Buying a used skid steer or track loader: auxiliary options, supports and running gear
Buying a used skid steer or track loader starts with the tools and ground it must work on. Verify the installed hydraulic option, coupler, controls and protective equipment before pricing the carrier or assuming that a matching mounting plate makes an attachment compatible. Bobcat’s M2 brochure illustrates the option difference: its S740 has a listed standard auxiliary flow of 23.0 US gallons per minute, compared with 30.5 for the optional high-flow arrangement. The model badge does not prove which system is fitted or what flow it delivers under the required test conditions. Inspect the lift structure and the running gear appropriate to the machine, using the manufacturer’s isolation and support procedures. Then compare the complete attachment package, quoted work and parts support. An engine that starts, a bucket that rises and one yard turn cannot establish the condition of the drive, locking system, hydraulics or tracks and tires over their operating range.
Match the tools and hydraulic option before pricing the carrier
Which attachment requirements should be identified before the viewing?
List the tools needed for the intended work and establish their approved mounting, hydraulic flow range, pressure, return and case-drain requirements, controls and carrier compatibility. Record tool mass and applicable capacity information. A familiar quick-attach shape does not establish the hydraulic or electrical functions required to run every tool safely and effectively.
How large is the S740 auxiliary-flow option difference in the brochure?
The Bobcat M2 brochure, printed specification page 29, lists S740 standard flow at 23.0 US gpm and optional high flow at 30.5 US gpm, a 7.5 US gpm or approximately 32.6% increase that describes the published configurations without measuring an offered loader or proving its high-flow option is fitted. Verify the installed option and test conditions separately.
Does high flow automatically make a machine suitable for a lower-flow tool?
No: match the tool’s permitted range and complete connection requirements with the machine’s approved setup. A larger maximum may exceed the tool’s limit. Have any required flow and pressure checks performed by competent personnel using the specified equipment and conditions; an option switch or hose connection is not that test evidence.
Inspect the lift system under its support and interlock procedures
What is required before inspecting beneath raised lift arms?
The Massachusetts FACE lift-arm alert, archived by CDC, says a manufacturer-approved support must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions whenever service requires raised arms. Follow the loader’s isolation and support procedure. Hydraulic holding pressure or a seat restraint does not independently secure the arms for access, and no one should rock the linkage by hand from the crush area.
Can an interlock be bypassed to finish the demonstration?
The FACE alert says safeguards and interlocks must be used and never bypassed, with controls operated from the operator’s seat inside the cab. Check fitted safeguards under the manufacturer’s procedure. A demonstration that depends on defeating a restraint or switch cannot establish that the machine has a functioning protective system.
How should the coupler and lift linkage be assessed?
Identify the fitted coupler, locking mechanism, pivots, cylinders and frame arrangement, then use the applicable inspection and wear criteria. Inspect engagement, damage, movement and modifications.
Bucket position alone cannot establish coupler condition. A clean mounting plate cannot establish that every locking part is present, sound and suitable for the proposed attachment.
Read tire, track and operating findings separately
What changes when the offered loader runs on tires?
Record the approved tire combination, wheel condition and the drive or chaincase arrangement applicable to that machine. Commission the permitted travel and control checks. A difference in tire condition or specification can complicate observed travel behavior, so one pulling symptom should not be treated as proof of a failed drive motor.
What needs separate measurement on a compact track loader?
Identify the actual track system and inspect tracks, rollers, idlers, sprockets, hardware and frame under the prescribed conditions. Request component measurements, tension method and limits.
A single percentage cannot describe every component’s condition. A new rubber track can still accompany worn rollers or drive components that add substantial work to the purchase package.
Does a clean engine start settle the condition of the loader’s drive?
Record the starting conditions, warnings, leaks and the permitted operating tests, including the modes and temperatures examined. A successful start does not assess the full travel or auxiliary system, and a short turn cannot reproduce every working condition. Diagnose significant findings and list untested functions.
Compare the complete package when buying a used skid steer or track loader
| Offer | Purchase | Known additions | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | $24,000 | $3,000 repairs + $2,000 attachment kit | $29,000 |
| B | $27,500 including kit | $1,000 repairs | $28,500 |
How can required parts reverse the asking-price comparison?
Assume offer A is $24,000 with $3,000 of identified repairs and a $2,000 missing attachment kit, totalling $29,000 before delivery and tax. Assume offer B includes that kit at $27,500 and needs $1,000 of work, totalling $28,500.
These are assumed costs, not observed values. The cheaper listing becomes $500 more on the known package basis.
Which support claims should be checked against actual components?
Identify the serial-applicable part or diagnostic task, supplier and quoted availability for the work found. Confirm installation, setup and required approval are included. A nearby dealer does not necessarily stock the component, while a distant supplier does not automatically mean a long delay; use the actual support evidence instead of either assumption.
What should accompany a modified cab or protective structure?
Request the modification history, applicable approval and competent assessment of the affected protective equipment and access arrangements. Record altered guards and missing protective equipment.
Obtain the correct repair or replacement scope. Appearance alone cannot establish that a fabricated panel, window or mounting retains the protection required for the machine and proposed attachment work.
What evidence should determine the final choice of loader?
Compare job suitability, attachment compatibility, measured condition, ownership records and the costed path to a complete usable package. List undiagnosed faults and excluded tests separately. Their unresolved cost is not zero.
Compare Skid steer vs track loader: wheeled and tracked loaders for the intended site and Attachments for skid steers: attachment requirements for the tools. The Equipment buying: purchase guides cover parts and diagnostic support, inspection scope and Checking a machine for liens and theft: ownership checks.