Thanks for this one! Exactly what I am trying to decide. My Property is MO Ozark rough country. You helped me stick towards a skid steer but tracked and cabbed. Good job pointing out the things to think about. Really appreciate it!
Thanks for this comparison Steve. Very helpful in helping us make the smarter financial & practical decisions. One topic i’d add is what tasks you have & what type of property you have. Developing raw land into a homestead? Skiddy wins hands down, IMHO. Sure a tractor could do many of the needed tasks, but a skiddy will do them at least 5 times faster (except the back & forth runs you mentioned). If your property is already developed? Tractor is likely best (& usually 50% less expensive). Scenario to consider if developing raw land into a homestead: buy the skiddy to develop your homestead. It’ll be a beast at accomplishing road building, tree clearing, dirt & rock movement, etc. - 5+ times faster than a non-Ag-sized tractor. Work the snot out of the skiddy for 1000 hours. At 1000 hours, your skiddy is just getting broken in. A tractor is a lot farther along in its usable life @ 1000 hours, so depreciation is a much bigger hit. If developing raw land full time, you may find that the convenience of having continuous access to your skiddy + its lower depreciation / higher resale value is similar to renting one for 6 months a year (hoping for continuous good weather). It might be worth a bit of cost comparison in your particular area to see if 1000 hours of ownership & access to a skiddy, minus it’s lower depreciation/ resale value is similar to renting to do 1000 hours of work.
Great vid. On a SS you are sitting just behind the bucket with good view to operate. On a farm tractor you are sitting much farther back with a limited view, especially with some tractor loader combos. This is especially true of a cab tractor vs enclosed glassed in ROPS SS.
Thanks for the video. On our place, not only have we decided that tracks are more important than tires, but renting over buying something. Mesquite are terrible for tires, and tire repair is not local. You are correct, in West Texas it is hard to rent a tractor, or attachments.
Good Job and was very helpful. You made some very good points for both pieces. When you already have a compact tractor, getting a skid steer would be the next thing for a gear head. John
I run heavy equipment so I know about skidders. I'm about to retire so I bought a Bobcat CT 2040 tractor w/ backhoe. I had an old 1989 743 bobcat skid steer I've had for 25 years. That thing has saved me a lot of work. Anyway I'm learning the do's and don'ts about tractors. The reason I went with a bobcat tractor is I can use all the attachments I had for the skidder so I sold my little skid steer to a family member. Big mistake. I miss the accurate digging, grading, loading, just all around versatility of the skid steer. So I'm shopping for another old skid steer. Good video.
awesome, the tractors are a bit different for sure. I'm like you and grew up in a concrete family so all we ever had was a skid Steer. They both have their place. I just ripped out 2 concrete patios with my skid steer. I would hate to do that with a little Kubota but then I mowed 5 acres in the back of my property with the tractor. I think the best remedy is to own both!
@@buildlife With a skid steer it's common to lift rear off of ground. But when I was pulling a log with my tractor out of the trees and lifted the rear end up . Like you say balance is off with tractor. Have a good one I'm going shopping.
Thanks Steve. Just had a near life ending accident on my new holland 25. Thinking of switching to a loader, but I don’t want to destroy my lawn. I used to borrow a tree guys bobcat A300 4 when steering unit with turf tires, but I’d rather have a tractor machine if I was convinced I could use it without ruining my hard fought grass.
Hi Steve, just found your channel. I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and just bought some land in KY. I am also looking at pros and cons of these different machines. I have a lot of land clearing to tackle. However, May consider the Kubota (dealer nearby) and rent a skid steer when needed. Thank you for your video.
This was great and as someone pointed out, hardly anyone has done a comparison online. I like my compact tractor and all the attachments. I think to separate the two quickly it breaks down into maintenance or demolition. One can drive a skidsteer into a building and destroy/demo anything quickly without injury. Breakout and bucket power goes hands down to the skidsteer. The negative on the skidsteer to me is grading. Back Dragging in a skidsteer is just an accident waiting to happen. Absolutely dangerous for bystanders, you can't see them and they are quick/fast enough someone can't get out of the way in time! On the other hand, a tractor will get a variety of work done at a slower pace. You can't beat the 3 point hitch and PTO, just an excellent machine with a boxblade plus landscape rake for grooming. You have to have your wits about you on a tractor. One always has to be concerned what your putting in the bucket, how much it weighs, keep the boom low and be square to your dump. The slightest camber terrain makes me grip the seat with my backside real quick! If a operator works a tractor aggressively like a skidsteer, your sure to eventually brake it. And no, I have never seen a tractor in a rental yard in Nevada. Period. I think common operator inexperience makes the compact tractor too dangerous for the rental company. I miss the destruction of the skidsteer, but I love the work my compact tractor does, day in, day out. Great video and comparison, have the best of days!
