Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[Dilz]

yeah...it seems to be the way..I guess its much easier for them to take the machine back if I can't make payments...if I don't actually own the machine in the legal sense...really need to take a couple of hours with the calculator and work out the various scenarios ...e.g options / charges for ending the lease early...looked at the few logs I shifted about again this morning and its going be not so much fun to go back to logging them up in smaller pieces and carting them around by hand on the arbtrolley only after a few days of the machine. 

[lux]

My biggest issue with the lease is if i choose / need to sell it before the lease is up.... also lots of small print like we reserve the right to adjust monthly repayments gets my back up... there is the  option to buy at the end of the lease with a final payment.
 

I wouldn’t get too het up about it. Just about everything is ‘bought’ on lease hire or lease purchase these days.
The chances of monthly payments adjusting and certainly adjusting to any uncomfortable level is slim.
You will hold yourself back more worrying about the Ts and Cs then you will if you get the machine and get it earning.
No one likes the concept of ‘borrowing’ money (other than the lenders)
But from a business perspective my opinion is it’s better leaving your capital in the bank account and leasing your larger purchases. Especially with small businesses such as most of our companies. Plus you will end up with the machine you want not the second hand headache you can afford…. We’ve all done that. I’ve got a pain in the arse tractor in my field I wish to God I’d never bought !

Others may have a different stance but i hope you get your machine and it does the business [emoji106].

[doobin]

14 minutes ago, Dilz said:

yeah...it seems to be the way..I guess its much easier for them to take the machine back if I can't make payments...if I don't actually own the machine in the legal sense...really need to take a couple of hours with the calculator and work out the various scenarios ...e.g options / charges for ending the lease early...looked at the few logs I shifted about again this morning and its going be not so much fun to go back to logging them up in smaller pieces and carting them around by hand on the arbtrolley only after a few days of the machine. 

It costs me around £300 interest per year, fixed for five years. That's how cheap money is at the moment.

[Dilz]

Was messing about seeing if it would fit side on in the van when the hire guy showed up to collect the machine....he was some what impressed...said he had never seen one loaded through the side door before.  I wouldn't mind testing a workyquad but. the main dealer here in Sweden said i could have a machine for a day / few hours demo...and they are a 8-9 hours drive away. 

[Dilz]

Just wondering - what tire profiles are people using on these types of sherpa / skid steers. 

 

It looks very much like I'm buying one, but trying to decide if its best with grass or tractor profile tires? obviously the grass wheels will do less damage but be less useful if things get a bit soft and muddy.... plan is to have one set of narrow wheels and another wider set. 

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Dilz said:

Just wondering - what tire profiles are people using on these types of sherpa / skid steers. 

 

It looks very much like I'm buying one, but trying to decide if its best with grass or tractor profile tires? obviously the grass wheels will do less damage but be less useful if things get a bit soft and muddy.... plan is to have one set of narrow wheels and another wider set. 

That was my plan, but I’m wanting to get a third set too. The grass tyres are good but I think the ones you had on the hire machine will be most use most of the time. They are a bit like the multi one type in that they are a ‘low tread profile’ agri tread. 

[Bloom]

11 hours ago, Dilz said:

Just wondering - what tire profiles are people using on these types of sherpa / skid steers. 

 

It looks very much like I'm buying one, but trying to decide if its best with grass or tractor profile tires? obviously the grass wheels will do less damage but be less useful if things get a bit soft and muddy.... plan is to have one set of narrow wheels and another wider set. 

We use the wider grass tyres most of the time. Makes the Sherpa much steadier and more sympathetic to surfaces, and they're ok in softer conditions as they don't sink in. Only put the narrow tractor tyres on when access is an issue. They cut up everything and on soft ground they just dig in.

[doobin]

30 minutes ago, Bloom said:

We use the wider grass tyres most of the time. Makes the Sherpa much steadier and more sympathetic to surfaces, and they're ok in softer conditions as they don't sink in. Only put the narrow tractor tyres on when access is an issue. They cut up everything and on soft ground they just dig in.

I find with certain surfaces like sand, the turf tyres have the floatation but need more grip. Were I buying again, I'd probably go for the wide low profile agri type first.

 

At least they're quick to change!

Edited February 22, 2022 by doobin

[echoechoecho]

How are these machines on steep slopes, and will they dig up a lawn, even on turf tyres?

[Dilz]

3 minutes ago, echoechoecho said:

How are these machines on steep slopes, and will they dig up a lawn, even on turf tyres?

Not masses of experience with the machine but it will go up a 30degree incline but like all loaders you only want to be driving straight up and down not turning etc. Its a skid steer so unless its super dry compacted or is frozen you can damage lawns if you aren't careful.... with the medium tractor profile tiers i ripped my lawn up a fair bit - two weeks later its only really the low wet part that i had to drive back and forth over maybe 15-20 times that looks pretty bad. As soon as it warms up and the grass gets going you won't notice most of it.