Top Financed Equipment

Tracked skid steers, 2,201 pounds and over lift capacity

Roomy cabs and suspension-type undercarriages get contractors’ attention throughout 2010 and into this year.

By Lauren Heartsill

Caterpillar 289CCaterpillar 289C

The Caterpillar 289C uses durable, steel embedded track and steel undercarriage components for maximum machine life in aggressive applications. Cat says its suspension-type undercarriage is a feature valued by contractors. It has four independent torsion axles for a better ride and load retention. The Cat 289C’s engine powers a two-speed hydrostatic drive system that provides a travel speed of 8.5 mph in second range.

The 90-horsepower Deere 333D incorporates customers’ suggestions for more comfortable cabs and “big machine features,” prompting Deere to implement auto idle, an optional reversing hydraulic fan and a V-Plenum cooling system, says Gregg Zupancic, Deere’s product marketing manager for skid steers and compact track loaders. Overall, the D-Series’ cabs feature 24 percent more room than their predecessors and six more inches of headroom.

The Bobcat T300, which will be replaced by the T750 later this year, has a rated operating capacity of 3,000 pounds, 17.7-inch-wide rubber tracks and is powered by an 81-horsepower Kubota engine. Contractors enjoy its rubber track system, which was designed to keep them working in soft and muddy ground conditions, says Mike Fitzgerald, Bobcat loader product specialist. The Bobcat T300 is also equipped with a hydraulic system that produces 18.7 gpm and 3,300 psi relief for running attachments. EW

Top 7 financed tracked skid steers*

Deere 333DDeere 333D

1. Caterpillar 289C

2. Caterpillar 279C

3. Deere 333D

4. Deere 323D

5. Bobcat T300

6. Caterpillar 299C

7. Bobcat T650

Bobcat T300Bobcat T300

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