Great video. There are two other advantages a tractor has…first is the ability to use two different attachments at once…one front, one back. This comes into play more often than you think. The ability to have a box blade to land plane on the back and a bucket on the front is very convenient. Second is the cost of implements. Anything that has moving parts on a skid steer is more expensive because it must be hydraulically powered and it’s typically built heavy. Compare a bush hog with a front mounted hydraulic brush mower. If all you *need* to cut is light brush and grass, the tractor implement will be half the cost and all you need to worry about is a simple mechanical gearbox versus hydraulic hoses. Ditto for things like post hole diggers. If I was to buy a skid steer, and I’m thinking about it in addition to my tractor…I’d buy tracked as you have advantages for dirt work.
These are good points. I would love a track machine too. The wheeled ones are usually allot less money. Especially when I bought mine the track machines were pretty new so there were not many used machines that were affordable.
Very informative, thank you! It seems like skid steers have the best snowblower and chipper attachments so that's point in their favor. I also like how skid steer attachments are front mounted where you have to drag PTO attachments behind you.
The only thing about running a hydraulic attachment by a skid steer to get the best performance you will need a high flow machine otherwise you will be disappointed
Great list of pros and cons. Thanks for that. I am contemplating the choice, at the moment. I live out in the woods, on just an acre of sloped land that kind of rounds off from level at the top to steep at the bottom, surrounded by Forest Service land on one side, and timber company land on the other. I have a half-mile of gravel road I would like to be able to both plow (or snow blow) and maintain. There are only a couple of spots on the road with much slope, but they're fairly level, side-to-side. The only other tasks that come to mind would be lifting trees to cut firewood, skidding trees up a hill, digging postholes, and raking as much of the forest floor as I can, for fire prevention. I want to dig some trench for a geothermal system, but I could rent an excavator, for that. Speaking of renting, you're right - I can rent a skidsteer and implements (though I have to drive 90 minutes each way to do it), but not a tractor. That may factor into my decision, too.
@Harald A-Larsen Thanks, Harald. The biggest pro I've thought of for a skidsteer is that it might be more stable on slopes, so I might be able to work on more of my parcel. But you're right, a tractor is definitely more versatile, from what I've been reading.
I've used a skid steer quite a bit. Never used a compact tractor. Wife and I are considering buying one or the other. #8 for the skid steer is really making me lean toward the skid steer. I sure did a lot of stupid stuff with thE skid steer, that would likely have killed me on a compact tractor. Thanks for the comparison.
Nice video. I'm really on the fence on the compact tractor vs a mini skid steer like the slc1000. I may just have to get both. I want to build tight trails, I want to big a pool, I want to clear 20 acres, and also be comfortable. One doesn't do them all lol
Thanks, i keep wondering if I can get by with just one but I have a hard time deciding which one I would sell. I do think tractors are like garages, no one ever thought theirs was too big!
@@BearLeeHangin hey, I ended up getting an L4701 mainly because I have more yard work to do first and bushhog. I definitely can cut the tight trails and moving a tractor back and forth plus trying to smooth land has been a chore. Eventually will get the scl1000. I also didn't get the scl1000 first because I couldn't get my hands on one lol
I get the idea of the tractor for clearing an area, but some of the skid steer attachments for clearing land make a tractor look wimpy. They have attachments that take whole trees down in a matter of seconds....
I just arrived at our place. My wife and I would like to find some flatter ground and move here full time. We are in Estill County and your not kidding, 110 acres and we can use about 5 of it lol!
Recently bought a small skid steer, Rounder/Prime Mover L700 Bucket,grapple rake and manure fork attachments. Picked up a fork attachment. Came with a trailer. Gets in tight spots a tractor never could.
Awesome! I agree you can put a skid steer in much tighter quarters than a tractor! That machine is really small, you could put it anywhere! Hows the power?
Hi I'm also in Kentucky I have purchased property I have been cleaning it up with hogs and electric fence its basically all hill very few flat areas. With that being said I have been trying to decide which to invest in a good 4x4 tractor or a skid steer the property has been logged around 30 years ago some of the skid roads are fairly open but some have big ruts which isn't a problem to go around them I have cut four wheeler trails around. alot of people tell me a tractor would be dangerous on the hills
Yeah they are very tippy compared to an atv or something. Around here you couldn't go 1/10 the places with a skid steer you can with a tractor and that's not saying much but the guys on dozers that logged my property drove every inch of it.
Although I have never operated a skid steer, I can definitely see where they have their advantages and they are built like a bulldog or maybe a donkey. A lot of power in a compact body. The tractor has been developed over many years as a multi-use farm machine where the skid steer was developed by the construction industry. Both have their advantages and cross over to a certain point, but I see the tractor as having more variety of uses where a skid steer is more narrow in its use.
