Skid Steer vs Tractor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- A comparison of two machines and their pros and cons. Here's how to justify
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If you have land to maintain consider a tractor. If you have land to develop consider a skid steer. Keep up the good work!
That's an astute bit of advice. I wouldn't want to mow 10 acres with a skid steer, but I wouldn't want to build a driveway with a tractor.
Every thing I can do on the compact tractor mostly plus alot more I can do on a bobcat if I had to choose I'd buy a bobcat
@@bradcavanagh3092and if push comes to shove, consider how often you'll do each task. I'd rather have to build a driveway with a tractor if it means I get to use that tractor to mow my 10 acres. You'll be mowing the grass a few times every month, compared to building a driveway perhaps once or twice in the lifetime of the home
@@timothymbess That's a good point, especially since you can rent a skid steer for your once-in-a-lifetime driveway build. Renting a tractor once a week to mow the grass would get costly.
We got a Kubota tractor with a 5' brush hog and a bobcat tracked with a 6' brush hog. Bobcat is 3 times faster than the Kubota and safer on the hills. For me it's the bobcat everyday doesn't matter what I'm doing. Maintaining around 50-60 acres. But really when I'm doing whatever, time doesn't matter just enjoy doing it.
I’ve run both a lot, I own a skid steer. You pretty much nailed the important facts. The skid steer is much faster at getting stuff done minus the repairs to the lawn afterwards. It’s very difficult to see surrounding out of the skid steer, after many hours of operating a particular machine you really develop a feel for maneuvering the machine in tight areas where you need to see. I described it to my dad this week as machine operating of this skid steer is 40% vision and 60% feel. A tractor is good if you aren’t in a hurry and want to spend much less money.
I run a Kubota B2301 with a FTL and backhoe. For my use which is Gentleman farmer sort of thing it is perfect. I have for 20 years maintained a long gravel driveway with this tractor. I thought that I was doing well, then we have a paving company in to pave the driveway. They brought a skid steer. What a difference! For the driveway work the skid steer was much better than my tractor. However, as you pointed out it could and did tear up the surface when it was maneuvered. Thank you for your review of both types of machines.
TLB for 95% of people. 1-5 acres Subcompact or Compact. More than five acres go with something bigger. IMHO, once the construction phase of the homestead is done, a tractor becomes far more versatile overall for property maintenance. It may not do everything as quickly as other machinery, but it will get the job done. Now if you're trying to run a business and doing lots of dirt work, then that's a different story.
When i started my landscape company. I only had enough funds to buy one piece of new equipment.
We chose a kubota b series tractor with a backhoe and several other attachments.. never regret it. Might not lift as much or be as nimble as the skid steer same can be said about the back hoe vs. excavator. But the tractor can do everything those machines can, but those other machines can't do all a tractor can. And we do a lot of already established properties, so less impact on the turff is great.
Thanks for this video. Was considering a skid steer as an alternative since there seems to be more of those for sale (used) but think a tractor would be better for the few acres I have.
Nice video. Skid steer is great, they do tear up a yard, even when using big ark turning. Would like to see your point of view on Plan C: Small Articulated mini loader. Best of both worlds?
Nice, fair, well done comparison, thank you
The man who taught me to run a skid steer insisted that I make wide sweeping turns, unless it was absolutely necessary to flip around quickly. His main concern was wearing out the tires or tracks, also to save work after tearing up the job site.
If his tractor could turn as tight as the skid steer, it could do a lot more damage than it does now.
I assume I am not the only person, watching this who lives in a small house in the city, and could never get either one of these, let alone park it, or use it anywhere. Love watching the videos though. It’s a little bit like buying a lottery ticket.
Friend: escape to God's country!
@@Version135 Oh I love the city. But I have considered it. The UP, etc.
If you can get by with neither that’s the best way to go. One less thing to fix & take up space.
As a rural homeowner, he tractor wins every time. the 3 point hitch and a skidsteer plate on the bucket end means it can handle agricultural and construction implements. The skidsteer does not plow however. Tractor has fewer blindspots, the tow bar can drag a dump trailer too, so the high capacity of the skidsteer is offset for rural property. If I needed a seriously flexible construction machine I would get a skidsteer.
