re: gotta buy a used skid steer bobcat what do i need to look for.

I work for an equipment rental place. We sell off older fleet all of the time. Here's a few things I can tell you: 1. Rental fleet generally is usually rode hard. Imagine 100 different weekend warrior rentals that have little experience on heavy machinery.
2. There are some really good deals if you buddy up with someone in the rental industry. Some machines are rented by one customer for years at a time. A lot of these customers have no interest in purchasing due to company contracts and tax breaks. These units, at least where I work, depreciate off of time. Not based off actual hours used. I've seen garage kept equipment stored in refineries that never get used. 7 year old machines with less than 500 hours. Since the unit has depreciated value every month for 84 months, it sells for a good price.
3. Pm's are done on a regular timed schedule and recorded. Mechanics do full inspections every time a unit is returned.
4. Service department makes all the difference. Some of these units are complicated to work on. Generally, you want someone qualified, rather than a shade tree mechanic working on a unit that you depend on for your livelihood. I don't know about other rental companies, but ours in particular tends to take care of someone that purchase equipment thru our branch. What I mean is that markup on labor and parts are minimal. It's not like a car dealership where 10 cars are sold a day. Equipment sales in rental places are few and far between. This tends to make people remember who you are and are willing to take care of you.
5. Maintenance history is recorded. If a transmission was replaced or worked on, it's recorded. PM's are recorded. Never buy a unit unless you run the maintenance history.

I'm not saying rental purchase is the way to go, but, if you know what your doing you can find a great deal. long time follower of the outdoor board, love this place.