The skid steer was actually invented by the farming industry. Most any farms around here have them. The construction industry has certainly welcomed them with open arms, and they have been developed and improved over the decades by both industries, not really the case for the tractor. The predecessor to the original skid steer (it was only a 3-wheeler at this point) was invented by the Keller brothers to clean up turkey droppings from a farmer's barn and go places a tractor simply can't. From that came the Melroe M400 skid steer (which became the Melroe Bobcat M440, first of the 'Bobcats'), then manufactured by Melroe, who made Ag/farming equipment. They are unparalleled for barn use. They lift higher, generally lift more and lift faster. Can turn with in their own length and go in spaces a tractor can't (including compact tractors that can weight half as much). They are also very heavy built and powerful and tend to handle things like digging hundreds of post holes on a fence line with a large auger a whole lot better than something like a compact tractor. Farmers love their tractors, but they aren't saying no to a skid steer.
I can't decide on what I need. I have a gravel driveway that needs more gravel and needs culverts, plus I have a bunch of logs I need to move and trails to make. What would be the best for these types of uses?
Visibility of your surroundings is worse in a skid steer but visibility of the bucket is a huge improvement vs a tractor. Lift height is another skid steer advantage. Skid steers can typically reach 10’ in that compact package. You need to have a pretty big tractor to lift over 8’. If you have pallet racking in a barn or shop then a skid steer is much more maneuverable for forking stuff up and taking it down.
Great video! I am debating a tractor or skid steer to clean up some land I bought. I need to do forestry mulching (already logged just brush piles and stumps) would you recommend a skid steer with a Mulcher or could you get one for a tractor as well? I do need to mow the 30 acres as well in the future unless I can get animals on it quickly. (Spring is a comin!) anyways, not sure if you have time to answer, but any suggestion would be a great help!
The tractor is a great choice for mowing brush and grass and brush piles. Probably the best long term choice. Not very good for stumps. I use the tractor in this video for my property in Kentucky. It is quicker getting around a big property and does not get stuck as easy but it doesn’t have the power or digging ability of the skid steer. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.
The property I have in eastern Canada is a treed lot ( younger growth ) probably nothing thicker than 5”. But we have a lot of rock. So tree roots are usually wrapped around the rocks. How is the skid steer for digging in rocky ground? I would likely get a backhoe attachment for which ever machine I get? A lot of snow clearing to do (1300 plus ft of driveway). We often get wet heavy snow. Hobby farm with chickens and a few goats. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks for watching Keith. I use my skid steer for clearing snow. I live on a private lane so I have 1/2 mile to clear and the way the wind comes off the farm next door we wind up with drifts 8' deep. My Kubota would not even touch it but the skid steer is a champ. The skid steer is a digging machine. if you have allot of that kind of work I would consider it. I had only a skid steer for years. Look into a rock or a stump bucket for it if you have allot of rocks to do. They make one that is pointy like a tree spade that might do as well as a backhoe for a fraction of the price. Good luck!
Great video with a lot of useful real world comparisons. For me the main factor for going compact tractor was the prices in the used market. You can make a lot more money running a skid steer for business and the higher used prices reflect that, but if you just want a versatile piece of equipment on your property for those odd jobs, a cheap old tractor was a no brainer at 1/5th the cost.
I think thats a good plan. An inexpensive farm tractor will not have near the power of the skid steer but if you aren't digging or picking up really heavy stuff the tractor is the way to go.
I don't see one as safer over another, the tractor may have more uses down the road but they are not great for digging. That is where the skid steers shine!
@@almulakimaalimalriadiat9068 I would guess that both will get stuck digging in the mud. At the very least you will not get enough traction to dig. I dug a pond on my property and opted for an excavator because you are not in it while you dig.
We are interested to buy trecher machine for our water pipeline project in Eritrea. This project is a ten kilometers distance fron the source to the villages. We may use this machine for farming after the completion of the project. We will use a used machine because our budget is limited. We are requesting your advice which kind of machine will help us to accomplish our project. Thank you very much. Berhe Gebrehiwot
I would go with a skid steer for sure. Maybe one with high flow hydraulics if you are trenching that far. The farm tractors are great but the hydro output in a skid steer would leave a tractor in the dust.
I think most people would get the best use out of a skid steer and rent a mini ex. for those jobs. Buy a old 8n or something similarly cheap for 3 point attachments. I bought a L39 kubota backhoe. Its universally very handy for my property which is heavily wooded. Its not for everyone though, difficult to operate for most people.
I would like a tractor with a backhoe. I thought about a mini ex but they are so slow and we have 100 acres so it takes forever to drive. Do you ever take the backhoe on and off yours?
@@buildlife Yes of course i take the backhoe off to use the 3pt. With 100 acres residential Id have a big full size backhoe, skid and tractor just for 3 pts. Buddy runs a small kubota articulated loader w/hiflo hydraulics. Theyre hard to find and very expensive, even used but a game changer.
