Very impressive machine indeed! I run a landscape company and when I started my first 3 "big" purchases was my diesel truck, dump trailer and a sk755 Ditchwitch. Put 300 hours on the machine from june til end of October. Just basic maintenance and occasionally a few shots of grease to ensure proper tension on the tracks. Able to get in 99% of backyards because it's only 36" wide. The machine was a game changer for me and highly recommend it for anyone working in tight spaces.
i actually work for the manufacturing plant in perry for ditchwitch with the jet track lines but i witness all the sk's being build and are super high quality. it is cool to see our product get such great reviews.
I am a professional tree care contractor and have been in the industry for over 24 years. I have operated just about every mini skidsteer available. Hands down Ditch Witch makes the absolute BEST mini skid in the market, my first DW mini has over 2100 hours ( it was purchased with 3 hrs.) and still works everyday. Never had issues with the machine other than a bolt breaking that holds one of the hub/ idler pulley on the track. Also the machine has never thrown a track EVER! Any mini operator knows how easy it is to throw a track. Anyone looking at buying a mini or any owners that are looking at replacing or upgrading a machine look at the Ditch Witch!! These machine are in a class all they’re own!!!
I use a sk850+ a lot. I personally have put over 600 hours on it. I love it. Rolling sod, grading with a Harley rake, or just moving things around with the forks. That beast though seems like a lot of fun.
I have a ditch witch sk800 for my company. We work in a lot of close quarters and small yards with minimal access so having a machine which is only 36" wide is a must. I absolutely love the sk800, easy to use, easy to work on. It never lets me down and always does more than I think it will. That sk3000 is cool but I am not sure I would go with that over a regular skid steer. I would have to test one to see.
I love that you don't have to crawl out of a metal cage to get off. Weighs 7600bs so more vehicles can tow it. I'm really thinking about getting something like this and charging about $125/hr to do work with it. 20 hrs a week would pay my bills including the cost of the loan for the machine. insurance, licensing, etc.
Had a Ditch Witch SK650 for my Fence, Lawn & Landscape Company. Not nearly the features & capabilities as these new machines, but even mine was an absolute workhorse! Love Ditch Witch equipment.....can't go wrong!
Ditch witch are some of the best I’ve ran. We have a smaller version of this and I love to run it so easy too and never found something it couldn’t do. Hope we can get one of these
I have been in the landscape business for over 37 years. When the dingo was first introduced we bought one. It was the old green one with a chain to make it four wheel drive. At the time we did a lot of landscape renovations work and we were really impressed with how much time it saved on the job. They then came out with the 4paw four wheel hydraulic drive which was an improvement. The only issue with those machines was if it rained and you were trying to work in slippery conditions the machine was idle and the crew moral dropped. Moving forward Boxer came out with a track drive system and we bought one which helped greatly to move around the job sight even in slippery conditions. I will never go back to a wheeled version of the mini. We have owned or rented many of the other minis out there and since we purchased the ditch witch sk series it would take a lot to sway me away. We are on our second sk800 now and I am thinking hard about getting the sk 1550. If the majority of our landscape/hardscape work was new construction I would take a harder look at the sk3000. While it looks like a beast I feel like its better suited for new construction work sites and the smaller units less destructive to existing landscapes. If anyone is considering a purchase ask yourself this question. How much does one employee cost your business for one month, and how much will a loan on one of these machines cost you. The truth is how much would three employees cost you in a month because they can replace 3+ employees. Not that I don’t appreciate hard working employees but we are into saving labor cost are we not.
Wow...... I'm excited about this piece of kit! From a visibility point of view, It's awesome. There are a number of environments where I wouldn't use this but overall, I'd really like to check this machine out .Never used any Ditch Witch products before. I run J.C.B. & A.S.L. skid steers currently. Still will but this machine has definitely got a place on my jobsites. I'm going to contact a Ditch Witch dealer on Tuesday!
Just bought used one.and trailer...place closed there buisness here and I got it. Old 750..I've used it before .think I'm going take it to ditchwitch and have them tune it up..
As of last week, I have personally run every major Brand Of MTL on the market. Here are my thoughts. Ditch Witch Makes the best all around machines. The SK1050 & Sk1550 have enough power, ROC & Versatility to replace any Full size CTL we would have needed on 99% of Landscape/Hardscape projects. The build Quality and Design Layout is Hands down #1 in the Mini Market. Cost of ownership is also lower with a greater overall ROI. Simply because they can be used more. Even on the smaller jobs. I am a huge Bobcat fanboy and love the Full Sized CTL's & Mini Excavators however, The Mini's track loaders always fell short of the competition IMHO. The MT85 is a good overall machine, just seemed a bit under powered. Build Quality is great just like the full size machines. Im hopeful that the newest MT100 will step up in the competition but, It really needs to have some efficient Hydraulics or else I feel the 25hp engine is going to leave a lot to be desired. Compared to the Ditch Witch model closest in production, the Sk1050 has 37hp with a 1000 lb plus Lift capacity. Come on Bobcat, Get your head in the game. The Dingo TX1000 is a great machine for certain tasks. I had a little over 50 hours on our rental and just like the bobcat, the power fell short. it was great with a bucket for loading light material in the dump trailer but when it came to running a Harley rake, you could feel the limits maxing out when multi tasking. Overall, It did better than the MT85 and had a smoother overall operating experience. Last week I was able to Run the Vermeer CTX100. I only logged about 4 hours but it seemed to be on par with Ditch Witch in the power department. I ran a low Flow Tree Grapple & Hi Flow Auger Bit to Plant 19 Giant Arbs. The Controls were laid out well and the build quality is more toward Bobcat standards. The ride quality however was a bit rough. The platform is solid with no suspension and the track rollers are small which give the overall ride a very twitchy feel. The hydraulics did seem to be pretty smooth though which helped a bit. Here is my bottom line....Ditch Witch rules the MTL market. The Ergos, Build Quality, HP, Hydraulics & Operator Experience overall have proven to be the best in my personal experience. The only downside for me is that the closest Dealer is over 2 hours away. The customer Service however has been great and they have Territory based sales & service teams that run mobile and will come on site with any issues. It still isnt the same as having a dealer in my neighborhood. My local Bobcat Dealer is close and has a great team. If they could get the HP numbers up on the MT100 to compete with Ditch Witch, it would be a tough choice. Until then, Ditch Witch produces the best MTL's available. If you have not had a chance to run one and are in the market, I highly suggest you Demo one. That Sk3000 looks like a monster however, im not sure id put it in the same category as a MTL. I do like the stand on idea for a machine in the Full Size class. Visibility and convenience for on/off applications seems great. Im not sure id trade a sealed & pressurized cab for a stand on platform while doing a larger scale job requiring a Full Size machine. I guess it would depend on the application. Would still Love a Demo though!