When I sold my plumbing business I kept my skid steer and attachments. So handy to have when I need it. Rock bucket, trencher, front hoe attachment, log splitter, 4 foot hula hoe attachment which I built, post hole auger, regular bucket, pallet forks, It is a time saver, back saver and blessing to have. I have been operating them for 35 years and it has become second nature. I also have seen attachments for a host of other needs including a home built boom for setting trusses. Love their versatility
For pure construction site functionality - Skid steer. For anything agricultural or "homestead" related - Tractor
Been looking at mini articulating loaders. Seems to be the best of both worlds. (They lack three point attachments, so tractors are still king for ag work.)
Here in Europe you'll see lots of articulating mini wheel loaders(if thats the correct translation) they can be equipped with a huge variety of attachments, are easy to manoeuvre in tight places, great visibility around and dont tear up the ground as much as a skidsteer. Only thing you'll have to watch out for is that the machine can lift a heavy load easily but when you start steering you bring the counterweight closer to the centre of the machine and suddenly the load your lifting is way too heavy.
The tractor will do 100 tasks pretty well. A skid loader will do 50 of those tasks REALLY well. If you are only going to buy one and you don’t care about the speed of those particular tasks that both can do, then get the tractor. If you are only going to do skid loader tasks, get a skid loader. For overall property management for the average guy, a tractor with bobcat quick attach on the loader and a backhoe that can come off and use the 3 point, wins hands down.
the tractor is really made for home and farm use as there is a bunch of agricultural attachments for the back that you can't get for a skid steer. However, there are a bunch of attachments for the front of the skid steer that you can't get for the tractor that are used in construction. Really two different animals with a little bit of crossover in the middle.
After having used a skid steer in building my own house I can't count the ways it has been wonderful. But I have also noted a few detractors... Firstly - and most operators IGNORE this dangerous move - you can't get out with the bucket raised. If you are using it to lift and place things up high it almost always becomes a two-person job. Secondly, because you can spin them on a dime, it is GUARANTEED that the hired help will turn the tires into racing slicks in record time. Thirdly, because of their compact nature, wrenching on one usually involves and elevated level of contortionism, one-handed fiddling by Braille, and cussing.
The newest generation of compact tractors is particularly well suited to home owners with a lot of FEL uses. At 24hp and the same class as that Kubota I can lift 2000lb to 8.5'. It's no power house at the PTO but for 4' wide implements it's more than enough. Works great for >5acres
Something critical to keep in mind -- The skid-steers of the previous century were initially conceived for working in turkey houses. High maneuverability, and the ability to move lots of fluffy materials, were their strong suit. Up until 2000, skid-steers were primarily for material handling. Moving this pile of stuff from here to there; cleaning out manure and loading it into a spreader, loading a dump truck, et cetera.
Sometime around the turn of the century, skid-steers made the life-altering jump onto the construction sites, where they began to replace small bulldozers for grading, excavating, and land-clearing projects. This necessitated longer wheelbases, heavier weight, greater breakout strengths on the loaders, higher horsepower, and tracked undercarriages.
Your 1845c is of the old-school variety -- conceived in the 1980's, and built in the 1990's. It can do a fair bit of clearing and grading, but it's still inferior to a newer skidsteer that's built for those tasks.
I'm running a 1840, which is a more compact version of the 1845c, but with most of the same internal components. It's absolutely perfect for farm work of the type that I do, and can handle some limited grading. But if I'm trying to do any excavating below grade, its short wheelbase, limited traction, and low weight make it miserable for the job.
You probably won't see this. But 'ASV, track loaders' with their low ground pressure...
Looks like it solves a lot of the skid loaders weaknesses. Particularly 'RT-50 Compact Track Loader'
On the bigger loaders, they even have the "Imax cab" which is a nice touch, but needed on the smaller units.
Like hammers, pick the one that will perform the task the best. One advantage of skid steers that I did not hear mentioned, perhaps I missed it, is that there are plethora of attachments for them.
I have a LS-2025 and it is a force multiplier! When I need to dig out stumps I rent an excavator to do the job. I have a lot of PTO accessories and one of my favs is the 16,000 watt HF PTO generator lots of power when I need it. Do skid steers come with a PTO?
The kubota would work best for me. But I want them both. 😎 I have a little John deer tractor, but I need something that can dig
The video I never knew I wanted to watch
I would listen to you read the phone book
thank you
all aspects of life is about trade offs as you said its also about making do with what you have
Tractor pluses: Better at pulling a trailer/wagon. Better at dealing with road travel. Put on a slow moving vehicle triangle on it and you can drive it on some highways to get to another work site (depending on local laws).