It's an interesting machine, kind of a cross between a backhoe and a skid steer. Thats kind of a next tier machine. JCB has been making awesome equipment for allot of years. I'm not sure anyone will ever make one machine that will do it all but if you were deciding between a track skid steer and a backhoe that might be a good option!
Skidsteer builds, tractor maintains. Skidsteer is generally more powerful, no matter what you do it will be hard on lawns. The tractor is a bit more of a Swiss army knife and is easy on the lawn.
I think the differences would be about the same. The track machines tend to float across the ground if that makes sense. They are much better in the mud where a wheeled machine is better in the snow. Most track machines are pretty big so they would be several classes heavier duty than a compact tractor with double or triple the horse power.
Yep, no neutral. They are very slow too so you don't typically drive them to and from on the road. That's another point for a tractor if you need to get places with it.
Thanks for the video but the music is too loud. We cannot concentrate so you try to school us. Thanks for that schooling and music. They don't go together if it does. The entire school system in america nationwide will have a big speakers on their classes with the music on
Idk. Skid steer is great for a lot of stuff, but I've never seen one pull a plow, planter, disc, etc. They are really great at stuff you can do with a front attachment but generally useless for anything that typically uses a 3 point. I'd take both if I could/when I can afford it
@nickc7320 skid steers aren't perfect, but I think I'd rather take the jobs a skid steer can do over the jobs a tractor can do. I've never seen a jobsite with a tractor, and I've never seen a farm without a skid steer. There's a reason for that. -Proud Bobcat and land owner ✅️ ✅️ lol
Nothing like a old H pattern Case. Cannot beat them absolute units beat the absolute piss out of them, we weren't easy on the Case at all literally run it into the ground fertilizer had finally just ate through it entirely but 30 something years eating up fertilizer isn't bad at all. The new J.D they got with the shit joystick controls and the peanut thing whoever makes that just garbage. Constantly working on them not near the units the case skid was
My dad bought his 1845C used in the early 90's and ripped out concrete till he retired a few years ago. Still has it and it runs like a top! Never had one major repair!
It's a UTV it has a cab it I'd air con it has a front end loader beefier than a CUT 4 wheel steering turns tight. Has ground clearance AND suspension. Oh ya, it also has a 3PH and a PTO. You can do gardens move dirt run tillers run mowers goes like 18 20 mph. It's your kawasaki mule plus a skid steer and a CUT in one tool.... but it's like 70 grand
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Never seen anyone do this comparison. Learned a lot. Thanks!
Glad you like it!
As a guy who has never operated these types of equipment in my life, this video was VERY helpful. Thanks!
That’s great, thanks for watching!
Thanks for this one! Exactly what I am trying to decide. My Property is MO Ozark rough country. You helped me stick towards a skid steer but tracked and cabbed. Good job pointing out the things to think about. Really appreciate it!
Glad I could help!
Excellent discussion! Thank you for posting!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely right about availability of attachments. No one rents "tractors" or attachments where I live except the dedicated backhoe type tractor.
I'm not sure why but I've found that to be the case everywhere.
Thanks for this comparison Steve. Very helpful in helping us make the smarter financial & practical decisions. One topic i’d add is what tasks you have & what type of property you have. Developing raw land into a homestead? Skiddy wins hands down, IMHO. Sure a tractor could do many of the needed tasks, but a skiddy will do them at least 5 times faster (except the back & forth runs you mentioned). If your property is already developed? Tractor is likely best (& usually 50% less expensive). Scenario to consider if developing raw land into a homestead: buy the skiddy to develop your homestead. It’ll be a beast at accomplishing road building, tree clearing, dirt & rock movement, etc. - 5+ times faster than a non-Ag-sized tractor. Work the snot out of the skiddy for 1000 hours. At 1000 hours, your skiddy is just getting broken in. A tractor is a lot farther along in its usable life @ 1000 hours, so depreciation is a much bigger hit. If developing raw land full time, you may find that the convenience of having continuous access to your skiddy + its lower depreciation / higher resale value is similar to renting one for 6 months a year (hoping for continuous good weather). It might be worth a bit of cost comparison in your particular area to see if 1000 hours of ownership & access to a skiddy, minus it’s lower depreciation/ resale value is similar to renting to do 1000 hours of work.
Good points, thanks for watching!
Great vid. On a SS you are sitting just behind the bucket with good view to operate. On a farm tractor you are sitting much farther back with a limited view, especially with some tractor loader combos. This is especially true of a cab tractor vs enclosed glassed in ROPS SS.
Thanks for the video. On our place, not only have we decided that tracks are more important than tires, but renting over buying something. Mesquite are terrible for tires, and tire repair is not local. You are correct, in West Texas it is hard to rent a tractor, or attachments.
Track machines are awesome! If I could buy one of everything I would have one for sure!
Really helpful information and presented very well. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
Good Job and was very helpful. You made some very good points for both pieces. When you already have a compact tractor, getting a skid steer would be the next thing for a gear head. John
Well said!