I’ve been operating both wheeled and tracked skidsteers my entire working life, and when I bought my sk600 I was incredibly impressed. It’s a small machine but it has the same feel as running a larger tracked machine. Can’t say enough good things about it
I love the sk1050 personally ,Because the concrete cutting and pouring company I work for we have one that we use a lot for so many different things and everyone that uses it loves it. Kudos to the guys at ditch witch
jimmie little the 427 does not compare at all in my opinion. With the dual stick controls the machine can get into tight spaces with precision. It lifts way more than what it says on paper. We use it to load a 1 ton dump truck, run rock, mulch, and dirt. Great for digging even though it's tiny. It does operate the same speed in reverse as forward which is nice. I have had issues with mine off and on. Only at 200 hours now. My local dealer out of Kansas City is a joke. But I love the machine. Well worth the 25g. No grease points. Man that is nice. We Owned a s70 bobcat before this. And i much prefer to stand for small landscape design/install projects. Ditch witch is great for tight spaces.
jimmie little the machine is smooth. It reminds me of running a wright stander. You can get to the point where you almost just dance with it. Hope this helps. Have a good day.
DITCH WITCHES ARE IN MY OPINION ARE NUMBER ONE ☝🏻!!! Hands down without a doubt! I have owned a SKs and I’m purchasing the new SK1750 next month. Looking forward to that Big Time!
I’m also really excited to consider this instead of a traditional skid steer. I’m going tree and dirt work, nothing too extreme, this looks like it could be a perfect fit.
I own 2 Sk755's both have been amazing machines. We tried out every brand of mini skid before purchase and none of them could compare in power or responsiveness. Almost all other machines do not have power through a turn. Toro are not bad but none of our operators could stand the ground drive controls on the toro's.
Our parks department switched to ditch witch products because they felt less chance of someone getting injured in a reversing situation building trails in the woods , and learning curve was one day as opposed to a season and the ease of transport from job to job with a small F350 mason dump and flat trailer , now I have to demo one thanks Stan
if you think about it.....for you to be able to grease a joint there has to be "slop" designed into the joint for the grease to do its job.........look at high load high end hiem joints....no grease.. if you designed the grease "gap" out of the joint and used the proper metals in the joint you can take almost all of the slop out of the machine and it will be smoother and have the same or longer life span
That was my favorite machines at GIE. Ditch Witch makes some of the best machines on the market. Thank you for this detailed video, it was very well done!
By the way, if you didn’t know, Toro bought ditch witch. So I can imagine that partnership is working pretty well in the stand-on and walk behind skid market.
Unless there doing a hands on demonstration !!! Kind of hard to lie then go prove it rite in front of you with a hands on demonstration . I didn't see any lies did you ?
I own an sk 1550. It just clocks in and does work. Non greasable fitting hold up great. Owned and ran all other mini skids and ditchwitch crushed them all. I want the 3000 but cant justify the 70000 dollar price tag. My one complaint about 1550 is not being able to see corners of bucket.
I run all DW in my fleet, no grease fittings has always been good to me. I wish they would bring the xt850 back in a sk3000 size, that would be a bad mamajamma.
I personally like the Vermeers. We have 2 and have tried most of the dws in their lineup including the biggest one (which was just too big for us) but I suggest trying the Vermeer.
I own a sk800 with zero grease fittings! I’ve never had a pin break wear out or even squeak! I had the same reaction you had when I first demoed my Machine! I’ve owned mine for two years and put just under a thousand hours on it! I couldn’t be happier with Ditchwitch product.
I'll never own anything without automatic disconnect anymore. Under usual circumstances getting out to pull the lever up is not a huge deal. But in the winter here in Canada the 2 minute job of disconnecting a set of forks to get a bucket can end up taking quite some time when you have to go get a hammer a pry bar and a blow torch. Or it can ruin a day and cost a ton of money if you break something while you're beating on it.