I've been waiting for a video like this!
thanks old man :)
Good to know, but I can't afford either... but if I need to rent or hire very good to know
I have both. Neither one will year up your yard when you learn to take wider turns. Its all in how you drive it. But the skid steer is faster.
Where is the ballast on the tractor?
Great video as always.❤️😄
there are "turf" tires for skid steers so they don't tear up grass as much… if one were to do a lot of work on grass
So apropos for me right now as I'm deciding which one I need to buy at this moment. But the reason I'm thinking of buying one is so stupid, but I trudge forth in my stupidity non-the-less.
I'm tired of paying $1,000 here, $3,000 to the rental companies, so I'm about to buy a $35,000 skid steer. Wud u tink bout dat?
Kubota tractor for me I use it to mow and push snow. Bigger jobs I rent or borrow equipment.
I'm not sure where to put this comment, but it's about your merch. Can you make a t-shirt with a front pocket? I can't work as an electrician without a front pocket lol, too many years with one
If you have to move a lot of earth, you'll be glad to have either.
3 point equipment is MUCH cheaper than the hydraulic driven skidsteer attachments. Different tire choices with the tractor make lawn damage even less than what you described.
I bought my compact tractor new with warranty for what a well used skidsteer with no warranty and 1000s of hours cost. They do the same job, just differently for me. I prefer my tractor for fill work because of the reach from the front tires it has. I can ease up to a trench and get fill material much farther in than a skiddy. For grade work, a skid is not the answer either. My land plane works much better than a bucket...doesnt matter what machine its on.
Skidsters generally cost more. Skidsters front bucket is it's primary purpose, tractors, it's the draw bar. Tractors travel farther, faster, easier than Skidsters. Tractors can be driven with one hand. Not too difficult to adapt a Quick Attach connection on to tractor loader arms, much harder to install three point hitch on back of skidster. Three point tools usually more plentiful and cheaper. Service and repair easier on most tractors. Sixty year old tractor might run just fine, sixty year old skidster????
Can rent a skidster for a particular job, keep a tractor around the place for most everything else. Potential usefulness of the PTO?
Tractor with loader is more of a multipurpose equipment .
Skid loader is much more powerful in lifting weight and carrying and is way more stable with weight because they have a fixed axle ( no live axle) .
Skid loader is much shorter and it’s turning area is much smaller.
Tractor is much more pleasant to use and it is more gentle to a yard.
Next video: skil saw vs jig saw
I think you missed a very important point to be said loaders for tractors are an afterthought. Loader tractors tend to have front end issues. That being said if you just need to move a little bit of dirt every once in a while a tractor will do perfectly fine. There's also a tool that you didn't touch in your video that would have done the job far better than either tool. A mini articulating loader would have done far better and not tearing up the grass as bad as the skid steer but with the same speed. The bottom line is these are all tools and you have to pick the best one for your needs and price point.
Really good comparison. My rule is if you have to pull or mow get a tractor. For everything else get a skid steer.
Axe or knife ? 🤔
Well, when you're making fast tight turns and spinning in circles in a skid steer you're going to make a mess! Going slow ina wider arc and doing three point or more turns in tight spots will significantly reduce turf damage and gravel displacement.
👍
If you would have helped if you you would have put the tractor in 4 wheel drive, and you can't even hardly find a decent skidter .each has a specific style job.
There’s a huge cost difference between the two machines. Most people only need a tractor. Personally I would never buy a skid steer, I would either have a tractor or mini excavator.
I need the Swiss army knife option for my acreage. The tractor is likely the pick for me, and I'd love something similar to that Kubota. Cheers.
Check out the new hollands too
John Deere 1025r or 1026r
@@amyclea how does the whole refusing repair information and parts to nondealers make you feel about jd now?
Skid steer makes money to relax on the tractor 🚜
Hydraulic system is less strong on the tractor vs the skidsteer
Y turns are your lawn and gravels friend in a skid steer.
Tractor does not leave black marks on concrete.
I can afford a tractor but I can't afford a skid steer...
Both are great tools, but the tractor is less expensive and good for most small farm tasks. I love skid steer equipment for most anything hydraulic. Brush clearing, loading and unloading heavy items and a mulitude of attachments that provide special ability for a specific task. Skid steers cost more, the attachments cost more and the maintenance costs more, but they can be the right tool for the job.
