We've been renting the 800, and I just got a brand new 1050 the difference in power is shocking. I'm really glad I spent the extra money and with a Ditch Witch dealer close by I'm not worried about the screen.
Great comparison guys. I can say that I've got some 40+ hours on the SK800 doing trenching with a 6"x 42" trencher head. My experience doing trenching, at it's max depth is that it struggles in moderately hard soil conditions. So if your buying it for primarily trenching jobs, my suggestion would be to go with the SK1050 to get more hp for a stronger gpm rating.
Just came across this video and i will tell you guys stay away from the 1050.We own both the 1050 and the 800s in our rental fleet .The 800s has been flawless with us never a problem especially with the kubota engine and mechanical injectors.The 1050s on the other hand not so much we have already replaced the screens in both machines due to failure and have already replaced 3 injectors.And the remember the yanmar uses common rail electronic injectors its an emmision engine..Stick with the 800 one of the best minis on the market.Almost as good as our sk755 as far as im concerned best mini ever made
Everyone has different needs for their machine but we've used them all and for a mini skid steer our choice is Vermeer 925 with the Kubota diesel. It beats ditch witch on hydraulic flow, ground speed, and lift capacity, but the most important differences to us have been serviceability and reliability. The pros on ditch witch is they are a little cheaper and the hydraulics seem to be more responsive so itll turn a little quicker in tight areas like a zero turn mower and you might get a little faster action on the tilt function of your bucket. We also prefer grease fittings over the sealed bushings on the ditch witch. (just added expense down the road). As for the larger mini skid steers I would stay away. Mini skid steers should be MINI! None of them will lift a full pallet of pavers, wall block, or sod so why get one? Get a full size skid steer for the bigger jobs when you need it and get the mini for those tight jobs and jobs you need to get in and out with minimal damage to a property
Grant from ditch which is awesome. With that being said I have demo the SK 800 and the SK1050 we ended up buying an SK850 and then putting the weight on it, which is exactly the same as and SK1050. after putting 300 hours on it it run circles around our MT85 as far as speed and power, we demoed all of the for vermeer machines and they are a quality unit. The local salesman Bill is amazing. Also for us it comes down to under carrage. ditch which has the best under carriage in the Mini skid market. with those large wheels and bogeys you rarely throw a track unless you're being absolutely stupid. The other issues are vermeer has a neutered reverse speed which is a deal breaker for us. ditch which goes full speed and forward and reversed about 4.7 miles per hour which is pretty darn quick. The other deal breaker is the operator presence on the Vermeer you have to be standing on the platform to move it even an inch forward or reverse this becomes a giant pain in the butt when you're trying to maneuver a machine or just need to move it ahead a foot or 2 to gain clearance for something or to load it on machine on a trailer or tension your chains when you're on the trailer, how do we know? many skids are all we run. Getting back to the SK 800 verses SK1050 it all comes down to value per dollar at 25K the SK 800 is the value leader if all you're doing is running mulch back-and-forth and taking out buckets of material by all means the SK 800 is all you need. if you're looking to the future and want a machine that you can grow into and run hydraulic attachments now there's the big thing if you're running hydraulic consuming attachments such as trenchers augurs planers stump grinders anything that's hydraulic intensive work consumes a ton of horsepower you will wish you would have bought the SK1050 I have also demoed the SK1550 with weight kit and is in a completely different class it is an absolute bulldozer! We are looking forward to demoing the SK 3000 when it comes out in a few months after this whole Corona virus disappears hopefully. I hope this helps some of you who are on the fence on which one to buy, dealer support is phenomenally important and the ability to get parts is just as important. please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions regarding mini skids of any brand since I have owned just about all of them or Demoed all of them.
Great feedback, that answered a lot of my questions and some. For me its down to Ditch Witch and Vermeer both are great so it will be tough. Thank you for watching man!
I own an SK500 and I’m looking at buying a new SK800. I currently run a tiller, planetary auger, trencher, and lift just about everything needed around the farm with the SK500 with ease. In fact, we also have a Bobcat T190 but rarely use it, since getting on and off the SK500 is quick and easy and it gets the job done. I am so impressed with the SK500 (500 lb lift capacity) that I’d be surprised if the SK800 wouldn’t do anything you needed it to do (911 lb lift capacity).