35-40 years ago we used D-W equipment and, to be blunt, there were design flaws - however ALL manufacturers were still learning and they got a LOT better over time. Sealed, lubricant impregnated bushings have been used, in various applications for decades - with improvements in materials and manufacturing processes, they 'should' be fine, with my main concern being where abrasive dust/dirt/sand may build up around the 'points and wear the seals to the point where it could get into the actual pivots - with grease they would be flushed out before doing damage, but that should be taken into account with the design work. Close behind is the service period they tested over - the chap mentioned a thousand hours, but over a 5 year period a well used machine could be looking at well over ten times that, some of which would be overloading and abuse. Remember, with those grease points, many 'operators' wouldn't grease them nearly as often as specified, might use the wrong grease, or even miss some out alltogether. As an aside, many guys and gals will be working in very cold, or very hot, conditions and/or where it's very dry, or rainy - how does a 'stand-on' compare to a 'sit-in' for operator fatigue and comfort in these more extreme conditions?
It doesn't need to be greased because the bushings are a composite material. Graphite and fiber if i had to guess works good and no problems of not taking grease
Great video as always!! Really appreciate the indepth look at functionality of the machine! Im definitely going to look further into possibly purchasing! Thanks for the info!
3100lbs... so just enough to get a 600sq/ft sod pallet off a truck if its not soaked. Not bad. I’ve worked with an Sk850 for a few years and it’s been a good machine all around, I will say the engine bay is pretty tight. My worry for this sk3000 would be how it’s lift height compares to similarly powerful conventional skid steers. While not everyone needs high lift height, it is important for some applications like loading brush onto taller trucks. It’s one of the reason my company still uses tractor loaders over full size skid steers. I do like that it weighs in under 8k, that is nice.
Surprised he didn’t mention the auto level lift feature and the the travel mode stabilization feature. When he lifted that pallet of blocks it would have automatically stayed level if he had that feature activated. Very impressive machine.
Local dealers have a lot to do with a purchase. I was looking at the Vermeer 100 and the SK1050 and so I bought the Ditch Witch because of the really genuine, down to earth guys in Phoenix, Vermeer was too corporate.
Ditch Witch sounds fine, but I use a Vermeer CTX100 almost same hp, within 2-3. My Vermeer fits on a single axel tilt, Sure-track trailer, with 48” trencher, 48” forks, 42” bucket, and a Fronthoe Backhoe.. Not hassle by DOT. I like it that way, no log books, physicals, 100 mile radius, etc... all that extra garbage you have to contend with. Full size skid steer stand on, good idea except for weight, and DOT.
Hi Stanley I bet you already thinking of something you could use that Ditch Witch for maybe they try one out at home and record it on video that would be a good idea
UK market would probably rule that out because of safety. For example, the USA refuge collectors can still ride on a plate at the rear of the truck. In the UK they ruled that out in the late '70s
I deal with ditch witch Directional drills on a daily basis they are amazing the auto grease is a great feature saves lots of time. Does this machine fit on side walks?
if they used proper truly sealed bushings they will last for the life of the machine but the cost for those bushings are much more than the cost of a steel pin and drilling a hole for grease, also much harder to install due to tolerances needed for the sealed bushing, which is why most company's opt for the easy to install and cheap steel pin.
The trick with those quick-tatch front ends is to keep them clean and oiled with the old fashioned motor oil squirt cans..... when you have a bucket on don't scoop so much material that it goes over the back and into the pins
quick connect is great but dont be a bone head like me and forget to disconnect the hydro line !! I was going from my forks to bucket all day and then hooked up the harley rake and when i disconnected I forgot about the line !!
That’s with any skid steer ,I purchased the block on the machine arm ,The fittings that go with it , and a set hoses hoses for my grapple it wasn’t cheap but it saved my ass . The first time I had to order the parts took a week to get rolling again at full function
I bought a brand new sk650 few years back and hated it for drilling fence holes, rolled really rough ton hard surfaces, track problems, could not see front of the machine well, to twitchy not smooth to work with, turning on grass would destroy lawns, was nice to work with the float system and ouch snow was fun but sold it at 211 hours and still use my Toro Dingo since 2007, maybe these ones are better but not willing to throw that much money at it to find out
Yanmar engine damn those are like the BEST ENGINES YOU CAN GET........wow did not know that, I maybe looking into one for trenching, but I get the. Smallest model
How often do people go flying off those things? It seems like it would be uncomfortable to run all day, always trying to balance your self to not fall off, I would imagine it feels like a standing up on a boat in rough waters.
High Octane it’s not too bad really. I’ve had to spend a few days in a row on our companies SK850. The platform is large enough to move around a bit and you can lean forward into the pad. And the hand grips are intuitive and versatile enough to hold securely and still manipulate the controls. Now that being said inclines are different, especially going up a steep incline and pivoting on the top, you have to hold on from not falling backwards, and brace yourself from to falling forward if you crest the hill too fast. Granted the Sk850 is a much smaller machine than this sk3000, so I don’t know how it would compare to a similar sized sit down skid steer. But it’s not fun to be in a sit down all day either, they are rough machines, tractors are much more comfortable. Also I assume people have different preferences, like I prefer a stand on mower over a sit on.
I have a Ditch Witch sk800 and love it. It is very comfortable and is the go to machine on the jobsite over the full size machines. I would love to have a high capacity machine I could jump on and off of. Only thing keeping me from getting rid of the full size track loader for this is that we run a snowblower on ours in the winter. The cab is the the best option for that.
