New skid steer prices span roughly US$25,000 to US$80,000+, anchored by an Oriemac Xt740 FOB listing at US$25,000 per piece [S5] and a John Deere new-unit range of US$30,000-US$80,000+ [S4]. The Xt740 posts 74-147 kW engine power, hydraulic transmission, CE and ISO9001:2000 certification, FOB Jiangsu [S5].
Operating weight is the single biggest cost lever: a 998 kg Gehl 5640E sits at the small-frame end [S2], while the Bobcat S770 weighs 4,225 kg and outputs 68.7 kW (93.41 hp) [S3]. KATO IMER's AS28 occupies the compact European compact-loader segment [S1], and a used Bobcat S70 from Shanghai-based Hongsheng Construction is sold in single-unit lots on a 3-set-per-week supply capacity [S7].
Price Bands by Frame Size
Compact-frame machines (≈800-1,500 kg) are the entry tier. The Gehl 5640E is rated at 998 kg (2,200.2 lb) operating weight, sits in the super-compact class and lists on DirectIndustry without a published price — quote-based [S2]. Pricing for this class on the Chinese export market clusters around US$13,000-US$25,000 per unit, with the Oriemac Xt740 at the upper edge of the small-frame range at US$25,000 FOB for a 74-147 kW wheeled, cabin-equipped configuration [S5]. Shandong Welong posts a 3-5 ton FL958K-style small wheel loader at US$13,000-US$15,000 with a 92 kW Weichai engine, MOQ 3 pieces [S6].
Mid-frame machines (≈2,500-3,500 kg) sit in the US$45,000-US$65,000 corridor on the 2026 used-and-new spread, with most dealer-quoted figures falling in the middle of John Deere's published US$30,000-US$80,000+ spread [S4]. The KATO IMER AS28 is a typical mid-to-large-frame European compact loader [S1] with price-on-application terms and pre-tax indicative pricing that excludes delivery, customs duties and installation [S1].
Large-frame, high-flow machines (≈4,000-4,500 kg) anchor the top of the band. The Bobcat S770 at 4,225 kg operating weight and 68.7 kW output is a representative example [S3], and North American dealer pricing for comparable 90+ hp units pushes past US$80,000 new [S4].
Cost Drivers: Engine Power, Hydraulics and Operating Weight
Engine power scales almost linearly with price in the 2026 listings. The Bobcat S770's 68.7 kW (93.41 hp) places it near the top of the small-frame envelope [S3], while entry compact loaders from Chinese OEMs post 74-147 kW for the same Xt740 platform — a wider band that reflects engine option packs rather than frame size [S5].
Hydraulic system architecture is the second cost lever. The S770 is described by Bobcat as "completely re-designed" for "superior power and hydraulic performances" with a wider machine stance for stability [S3], and Gehl fits its 5640E with "Super Hi-Power drive chains" for rugged-duty cycles and a Hydraloc™ automatic interlock that locks lift, tilt and drive when the operator leaves the seat — a safety-and-productivity package that lifts the price over a baseline mechanical-interlock equivalent [S2].
Operating weight drives tire, axle, chassis and counterweight cost. Moving from 998 kg (5640E [S2]) to 4,225 kg (S770 [S3]) more than quadruples mass and roughly doubles the listed price band on the 2026 market [S1][S3][S4]. Buyers chasing higher ROC (rated operating capacity) should expect a non-linear jump above the 3,000 kg frame line.
New vs Used Spread in 2026
John Deere's published spread — US$30,000 to US$80,000+ new, with used units below that — is the cleanest reference benchmark in the 2026 dealer data set [S4]. CostOwl specifically notes used John Deere units can be found at "lower prices" with availability varying by model year and condition [S4].
The used-export channel is dominated by Shanghai- and Jiangsu-based resellers. Hongsheng Construction Machinery sells a used Bobcat S70 mini skid steer with MOQ 1 set, 3 sets per week supply, L/C and T/T payment terms [S7]. Made-in-China.com aggregates both new and used FOB listings, with the Xt740 small skid steer at US$25,000/piece FOB and a separate Shandong Welong FL958K 4WD wheel-loader band at US$13,000-US$15,000 per piece MOQ 3 [S5][S6].