This is exactly the video I was looking for. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I run heavy equipment so I know about skidders. I'm about to retire so I bought a Bobcat CT 2040 tractor w/ backhoe. I had an old 1989 743 bobcat skid steer I've had for 25 years. That thing has saved me a lot of work. Anyway I'm learning the do's and don'ts about tractors. The reason I went with a bobcat tractor is I can use all the attachments I had for the skidder so I sold my little skid steer to a family member. Big mistake. I miss the accurate digging, grading, loading, just all around versatility of the skid steer. So I'm shopping for another old skid steer. Good video.
awesome, the tractors are a bit different for sure. I'm like you and grew up in a concrete family so all we ever had was a skid Steer. They both have their place. I just ripped out 2 concrete patios with my skid steer. I would hate to do that with a little Kubota but then I mowed 5 acres in the back of my property with the tractor. I think the best remedy is to own both!
@@buildlife With a skid steer it's common to lift rear off of ground. But when I was pulling a log with my tractor out of the trees and lifted the rear end up . Like you say balance is off with tractor. Have a good one I'm going shopping.
Thanks Steve. Just had a near life ending accident on my new holland 25. Thinking of switching to a loader, but I don’t want to destroy my lawn. I used to borrow a tree guys bobcat A300 4 when steering unit with turf tires, but I’d rather have a tractor machine if I was convinced I could use it without ruining my hard fought grass.
Yeah I’m terrible on lawn!
Hi Steve, just found your channel. I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and just bought some land in KY. I am also looking at pros and cons of these different machines. I have a lot of land clearing to tackle. However, May consider the Kubota (dealer nearby) and rent a skid steer when needed.
Thank you for your video.
Sounds familiar! Maybe we should carpool!
@@buildlife sounds like a plan!
What a great video. I’ve been contemplating these exact options!
Glad it was helpful!
This was great and as someone pointed out, hardly anyone has done a comparison online. I like my compact tractor and all the attachments. I think to separate the two quickly it breaks down into maintenance or demolition. One can drive a skidsteer into a building and destroy/demo anything quickly without injury. Breakout and bucket power goes hands down to the skidsteer. The negative on the skidsteer to me is grading. Back Dragging in a skidsteer is just an accident waiting to happen. Absolutely dangerous for bystanders, you can't see them and they are quick/fast enough someone can't get out of the way in time!
On the other hand, a tractor will get a variety of work done at a slower pace. You can't beat the 3 point hitch and PTO, just an excellent machine with a boxblade plus landscape rake for grooming. You have to have your wits about you on a tractor. One always has to be concerned what your putting in the bucket, how much it weighs, keep the boom low and be square to your dump. The slightest camber terrain makes me grip the seat with my backside real quick! If a operator works a tractor aggressively like a skidsteer, your sure to eventually brake it. And no, I have never seen a tractor in a rental yard in Nevada. Period. I think common operator inexperience makes the compact tractor too dangerous for the rental company. I miss the destruction of the skidsteer, but I love the work my compact tractor does, day in, day out. Great video and comparison, have the best of days!
Yeah I can't see a scenario when I can't use both!
There are jobs for sure each can and cannot do I guess I mean I can't see being able to pick just one.
Thank you! Very good explanation/analysis. I own an old Bobcat M970 and an contemplating the purchase of a tractor.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. There are two other advantages a tractor has…first is the ability to use two different attachments at once…one front, one back. This comes into play more often than you think. The ability to have a box blade to land plane on the back and a bucket on the front is very convenient. Second is the cost of implements. Anything that has moving parts on a skid steer is more expensive because it must be hydraulically powered and it’s typically built heavy. Compare a bush hog with a front mounted hydraulic brush mower. If all you *need* to cut is light brush and grass, the tractor implement will be half the cost and all you need to worry about is a simple mechanical gearbox versus hydraulic hoses. Ditto for things like post hole diggers. If I was to buy a skid steer, and I’m thinking about it in addition to my tractor…I’d buy tracked as you have advantages for dirt work.
These are good points. I would love a track machine too. The wheeled ones are usually allot less money. Especially when I bought mine the track machines were pretty new so there were not many used machines that were affordable.
New sub here. Respect to your hustle. Wood boilers found me the way to your channel. That Illinois is place is a Nice setup. I'll stay tuned
Very informative, thank you! It seems like skid steers have the best snowblower and chipper attachments so that's point in their favor. I also like how skid steer attachments are front mounted where you have to drag PTO attachments behind you.
I like the front mount too. Keeps your neck from getting sore!
The only thing about running a hydraulic attachment by a skid steer to get the best performance you will need a high flow machine otherwise you will be disappointed
Great side-by-side analysis. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Excellent. You sure know your onions! Very informative. Thank you.
You bet!
