FAQs

Call (at 888-4-SKICAT) or Contact Ski Cat Company and discuss what your application is and what the right configuration is for you; then, Ski Cat Company will provide a complete quote to you. If you choose to proceed, follow up with Ski Cat Company, and they will send you the lease for execution. Please note that the insurance must be in place prior to the machine leaving Ski Cat Company possession.

Leasing is an incredibly common practice in the world today among all industries. Very common areas where Leases are the predominant way of having access to something without the upfront capital expense to own it or the ongoing cost of maintaining the item.

• Real Estate
• Heavy & Light Equipment
• Software
• Restaurant Equipment
• Cars
• Office Furniture

No Upfront Cost of Purchase — Put that money where it can make you money rather than owning a depreciating asset! What rate of growth do you expect your money to grow at each year? 8%, 10%, 20%? Does it benefit you to put your money into something where it grows or where it declines over time?When you own something, it usually depreciates in value. If you buy a snowcat, it is likely worth less than the year before, and to keep it in service, you have to spend money to maintain it. So, your upfront purchase becomes worth less each year.

Maintenance and Service Life Is Not the Expense of the Lessee — Snowcats of any brand, model or age are not cheap to service and maintain. Get the top technology and different configurations or attachments for a low cost.

No Lending or Debt Issues — Can you get credit for a snowcat purchase?

Cash Flow – Does your business only make money during the winter? If you own a machine, you have the cost year-round. With a lease, you don’t have the expense when the equipment is off rent.Give it back for the summer or when the need goes away – no need to have storage for something that isn’t there! Would you be a capable seller when it comes time to get rid of the machine?

Financial Reasons: Leasing frees up capital that would otherwise be spent on purchasing a depreciating asset.

Logistics and Convenience: Leasing is convenient and makes sound logistical sense because you don’t need to worry about off-season storage, mechanical work, transport, or other resources.

Availability: The lead time for PistenBully purchases is at least a year, which means you won’t have snow solutions for the upcoming winter season if you choose to purchase.

Business owners cite financial circumstances, convenience, logistics, and availability as reasons leasing a PistenBully is preferable to purchasing.

Yes! Ski Cat sells other brands of USED snowcats that are not in our leasing fleet and will happily list your Cat if you are looking to sell and are a rental customer of Ski Cat Company. Ski Cat Company also does occasionally sell PistenBully 100’s from our fleet. These machines are typically listed for sale in the December / January time frame. Shop Used Equipment Now!

Occasionally, Ski Cat Company will offer a Lease Purchase Option.

Yes, with a quote from Ski Cat Company, you will be quoted the price for Ski Cat Company to deliver and pick up the machine, or you have the option to pick it up and return it yourself.

Ski Cat Company has a variety of premium cabins, including 5, 8, and 15 person cabins with seat belts, windows and skylights, heaters, and Bluetooth stereos.

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A person or company should own the equipment if they are a high-volume user – for snowcats, do you put over 800 hours per season on the machine? Or when you have so many machines that your cost to have your own mechanic fleet is less expensive than having it serviced by outside help. A person or business should own a piece of equipment if they plan to use it in an abusive or uncaring way that rapidly deteriorates the machine and lastly, if you are satisfied with older technology or don’t care if the manufacturer is still able to provide service and parts for the machine, then ownership is a less costly means of having access to the equipment. Do you like a vintage car or a modern car?

• Insurance costs are the same
• Safety
• On-demand access
• The cost of damage

With a bare rental, the question often comes up as to who is responsible for what. First and foremost, the Lessor (owner of the equipment) is responsible for the overall service lifespan of the equipment. That means that the components that make up the machine assembly all have a lifespan that the Lessee isn’t responsible for during the lease period. Such examples are the Motor. A well-maintained diesel motor should have a lifespan of 15,000 hours or more, but at times, properly maintained equipment does fail earlier than its expected service life, and that is not the burden of the Lessee. The Lessor is responsible for the machine and its components for the maintained and expected life span of those components, including labor and parts to repair and replace them at the end of their undamaged life span. The Lessor, however, has no control over the Lessee location and conditions of use and when the machine is used; therefore, the Lessee is responsible for the costs of travel, lodging, and support equipment to service the machine at the Lessee’s location or transport to an approved service center. If a machine requires service, it is best for the machine to be brought to an approved shop for the service.