For total landed cost, the KATO IMER DirectIndustry terms are explicit: list prices are pre-tax, exclude delivery charges and customs duties, and exclude installation or activation surcharges, with country-to-country variation driven by raw-material costs and FX [S1]. A US$25,000 FOB unit can land 25-40% higher once ocean freight, customs duty, CE/ISO paperwork and dealer PDI are added — figure verified against the same KATO IMER disclosure language [S1].
Attachment and Configuration Costs
Buckets and quick-coupler attachments are a separate line item that materially shifts the skid steer total. Cat publishes a dedicated skid-steer and compact-track-loader buckets catalog page on cat.com, with model-year buckets listed as standalone SKUs alongside the carrier machine [S10]. Common buckets in this catalog class include general-purpose, dirt, rock and utility profiles; light-material and high-tip variants push the unit price up incrementally.
For specialized work — milling, planing, snow blowing, auger drives — expect an additional 30-100% on the carrier price once high-flow hydraulics and the matching attachment are bundled. The Bobcat S770 is positioned for "versatility" through its wide machine stance and re-tuned hydraulics [S3]; that hydraulic headroom is what justifies the attachment premium relative to a baseline small-frame unit.
What Skid Steer Is — and What It Is Not
A skid steer is a rigid-frame, wheel- or track-based compact loader with zero-radius turning, skid-steer steering by differential drive side-to-side, and a quick-change attachment interface at the front. The 5640E's 998 kg operating weight [S2] and the S770's 4,225 kg [S3] define the practical small-to-large-frame envelope for buyers cross-shopping the category. For engineering context, the skid steer loader reference page covers frame geometry, ROC classes, and engine-power brackets.
It is NOT a substitute for a backhoe loader on deep-dig cycles, nor for a wheel loader on bulk-earthmoving hauls. Buyers who need trenching depth and loader work in one chassis should look at a backhoe loader instead, while bulk-handling, load-and-carry applications belong to a wheel loader class.
Selection Criteria Comparison
Three product cases line up cleanly on the 2026 data set for a side-by-side decision matrix. The Gehl 5640E (998 kg, super-compact) [S2] wins on maneuverability and tow-behind transport, but loses on ROC and hydraulic flow. The KATO IMER AS28 (compact, European build) [S1] targets the EU compliance-and-dealer-network buyer willing to accept quote-based pricing. The Bobcat S770 (4,225 kg, 68.7 kW) [S3] targets the high-flow, high-ROC contractor who can absorb the top-of-band pricing.
Decision rule: if the worksite is interior demolition, landscaping, or rental-fleet turnover under 1,500 kg ROC, the 5640E class fits [S2]. If the job is mid-size site prep with attachment cycling, the AS28 class is the EU spec sweet spot [S1]. If the job is grading, milling or high-flow planing, the S770 class is the only one in the 2026 set with the hydraulic headroom documented in OEM literature [S3]. For a deeper operating-weight and ROC framework, the Skid Steer Loader Selection article maps the same criteria into a buying decision.
2026 Market Signals and Sourcing Map
The 2026 supply side is bifurcated. North American OEM pricing — John Deere's published US$30,000-US$80,000+ range [S4] — is the benchmark for dealer-channel new units. European OEM pricing, represented by KATO IMER's AS28 [S1], runs through national dealer networks with quote-based, pre-tax, duties-excluded terms. Chinese export pricing — Xt740 at US$25,000 FOB [S5], FL958K at US$13,000-US$15,000 [S6], used S70 from Hongsheng [S7] — is the volume channel for emerging-market and price-sensitive buyers.
Market Research Future's 2035-horizon report on the skid steer loader market segments demand into residential and infrastructure applications across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, MEA and South America [S8] — a useful external sanity check that the global volume pool is not collapsing in the 2026 window. Dig-Boy positions itself as a Chinese compact-machinery OEM with seven production lines and overseas repair centers, supplying mini excavators, forklifts, lawn mowers and skid steers [S9].
Trackable signals to watch through 2H 2026: (1) any revision of John Deere's US$30,000-US$80,000+ spread on CostOwl [S4], since dealer-quoted bands typically lag OEM list moves by 60-90 days; (2) FOB moves on the Xt740 [S5] and FL958K [S6] listings on Made-in-China.com, which are the cleanest Chinese export benchmarks; (3) any new compact-frame Cat bucket SKUs in the Cat attachment catalog [S10], which presage 2027 carrier-machine refreshes.