# Any one have experience with New Holland skid steers? LX885 in particular?



## owbguy (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm always looking for good equipment to make life easier. 
I saw a 2003 GMC 3500 with dump box for sale down the street from me. 2 wheel drive, dually. Basic truck. Only 28,700 miles. $10,000.
Well, while talking to the guy selling it I learned he has a New Holland LX885 with 600 hours, heavy-duty bucket, snow bucket and forks for $10,000. 60 horse diesel with 2200 pound lift capacity. Comes with a dual axle trailer.
I stopped because of the truck, but got my interest turned to the skid steer. Any of you guys have any experience with New Holland? LX885? What do you think? A rock grapple bucket would make it a logging machine. Thoughts?


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## hanniedog (Jun 5, 2012)

If the 600hrs is correct I would be all over it. Go to tractorhouse.com you can see what used ones are going for. They are asking 10g's for loaders with 10 times that many hrs on them. Good luck


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## flyboy553 (Jun 5, 2012)

Look it over closely. Pins and bushings, axles, look for welds in the loader arms, etc. Seems pretty cheap for that machine. Find out what he used it for. If he is a cement guy, he may have used it to bang curbs out when putting driveways in. Only one example of hard usage. Lots of ways to misuse and abuse equipment. 

Ted


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## blackdogon57 (Jun 5, 2012)

Sounds like a great deal. if the the trailer is is good shape it is likely worth a few grand on it's own. 600 hours sounds almost too good to be true (very easy to install new hour meter on most skid steers). I would have it checked out by a good mechanic and if it looks good buy it.


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## blades (Jun 6, 2012)

Somethings up or the guy is real short on cash, 10k on that deal is dirt cheap, around here that would be close to 25K. Trailer could be a problem if it is equipped with surge brakes and only on one axle. new rules here are brakes on both axles and they must be electric. If that is like my LX485, digital readout system in top of cab they can get flaky. Joy stick or foot controls ( real pain using them if you have heavy boots on). SS repairs add up in a hurry.


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## Henry and Wanda (Jun 6, 2012)

Hello,
I have a 2007 New Holland L170....52 HP....and it works great as a firewood helper as long as you can get to where the wood is. It's great for pulling logs, pulling hung up trees out of other trees, carrying the bucked logs in the bucket to the firewood storage area and many other things. However, the ground clearance is low and it doesn't let you get up into the woods very well. I bought it to plow my .4 mile lane in the winter but found it worked great with some aspects of firewooding. I've since bought a 35HP 4 WD tractor so I could get up into the woods where a lot of my firewood is. Hope this helps...just some things to think about !!! Good luck !!!!




Henry and Wanda


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## s13rymos (Jun 6, 2012)

I have a lx885 with around 2600 hours on it.. awesome machine in my opinion. i use it in the spring for my mulch business and for firewood/snow plowing in the winter..


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## ShaneLogs (Jun 6, 2012)

s13rymos said:


> I have a lx885 with around 2600 hours on it.. awesome machine in my opinion. i use it in the spring for my mulch business and for firewood/snow plowing in the winter..



That looks pretty good, Do you just have the regular forks on it ? I bet a brush grabber on it would work pretty good for your mulch too  I am jealous!


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## owbguy (Jun 6, 2012)

I found out more about it. Turbo model. Actual hours. Heavy duty arms and bucket. Homeowner owned and only residential use. Stored in a garage. Owner died from complications following surgery. The person who got the equipment (in the Will) doesn't need or want it and is selling it. I was looking at the GMC truck again today. Its pretty nice. $26,000 window sticker still in glove box. That doesn't include the industrial dump box that was added. Its the basic 1 ton truck with dual rear axle, 2nd gas tank, no air, cloth seats, etc. but man is it clean. I mean clean as can be too. Stored in his garage. The skid steer is still in storage so I've only seen photos. It looks really nice though. If its anything like the truck, its immaculate. The trailer is pretty old and worn but strong and serviceable. He also has a fully functional International 3616 with 4000 hours on it for sale too. I need to come up with some more cash.... :help:


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## ShaneLogs (Jun 6, 2012)

owbguy said:


> I found out more about it. Turbo model. Actual hours. Heavy duty arms and bucket. Homeowner owned and only residential use. Stored in a garage. Owner died from complications following surgery. The person who got the equipment (in the Will) doesn't need or want it and is selling it. I was looking at the GMC truck again today. Its pretty nice. $26,000 window sticker still in glove box. That doesn't include the industrial dump box that was added. Its the basic 1 ton truck with dual rear axle, 2nd gas tank, no air, cloth seats, etc. but man is it clean. I mean clean as can be too. Stored in his garage. The skid steer is still in storage so I've only seen photos. It looks really nice though. If its anything like the truck, its immaculate. The trailer is pretty old and worn but strong and serviceable. He also has a fully functional International 3616 with 4000 hours on it for sale too. I need to come up with some more cash.... :help:




Sell more wood!


