Bucket work with clutch /shuttle Vs hydro.

[LittleBill21]

What's a skid steer have to do with a tractor.
I run a skid steer nearly every day.
I can run circles around a hydro tractor for loader work

not sure how you don't see the connection, its a high speed HST, of course it will blow the doors off a tractor.


I will never understand why anyone doing anything but cutting long length fields would ever buy anything but a HST in 2023, to each their own I guess, and I can drive stick with the best of them, god knows that would suck after an hour in a tractor

 

[Hysyde]

How do you figure?

I use pallet forks quite often, mostly with the little L3800, but also with the M6040. The latter has a cab, but I don't understand what difference that makes.

If the load is much over 2,000 lbs. I use the actual forklift, but all it can do is lift more weight, straight up and down. With a tractor I can reach much farther, and it's much easier to move the forks laterally thanks to the increased swing.

Of course, it doesn't help that the little tractor has HST, the 6040 shuttle shift, and the forklift has a basic manual transmission, making it that much harder to make delicate maneuvers with.

And thanks to enough practice, I can lift and lower loads with the tractors while keeping the load just as level as with the forklift.

Pallet forks for the win in my case, and I prefer the cab on the tractor over the one on the forklift.

I have a lot of machinery at my disposal with forks (tractors, backhoe, skidsteer, FEL, forklift). The dedicated forklift is usually the least convenient to grab, but I often curse myself when I don't make the effort. Visibility is the biggest advantage, followed by maneuverability (rear steer and a slick transmission) and finesse/precision. The forklift has side-shift, power adjusting fork width and a laser which helps too. The forklift is a bit easier to get in and out (or much more in the case of the skidsteer which you can't even get out of if the loader is up at all) but it has a less comfortable cab and inferior HVAC in comparison to the other machines.

With a tractor, making sure I have ballast is sometimes a consideration as well.

 

[4570Man]

I have a lot of machinery at my disposal with forks (tractors, backhoe, skidsteer, FEL, forklift). The dedicated forklift is usually the least convenient to grab, but I often curse myself when I don't make the effort. Visibility is the biggest advantage, followed by maneuverability (rear steer and a slick transmission) and finesse/precision. The forklift has side-shift, power adjusting fork width and a laser which helps too. The forklift is a bit easier to get in and out (or much more in the case of the skidsteer which you can't even get out of if the loader is up at all) but it has a less comfortable cab and inferior HVAC in comparison to the other machines.

With a tractor, making sure I have ballast is sometimes a consideration as well.

Of course a forklift is the best tool for forklifting. It literally has one job. Pallet forks on a tractor are much cheaper than buying a dedicated forklift. And an off-road forklift looses a lot of the agility a warehouse lift has.

 

[DK35vince]

My dad has a 40 hp Kubota HST.
I have a 35 hp shuttle.
If you dumped a truck load of gravel on the ground and needed it spread and put to grade I could do it twice as fast as my dad and his hst.
Why. Experience.
I do loader and grade work for my job nearly every day. My dad doesn't.
Even though he has hst, I could easily be done and eating a sandwich while he would still be grading

 

[LD1]

I went from clutch to HST. And in a larger frame (MX5100).

No comparison in precision and speed of loader work.

They actually make machines SPECIFICALLY for loader work. They are called skid loaders. And yup....they are HST as well

 

[LouNY]

I went from clutch to HST. And in a larger frame (MX5100).

No comparison in precision and speed of loader work.

They actually make machines SPECIFICALLY for loader work. They are called skid loaders. And yup....they are HST as well

Skid "steers" and so aptly named as they tear up every thing skidding around trying to get turned.

One of the worst machines built when longevity and repairability is considered.
In my opinion and that is the one that counts!!!!!!

Real loaders are very seldom Hydrostatic they are often shuttle shifted and torque converter equipped pieces of equipment,
Many are articulated or rear steer so they turn sharply without tearing up the ground.

They don't get belly hung in just a few inchs of mud or swamp.

 

[4570Man]

Skid "steers" and so aptly named as they tear up every thing skidding around trying to get turned.

One of the worst machines built when longevity and repairability is considered.
In my opinion and that is the one that counts!!!!!!