I ended up purchasing a new SK800 back in late 2020. I opted for the SK800 because it did not have the electronic display. After reading the next comment, I made the right choice. Our SK800 has been great and we use it almost daily.
We started having issues with the buttons on the 1050 at about 450hours. We now have to press the buttons extremely hard to get them to make contact. I’ve had the 650, 755x and 1050. Love all of them and the 1050 is amazing other than the buttons. We just ordered the 1550 and going to use our 1050 for a back up. We’ll see how the 1550 works out for us
My new SK1050 just came in this past week. I've rented both the SK850 and SK1050 (previously 800 and 1000). I've also rented the Toro(trash), Vermeer(decent with lower hours) but every time I would get one with 500+ hours they were always breaking. I can honestly say that myself and my crew leads have beat the shit out of the 850's. We've climbed muddy hills with 400lb trees in the pouring rain, run 36" auger bits through road bases for light poles, trenched through pure rip rap and roots and anything else you can possibly imagine and these Ditch Witches never check up. Cheers to the engineers that designed them because they knew what they were doing. I actually ordered a 1550 but after 14 months of waiting when the dealer received a 1050 I went ahead and bought it. I totally agree not wanting a computer on a machine that's exposed to the elements. I would much prefer cables but it's warranty covered so if we have any issues at least I'm not paying for it. Hope you make lots of money with whatever you choose to purchase!
I'd go with the Vermeer S925tx with the 40 HP Gas engine option. It has nearly the same specs as the CTX100 for about $5,000 less, and the Vermeer mini skid steers have dual auxiliary hydraulics with a High Flow output at 15.5 gpm @ 3045 psi, and a Low Flow output of 8.1 gpm @ 3045 psi. Only the highest end Ditch Witch machines have dual auxiliary hydraulics. This is important if you want to power an attachment with both a motor and a cylinder without the need for an electrical switching system; such as a hydraulically angled power rake, or tree grapple with a rotational positioning motor.
My SK1050 came with the high and low flow hydraulics. I appreciate the extra 200 Lbs lifting capacity since I run a 48” Harley Rake and it won’t fit through a 4’ gate but I can lift it above the opening without it feeling tippy.
@@NFAtoys take a note from Toyota…ask the line. Give all 15 of your employees an SK 800 and an SK 1550 with dual controls… No joystick! Run that set up, compared to anything else in America. You will get your ass kicked. That is if you’re listening to the men. I don’t buy the equipment for me, the guys run it. I listen to the men. I have no ego to feed, I have kids.
I've used the sk1050 in anger and its a real pocket rocket. We run a 1.5m wide bucket on it and its got plenty of power to run it. With the extra weight kit, it also lifts over 1000kg no problem. What I didnt like about it was the auto idle takes ages to rev back up. You go to move and it takes 3sec upwards to get moving. Seems trivial but it can be annoying when it steps down as you are doing a tricky manoeuvre but then suddenly you need to lift the arm and need the power! When its reving, its got more than enough power, but you are right, its got a DPF, digital screen and lots of electronics to go wrong. The one I've used is only 8 months old so time will tell.
I appreciate the insight. I'm not a big fan of the digital display with the throttle built in. I completely agree, it can be more problems down the road. Thank you for watching!
@@jcslawntips Absolutely no problems. The dealer actually told me the sk800 was a better value for an almost identical machine. That meant a lot to me because he wasn't out to make money. It's pushed everything I wanted it to push and lifted everything I wanted to lift. I highly recommend the sk800. You won't be disappointed
You can also buy the weight kit for the smaller machine for around $1000 and then it lifts the same amount as the larger ditch witch, that’s what we ended up doing to save a little money.
For me, I tried the machine at a trade show and wasn’t impressed with it. The controls were very stiff. However that could’ve been because it was brand new. Our local dealer was not good either. Didn’t care about the “little guy” only wanted to spend time with people buying several machines and didn’t care about customer service
I totally see the value of the 800. Yes, that machine can be easily maintained for the most part. However, I like to take the long look just like you. The decision is really hard to make, but personally I would get the 1050. This is just my 2 cents and I also have no experience. Someone with experience might tell you otherwise and I would trust their judgment.
