What should you check before buying a used skid steer from an owner?
A skid steer from a private seller can save you real money. It can also come with worn pins, a tired drive system or a lien nobody mentioned. Here’s what to check, what used Bobcat S650s and T770s are listing for, and how Five West finances a loader you’re buying from an owner.
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What should you look for when buying a used skid steer?
Records first, then the machine. Ask the owner not to start it before you arrive so you see a cold start, and bring an infrared thermometer.
| What to check | How to check it | Walk away, or price in the repair, if |
|---|---|---|
| Hours vs. records | Compare the meter with service invoices and with wear on the seat, pedals and controls. | A low reading on worn-smooth controls, or no records at all. |
| Chaincase and drive chains (wheeled) | Check the chaincase oil. Lift the tires off the ground, turn them and listen. | Milky oil (water), glitter (metal), or grinding chains or sprockets. |
| Drive motors | After about five minutes of running, compare hub temperatures left and right. | One side runs noticeably hotter, a sign of internal wear. |
| Pins, bushings and lift-arm play | Lock the arms and push them side to side. Rock the bucket by hand. | Movement at the main pivots or tower bushings, or a dull knock at the bucket. |
| Hydraulics and cycle times | Raise, lower, dump and roll back several times, then hold a light load for a minute. | Slow or jerky cycles, fittings weeping at the face, or a boom that drifts down. |
| Tracks and undercarriage (CTL) | Measure track sag against the maker’s spec and ask for an undercarriage percentage. | Cracked or missing lugs, cupped blocks or flat-spotted idlers. |
| DPF and DEF (Tier 4) | Find out whether the engine has a DPF, an SCR system that takes DEF, both or neither. Check for warning lights. | Active warnings, or a seller who can’t say what’s on the engine. |
| Coupler | Lock an attachment on, set a pry bar under a corner of the plate and lift. | Play between the plate and the carriage, or levers that won’t seat fully. |
| Attachments | List what comes with the sale and confirm the loader’s hydraulic flow runs each one. | An attachment that needs more flow than the loader has. |
| Serial and paperwork | Read the serial or PIN off the plate yourself and match it to the bill of sale. | Grinder marks, missing rivets or a mismatched number. |
Tracks are easy to underprice. One aftermarket 18-inch T770 track was listed at $1,336.80 on sale, and that’s one side. Some dealers score the undercarriage in their condition reports: about 60% worn on a 2021 Cat 259D3 with 1,800 hours, and about 75% remaining on a 2023 T770 with 1,955.
Tier 4 rules phased in from 2008 to 2015. Most Tier 4 engine families use SCR, and some add a DPF. Bobcat called its first Tier 4 loader engine a non-DPF design in 2013, and newer T770 listings say the same, but makes and years differ, so ask.
Not sure what you’re looking at? Pay a dealer’s service tech or an independent mechanic to go over it.
What is considered high hours on a skid steer?
Hansen Auction Group, an equipment auction house, says skid steers typically last 5,000 to 7,000 hours and suggests aiming for fewer than 3,000 on a used one.
The meter only tells you how long the engine ran. It won’t say whether anyone changed the oil or greased the pins, or whether those hours went into demolition or moving mulch. A high-hour loader with a stack of service invoices can be a safer buy than a low-hour one with none.
You can still see what hours do to price. Two 2023 T770s were listed $15,400 apart: $62,900 with 1,000 hours and $47,500 with 1,955. Two 2023 S650s were $20,000 apart at 854 and 1,664 hours, though neither pair’s listings say what else differs.
On our side, there’s no set number of hours a loader can’t pass. The hour meter, the service records and the condition decide how long the term can run, and high hours or missing records can shorten it. There is no age limit, though older equipment can be tougher to get done.
How do you check a used skid steer’s serial number and liens?
Do it before any deposit leaves your account. In order:
- Read the number off the machine, not the ad, and photograph the plate. Depending on the make and year, it’s a maker’s serial or a 17-character product identification number (PIN) in the ISO 10261 format for earth-moving machinery. Grinder marks or missing rivets on the plate mean stop.
- Run a history check. The National Equipment Register’s IRONcheck is $49.95 a search. It checks PIN accuracy, NER’s theft database, insurance claim history and UCC history, and the report comes within 24 business hours. NER doesn’t guarantee it, so treat a clean report as one piece of the file.
- Search UCC filings on the seller’s exact legal name with the Secretary of State where the business is organized, or usually the home state for an individual. Read the filings: a blanket lien on all of a business’s assets can cover the loader without naming it.
- If the seller still owes, get a written payoff from their lender.
A skid steer usually has no title the way a truck does, so the bill of sale, any original invoice and the UCC record are the paper trail. If you finance it with us, the lien search is part of our file.
How much should you pay for a used skid steer?
About what the same model lists for with similar hours, minus whatever the checklist turned up. Here’s what two popular loaders, the S650 skid steer and the T770 track loader, were listed for on Construction Equipment Guide:
| Bobcat model | Year | Hours | Asking price | Listed in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S650 | 2013 | 3,520 | $25,000 | Williston, ND |
| S650 | 2017 | 1,888 | $33,900 | Los Angeles, CA |
| S650 | 2018 | 3,269 | $24,900 | Long Beach, CA |
| S650 | 2019 | 1,474 | $35,900 | Burnsville, MN |
| S650 | 2023 | 1,664 | $26,900 | Long Beach, CA |
| S650 | 2023 | 854 | $46,900 | Davenport, IA |
| T770 | 2016 | 1,914 | $38,995 | Antigo, WI |
| T770 | 2017 | 2,375 | $43,900 | Selkirk, NY |
| T770 | 2020 | 1,215 | $49,000 | Newington, CT |
| T770 | 2022 | 1,379 | $54,750 | Maspeth, NY |
| T770 | 2023 | 1,955 | $47,500 | Novi, MI |
| T770 | 2023 | 1,000 | $62,900 | Selkirk, NY |
| T770 | 2024 | 531 | $66,195 | Maspeth, NY |
Listed asking prices we found, checked October 29, 2026, not appraisals or offers. All are dealer listings, each in Sources below.