Great list of pros and cons. Thanks for that. I am contemplating the choice, at the moment. I live out in the woods, on just an acre of sloped land that kind of rounds off from level at the top to steep at the bottom, surrounded by Forest Service land on one side, and timber company land on the other. I have a half-mile of gravel road I would like to be able to both plow (or snow blow) and maintain. There are only a couple of spots on the road with much slope, but they're fairly level, side-to-side. The only other tasks that come to mind would be lifting trees to cut firewood, skidding trees up a hill, digging postholes, and raking as much of the forest floor as I can, for fire prevention. I want to dig some trench for a geothermal system, but I could rent an excavator, for that.
Speaking of renting, you're right - I can rent a skidsteer and implements (though I have to drive 90 minutes each way to do it), but not a tractor. That may factor into my decision, too.
Allot to think about!
@@buildlife It's straining my brain, let me tell ya. I might need more than one machine, too.
@Harald A-Larsen Thanks, Harald. The biggest pro I've thought of for a skidsteer is that it might be more stable on slopes, so I might be able to work on more of my parcel. But you're right, a tractor is definitely more versatile, from what I've been reading.
Greetings from Australia. Great presentation.
Hey, thanks!
I've used a skid steer quite a bit. Never used a compact tractor. Wife and I are considering buying one or the other. #8 for the skid steer is really making me lean toward the skid steer. I sure did a lot of stupid stuff with thE skid steer, that would likely have killed me on a compact tractor. Thanks for the comparison.
Thanks for watching! I think the key is to own both LOL
Good job!! Clear and concise
Glad you think so!
Nice video. I use both types of machines, but I prefer a tracked skid steer as the wheeled ones are quite bouncy.
I'm in the market for a new skid steer. Do you do snow removal with your track machine? That's my main concern.
Nice video. I'm really on the fence on the compact tractor vs a mini skid steer like the slc1000. I may just have to get both. I want to build tight trails, I want to big a pool, I want to clear 20 acres, and also be comfortable. One doesn't do them all lol
Thanks, i keep wondering if I can get by with just one but I have a hard time deciding which one I would sell. I do think tractors are like garages, no one ever thought theirs was too big!
What did you end up going with?
@@BearLeeHangin hey, I ended up getting an L4701 mainly because I have more yard work to do first and bushhog. I definitely can cut the tight trails and moving a tractor back and forth plus trying to smooth land has been a chore. Eventually will get the scl1000. I also didn't get the scl1000 first because I couldn't get my hands on one lol
I get the idea of the tractor for clearing an area, but some of the skid steer attachments for clearing land make a tractor look wimpy. They have attachments that take whole trees down in a matter of seconds....
great video, wrestling with this currently as i plan on building my house in a couple years on my property, but also have clearing and work to do now
Best of luck!
speed difference was interesting..great video.
Glad you liked it!
very informative. Thanks for sharing your video.
Thanks for watching!
We are also in Ky and on a homestead Def a tractor for now but unsure when we move back home to eastern KY. Land is raw and mountainous.
I just arrived at our place. My wife and I would like to find some flatter ground and move here full time. We are in Estill County and your not kidding, 110 acres and we can use about 5 of it lol!
Recently bought a small skid steer,
Rounder/Prime Mover L700
Bucket,grapple rake and manure fork attachments. Picked up a fork attachment. Came with a trailer.
Gets in tight spots a tractor never could.
Awesome! I agree you can put a skid steer in much tighter quarters than a tractor! That machine is really small, you could put it anywhere! Hows the power?
@@buildlife a little lacking has a 16hp Briggs opposed twin. Max load is 700lbs. For what I need it to do its almost perfect.
Great video, very informative. If you could only have one, which would you pick?
For my current situation I would say the tractor. But I prefer both!
Hi I'm also in Kentucky I have purchased property I have been cleaning it up with hogs and electric fence its basically all hill very few flat areas. With that being said I have been trying to decide which to invest in a good 4x4 tractor or a skid steer the property has been logged around 30 years ago some of the skid roads are fairly open but some have big ruts which isn't a problem to go around them I have cut four wheeler trails around. alot of people tell me a tractor would be dangerous on the hills
Yeah they are very tippy compared to an atv or something. Around here you couldn't go 1/10 the places with a skid steer you can with a tractor and that's not saying much but the guys on dozers that logged my property drove every inch of it.
Ok, now I think I need to go tractor. Really good points!
Go for it!
A big landscaping company near me uses a tractor kubota just like that for landscaping and brush hogging...so they get all kinds of use out of it.
Cool, they are very useful!
Wow excellent video. Thanks!
You are welcome!
Although I have never operated a skid steer, I can definitely see where they have their advantages and they are built like a bulldog or maybe a donkey. A lot of power in a compact body. The tractor has been developed over many years as a multi-use farm machine where the skid steer was developed by the construction industry. Both have their advantages and cross over to a certain point, but I see the tractor as having more variety of uses where a skid steer is more narrow in its use.
I agree!