Only problem I notice with the 800’s is the back rear spindle assembly the back side of the spindle bends inward causes the back roller to get locked up ! I’m a mechanic I work on Them
Im a bit late but just my opinion after running Vermeer mini skids moving and loading logs and loading brush into a chipper there is a big difference we just upgraded from the ctx100 to the ctx160 and its a huge difference as we stack logs for a log truck to come in aswell as a 20+ft tree top can be drug easier but not really apples to apples in what you do here in the northeast its either bobcat or Vermeer and the occasional Cormidi (bandit) and just running Vermeer mini skids i believe its the way to go. The Cormidi mini skids have a higher lift capacity but are way too off balance. Also just watched your Vermeer comparison. Currently loving the Vermeer CTX160 switching between a Ryans grapple and a Spartan stump grinder.
sk 780 is great for fitting into back yards. lift capacity is not bad, but the alternator is junk. went bad within a year, and its $800 to replace. The throttle cable kept springing back, lowering rpm by itself, and front sprocket is went out way too soon, and for some reason changing oil takes way too long. It drains so slow.
What don’t u like about the bobcat? I’m looking to purchase the mt100, I haven’t tried out ditch witch but I’m leaning that way from the reviews, can u help me out?
For me I tried the MT85 and it wasn't smooth. I was told later that it is smooth and the one I used hadn't been broken in. Plus the dealer up here is terrible. Ditch Witch makes a great machine, definitely top 2 in the market. I would go where the best dealer is if I am being honest
@@jcslawntips my nearest Ditch witch dealer is over an hour away and my Bobcat dealer is 10 minutes that’s the only difference, I like the sk1550 over the Mt100 but I am worried about down time if something ever goes wrong with the Ditch witch
I've used both machines . Ground speed on the 1050 is a bit faster. I've used a 48"trencher on the sk800 you have to baby it a bit, definitely lacking in horsepower while trenching.
@@ZR1Terror no, I'm sorry I don't. It was a rental I was using. I ended up buying a Vermeer CTX-160. I've got one video on TH-cam, trenching with it. Under my channel Working man 🛠️ Ron Doyle or look up trenching with Vermeer CTX-160.
Maybe, we'll see. I'm just not sure yet if it's worth the extra money. I do and I've tried one, I wasn't too impressed. The machine isn't bad but the dealer is absolutely terrible.
At this time there has been no more updates. Kubota pulled all the press releases docs some time back from there website. Game changer when it comes out. Mark- Ditch Witch SK850 PLUS(300 lbs weight kit) ie = Todays SK1050
Never had a problem with the Vermeer s925tx 40 hp gas engine. We do just about everything with it from grading, irrigation, tree planting. Attached just about every attachment there is. Hands down Vermeer all day!
I love my Vermeer 925. It was the first available after supply chain issue. I have ran them both and I love them both.
We've been renting the 800, and I just got a brand new 1050 the difference in power is shocking. I'm really glad I spent the extra money and with a Ditch Witch dealer close by I'm not worried about the screen.
Great comparison guys. I can say that I've got some 40+ hours on the SK800 doing trenching with a 6"x 42" trencher head. My experience doing trenching, at it's max depth is that it struggles in moderately hard soil conditions. So if your buying it for primarily trenching jobs, my suggestion would be to go with the SK1050 to get more hp for a stronger gpm rating.
That's very impressive! Usually at 36" or more you're moving into a ride on trencher category!
Just came across this video and i will tell you guys stay away from the 1050.We own both the 1050 and the 800s in our rental fleet .The 800s has been flawless with us never a problem especially with the kubota engine and mechanical injectors.The 1050s on the other hand not so much we have already replaced the screens in both machines due to failure and have already replaced 3 injectors.And the remember the yanmar uses common rail electronic injectors its an emmision engine..Stick with the 800 one of the best minis on the market.Almost as good as our sk755 as far as im concerned best mini ever made
Everyone has different needs for their machine but we've used them all and for a mini skid steer our choice is Vermeer 925 with the Kubota diesel. It beats ditch witch on hydraulic flow, ground speed, and lift capacity, but the most important differences to us have been serviceability and reliability. The pros on ditch witch is they are a little cheaper and the hydraulics seem to be more responsive so itll turn a little quicker in tight areas like a zero turn mower and you might get a little faster action on the tilt function of your bucket. We also prefer grease fittings over the sealed bushings on the ditch witch. (just added expense down the road). As for the larger mini skid steers I would stay away. Mini skid steers should be MINI! None of them will lift a full pallet of pavers, wall block, or sod so why get one? Get a full size skid steer for the bigger jobs when you need it and get the mini for those tight jobs and jobs you need to get in and out with minimal damage to a property
Elite Outdoors Those are some very valid points! Thank you for sharing!