I love my sk1050 wouldn't imagine any other brand. 650hrs on it. However I've sheared off 3 drive motor shafts like 6-700$ per Two of which driving on flat grass with no load.(yes 3 sheared off the 1.5-2 inch shaft at the motor) both rear track rollers shafts have bent and replaced. (And no I don't curb hop it) Pretty much get the same answer every time it happens. "Wow never seen that before". Also because of the open sides the engine compartment it gets a ton of debris in it. Which leads to my next problem. A small rock found its way under the oil pan there is no possible way to clear out the debri. Blew all of the oil out luckily shut down immediately. Motor had to be pulled at some like 21 man hours plus parts had to pull the motor. (Also "never heard of that happening before") main tilt piston snapped off inside the piston luckily with the load near the ground or it would have been a catastrophe. (Again "wow haven't heard that before" main hydraulic spool block has been leaking wayyyyy up under the control panel.(it gets a plastic catch with a paper towel) replaced many of the hydraulic lines in the engine compartment due to chafing issues. Soooo. If u get one either sell before warranty goes up. Also if your needing a repair depending on your location your looking at atleast 1000$ just to get them to show up drive time plus mileage to and from. Again love the machine but hopefully vermeer or bobcat gets on the ball of making a comfortable ride like the ditch witch has. At this time they do not even come close like caddy ride vs golf cart . Mind you I only have 650 hours on it!!!!!!! 34,000$ I turn wrenches on it just as much as if I would have on my used 20yr old boxer. Sadly if looks like the same motor design allowing stuff (rocks) to get up in between the sprocket and the frame (snap). I offered to talk to there research team every time........ Still waiting. Good luck coughing up 60k better be making that $$ or sell b4 warranty is up.
I'm sorry but a stand behind skid stirrer just sounds dangerous. There was a video circulating around for a while where a worker jumped on the back of a skid stirrer as a counter weight. It flipped forward, dropped the load, she fell off and when it came back down, crushed her.
The machine is cool as hell, but for the price of one of these brand new you could find a fairly decent full size skid steer I'm sure. Plus the full size sit-in skid steer protects you from the elements outside and may even have climate control.
They’re pretty nice I’ve ran a sk800 but being a lighter weight operator I hate the fact it nose dives a lot with a full bucket of anything. I would like to see a counterweight system built for them like Bob Cat and Vermeer.
I haven't SK 1050 that we use on occasion to plow sidewalks with when one of our Bobcat S70 machines need maintenance or go down it is more than capable of clearing a 45-foot sidewalk with any attachment you put in front of it. With that being said where your Milwaukee heated coat and some Carhartt bib overalls and you'll be just fine.
The bushings they run last a really long time. I have the sk750 and bushing was $9 for tilt cylinder and with 200 hours on it working the holy hell out of it it's barely showing any wear at all so it's actually a great thing.
Very impressive machine indeed! I run a landscape company and when I started my first 3 "big" purchases was my diesel truck, dump trailer and a sk755 Ditchwitch. Put 300 hours on the machine from june til end of October. Just basic maintenance and occasionally a few shots of grease to ensure proper tension on the tracks. Able to get in 99% of backyards because it's only 36" wide. The machine was a game changer for me and highly recommend it for anyone working in tight spaces.
Thanks for commenting Dave, appreciate you watching!
i actually work for the manufacturing plant in perry for ditchwitch with the jet track lines but i witness all the sk's being build and are super high quality. it is cool to see our product get such great reviews.
I am a professional tree care contractor and have been in the industry for over 24 years. I have operated just about every mini skidsteer available. Hands down Ditch Witch makes the absolute BEST mini skid in the market, my first DW mini has over 2100 hours ( it was purchased with 3 hrs.) and still works everyday. Never had issues with the machine other than a bolt breaking that holds one of the hub/ idler pulley on the track. Also the machine has never thrown a track EVER! Any mini operator knows how easy it is to throw a track. Anyone looking at buying a mini or any owners that are looking at replacing or upgrading a machine look at the Ditch Witch!! These machine are in a class all they’re own!!!
I own a mt85 but had a lot of fun digging holes at the ditch witch booth this year. Impressive machines!
I love my sk 800... it’s a beast!!! Perfect for my Landscapeing concrete business!
I'd like a sk600
Stan. I have an SK1050 and love it! Ditch Witch blows the computation away! I’ve was thinking about 1550, now this 3000 is on my mind
We have four SK750 in our rental fleet .. Love them and so do the customers ..
I use a sk850+ a lot. I personally have put over 600 hours on it. I love it. Rolling sod, grading with a Harley rake, or just moving things around with the forks. That beast though seems like a lot of fun.
I have a ditch witch sk800 for my company. We work in a lot of close quarters and small yards with minimal access so having a machine which is only 36" wide is a must. I absolutely love the sk800, easy to use, easy to work on. It never lets me down and always does more than I think it will. That sk3000 is cool but I am not sure I would go with that over a regular skid steer. I would have to test one to see.
I use the sk1050 on almost all of our projects. It’s an awesome machine. I would definitely recommend one. Best machine on the market
I owned a SK 350 for 10 years. It was the second smallest machine they made but worked great for me.
I love that you don't have to crawl out of a metal cage to get off. Weighs 7600bs so more vehicles can tow it. I'm really thinking about getting something like this and charging about $125/hr to do work with it. 20 hrs a week would pay my bills including the cost of the loan for the machine. insurance, licensing, etc.