The skid steer was actually invented by the farming industry. Most any farms around here have them. The construction industry has certainly welcomed them with open arms, and they have been developed and improved over the decades by both industries, not really the case for the tractor. The predecessor to the original skid steer (it was only a 3-wheeler at this point) was invented by the Keller brothers to clean up turkey droppings from a farmer's barn and go places a tractor simply can't. From that came the Melroe M400 skid steer (which became the Melroe Bobcat M440, first of the 'Bobcats'), then manufactured by Melroe, who made Ag/farming equipment. They are unparalleled for barn use. They lift higher, generally lift more and lift faster. Can turn with in their own length and go in spaces a tractor can't (including compact tractors that can weight half as much). They are also very heavy built and powerful and tend to handle things like digging hundreds of post holes on a fence line with a large auger a whole lot better than something like a compact tractor. Farmers love their tractors, but they aren't saying no to a skid steer.
Tractors have a higher lift than a skid steer but not tip over capacity.
I can't decide on what I need. I have a gravel driveway that needs more gravel and needs culverts, plus I have a bunch of logs I need to move and trails to make. What would be the best for these types of uses?
I think you can get it done with either. If you have any amount of mowing the tractor is the way to go. Skidsteer way better for digging.
@@buildlife thank you for your help
Exactly the video I was looking for!!
Perfect! Thanks for watching!
Visibility of your surroundings is worse in a skid steer but visibility of the bucket is a huge improvement vs a tractor. Lift height is another skid steer advantage. Skid steers can typically reach 10’ in that compact package. You need to have a pretty big tractor to lift over 8’. If you have pallet racking in a barn or shop then a skid steer is much more maneuverable for forking stuff up and taking it down.
very true!
A small compact tractor can go higher than 8ft but the lift capacity isn’t there compared to skid steer
I think I will get a skid steer or track loader. Thank you for the comparison.
You bet, thanks for watching
Great video! I am debating a tractor or skid steer to clean up some land I bought. I need to do forestry mulching (already logged just brush piles and stumps) would you recommend a skid steer with a Mulcher or could you get one for a tractor as well? I do need to mow the 30 acres as well in the future unless I can get animals on it quickly. (Spring is a comin!) anyways, not sure if you have time to answer, but any suggestion would be a great help!
The tractor is a great choice for mowing brush and grass and brush piles. Probably the best long term choice. Not very good for stumps. I use the tractor in this video for my property in Kentucky. It is quicker getting around a big property and does not get stuck as easy but it doesn’t have the power or digging ability of the skid steer. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the vid! Like many of Us I'm sure, Both is sounding pretty Good😉
I think so too!
Excellent video! Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
I like a box blade so much I opt for the tractor myself. Great video!!
Good choice!
The property I have in eastern Canada is a treed lot ( younger growth ) probably nothing thicker than 5”. But we have a lot of rock. So tree roots are usually wrapped around the rocks. How is the skid steer for digging in rocky ground? I would likely get a backhoe attachment for which ever machine I get? A lot of snow clearing to do (1300 plus ft of driveway). We often get wet heavy snow. Hobby farm with chickens and a few goats. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks for watching Keith. I use my skid steer for clearing snow. I live on a private lane so I have 1/2 mile to clear and the way the wind comes off the farm next door we wind up with drifts 8' deep. My Kubota would not even touch it but the skid steer is a champ. The skid steer is a digging machine. if you have allot of that kind of work I would consider it. I had only a skid steer for years. Look into a rock or a stump bucket for it if you have allot of rocks to do. They make one that is pointy like a tree spade that might do as well as a backhoe for a fraction of the price. Good luck!
Thanks, that was helpful for me. Appreciated.
Glad it helped!
Great video with a lot of useful real world comparisons. For me the main factor for going compact tractor was the prices in the used market. You can make a lot more money running a skid steer for business and the higher used prices reflect that, but if you just want a versatile piece of equipment on your property for those odd jobs, a cheap old tractor was a no brainer at 1/5th the cost.
I think thats a good plan. An inexpensive farm tractor will not have near the power of the skid steer but if you aren't digging or picking up really heavy stuff the tractor is the way to go.
Thinking about a CK 2620 kioti slightly used. 6k cheaper than new
That sounds like a good deal!
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Learned a lot here. Thanks!
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for doing this.
My pleasure thanks for watching!
Great comparison!
Thanks!
Great job with this video!
Thank you!
Great video.
Thanks!
Steve I am thinking about digging a sort of big pound on piece of land. I am thinking tractor is safer... and more useful ?
I don't see one as safer over another, the tractor may have more uses down the road but they are not great for digging. That is where the skid steers shine!
@@buildlife hmm.. I am also thinking if in middle of digging project.. if it rains for few days...skid steer may get stuck...
@@almulakimaalimalriadiat9068 I would guess that both will get stuck digging in the mud. At the very least you will not get enough traction to dig. I dug a pond on my property and opted for an excavator because you are not in it while you dig.