You will regret buying vermeer when it has computer or sensor problems.
Grant from ditch which is awesome. With that being said I have demo the SK 800 and the SK1050 we ended up buying an SK850 and then putting the weight on it, which is exactly the same as and SK1050. after putting 300 hours on it it run circles around our MT85 as far as speed and power, we demoed all of the for vermeer machines and they are a quality unit. The local salesman Bill is amazing. Also for us it comes down to under carrage. ditch which has the best under carriage in the Mini skid market. with those large wheels and bogeys you rarely throw a track unless you're being absolutely stupid. The other issues are vermeer has a neutered reverse speed which is a deal breaker for us. ditch which goes full speed and forward and reversed about 4.7 miles per hour which is pretty darn quick. The other deal breaker is the operator presence on the Vermeer you have to be standing on the platform to move it even an inch forward or reverse this becomes a giant pain in the butt when you're trying to maneuver a machine or just need to move it ahead a foot or 2 to gain clearance for something or to load it on machine on a trailer or tension your chains when you're on the trailer, how do we know? many skids are all we run. Getting back to the SK 800 verses SK1050 it all comes down to value per dollar at 25K the SK 800 is the value leader if all you're doing is running mulch back-and-forth and taking out buckets of material by all means the SK 800 is all you need. if you're looking to the future and want a machine that you can grow into and run hydraulic attachments now there's the big thing if you're running hydraulic consuming attachments such as trenchers augurs planers stump grinders anything that's hydraulic intensive work consumes a ton of horsepower you will wish you would have bought the SK1050 I have also demoed the SK1550 with weight kit and is in a completely different class it is an absolute bulldozer! We are looking forward to demoing the SK 3000 when it comes out in a few months after this whole Corona virus disappears hopefully. I hope this helps some of you who are on the fence on which one to buy, dealer support is phenomenally important and the ability to get parts is just as important. please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions regarding mini skids of any brand since I have owned just about all of them or Demoed all of them.
Great feedback, that answered a lot of my questions and some. For me its down to Ditch Witch and Vermeer both are great so it will be tough. Thank you for watching man!
Are you a diller?
Great feedback
I own an SK500 and I’m looking at buying a new SK800. I currently run a tiller, planetary auger, trencher, and lift just about everything needed around the farm with the SK500 with ease. In fact, we also have a Bobcat T190 but rarely use it, since getting on and off the SK500 is quick and easy and it gets the job done. I am so impressed with the SK500 (500 lb lift capacity) that I’d be surprised if the SK800 wouldn’t do anything you needed it to do (911 lb lift capacity).
I'm about to do the same thing my sk500 has been pretty dang good but I sometimes need a little more
I ended up purchasing a new SK800 back in late 2020. I opted for the SK800 because it did not have the electronic display. After reading the next comment, I made the right choice. Our SK800 has been great and we use it almost daily.
We started having issues with the buttons on the 1050 at about 450hours. We now have to press the buttons extremely hard to get them to make contact. I’ve had the 650, 755x and 1050. Love all of them and the 1050 is amazing other than the buttons. We just ordered the 1550 and going to use our 1050 for a back up. We’ll see how the 1550 works out for us
My new SK1050 just came in this past week. I've rented both the SK850 and SK1050 (previously 800 and 1000). I've also rented the Toro(trash), Vermeer(decent with lower hours) but every time I would get one with 500+ hours they were always breaking. I can honestly say that myself and my crew leads have beat the shit out of the 850's. We've climbed muddy hills with 400lb trees in the pouring rain, run 36" auger bits through road bases for light poles, trenched through pure rip rap and roots and anything else you can possibly imagine and these Ditch Witches never check up. Cheers to the engineers that designed them because they knew what they were doing. I actually ordered a 1550 but after 14 months of waiting when the dealer received a 1050 I went ahead and bought it. I totally agree not wanting a computer on a machine that's exposed to the elements. I would much prefer cables but it's warranty covered so if we have any issues at least I'm not paying for it. Hope you make lots of money with whatever you choose to purchase!