Had a Ditch Witch SK650 for my Fence, Lawn & Landscape Company. Not nearly the features & capabilities as these new machines, but even mine was an absolute workhorse! Love Ditch Witch equipment.....can't go wrong!
We have an sk1050 and it's an animal. Love it
Did they call in for a locate before they started digging
Yeah but all the lines run exactly where they need to dig...
811 APWA one call systems international lol
Lmao
Ditch witch are some of the best I’ve ran. We have a smaller version of this and I love to run it so easy too and never found something it couldn’t do. Hope we can get one of these
I have been in the landscape business for over 37 years. When the dingo was first introduced we bought one. It was the old green one with a chain to make it four wheel drive. At the time we did a lot of landscape renovations work and we were really impressed with how much time it saved on the job. They then came out with the 4paw four wheel hydraulic drive which was an improvement. The only issue with those machines was if it rained and you were trying to work in slippery conditions the machine was idle and the crew moral dropped.
Moving forward Boxer came out with a track drive system and we bought one which helped greatly to move around the job sight even in slippery conditions. I will never go back to a wheeled version of the mini. We have owned or rented many of the other minis out there and since we purchased the ditch witch sk series it would take a lot to sway me away. We are on our second sk800 now and I am thinking hard about getting the sk 1550. If the majority of our landscape/hardscape work was new construction I would take a harder look at the sk3000. While it looks like a beast I feel like its better suited for new construction work sites and the smaller units less destructive to existing landscapes. If anyone is considering a purchase ask yourself this question. How much does one employee cost your business for one month, and how much will a loan on one of these machines cost you. The truth is how much would three employees cost you in a month because they can replace 3+ employees. Not that I don’t appreciate hard working employees but we are into saving labor cost are we not.
Wow...... I'm excited about this piece of kit! From a visibility point of view, It's awesome. There are a number of environments where I wouldn't use this but overall, I'd really like to check this machine out .Never used any Ditch Witch products before. I run J.C.B. & A.S.L. skid steers currently. Still will but this machine has definitely got a place on my jobsites. I'm going to contact a Ditch Witch dealer on Tuesday!
Sk750
Just bought used one.and trailer...place closed there buisness here and I got it. Old 750..I've used it before .think I'm going take it to ditchwitch and have them tune it up..
As of last week, I have personally run every major Brand Of MTL on the market. Here are my thoughts. Ditch Witch Makes the best all around machines. The SK1050 & Sk1550 have enough power, ROC & Versatility to replace any Full size CTL we would have needed on 99% of Landscape/Hardscape projects. The build Quality and Design Layout is Hands down #1 in the Mini Market. Cost of ownership is also lower with a greater overall ROI. Simply because they can be used more. Even on the smaller jobs. I am a huge Bobcat fanboy and love the Full Sized CTL's & Mini Excavators however, The Mini's track loaders always fell short of the competition IMHO. The MT85 is a good overall machine, just seemed a bit under powered. Build Quality is great just like the full size machines. Im hopeful that the newest MT100 will step up in the competition but, It really needs to have some efficient Hydraulics or else I feel the 25hp engine is going to leave a lot to be desired. Compared to the Ditch Witch model closest in production, the Sk1050 has 37hp with a 1000 lb plus Lift capacity. Come on Bobcat, Get your head in the game. The Dingo TX1000 is a great machine for certain tasks. I had a little over 50 hours on our rental and just like the bobcat, the power fell short. it was great with a bucket for loading light material in the dump trailer but when it came to running a Harley rake, you could feel the limits maxing out when multi tasking. Overall, It did better than the MT85 and had a smoother overall operating experience. Last week I was able to Run the Vermeer CTX100. I only logged about 4 hours but it seemed to be on par with Ditch Witch in the power department. I ran a low Flow Tree Grapple & Hi Flow Auger Bit to Plant 19 Giant Arbs. The Controls were laid out well and the build quality is more toward Bobcat standards. The ride quality however was a bit rough. The platform is solid with no suspension and the track rollers are small which give the overall ride a very twitchy feel. The hydraulics did seem to be pretty smooth though which helped a bit. Here is my bottom line....Ditch Witch rules the MTL market. The Ergos, Build Quality, HP, Hydraulics & Operator Experience overall have proven to be the best in my personal experience. The only downside for me is that the closest Dealer is over 2 hours away. The customer Service however has been great and they have Territory based sales & service teams that run mobile and will come on site with any issues. It still isnt the same as having a dealer in my neighborhood. My local Bobcat Dealer is close and has a great team. If they could get the HP numbers up on the MT100 to compete with Ditch Witch, it would be a tough choice. Until then, Ditch Witch produces the best MTL's available. If you have not had a chance to run one and are in the market, I highly suggest you Demo one. That Sk3000 looks like a monster however, im not sure id put it in the same category as a MTL. I do like the stand on idea for a machine in the Full Size class. Visibility and convenience for on/off applications seems great. Im not sure id trade a sealed & pressurized cab for a stand on platform while doing a larger scale job requiring a Full Size machine. I guess it would depend on the application. Would still Love a Demo though!
I’ve been operating both wheeled and tracked skidsteers my entire working life, and when I bought my sk600 I was incredibly impressed. It’s a small machine but it has the same feel as running a larger tracked machine. Can’t say enough good things about it
Very nice to hear🌻
Idk why these vids are so interesting ive never worked a day in landscape or construction in my life
Happy that you enjoy them, thanks for watching!