I've personally always hated using Skids to unload trucks. I was a forklift operator before I was anything else, though, so I'm not unbiased. Can't stand having the load swinging like that; Extremely unstable. Nevermind that I've never met a single Skid operator who does that safely. To each their own, I guess.
Don't forget the cost, tractors win often because they are a fraction of a skid steer machine including attachments.
You also have to look at hours too. Hours on a skid steer are not the same as a tractor.
Around st louis a skid can be cheaper than a tractor with a loader I got a 40hp dal601 under 6k. A tractor with a loader is normally over 10k
Having been a Dairy Farmer for over 30 years I have operated both tractor loader and Skid steer. When recently I replaced my Skid steer I went with a 70 hp. Kubota tractor with loader and had the third function hydraulics installed on the loader so now I can use a grapple. I have found that I can work in 90 percent of the areas I used to with my Skid Loader. And I don't have to trailer haul it short distance. Skid Loaders have their place,but for my operation currently my loader tractor has replaced it.
Another great video. I have the smallest Kubota (BX1850) on 3/4 acre. But I also use it to shuttle material on job sites as a contractor. I put turf tires on mine which are even easier on grass and landscaping. It is 4 feet wide so I also have 10 or so mill seconds of ½ plywood that I use as roads to help soften the impact to the landscape.
I own a similar-sized compact tractor. I tell folks all the time, "it gets me into trouble", and what I mean is it enables me to tackle jobs I maybe wouldn't have done otherwise, and so am forced to finish them.
Nothing makes me happier with TH-cam than having a question...and finding that you've (EC) made a video that answers it. Thanks as always for the great information!
i think its hard to beat the ability of the back hoe if you need a universal machine.
I have a skid steer and a loader tractor. They have specific jobs, because they are different. They both can do things for me the other cant. It is important to understand they are not the same.
Though I have been impressed with the skid steer, I always fall back to the tractor. Thank you and God bless.
Yep, a very hard if not impossible dilemma, argued on across coffee tables and keyboards alike, even in my own head. I have a Kubota b26, very thankful to have it, but often thin a compact track loader would be better. But it allows me to maintain my 75 mostly wooded acres and my parents small 7 acres an hour away, ease of transport. I tire of the three point hookups though, and the newer compact loaders you hook up from the seat. But hard to beat a small backhoe tractor for most things.
U need a backhoe on that tractor and its unstopable, just like we do on our channel
I live in the dry, windy part of Kansas. I worked at a business on a farm, where the skid steer was running in the same place maybe 200'x200', day in, day out. The dirt was so ground up, it was basically moon dust, and was 2,to 3 inches deep in some spots. The slightest wind, and you were blinded by powdered dirt. The slightest rain, and we couldn't work because it was a mud bog pit. Skid steers can be handy, but I like a tractor myself.
Have owned both a tractor and a track loader in the past 2 years. This sums it up well. I loved the tractor for working by myself, off and on all the time, unloading, loading, maintenance activities on the acreage. But if you have to dig, move dirt, use forks, work on slopes, and generally are sitting in the machine working, the skid steer kicked butt. A maintenance tool (tractor) versus a construction tool (skid steer) in my experience.
All good points.Each has there place.I'm all about good used equipment.Now,put a counterweight on the L-2500.Safer,and less strain on the front diff.
It's been quite a while since last encountering a video from this channel. Too bad for me. I'd forgotten how good this guy is. Excellent verbal skills, organized in what he wants to convey and his presentations are top notch as a result. No "ahh"...no "umm" ad nauseam confirming how poor too many content providers are in their overall preparation. Am I in the market for either machine? NOPE. But I know in watching his video I'll not only enjoy the experience, chances are I'll learn something as well. Good deal. THX!
I have both, if you do a lot of mowing and farming, get a tractor. I have 25 acres make trails, move dirt and gravel, clear brush and trees. I wish I never bought a tractor.
You have to consider weight foremost. For dirt or heavy duty work, you need a machine that weights 4 tons + (8000 LB). A farm tractor in this weight range will be very large and cumbersome to maneuver. Most skidsteers weigh 2-3+ times what a typical compact tractor does because they are designed for heavy duty work, but a tractor is made for land maintenance or agricultural tasks.
If you compare a 4-6 ton skidsteer to a 4-6 ton construction grade tractor backhoe, the difference is less in terms of capability. My 8500 LB tractor backhoe wont lift as much as a similar weight skidsteer and is not as nimble, but it will still get the job done equally fast. This backhoe is designed for heavy duty work and while it is a tractor, that is not the primary purpose.