Model year sorts these less than you’d think. A 2013 S650 with 3,520 hours was listed at $25,000, next to a 2018 with 3,269 hours at $24,900.
An owner may ask less than a dealer, partly because the machine usually goes as-is with no warranty. Pricing a new loader? Our skid steer financing guide has 2026 list prices by size.
What does a used skid steer cost a month?
Here are four of those listings as payments for an established business, with the full price financed and nothing down:
| Example amount | 36 months | 48 months | 60 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| $24,900: 2018 S650, 3,269 hours | $792 | $620 | $517 |
| $35,900: 2019 S650, 1,474 hours | $1,142 | $893 | $745 |
| $49,000: 2020 T770, 1,215 hours | $1,558 | $1,219 | $1,017 |
| $66,195: 2024 T770, 531 hours | $2,105 | $1,647 | $1,374 |
Estimates for an established business (two or more years in business) on an equipment finance agreement, nothing down. They’re examples, not quotes. Your actual payment depends on credit, the equipment and the term.
An older or high-hour loader may get a shorter term. On an equipment finance agreement, the loader is yours from day one, on terms of 24 to 84 months.
Is it worth buying a used skid steer for sale by owner?
It can be, if you see it run, work through the checklist and the paperwork holds up.
Owner sales turn up on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and local classifieds. There’s usually no warranty, and once you’ve paid, it’s hard to get money back. What an owner can give you is the real story: how the loader was used, who serviced it and what broke.
A few rules I’d hold to. Watch it work under load, not just idle. Never wire a deposit or use a payment app for a machine you haven’t seen. Get your attorney to look over the bill of sale, and check with your CPA on how the purchase is handled at tax time. Our guide to buying equipment on Facebook Marketplace covers the scams.
Can you finance a used skid steer under $15,000?
Yes, as long as the whole agreement reaches our usual $15,000 minimum.
Shopping under $10,000? Put the loader on one agreement with enough to reach $15,000: a bucket, a grapple or other attachments, the trailer that hauls it, or a second machine. Our construction equipment financing puts attachments and a trailer on the same agreement as the machine, and landscaping and forestry financing does the same for a crew’s setup.
We finance cheaper, older loaders too. Good credit, service records and a brand with dealer support make the file stronger.
How does a private-party deal work with Five West?
Buying from an owner changes less than you’d expect on our end:
- Usually no down payment with good credit, even with a private seller. Startups usually still put some money down (see our startup equipment financing guide).
- Decided on the application alone up to $500,000 on qualifying files. No tax returns or financial statements.
- Quick, even with an owner selling. You’ll typically get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours. Clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes, and once documents are signed, funding can follow in as little as 24 to 48 hours. The lien search and inspection are handled in that same file.
- We pay the seller. If there’s still a loan on the loader, we pay off the seller’s lender at closing, the lien is released, and the balance goes to the seller.
- Attachments and a trailer can go on the same agreement.
- Several pieces can share one agreement to reach our usual $15,000 minimum.
Send the listing, serial number, hours and the seller’s name when you apply, and we’ll say what the loader supports before you pay anyone.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before buying a used skid steer?
Compare the hour meter with the service records and the wear on the controls. Then check the chaincase oil and drive motors, pins and bushings, hydraulic leaks and cycle times, tracks or tires, the DPF or DEF system on a Tier 4 engine, and the coupler. Match the serial number to the bill of sale and get a lien search on the seller.
How many hours is too many on a used skid steer?
Under 3,000 hours is the target one equipment auction house suggests for a used skid steer, and it says they typically last 5,000 to 7,000 hours. Records and condition matter more than the meter, and Five West sets no hour cutoff.
How much is a used Bobcat S650 or T770?
On October 29, 2026, dealer listings we found had used S650 skid steers from $24,900 to $46,900 and used T770 track loaders from $38,995 to $66,195. These are asking prices, not appraisals or offers.
Can I finance a skid steer from a private seller?
Yes. Five West finances private-party skid steers with application-only decisions up to $500,000 on qualifying files. We run the lien search, pay the seller directly, and if the seller still owes on the loader, pay off their lender at closing so the lien is released.
Do I need a down payment to buy a used skid steer from an owner?
Usually not, if you have good credit. That holds on a private-party sale too. Startups usually still put some money down.
Can I finance a skid steer that costs less than $15,000?
Yes, when the whole agreement reaches the usual $15,000 minimum. Add attachments, a trailer or a second machine to the same agreement, and it’s one payment.
Found a skid steer from an owner?
Send us the listing, serial number and hours. One short application and a soft credit inquiry get you a dedicated funding professional from application to funding.
This article is general information about buying and financing used equipment, not tax, legal or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Prices shown are listed asking prices from public pages on the date checked, not appraisals or offers. Example payments are estimates for an established business with no money down; actual terms and payments depend on credit approval, the equipment and the structure. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.