I love the sk1050 personally ,Because the concrete cutting and pouring company I work for we have one that we use a lot for so many different things and everyone that uses it loves it. Kudos to the guys at ditch witch
Here in London we run the 1550s seemingly invaluable .Awesome video,thanks.More please.
Got it!
Love my little sk600.. Very tough and well built machines.
How does your sk600 compare to a Toro Dingo 427?
jimmie little the 427 does not compare at all in my opinion. With the dual stick controls the machine can get into tight spaces with precision. It lifts way more than what it says on paper. We use it to load a 1 ton dump truck, run rock, mulch, and dirt. Great for digging even though it's tiny. It does operate the same speed in reverse as forward which is nice. I have had issues with mine off and on. Only at 200 hours now. My local dealer out of Kansas City is a joke. But I love the machine. Well worth the 25g. No grease points. Man that is nice. We Owned a s70 bobcat before this. And i much prefer to stand for small landscape design/install projects. Ditch witch is great for tight spaces.
jimmie little the machine is smooth. It reminds me of running a wright stander. You can get to the point where you almost just dance with it. Hope this helps. Have a good day.
DITCH WITCHES ARE IN MY OPINION ARE NUMBER ONE ☝🏻!!! Hands down without a doubt! I have owned a SKs and I’m purchasing the new SK1750 next month. Looking forward to that Big Time!
I’m also really excited to consider this instead of a traditional skid steer. I’m going tree and dirt work, nothing too extreme, this looks like it could be a perfect fit.
I own 2 Sk755's both have been amazing machines. We tried out every brand of mini skid before purchase and none of them could compare in power or responsiveness. Almost all other machines do not have power through a turn. Toro are not bad but none of our operators could stand the ground drive controls on the toro's.
Ground drive controls? I'm just starting to look at my options please explain?
Our parks department switched to ditch witch products because they felt less chance of someone getting injured in a reversing situation building trails in the woods , and learning curve was one day as opposed to a season and the ease of transport from job to job with a small F350 mason dump and flat trailer , now I have to demo one thanks Stan
if you think about it.....for you to be able to grease a joint there has to be "slop" designed into the joint for the grease to do its job.........look at high load high end hiem joints....no grease..
if you designed the grease "gap" out of the joint and used the proper metals in the joint you can take almost all of the slop out of the machine and it will be smoother and have the same or longer life span
It looks like a beast. Would love to see more on this machine as far as using it on real life jobs.
I have an 07 ditch witch sk500 no grease fittings on it either.
Plenty of power and capability so i can imagine that machine was really badass
What’s it going to take for ditchwitch to give you one of these to demo Stan? I really want to see more on these!
Ditch witch are very high quality machines.
Agreed!
That was my favorite machines at GIE. Ditch Witch makes some of the best machines on the market. Thank you for this detailed video, it was very well done!
Thank you , glad you liked it!
By the way, if you didn’t know, Toro bought ditch witch. So I can imagine that partnership is working pretty well in the stand-on and walk behind skid market.
Benjamin yeah for sure! Over the last little bit ditch witch has sky rocketed with marketing and development
I've ran the sk800 for a few years now. It's an awesome machine. Hard to out work it
We have 2 smaller ones and looking into picking up a 3000, love the ditchwitch but we did put wider tracks on them and it was a major improvement
I run a ditch witch jt30 drill and that thing is made to work and work hard!
Is the pad adjustable? I'm 6'5 & stand on mowers don't account for operator height so my question is do these offer adjustability?
Man oh man this is heavy duty , especially scooping up the virgin ground 🌻
Rule of thumb: Believe about 50-60% of what the sales dude tells you.
Why?
Unless there doing a hands on demonstration !!! Kind of hard to lie then go prove it rite in front of you with a hands on demonstration . I didn't see any lies did you ?
I wish they would update their articulated tool carrier. The wheels are so much better on turf but that thing needs more power
I own an sk 1550. It just clocks in and does work. Non greasable fitting hold up great. Owned and ran all other mini skids and ditchwitch crushed them all. I want the 3000 but cant justify the 70000 dollar price tag. My one complaint about 1550 is not being able to see corners of bucket.
a mate of mine has a small ditch witch and he digs back yard pools for a living. Makes $1000 a day plus easily, all day everyday.
SK600?
I run all DW in my fleet, no grease fittings has always been good to me. I wish they would bring the xt850 back in a sk3000 size, that would be a bad mamajamma.
I personally like the Vermeers. We have 2 and have tried most of the dws in their lineup including the biggest one (which was just too big for us) but I suggest trying the Vermeer.
I own a sk800 with zero grease fittings! I’ve never had a pin break wear out or even squeak! I had the same reaction you had when I first demoed my Machine! I’ve owned mine for two years and put just under a thousand hours on it! I couldn’t be happier with Ditchwitch product.
I don't need a ditch a witch or a b****! But love to watch these videos thank you Stanley!
Thank you !!
I'll never own anything without automatic disconnect anymore. Under usual circumstances getting out to pull the lever up is not a huge deal. But in the winter here in Canada the 2 minute job of disconnecting a set of forks to get a bucket can end up taking quite some time when you have to go get a hammer a pry bar and a blow torch. Or it can ruin a day and cost a ton of money if you break something while you're beating on it.
35-40 years ago we used D-W equipment and, to be blunt, there were design flaws - however ALL manufacturers were still learning and they got a LOT better over time.