I'd go with the Vermeer S925tx with the 40 HP Gas engine option. It has nearly the same specs as the CTX100 for about $5,000 less, and the Vermeer mini skid steers have dual auxiliary hydraulics with a High Flow output at 15.5 gpm @ 3045 psi, and a Low Flow output of 8.1 gpm @ 3045 psi. Only the highest end Ditch Witch machines have dual auxiliary hydraulics. This is important if you want to power an attachment with both a motor and a cylinder without the need for an electrical switching system; such as a hydraulically angled power rake, or tree grapple with a rotational positioning motor.
I appreciate the insight, thank you for watching!
My SK1050 came with the high and low flow hydraulics. I appreciate the extra 200 Lbs lifting capacity since I run a 48” Harley Rake and it won’t fit through a 4’ gate but I can lift it above the opening without it feeling tippy.
Toro and Vermeer are JUNK compared to the SK line
@@DanHovarter only when you've owed all three, do you have any cred to talk trash. Saying Vermeer is trash is just ignorance.
@@NFAtoys take a note from Toyota…ask the line.
Give all 15 of your employees an SK 800 and an SK 1550 with dual controls… No joystick!
Run that set up, compared to anything else in America. You will get your ass kicked. That is if you’re listening to the men.
I don’t buy the equipment for me, the guys run it. I listen to the men. I have no ego to feed, I have kids.
I've used the sk1050 in anger and its a real pocket rocket. We run a 1.5m wide bucket on it and its got plenty of power to run it. With the extra weight kit, it also lifts over 1000kg no problem. What I didnt like about it was the auto idle takes ages to rev back up. You go to move and it takes 3sec upwards to get moving. Seems trivial but it can be annoying when it steps down as you are doing a tricky manoeuvre but then suddenly you need to lift the arm and need the power! When its reving, its got more than enough power, but you are right, its got a DPF, digital screen and lots of electronics to go wrong. The one I've used is only 8 months old so time will tell.
I appreciate the insight. I'm not a big fan of the digital display with the throttle built in. I completely agree, it can be more problems down the road. Thank you for watching!
2 years later and how is it holding up?
I went with the 1050 when I decided. The pushing power on the 1050 is amazing. The 800 will stall under load more than the 1050
Makes sense, have you had any issues with your digital display?
JC'sLawnTips no issues however it only has 70 hours
I own the sk800. It's a solid machine. Looked at sk800 and sk1050 went with the sk800. No regrets.
I like the sk800 because it seems like it is simpilar with no digital screen and stuff. Have you had any issues with your sk800?
@@jcslawntips Absolutely no problems. The dealer actually told me the sk800 was a better value for an almost identical machine. That meant a lot to me because he wasn't out to make money. It's pushed everything I wanted it to push and lifted everything I wanted to lift. I highly recommend the sk800. You won't be disappointed
@@hl9740 Great to hear, that's what I'm leaning towards if I go with Ditch Witch. Thanks for the help!
@@jcslawntips You're welcome!
How is it digging? Removing shrubs, clearing beds, digging base for patios?
You can also buy the weight kit for the smaller machine for around $1000 and then it lifts the same amount as the larger ditch witch, that’s what we ended up doing to save a little money.
Where did you get the weight kit? is there a model number? I can't find one anywhere....Thanks
You can get them through ditch witch
My sk800 will be here on Tuesday!
Awesome, I hope it is working well for you!
Thanks for your video, could you share with me why is bobcat out of the picture?
For me, I tried the machine at a trade show and wasn’t impressed with it. The controls were very stiff. However that could’ve been because it was brand new. Our local dealer was not good either. Didn’t care about the “little guy” only wanted to spend time with people buying several machines and didn’t care about customer service
I totally see the value of the 800. Yes, that machine can be easily maintained for the most part. However, I like to take the long look just like you. The decision is really hard to make, but personally I would get the 1050. This is just my 2 cents and I also have no experience. Someone with experience might tell you otherwise and I would trust their judgment.
Thank you Caleb, I agree long term is the way to think. Thank you for watching!