I personally don't like skidsteers:
- Getting in and out is difficult or impossible depending on what attachment you got up front and what position the loader is in or there is a glass door. At best, it's certainly not an easy in and out like an open station tractor is.
- Visibility side and back is poor. Dirty beat up front glass often feels like you need to look through fog.
- Attachments are very expansive and some of them don't make much sense up front (means you go backwards a lot... see prior point).
- Most new ones have controls mostly electric over hydraulic, which can be jerky and delayed.
- They beat you up operating due to no suspension (all you get is an air seat)
- They tear up the ground easy and cause lots of destruction. You're constantly making a mess and cleaning up after yourself. Leave ugly track marks everywhere that then turns into mud.
- They use lots of diesel per hour (2-4 gallon per hour on a decent size machine).
- Tracks don't compact soil well and get torn up easy on rocks.
- Hassle of keeping dirt out of tracks/sprockets.
- Very difficult to get unstuck from mud.
- They don't hold their value well... people either buy them to not use then want to sell or beat the crap out of them.
Where a skidsteer shines is how compact and maneuverable they are to do some heavy lifting.
If doing heavy duty work like land clearing, a large excavator or bulldozer is best. A large 20,000 LB backhoe also works great. A 10,000 LB skidsteer isn't too useful aside from moving material around or doing finish grading, both of which a tractor could do though slower.
These are two different animals. The Kubota is about flexibility. The skid steer is a function-specific tool. You might as well compare a Leatherman to a pipe wrench.
I use my skidsteer almost daily. Moving large logs and lumber pallets around the sawmill was difficult and hard on our tractor. The skidsteer doesn't break a sweat on these tasks. And it's irreplaceable when doing dirt work or clearing. It makes a similarly sized tractor look like a toy. But, when I need to bush hog a large field, the tractor doesn't beat me up near as bad. And it's much cheaper to operate / fix / buy.
same here, skid steer to the rescue. I have a small sawmill and pad area b/c I live on a hill side. I excavated the hill with the skid steer, moved the dirt, placed abut 200 boulders to support the dirt wall I created, used other 200 boulders to create retaining walls (all with forks, I sold the hydraulic rock bucket last year, too heavy anyways) and b/c I have so little area the zero point turn is essential. Blown roads down into the yard. I have an auger, forks, bucket and backhoe attachment. I've put many hours on all the attachments. But mostly it's just forks for the mill.
and to haul, the skid steer fits perfectly into the dump trailer.
I spent $25 grand on my 2000 863 including all the attachments. No high flow, which is no big deal to me. Sure I could add a high flow pump, it's a simple add on, but other than a snow blower, not sure what I'd use it for. I can push/move snow, and that's fine for me.
Bought it in 2018, it had 850hrs on it. it's 2023, I have 1500 hrs on it. I change oil, clean/replace air filters, lube... thing has been a small beast for me and continues to impress. and talk about moving logs, and some real big ones! I don;lt hesitate to relocate stacks of logs to clean up the sawmill pad.
Time for bushings I believe. Arms are getting a little clanky. Neighbor and I plow a few folks in the subdivision and we share wiring on each other's machines. He's a welder by trade, so anything that requires a weld is covered.
I feel fortunate to have found this machine less than five miles up the road. I was looking all over the country and considering thousands in hauling fees.
Had a tractor around for the last 30 years. Adding the skid steer front QD standard to tractors in the last years has really upped their viability.
Renting skid steer attachments makes the skid steer like a Swiss army knife because of the available hydraulic flow. Tractor attachments are limited due to PTO and limited hyd flow. Tractor easier for 1 person, skid usually requires 2 as the operator has to crawl out over the load or attachment.
Most importantly, you can drive a tractor down the road to the nearest honky tonk. Just ask George Jones!
Good presentation Scott, on a skid steer you learn to even use plywood on lawns and make wide arcing "Y" turns to save the grass. They are a ton of fun cleaning up logging slash with a grapple attachment. They also do well plowing snow. But l agree for a land/ homeowner the small wheel tractor is a better choice.
If I had to choose between the two, I couldn't! Guess I'll just get one of each!
Scott could be a main contractor for the show “This old House” great at delivering information that everyone can understand
He will have to work on his Boston accent for that.