Sealed, lubricant impregnated bushings have been used, in various applications for decades - with improvements in materials and manufacturing processes, they 'should' be fine, with my main concern being where abrasive dust/dirt/sand may build up around the 'points and wear the seals to the point where it could get into the actual pivots - with grease they would be flushed out before doing damage, but that should be taken into account with the design work. Close behind is the service period they tested over - the chap mentioned a thousand hours, but over a 5 year period a well used machine could be looking at well over ten times that, some of which would be overloading and abuse.
Remember, with those grease points, many 'operators' wouldn't grease them nearly as often as specified, might use the wrong grease, or even miss some out alltogether.
As an aside, many guys and gals will be working in very cold, or very hot, conditions and/or where it's very dry, or rainy - how does a 'stand-on' compare to a 'sit-in' for operator fatigue and comfort in these more extreme conditions?
It doesn't need to be greased because the bushings are a composite material. Graphite and fiber if i had to guess works good and no problems of not taking grease
Great video as always!! Really appreciate the indepth look at functionality of the machine! Im definitely going to look further into possibly purchasing! Thanks for the info!
You're welcome, thanks so much for watching!
3100lbs... so just enough to get a 600sq/ft sod pallet off a truck if its not soaked. Not bad.
I’ve worked with an Sk850 for a few years and it’s been a good machine all around, I will say the engine bay is pretty tight.
My worry for this sk3000 would be how it’s lift height compares to similarly powerful conventional skid steers. While not everyone needs high lift height, it is important for some applications like loading brush onto taller trucks. It’s one of the reason my company still uses tractor loaders over full size skid steers.
I do like that it weighs in under 8k, that is nice.
I’ve run one before I think that there easy to operate and everything is easy to work on
This just came out.
I love the heating and air conditioning feature!
Pretty wild huh
Surprised he didn’t mention the auto level lift feature and the the travel mode stabilization feature. When he lifted that pallet of blocks it would have automatically stayed level if he had that feature activated. Very impressive machine.
ya not a good idea to tilt block like that..not every pallet is wrapped..kookie operator
Anxiety to the max when that operator lifted that wrapped block like that. Absolute fool!
I would’ve loved a ditch witch but the sales staff in Brisbane, Australia were beyond terrible! I went with a Vermeer S450tx and absolutely love it
Local dealers have a lot to do with a purchase. I was looking at the Vermeer 100 and the SK1050 and so I bought the Ditch Witch because of the really genuine, down to earth guys in Phoenix, Vermeer was too corporate.
Ditch Witch sounds fine, but I use a Vermeer CTX100 almost same hp, within 2-3. My Vermeer fits on a single axel tilt, Sure-track trailer, with 48” trencher, 48” forks, 42” bucket, and a Fronthoe Backhoe.. Not hassle by DOT. I like it that way, no log books, physicals, 100 mile radius, etc... all that extra garbage you have to contend with. Full size skid steer stand on, good idea except for weight, and DOT.
WOW im impressed really tearing up that FLAT LAWN !!!!
Really cool Stan, thanks for sharing! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
Thank YOU for watching Fred!
That's an awesome machine 👏 I didn't hear price though on that until.
Hi Stanley I bet you already thinking of something you could use that Ditch Witch for maybe they try one out at home and record it on video that would be a good idea
UK market would probably rule that out because of safety. For example, the USA refuge collectors can still ride on a plate at the rear of the truck. In the UK they ruled that out in the late '70s
I’ve ran the smaller Ditch witch I love them this I want so much visibility
How much does this go for? With out implements
I deal with ditch witch Directional drills on a daily basis they are amazing the auto grease is a great feature saves lots of time. Does this machine fit on side walks?
if they used proper truly sealed bushings they will last for the life of the machine but the cost for those bushings are much more than the cost of a steel pin and drilling a hole for grease, also much harder to install due to tolerances needed for the sealed bushing, which is why most company's opt for the easy to install and cheap steel pin.
They're going to start putting cabs on the back of these things for enclosed visibility.
The trick with those quick-tatch front ends is to keep them clean and oiled with the old fashioned motor oil squirt cans..... when you have a bucket on don't scoop so much material that it goes over the back and into the pins
quick connect is great but dont be a bone head like me and forget to disconnect the hydro line !! I was going from my forks to bucket all day and then hooked up the harley rake and when i disconnected I forgot about the line !!
Ouch did it break off?
@@andrespaz4439 Yeah snapped the coupling and sprayed hydo fluid everywhere LOL
Ouch.
Oh no
That’s with any skid steer ,I purchased the block on the machine arm ,The fittings that go with it , and a set hoses hoses for my grapple it wasn’t cheap but it saved my ass . The first time I had to order the parts took a week to get rolling again at full function
Love my ditch witch sk1050
Awesome vids....Great to meet you at SEMA at the GW function....Subscribed my brother
Appreciate all that, thank you !!
Great questions. Very informative video.
That log is dry rotted. Haha
I bought a brand new sk650 few years back and hated it for drilling fence holes, rolled really rough ton hard surfaces, track problems, could not see front of the machine well, to twitchy not smooth to work with, turning on grass would destroy lawns, was nice to work with the float system and ouch snow was fun but sold it at 211 hours and still use my Toro Dingo since 2007, maybe these ones are better but not willing to throw that much money at it to find out
Looks amazing! Our Sk755 has been amazing as well, but that lift capacity in the 3000?! How wide is the machine?
Looks like a very handy machine to have
Can't find msrp on this thing anywhere.