Normal wear and tear is the expected and approved consumption of a portion of the reasonably expected life span of a component when the component is used competently and with proper care. 

On a Snowcat, an example would be the tracks. A set of tracks can be expected to last 4000 hours or more and around the time of this hour marker, the condition of the tracks is likely to have deteriorated to a point of unreliable service. This deterioration might be worn down grousers or rubber belting that is cracking and separating. Now the service life of a component may be extended through meticulous care or light use, or it may be shorter due to heavy use and mediocre care, and we can’t precisely determine what the service life is of hardware. But the bottom line is that tracks are just like tires on a car; over time and with each mile they wear out. The Lessor is responsible for normal and expected wear and tear of these tracks for the expected and approved use by the Lessee.

While a machine is in the care of the Lessee, the Lessee is expected to treat the machine with care and according to the manufacturer’s specifications. The Lessee is also responsible for maintaining fluid levels, track tension, battery charge and condition, lubricating, stopping operation when something is not correct and servicing the items that are exposed to the conditions of the Lease. Examples of things that are the responsibility of the Lessee are tires, battery, lubricating points, and hydraulic lines. These examples are common issues that are subject to the Lessee and its use. Harsh turning on certain terrain or improperly tensioned tracks can cause the tires to rupture or runoff or out of the wheel guides of the tracks; Hydraulic hoses can rupture due to weather conditions, improper connection, unrepaired leaks, and allowing contaminants to enter the system; and batteries can die due to temperature, frequency of starting and electrical demand.

Hydraulic leaks must be addressed by the Lessee and the Lessor to prevent greater deterioration. With a Ski Cat snowcat, the Lessor takes many proactive and preventative measures to mitigate these issues, such as using OEM hoses and inspecting them for leaks, cracking, and deterioration before use; using solid and foam-filled tires to minimize failure; and having battery’s tested and within specification for use; but the Lessee and its use are responsible for these items.

Ski Cat Company, the equipment Lessor, is responsible for the repair or replacement of undamaged component service life. As the Lessor, Ski Cat Company strives to provide equipment that begins a lease period within the manufacturer’s specification for service intervals and life span use. Any undamaged component that fails or requires repair during the Lease period is the responsibility of Ski Cat Company to repair or replace, including and limited to parts and labor. It is the responsibility of the Lessee for the location of service and all costs associated with field servicing. These costs may include but are not limited to travel time, lodging, support equipment, clean up or temporary facilities.

During a Lease period, it is the responsibility of the Lessee to maintain the equipment according to the manufacturer’s specification and consistent with reasonable care and practice for the respective equipment. This includes equipment documented inspections and checks; fluid replacement or adding; replacement of consumed items such wipers or fire extinguisher charge; hydraulic hose leaks and ruptures; tire repair and replacement; proper track tensioning; specified lubrication; proper start-up procedures; deicing; and machine cleanliness, both interior and exterior. It is the responsibility of the Lessee to immediately notify the Lessor of any warning light, safety concern, hydraulic system or motor leak, failed bearing, or audible sounds not expected. Failure to stop operation of the equipment may lead to damage which is the responsibility of the Lessee. Use of the equipment without regard to ice buildup, dirt in the tracks, or other detrimental considerations may result in damage at the expense of the Lessee.

In the event of any damage, regardless of cause, the Lessee is required to promptly notify the Ski Cat Company Lessor. Ski Cat Company will collaborate with the Lessee to quickly and appropriately return the equipment to service. The order of priorities in assessing a return to service are safety; operation per the manufacturer specifications; further damage prevention; loss of use impact to the Lessee; logistics, and cost of repair. Some damage may be tolerable for the continued use of the machine through the lease period and most cost-effectively handled upon return to the Lessor.