Scott,
While I've owned both types of machines over the years I currently have 2 tractors for my 20+ acres of mixed landscape. In a world of comparisons (and like this video's subject), I've likened the skid steers to the 'foundation and rough carpentry' jobs - and the tractors to the 'finish carpentry and trim' jobs. I currently run a 40hp cab tractor for all of my flail mowing, snow plowing, driveway maintenance, and tilling/ground plowing tasks, My little 20hp unit works great for finish mowing and gardening/loading tasks. I'm sure that with all of the attachments for both tractors I may be invested in both for slightly less than a good skid steer - and with lots less maintenance and hauling issues. If I need something bigger for excavation/loading, I will rent a skid or a mini-ex. Thanks for the thoughtful video once again!
Thanks for these comments. I also have a little 20 hp tractor, but am about to buy a bigger tractor also because the smaller tractor just doesn’t cover all the needs very well, but is still very useful. I feel guilty about having two tractors, so your comments help me realize there is good justification for that.
For me, the lift profile of the utility tractor was a huge benefit over the lift capacity (both volume and weight) of any skidsteer I could afford. Even my subcompact tractor can pull an engine from any car and most light duty trucks if you drop them on their axles...then lift said engine into the back of my truck past the tailgate. Add to that the ability to hitch up any of my trailers and move them around without getting out or the seat, mowing, dragging cars around (rear visibility) and I am happy. I have moved and back dragged about 18 yards of stone and it does not excel at it...but beats a wheelbarrow.
The backhoe is the one I urge folks to think long and hard on. I ran the math and I could rent a mini-ex that is SO much faster for 42 days compared to buying one as part of my package and I would have to store it during mowing season, it precludes a trailer hitch when attached, adds length and height limiting where I can go with it.
Good points
I love my ct235 bobcat compact utility tractor. I own a John Deere 310 backhoe loader that I like. I own 2 skid steers and don’t find either of them to be very useful. Fine grading with skid steers sucks. If the tire moves an inch the buckets working edge moves a million miles in the opposite direction. My compact utility tractor is always my go to, plus my wife uses it around her hobby chicken farm and garden. If I only could own one it would be the compact utility tractor.
The Kubota would be even kinder to lawns with R-4 tires instead of those ag tires. Also, sharp turns with the front tires engaged with tear up turf! (I have an L-2900 same vintage as yours)
I like your points. I hate always looking backwards on my tractor. My skid its in front of me. Price in st louis, a tractor with a loader is almost more expenive then a skid. My 40hp dsl601 with track over wheels and grapple i got under 7k total in it. I love it feel way safer in it and have done some great land clearing and logging. The same work in a tractor would have been longer and would have would worn me out more..and thats saying soming as the skid has all manual controls and can wear you out. Yes fixing a tractor is easier.
A good skidder is one of those pieces of equipment that you never realized you can't live without - until you get one, and wonder how you ever lived without one
As someone who has owned both for many years, if I could add a few notes-
On the negative side for the skid steer-
You can't get out of the skid steer to do anything if you need to hold the bucket or the load up for any reason.
There are fewer attachments that you can use with a skid steer than with a compact tractor, (unless the skid steer is plumbed and prepped and powered for hydraulic attachments).
The backhoe attachments for skid steers are terrible, but the ones for compact tractors are not bad
A skid steer is prone to getting stuck in wet or steep situations, (you can sometimes use the bucket to boost yourself out, but not always)
On the plus side for the skid steer-
It can lift far more weight than the bucket on a compact tractor can
It has a smaller footprint and can maneuver in much tighter spaces.
If you own the right skid steer, you can get out at any time. I bought a Kubota just for that reason, the glass goes up over your head as opposed to a JD or others that is hinged on the side, then you are stuck in there until you lower the boom.
well, you can usually take the doors off, but I actually have a kubota ssv75 with a door that slides up, I use it daily, and I'm telling you I can't get out when I need to in many cases.
if there's a granite step in the bed of my one ton and I need to get out to hook a strap on the forks to unload it, there's no way I'm getting out with the machine next to the truck and the boom up, unless I was shaped like a snake. Likewise if I'm setting granite steps at a doorway... it's not good.
I suppose I could get out in some situations if I really want to do some contortionist moves, but years of experience has taught me that it's stupid to crawl around under raised hydraulics that will crush you if a line blows, and I've had them blow... it never happens when you expect it. And as a stonemason who slings and lifts lots of very heavy stones, it's ingrained in my brain to never get myself under anything that can crush or mangle me, ever. So getting out with the boom up is not an option.