Yanmar engine damn those are like the BEST ENGINES YOU CAN GET........wow did not know that, I maybe looking into one for trenching, but I get the. Smallest model
Thank you for grilling the rep, but I'm not sold on the sealed bushing deal.
OK now I need a ditch witch
You can add a zirk. I've done it.
How often do people go flying off those things? It seems like it would be uncomfortable to run all day, always trying to balance your self to not fall off, I would imagine it feels like a standing up on a boat in rough waters.
High Octane it’s not too bad really. I’ve had to spend a few days in a row on our companies SK850. The platform is large enough to move around a bit and you can lean forward into the pad. And the hand grips are intuitive and versatile enough to hold securely and still manipulate the controls.
Now that being said inclines are different, especially going up a steep incline and pivoting on the top, you have to hold on from not falling backwards, and brace yourself from to falling forward if you crest the hill too fast.
Granted the Sk850 is a much smaller machine than this sk3000, so I don’t know how it would compare to a similar sized sit down skid steer. But it’s not fun to be in a sit down all day either, they are rough machines, tractors are much more comfortable. Also I assume people have different preferences, like I prefer a stand on mower over a sit on.
I have a Ditch Witch sk800 and love it. It is very comfortable and is the go to machine on the jobsite over the full size machines. I would love to have a high capacity machine I could jump on and off of. Only thing keeping me from getting rid of the full size track loader for this is that we run a snowblower on ours in the winter. The cab is the the best option for that.
I love my sk1050 wouldn't imagine any other brand. 650hrs on it. However I've sheared off 3 drive motor shafts like 6-700$ per Two of which driving on flat grass with no load.(yes 3 sheared off the 1.5-2 inch shaft at the motor) both rear track rollers shafts have bent and replaced. (And no I don't curb hop it) Pretty much get the same answer every time it happens. "Wow never seen that before". Also because of the open sides the engine compartment it gets a ton of debris in it. Which leads to my next problem. A small rock found its way under the oil pan there is no possible way to clear out the debri. Blew all of the oil out luckily shut down immediately. Motor had to be pulled at some like 21 man hours plus parts had to pull the motor. (Also "never heard of that happening before") main tilt piston snapped off inside the piston luckily with the load near the ground or it would have been a catastrophe. (Again "wow haven't heard that before" main hydraulic spool block has been leaking wayyyyy up under the control panel.(it gets a plastic catch with a paper towel) replaced many of the hydraulic lines in the engine compartment due to chafing issues. Soooo. If u get one either sell before warranty goes up. Also if your needing a repair depending on your location your looking at atleast 1000$ just to get them to show up drive time plus mileage to and from. Again love the machine but hopefully vermeer or bobcat gets on the ball of making a comfortable ride like the ditch witch has. At this time they do not even come close like caddy ride vs golf cart . Mind you I only have 650 hours on it!!!!!!! 34,000$ I turn wrenches on it just as much as if I would have on my used 20yr old boxer. Sadly if looks like the same motor design allowing stuff (rocks) to get up in between the sprocket and the frame (snap). I offered to talk to there research team every time........ Still waiting. Good luck coughing up 60k better be making that $$ or sell b4 warranty is up.
Thanks. Going to keep commenting something no matter what.
Glad to have you here watching PJ, thanks !
Pro trail building companies . It's a go to skid steer.
I'm sorry but a stand behind skid stirrer just sounds dangerous. There was a video circulating around for a while where a worker jumped on the back of a skid stirrer as a counter weight. It flipped forward, dropped the load, she fell off and when it came back down, crushed her.
The machine is cool as hell, but for the price of one of these brand new you could find a fairly decent full size skid steer I'm sure. Plus the full size sit-in skid steer protects you from the elements outside and may even have climate control.
They’re pretty nice I’ve ran a sk800 but being a lighter weight operator I hate the fact it nose dives a lot with a full bucket of anything. I would like to see a counterweight system built for them like Bob Cat and Vermeer.
They have weights available for most models
You can order the counter weight for an sk1050 it directly bolts underneath your sk800 how do I know? I installed mine myself
Love it
Thank you August!
At that point, I’d much rather have a nice warm or cold cab to sit in lolol
Were you able to see the corners of the bucket?
Who would want to run that plowing snow ?
I haven't SK 1050 that we use on occasion to plow sidewalks with when one of our Bobcat S70 machines need maintenance or go down it is more than capable of clearing a 45-foot sidewalk with any attachment you put in front of it. With that being said where your Milwaukee heated coat and some Carhartt bib overalls and you'll be just fine.
Looks like an impressive machine, but let’s be real, that log was bone dry.
I was thinking the same exact thing
It lifts 3,000 lbs
He also pick the log up from the end ,that machine is plenty strong
Let’s be even more real- that “virgin compacted ground” was cake
Didn’t The Toro Company buy out Ditch witch. Toro has something similar to this.
Wow.. Impressive.. it weighs 7600 Lbs! so it can handle some weight to boot. What's something like that go for? I'd guess $55K
had me right up to when he said no grease fitting big mistake no grease fitting
Defo. Grease is cheaper than pins and bushes
My 07 sk500 dosent have any never had a problem
No issues with either of my sk752 or my sk1550.
We have a sk1050 and sk1550 never had any issues
The bushings they run last a really long time. I have the sk750 and bushing was $9 for tilt cylinder and with 200 hours on it working the holy hell out of it it's barely showing any wear at all so it's actually a great thing.