Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere?

   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #1  

FRIZ

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
89
Location
NW Indiana
Tractor
John Deere 4720 Cab
Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? Is it more expensive to Skid Steer instead of regular John Deere? Why should I Skid Steer? Should I even entertain this thought? Keep in mind that I am just a å*µentleman farmer?

How do I do Skid Steer for my new 4720? Do I have to order the STEER LOADER ATTACHMENT CARRIER (BW15244) or is there another way?

I assume that the Skid Steer Foundry Bucket 66 in (KV11636) is the equivalent of the regular John Deere Heavy-duty Bucket 61 in (BW14764)? Am I correct?

I assume that the Skid Steer Scrap Grapples 60 in (7870T) is the equivalent of the regular John Deere Debris Grapple Bucket 60 in (AL1560H)? Am I correct?

I assume that the Skid Steer Rail Pallet Forks 48 in (0253KV) is the equivalent of the regular John Deere Pallet Forks 48 in (AL1240F)? Am I correct?

Please educate me.:confused:

Thank you.
Regards,
FRIZ
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #2  
FRIZ,

The advantage to a skidsteer front end is the ability to use (buy or rent) the vast array of attachments made for them today. As you pointed out the skid steer attachment carrier is the way to go. As an example of this I needed to use a hydraulic planetary auger to drill a few holes last year, I did not want to buy one for such a small job. I was able to rent the attachment for less than $100 (it was a Bobcat brand) it hooked right up and plugged in without any modifications.


Another thing to point out about the 400CX loader is it is self leveling while the 400X is not. This means the bucket or forks are kept level as you raise the loader arms, an important feature to me.
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Another thing to point out about the 400CX loader is it is self leveling while the 400X is not. This means the bucket or forks are kept level as you raise the loader arms, an important feature to me.

To me too.
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
The advantage to a skidsteer front end is the ability to use (buy or rent) the vast array of attachments made for them today. As you pointed out the skid steer attachment carrier is the way to go.

But is the skid steer more expensive?
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #5  
For my money, a skid steer is more of a construction implement, and a tractor is more of a farming/dirt moving implement.

My tractor has skid steer attachments for the FEL, and I can use skid steer attachments. Typically a skid-steer has a higher hydraulic flow rate, but I have yet to find this a problem.

For my use, which is mostly earth moving, tree removal, and road building, I think the TLB is a better choice because the larger tires allow me to negotiate rougher terrain.

When my house was being built, some of the contractors had skid steers, but on days when their machines were elsewhere, I would frequently get on the TLB and speed things along. The small skid steers were definitely much more nimble, but I could get the job done. Some jobs the skid steers were maybe twice as fast as my TLB, some jobs we were equal and some my TLB was faster.

Just a matter of what your primary use will be.
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #6  
I purchased some property and planned on purchasing a skid steer, with front mower atachment to maintain property, and for use while building house.

My neighbor a owner of a heavy equipment company quickly talked me out of it. He said they were more expensive to purchase, and maintain, much rougher riding, and he had done thousands of dollars worth of damage to his skid steer mower by hitting grown over debris.

I purchased 4120, and have not had any regrets!
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #7  
I would go skid steer.

Caveat: depending on your expectations.

A CUT is not a skidloader --- using a CUT loader as a bettering ram, bulldozer or excavator will trash it.

Next trip to your dealer drive a 2000 hour CUT say a 4200 Deere with a loader. Then drive a similar aged skidloader. That 4200 will have 3-4" of slop in it, bent bucket, and the kluge is held on by a claw hooked to the front bumper.

Loaders are engineered as a system that you want the weakest link to be the cheapest. Bent, twisted, sheared loader arms or bent hyd cyl's are more expensive to fix than pounding out a bucket.
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #8  
The SS mount on the 400CX loader would give you alot more "future flexibility" to perform additional jobs via the array of SS attachments that are available.

And many of them can be rented.

IMO - the SS attachments are quicker and easier to mount/dismount than the JD system, too.

I haven't kept track of the Frontier vs JD vs Worksite Pro model numbers and how they compare/overlap. IMO - if you're really are concerned about light duty, medium duty, heavy duty; pay a little more up front and get the HD stuff - and it doesn't get any more HD than the Worksite Pro attachments.

Good luck.

AKfish
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #9  
If you plan to do significant digging, lots of brush work, debris removal, hauling rock etc, then consider the skid steer. The tractor can do all of that but is more prone to damage and can't do it as fast. Just need to be a little more gentle and careful on the tractor. However, the tractor can do many more tasks than the skid steer because of the 3 pt and doesn't tear up the ground like a skid steer.

If you get the tractor, definitely get the JD skid steer attachment. You will easily save the cost of the skid steer attachment when you buy the other attachments. Grapple bucket, foundry bucket, pallet forks etc will all be much cheaper than the JD equivalent. The foundry bucket is really HD and much cheaper than the JD bucket.
 
   / Should I do Skid Steer or should I stick to regular John Deere? #10  
To be clear FRIZ is not asking about the complete skid steer unit only the skidsteer mounting plate for a 400CX loader to enable using skidsteer attachments. This would be a 400CX mounted to a 4720 cab tractor.

FRIZ, I never made a direct comparison of skidsteer buckets vs. JD loader attachment system, The 110tlb came with the skidsteer setup.



Steve
 
 
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