@ho8485
I have a 75hp tractor with a loader and it can be hard to see in front of the loader for delicate work vs the skid steer. You need to keep practice on the tractor loader and take it slow at first especially if you are also using the clutch and gears at the same time, also having a spotter can help!
In my opinion I'd have to say Garden tractor or small farm tractor for home stedding skid steer for construction although you can pretty much do the same thing with a Garden tractor or small farm tractor
I have used both, the skid steer is so much better of a machine except it will destroy your grass even if you are super careful.
Replace the skid steer wheels with tracks which will do significantly less damage to the surface.
until you try to turn lol
The box grader on a tractor is perfect when you need to do any grading for slopes and roads. Much better than back dragging a skid steer in my limited experience. I can borrow a skid-steer with a loader bucket for free, and I still preferred to rent a kubota when I graded a pad in back of my dad's place for his trailer.
You are spot on!! Also something to consider is the value of having the attachment on the back of the tractor while having the loader out front. May not be an issue on a job sight but a different story out somewhere without easy access
I started out with a 40 hp New Holland 4x4 tractor with a backhoe attachment. I used it for years on my ranch property. I sold it and purchased a 100hp tracked skid steer thinking it would do anything the tractor would do and more. I was wrong. Each piece of equipment has things it will do well and things it is terrible at. I kept the skid steer and purchased a 80 hp John Deere backhoe. Neither piece of equipment pushes dirt or rips ground very well, so I purchased a John Deere 350 dozer. That was replaced with a JD 450 dozer, and finally replaced with a 17,000# Caterpillar D3 dozer. It takes weight to properly move dirt. I rented a 44,000# excavator to do some heavy digging and was blown away by the power and ability to go absolutely anywhere. I had to have one. I couldnt afford the size I wanted so I settled for a 17,000# 75 series Hitachi excavator. The ability to dig in front of you and put the dirt behind you cannot be overstated. Finally, I acquired a John Deere 450 tracked loader for going down impossibly steep ravines and bringing out loads of dirt and rock. Amazing piece of equipment. Now I need a roller compactor... And a grader. And a bigger excavator. And a dump truck. And a crane. And an extendable forklift.
Thanks for the great quick comparison. I used a tracked Barretto large stump grinder to remove 5 large tree stumps and boy it did a number on my lawn despite me trying to minimize the twisting action and the fact it was using tracks not r4 style tires. So while the skid steer may be the weapon of choice for spreading and grading crushed stone on the driveway, it won't be anywhere near as useful for other tasks around the yard or driving over the lawn to dump topsoil or remove bushes and small trees, etc.
Thanks for covering a topic that I’ll soon need to pull the trigger on (if only I could afford both!). I’d appreciate any advice that you / your subscribers would be kind enough to offer. I’m leaning toward the - tracked, not wheeled - skid steer, since my task(s) are developing a 20-acre north woods Wisconsin rural property into a homesite. Only 2 acres are cleared of trees, essentially a meadow) + a 70’ x 400’ frontage along the paved road. The property is 18-ish acres of heavy mixed hardwoods with 10-ish percent fir & spruce. Property has ~1000’ of 2-degree sloped eroded dirt roads that connect the hardball road to the meadow (homesite). Top layer of soil is clay to an average depth of 6”, up to a foot in a few ~60’ sloped sections (why I think tracks instead of wheels). I’ve calculated that I’ll need over 100 tons of stone (railroad ballast, “road bond” / 1”- w/ fines, & Class I rip-rap for drainage ditches along the dirt roads). I’d also like to save $ by stripping portions of the meadow for homesite & large post frame garage / workshop. I plan to rent a mini-Ex for drainage ditches and a few culvert pipes. My thought is to rent the mini-Ex, but buy the skiddy, even if I sell it after a year or 2. I already have an ATV & tow behind brush hog that I use to mow ~4 acres at our current residence, so I’ll use this set up for mowing the 2 acre meadow &
Great information.
Tractors are definitely the most affordable solution for someone who is doing a bit of everything. Skidsteers are great for loader work and not for long distance travel. But if you got money to burn small telehandlers can do everything that both of these units can do and more.
Just own all .. I have skid,excavator, dozer, tractors, dump trailer, dump truck, boom lift, and more to come😅