pablo]

Cheap and chinese says it all might work fine but your screwed when you need parts. My money is on bobcat but New Holland/ Deere and Gehl are decent enough. Personally if I was buying a mahine for my yard I would be lookin for a quality reconditioned machine with dealer warranty. You'll save a lot of money and it'll work just fine. I don't see the point in buying brand new if the client isn't going to see it on site. Moneys better off in my pocket and the job gets done just the same. Have you priced getting your old machine re conditioned and replacing petrol with a decent diesel, that could save you a fortune aswell. Happy hunting anyway.

[dig dug dan]

Have you priced getting your old machine re conditioned and replacing petrol with a decent diesel, that could save you a fortune aswell.

looked into this. works out dearer than buying a new machine, taking into account i could get £2000 for mine!
£1600 was the re spray alone. Its also not straight forward to just relace the engine. There was a lot of other work they had to do.
New holland/deere don't do a small machine like mine (i have a bobcat 440. now a 453)

the chinese built machine had a perkins engine in. which are ok, but not as good as kubota!