I'm really happy with my SK1050. Get the bigger machine. It will speed up the job and so pay for it self over time.
I really enjoyed your input. Thanks!
No problem, thank you for watching!
Only problem I notice with the 800’s is the back rear spindle assembly the back side of the spindle bends inward causes the back roller to get locked up ! I’m a mechanic I work on Them
How do i identify when this happens my 1050 looks like the tracks and tilting inward
How large of a jackhammer attachment can be used with this machine
Im a bit late but just my opinion after running Vermeer mini skids moving and loading logs and loading brush into a chipper there is a big difference we just upgraded from the ctx100 to the ctx160 and its a huge difference as we stack logs for a log truck to come in aswell as a 20+ft tree top can be drug easier but not really apples to apples in what you do here in the northeast its either bobcat or Vermeer and the occasional Cormidi (bandit) and just running Vermeer mini skids i believe its the way to go. The Cormidi mini skids have a higher lift capacity but are way too off balance. Also just watched your Vermeer comparison. Currently loving the Vermeer CTX160 switching between a Ryans grapple and a Spartan stump grinder.
sk 780 is great for fitting into back yards. lift capacity is not bad, but the alternator is junk. went bad within a year, and its $800 to replace. The throttle cable kept springing back, lowering rpm by itself, and front sprocket is went out way too soon, and for some reason changing oil takes way too long. It drains so slow.
I think that's just a kubota engine thing. My Takeuchi TB210R is the same. Very slow.
What don’t u like about the bobcat? I’m looking to purchase the mt100, I haven’t tried out ditch witch but I’m leaning that way from the reviews, can u help me out?
For me I tried the MT85 and it wasn't smooth. I was told later that it is smooth and the one I used hadn't been broken in. Plus the dealer up here is terrible. Ditch Witch makes a great machine, definitely top 2 in the market. I would go where the best dealer is if I am being honest
@@jcslawntips my nearest Ditch witch dealer is over an hour away and my Bobcat dealer is 10 minutes that’s the only difference, I like the sk1550 over the Mt100 but I am worried about down time if something ever goes wrong with the Ditch witch
I've used both machines . Ground speed on the 1050 is a bit faster. I've used a 48"trencher on the sk800 you have to baby it a bit, definitely lacking in horsepower while trenching.
You have videos of the trenching in action?
@@ZR1Terror no, I'm sorry I don't. It was a rental I was using. I ended up buying a Vermeer CTX-160. I've got one video on TH-cam, trenching with it. Under my channel Working man 🛠️ Ron Doyle or look up trenching with Vermeer CTX-160.
Wow now 43k new sk800... Nice
Hi from Russia! What do you think about Ditch Witch SK600? sk600 have enough power for job? or sk800 better?
They are both good units. I would go with the sk800 if you can it will have more power and lift capacity 👍
@@jcslawntips Thanks!!!
Boy I’d hate that duel steering sticks,
What you guys end up buying?
Why is bobcat out of the picture?
Our dealer is bad
I’d go for the 1050 and do some more work to make up for the price 😂 any where near you where you could try a toro dingo?
Maybe, we'll see. I'm just not sure yet if it's worth the extra money. I do and I've tried one, I wasn't too impressed. The machine isn't bad but the dealer is absolutely terrible.
No brainer 800 it is!
JUST GET A SK 800 WITH A WEIGHT KIT !
The sk800 definitely and you can always add a weight kit to it think of that
Kubota SCL1000
They look cool, but they won't be out until next year
At this time there has been no more updates. Kubota pulled all the press releases docs some time back from there website. Game changer when it comes out.
Mark- Ditch Witch SK850 PLUS(300 lbs weight kit) ie = Todays SK1050
SK 3000 PICKS UP SK 800 LIKE ITS A SACK OF POTATOES th-cam.com/video/P4xf4yRv5V8/w-d-xo.html
I will never buy vermeer again. Nothing but problems.
What was the problem?
@@jcslawntips computer and sensors. Sensors make engine just shut down.
Never had a problem with the Vermeer s925tx 40 hp gas engine.
We do just about everything with it from grading, irrigation, tree planting.
Attached just about every attachment there is.
Hands down Vermeer all day!
I bet if you could get some counterweight on the 800 it would be able to lift at least a little more.