We are interested to buy trecher machine for our water pipeline project in Eritrea. This project is a ten kilometers distance fron the source to the villages. We may use this machine for farming after the completion of the project. We will use a used machine because our budget is limited. We are requesting your advice which kind of machine will help us to accomplish our project.
Thank you very much.
Berhe Gebrehiwot
I would go with a skid steer for sure. Maybe one with high flow hydraulics if you are trenching that far. The farm tractors are great but the hydro output in a skid steer would leave a tractor in the dust.
Good video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I think most people would get the best use out of a skid steer and rent a mini ex. for those jobs.
Buy a old 8n or something similarly cheap for 3 point attachments.
I bought a L39 kubota backhoe. Its universally very handy for my property which is heavily wooded. Its not for everyone though, difficult to operate for most people.
I would like a tractor with a backhoe. I thought about a mini ex but they are so slow and we have 100 acres so it takes forever to drive. Do you ever take the backhoe on and off yours?
@@buildlife Yes of course i take the backhoe off to use the 3pt. With 100 acres residential Id have a big full size backhoe, skid and tractor just for 3 pts.
Buddy runs a small kubota articulated loader w/hiflo hydraulics. Theyre hard to find and very expensive, even used but a game changer.
What do you think about the JCB 1cxt?
It's an interesting machine, kind of a cross between a backhoe and a skid steer. Thats kind of a next tier machine. JCB has been making awesome equipment for allot of years. I'm not sure anyone will ever make one machine that will do it all but if you were deciding between a track skid steer and a backhoe that might be a good option!
Skidsteer builds, tractor maintains.
Skidsteer is generally more powerful, no matter what you do it will be hard on lawns.
The tractor is a bit more of a Swiss army knife and is easy on the lawn.
I agree!
How about comparing skid steer with tracks and a compact tractor?
Id love to but I don't own one with tracks lol! I've used them man times though. Might have to do an update next time I do! Thanks for watching.
@@buildlife Could you do one from memory just so we know what to expect with a skid steer on tracks!
I think the differences would be about the same. The track machines tend to float across the ground if that makes sense. They are much better in the mud where a wheeled machine is better in the snow. Most track machines are pretty big so they would be several classes heavier duty than a compact tractor with double or triple the horse power.
Very helpful, TY
Glad it was helpful!
Really helpful, thanks so much
Glad it was helpful!
Hey, great video but the loud background music was very annoying!
Noted!
The cost of each machine is a big factor as well.
very true!
Probably an interesting video, but tha background music is so interfering for me (non-English, hard of hearing) that I couldn't watch it.
Special for you
One bad thing about a skidsteer if it dies in the middle of the road there is no way to move it.
Yep, no neutral. They are very slow too so you don't typically drive them to and from on the road. That's another point for a tractor if you need to get places with it.
Thanks for the video but the music is too loud. We cannot concentrate so you try to school us. Thanks for that schooling and music. They don't go together if it does. The entire school system in america nationwide will have a big speakers on their classes with the music on
People's need to critique free content amazes me.
In other words, get both if you can lol.
That's my advise! Get multiples of each!
Skid steer wayyy more useful than a tractor. No comparison.
I’m a big fan!
Idk. Skid steer is great for a lot of stuff, but I've never seen one pull a plow, planter, disc, etc. They are really great at stuff you can do with a front attachment but generally useless for anything that typically uses a 3 point.
I'd take both if I could/when I can afford it
Lol u must not be a land worker......the skid steer is a extra purchase, the tractor does everything the skid does.
@@gruntymunky4082 You probably dont even own any of the 3...
@nickc7320 skid steers aren't perfect, but I think I'd rather take the jobs a skid steer can do over the jobs a tractor can do. I've never seen a jobsite with a tractor, and I've never seen a farm without a skid steer. There's a reason for that.
-Proud Bobcat and land owner ✅️ ✅️ lol
Kubota
Nothing like a old H pattern Case. Cannot beat them absolute units beat the absolute piss out of them, we weren't easy on the Case at all literally run it into the ground fertilizer had finally just ate through it entirely but 30 something years eating up fertilizer isn't bad at all. The new J.D they got with the shit joystick controls and the peanut thing whoever makes that just garbage. Constantly working on them not near the units the case skid was
My dad bought his 1845C used in the early 90's and ripped out concrete till he retired a few years ago. Still has it and it runs like a top! Never had one major repair!
The clear answer is if you have the scratch a bobcat tool cat
It's a UTV it has a cab it I'd air con it has a front end loader beefier than a CUT 4 wheel steering turns tight. Has ground clearance AND suspension.
Oh ya, it also has a 3PH and a PTO. You can do gardens move dirt run tillers run mowers goes like 18 20 mph. It's your kawasaki mule plus a skid steer and a CUT in one tool.... but it's like 70 grand
yeah those are pretty cool!