Aging skid steer must be repaired, or sold

RUSSELLVILLE The Franklin County Commission has voted to declare a 2018 Caterpillar 299D2 skid steer as surplus property, and authorized County Engineer Jason Baggett to look for a replacement.

Skid steers are compact, versatile machines widely used by the Highway Department for site preparation, drainage work and general maintenance.

Baggett explained during the recent commission meeting that the county’s current machine has been out of service for an extended period. He estimated it would cost $50,000 to repair.

“We’ve had problems with that one for a while,” he said.

The county is currently working with a third-party equipment specialist who may be able to rebuild the machine using salvaged parts. Baggett said that option could potentially bring a better return than an auction, but no offer has been received from the third-party vendor.

Commissioners gave Baggett two weeks to pursue the trade-in option. If no feasible offer is received, the machine will be sold on GovDeals.

Baggett noted that if the county replaces the machine with a similar model, parts such as the tracks could be salvaged and reused.