How much does a skid steer cost in the UK?
Thirteen real UK listings — and the reason the cheaper of two identical 2021 machines is often the dearer buy.
A used wheeled skid steer runs roughly £4,500 to £16,500 depending on age, hours and cab. A used tracked machine runs roughly £13,950 to £28,000. The bulk of the wheeled market sits between £6,950 and £12,750.
Most of these listings do not state a VAT position, so treat the figures as advertised asking prices and ask about VAT before you budget.
UK skid steer prices, cheapest first
Thirteen live UK listings retrieved on 28 October 2026, sorted by price rather than by year — because, as the next section shows, year is not what sets the price. Each row names its source.
| Machine as listed | Asking price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bobcat 641 wheel skid steer, 1992, 4,448 hours, c/w tines | £4,500 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat 463 wheel skid steer, 2006, 1,215 hours, c/w bucket | £4,950 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat 645 wheel skid steer, 3,835 hours, c/w bucket, 2-speed | £6,950 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat 553 wheel skid steer, 1999, 1,537 hours, 1 owner from new | £9,950 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat S160 wheel skid steer, 2010, 4,471 hours, open ROPS, c/w bucket | £9,950 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat S130 wheel skid steer, 2013, 1,800 hours, enclosed cab, c/w bucket | £10,500 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat S175 Highlift wheel skid steer, 2010, 2,621 hours, high-flow hydraulics, c/w 3-in-1 bucket | £12,750 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat T300 tracked skid steer, 2007, 2,450 hours, high-flow hydraulics, 2-speed | £13,950 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat S450 wheel skid steer, 2018, 3,644 hours | £16,500 VAT not stated | farmmachinerylocator.co.uk |
| Bobcat T630 tracked skid steer, 2015, 2,371 hours, c/w bucket | £16,750 VAT not stated | agrisalesltdstock.co.uk |
| Bobcat T450 tracked skid steer, 2021, 1,089 hours, 'Full Cab Tracks 50% Good, Extra Lines and Bucket' | £22,750 VAT not stated | machinerytrader.co.uk |
| Bobcat T450 tracked skid steer, 2021, hours not stated in listing excerpt | £26,995 +VAT | autotrader.co.uk |
| Bobcat T450 tracked skid steer, 2023, 416 hours | £28,000 VAT not stated | farmmachinerylocator.co.uk |
Sources named per row: Agri Sales Ltd stock, Farm Machinery Locator, Machinery Trader UK and Autotrader, all retrieved 28 October 2026. These are asking prices and not sold prices. VAT basis is shown per row because the listings differ, and most state nothing at all.
Track condition, not year or hours, is the swing factor
This is the thing worth knowing before you compare two tracked machines on the spec line alone.
Two 2021 Bobcat T450s were on the market at the same time. One is £22,750 with 1,089 hours, and its own listing says “Tracks 50% Good”. The other is £26,995 +VAT. Same model, same year, and the one with the stated low hours is the cheaper of the two by a wide margin.
The pattern repeats on the wheeled side, where hours do not behave the way you would expect either: a 1999 Bobcat 553 on 1,537 hours and a 2010 S160 on 4,471 hours are both advertised at £9,950. Eleven model years and three thousand hours apart, identical money.
So sort the market by price and then ask what each machine actually has: tracks or tyres, their condition, cab or open ROPS, two-speed, high-flow hydraulics, and what attachment is included.
What percentage of life is left in the tracks, and who assessed it? Is the undercarriage — rollers, idlers, sprockets — included in that assessment, because it wears with the tracks? And does it have high-flow hydraulics, because without them several of the attachments people buy these machines for will not run properly.
Both T450 listings and both wheeled comparators are in the table above, with their sources named.
The costs that are not in the asking price
- Rubber tracks and undercarriage. The biggest one on a tracked machine, and the reason the £22,750 T450 above is priced where it is. We found no reliable UK published replacement price, so we are not going to invent one — but treat half-worn tracks as a four-figure item and get a quote before you commit.
- Attachments. Several of these listings include a bucket, tines or a 3-in-1 bucket and several say nothing. A skid steer with no attachment is a machine you cannot yet use.
- High-flow hydraulics. Needed for planers, brush cutters and breakers. Two listings in the table advertise it specifically, which tells you it is not standard.
- VAT. Only two of the thirteen listings state a VAT position. At 20%, a £16,500 machine is £3,300 more than it looks. On finance the funder normally advances the ex-VAT price and the VAT falls due up front.
- Transport. These are bought nationally and moved on a plant trailer or low loader, which is a separate cost on a machine advertised for collection.
What would it cost a month?
Put the ex-VAT price in, since that is what a funder normally advances. The calculator quotes a flat rate with the equivalent APR beside it.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £16,500 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £415 a month; total amount repayable approximately £19,899, of which £3,399 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
Common questions
How much does a skid steer cost in the UK?
From 13 live UK listings retrieved in October 2026, a used wheeled skid steer runs roughly £4,500 to £16,500 and a used tracked machine roughly £13,950 to £28,000. The middle of the wheeled market sits between £6,950 and £12,750. At the bottom, a 1992 Bobcat 641 on 4,448 hours is £4,500 and a 2006 463 on 1,215 hours is £4,950; at the top, a 2023 Bobcat T450 on 416 hours is £28,000. These are advertised asking prices rather than sold prices, and most of the listings do not state whether VAT is included.
Is a tracked skid steer worth more than a wheeled one?
Generally yes, and the table shows it: the tracked machines occupy the top of the range at £13,950 to £28,000 while the wheeled ones run £4,500 to £16,500. Tracks spread the weight, so they work on soft ground where a wheeled machine would sink or churn. The trade-off is the consumable: tracks and undercarriage wear, and replacing them is a significant cost. That is why a tracked machine with worn tracks can be the most expensive thing on the yard — a 2021 Bobcat T450 at £22,750 whose own listing says the tracks are 50% good sits below another 2021 T450 at £26,995 +VAT.
Do hours or year matter more on a skid steer?
Neither predicts price as reliably as condition does, and our sample says so plainly. A 1999 Bobcat 553 on 1,537 hours and a 2010 S160 on 4,471 hours are both advertised at £9,950, eleven years and roughly three thousand hours apart. Two 2021 T450s are £4,245 apart with the lower-hour one cheaper. Use hours and year to shortlist, then price on what you can see: tracks or tyres, undercarriage, cab condition, hydraulic spec and service history.
Do these prices include VAT?
Mostly it is not stated, which is itself worth knowing. Of the thirteen listings, one is explicitly +VAT at £26,995 and one is marked inclusive; the other eleven say nothing about VAT at all. Assume VAT is payable on top unless a seller confirms otherwise, which at 20% adds £3,300 to a £16,500 machine. On a finance agreement the lender usually advances the ex-VAT figure while the VAT falls due separately and up front, so it sits alongside your deposit rather than spreading over the term. A VAT-registered business reclaims it on the next return.
Where to next
- Skid steer finance — terms, deposits and the lender panel for this asset.
- How much does a digger cost? — the same treatment for excavators, where hours do predict price.
- How much does a forklift cost? — if you are weighing a skid steer against a yard truck.
- Construction and plant machinery finance — the main page.
CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. Prices on this page are third-party published asking and list prices, attributed to their sources and correct at the date of retrieval; they are indicative, are not sold prices, and are not a quote or an offer of finance. VAT basis is stated per row because the sources differ. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. Tax and VAT treatment depends on your circumstances and is a matter for your accountant.
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