Real loaders are very seldom Hydrostatic they are often shuttle shifted and torque converter equipped pieces of equipment,
Many are articulated or rear steer so they turn sharply without tearing up the ground.
View attachment 821165
They don't get belly hung in just a few inchs of mud or swamp.

Comparing a full size wheel loader to a skid steer is about the equivalent of comparing a 1/2 ton pickup to a semi. The wheel loader price tag is several times what a skid steer cost, you can’t load the wheel loader behind a pickup and move it fairly easily, you can’t grade a yard with the wheel loader, you can’t drive the loader in the woods to haul out firewood, the attachments for a loader are pretty limited where the skid steer has hundreds. Overall they’re a completely different tool for different uses. One of my friends had a compact wheel loader. It was light enough to transport with a pickup and used skid steer implements which put them in more comparable classes but it still couldn’t do dirt work anything close to as good as the skid steer can. The leading reason why he sold it is the stability was terrible on uneven ground. A skid steer is hard to work on I’ll give you that but the durability is pretty good considering the poor treatment they typically receive. A tractor would be broke in half the first week if it received the same treatment.

 

[paulsharvey]

Comparing a full size wheel loader to a skid steer is about the equivalent of comparing a 1/2 ton pickup to a semi. The wheel loader price tag is several times what a skid steer cost, you can’t load the wheel loader behind a pickup and move it fairly easily, you can’t grade a yard with the wheel loader, you can’t drive the loader in the woods to haul out firewood, the attachments for a loader are pretty limited where the skid steer has hundreds. Overall they’re a completely different tool for different uses. One of my friends had a compact wheel loader. It was light enough to transport with a pickup and used skid steer implements which put them in more comparable classes but it still couldn’t do dirt work anything close to as good as the skid steer can. The leading reason why he sold it is the stability was terrible on uneven ground. A skid steer is hard to work on I’ll give you that but the durability is pretty good considering the poor treatment they typically receive. A tractor would be broke in half the first week if it received the same treatment.

Well, it's more like comparing a Ford Ranger to an F250. A JD544 is roughly 150 hp and around $225k; while a JD 333 is 100hp, and around $115k.

Edit: They both there use, and place. I would want a CTL loading trucks, or where you might need to move material more then a few 100 yards; at the same time, I would want the 544 doing a house pad or landscaping.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I have a lot of machinery at my disposal with forks (tractors, backhoe, skidsteer, FEL, forklift). The dedicated forklift is usually the least convenient to grab, but I often curse myself when I don't make the effort. Visibility is the biggest advantage, followed by maneuverability (rear steer and a slick transmission) and finesse/precision. The forklift has side-shift, power adjusting fork width and a laser which helps too. The forklift is a bit easier to get in and out (or much more in the case of the skidsteer which you can't even get out of if the loader is up at all) but it has a less comfortable cab and inferior HVAC in comparison to the other machines.

Of course a forklift is the best tool for forklifting. It literally has one job. Pallet forks on a tractor are much cheaper than buying a dedicated forklift. And an off-road forklift looses a lot of the agility a warehouse lift has.

I should probably point out that my forklift isn't of the typical kind.

It doesn't have A/C, which doesn't matter to me as much as that the windshield is heated, visibility isn't great, but it does quite well on uneven terrain. As does most Unimogs.

Also, no side-shift, no power adjusting fork width, or laser. But it does have a side tilt function which the tractors with pallet forks are obviously lacking. And it's easier to transport some loads since they are supported by the forklift in the back.

Still haven't got around to check how high it lifts compared to the M6040, although this photo should give an idea.

 

[4570Man]

Well, it's more like comparing a Ford Ranger to an F250. A JD544 is roughly 150 hp and around $225k; while a JD 333 is 100hp, and around $115k.

Edit: They both there use, and place. I would want a CTL loading trucks, or where you might need to move material more then a few 100 yards; at the same time, I would want the 544 doing a house pad or landscaping.

A 544 is a pretty small loader. They come way bigger. I’d rather have even a small dozer over a loader for building a pad. Loading trucks is where a loader shines. The 544 bucket is 3 times bigger at least.