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## komatsuvarna (Jun 6, 2012)

Id be all over the skid steer deal at the very least! With that many hours on it, it can't be hurt. We usually run them to about 5- 6,000 hours on them and sell off.


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## owbguy (Jun 6, 2012)

komatsuvarna said:


> Id be all over the skid steer deal at the very least! With that many hours on it, it can't be hurt. We usually run them to about 5- 6,000 hours on them and sell off.



that's what I was thinking. there's another twist here. if I end up with it then I'll be smiling big.


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## blackdogon57 (Jun 6, 2012)

owbguy said:


> I found out more about it. Turbo model. Actual hours. Heavy duty arms and bucket. Homeowner owned and only residential use. Stored in a garage. Owner died from complications following surgery. The person who got the equipment (in the Will) doesn't need or want it and is selling it. I was looking at the GMC truck again today. Its pretty nice. $26,000 window sticker still in glove box. That doesn't include the industrial dump box that was added. Its the basic 1 ton truck with dual rear axle, 2nd gas tank, no air, cloth seats, etc. but man is it clean. I mean clean as can be too. Stored in his garage. The skid steer is still in storage so I've only seen photos. It looks really nice though. If its anything like the truck, its immaculate. The trailer is pretty old and worn but strong and serviceable. He also has a fully functional International 3616 with 4000 hours on it for sale too. I need to come up with some more cash.... :help:



If the story checks out i would make a cash offer for both. 600 hours on a skid steer or 26K on a truck are hardly even broken if. Even if you resell one or both you should come out ahead.


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## Dan_IN_MN (Jun 7, 2012)

My neighbor has a New Holland skid steer. I've used it now and then. I don't remember the model number, (I should, I saw the delivery truck drive by my house with it) but they're nice machines! His has two speeds which makes 'road trips' a bit shorter. He also has the 'all weather cab'. It's nice to have a generous neighbor!


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## s13rymos (Jun 7, 2012)

ShaneLogs said:


> That looks pretty good, Do you just have the regular forks on it ? I bet a brush grabber on it would work pretty good for your mulch too  I am jealous!



Just regular bradco forks on it in that pic. i have buckets for it as well but no brush grabber. most of my mulch is pretty fine so a light material bucket is the way to go..:msp_thumbup:


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## blades (Jun 7, 2012)

Kinda like how I got my lx485, guy who was selling it got from an Uncle who passed on. Nowhere near that good a deal though.


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## s13rymos (Jun 7, 2012)

I like the fact that these are not computerized like the newer models.. except the pesky display board :bang: You can easily fix the machine without the need for a laptop and software.. :msp_thumbup:


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## TFPace (Jun 7, 2012)

*Low hours*

That is a very low time 885. I have owned mine for 10+ years and I love the machine. Buy it.


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## owbguy (Jun 8, 2012)

s13rymos said:


> I have a lx885 with around 2600 hours on it.. awesome machine in my opinion. i use it in the spring for my mulch business and for firewood/snow plowing in the winter..



Hey s13rymos how is your lx885 for getting around in the woods? How's the ground clearance? Another poster mentioned poor ground clearance and not so good in the woods, but that was a different model NH. I'm curious what you think.


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## s13rymos (Jun 9, 2012)

Its not really that bad at getting around in the woods.. sure i get hung up on a high stump or two but thats life.. wet/soft ground though is a different story.. one you dig your tires enough that the under carriage is on the ground then guess what ur stuck.. the one time i wish i had a tracked skid steer, but im not in that situation often enough to warrant a purchase on one.. keep in mind the lx885 is not a light machine by a far shot...


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## Henry and Wanda (Jun 9, 2012)

Yes, I was the poster that was talking about ground clearance. The other poster was very correct when he said that once you start digging in and the undercarriage is down in the mud, you are done. One time I had to have my neighbor pull me out with his skid steer for that very reason. It is really very easy to get stuck and sometimes in places that you had no idea that it would be possible !!!!! Also, if your ground is very rocky, sometimes the skid steer can wedge itself between 2 rocks and pop the bead on a tire.....had that happen once !!!!!




Henry and Wanda


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## flyboy553 (Jun 9, 2012)

I wouldn't worry even a little bit about ground clearance in the woods. Anyone with some time on a bobcat type machine rarely gets stuck. Use your bucket to push yourself back out or raise the bucket as high as it will go and rapidly move it up and down to get machine rocking and out you come. 
Besides, you have a bucket. Move whatever is causing you issues. Not hard to do. You shouldn't be driving over stumps of any kind in the first place. Tires are not made for that.

Ted


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