OP
CUT vs Skid Steer
- Thread starter PJSprog
- Start date
roadhunter
Elite Member
I saw that but it was still pretty vague as far as the weights involved. If you are talking about moving more than a couple yards of dirt at a time the lift capacity could be an issue on small machines, especially if you are moving wet material or gravel. Same with firewood, if you are talking a bucket of firewood no big deal but if you stack wood on pallets or even larger bases like Sawyer Rob the lift capacity of a CUT could be an issue. I was surprised on more than one occasion of what I could not lift with my CUT.
IT's difficult to compare the capacities as they are reported somewhat differently IMO. The number on a CUT is actually pretty close to a tipping load and on a SS the capacity is about half of the tip load. One advantage the tractor has is a bit of reach where the skid steer has almost none. That's where XFAXmans telehandler shines.
OP
PJSprog
Elite Member
Nah, nothing seriously heavy. We're not cutting up redwoods or sequoias or anything large. Just the occasional fallen elm or pin oak branches, and sometimes the whole tree (after the chainsaws have their way with them). Wife likes to change the landscaping, sometimes more than once a year :muttering:, so we move a lot of plant material and ground cover, like small rock and mulch, but not in huge quantity. I try to discourage that as much as possible 
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.DK35vince
Super Member
For what your wanting to do= tractor
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I love my skid steer. It is a tracked machine and will go places a tractor never could. I do have a big farm tractor (130hp) but for loader work and working around things a skid steer can't be beat. I say unless you plan on doing small scale farming like plowing and planting crops a skid steer will do everything a compact tractor can and faster. I use mine almost daily. The attachments generally cost more but you can get dang near anything that runs off a PTO in a skid steer hydraulic version.
Then again if you don't plan on using the loader much a tractor may suit you fine but for loader work a skid steer will do things twice as fast. I have bad knees and a bad back and I have no problems getting in mine.
Then again if you don't plan on using the loader much a tractor may suit you fine but for loader work a skid steer will do things twice as fast. I have bad knees and a bad back and I have no problems getting in mine.
Ivan49
Gold Member
I have 120 acres and I have both. I use the SS more than the tractor but if I had to choose one over the other for my use I would go with the SS. I can clean the driveway of snow in the a much shorter time than with the tractor. For firewood it cannot be beat. I cut the trees and pick the tree up move it out in the open and cut the top off. My ground in the woods is not flat and if you use the tractor off the trail you may have something running down your leg. No problem with the SS. The biggest faults with the SS is it travels slow if you have to go a long ways to a job. It also tears up the ground when you turn. The biggest advantage with on is you can see the cutting edge on your bucket. and you can see the forks very well. As the dealer told me if you have the use for one you will love but if you have uses it wasn't made for you will hate it. I would be lost without both after haveing them
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I also "had" both, the skid steer is gone! And, I don't miss it at all...
SR
SR
Poopdeck Pappy
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2013
- Messages
- 2,629
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
- Tractor
- Kioti DK50SE Cab, Kubota BX23, Kubota BX2660, Grasshopper 729BT
Amen. I love being able to see the cutting edge. With a SS, you are sitting right there where the action is.
But 4 things I hate about the SS: (1) rear visibility just completely sucks; (2) getting in and out is a royal PITA compared to jumping on or off a tractor; and (3) they ride really rough. On my property, the SS I used for a while darn near beat me completely to death; and (4) while they work fast, they travel really, really slow.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
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- 60,225
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
This is one of the reasons we got our Power Trac.... we aren't dirt farmers. We don't need to plow fields and pull stumps, so we don't need the traction and brute force of a traditional tractor. And we don't bale hay. We live on a little over an acre, with a lawn that needs mowing and a driveway that needs snow plowing. And we own about 20 acres of land several miles away that has a couple miles of trails that need mowing or brush cutting 2-3 times per year. We heat our house with wood, that we harvest off of the property, by dragging out 16" and under diameter trees, and deadfall, to a landing for processing and hauling back to the house. And when our kids were young, we maintained the 4 ball diamonds at our local little league, and also the ball diamond at our church/school. So, our needs are lawn mowing, snow removal, loose material handling (mulch, dirt, granulated limestone for the ball parks), brush hogging, and fork lift. The Power Trac is basically an articulated front end loader with all attachments out front where you can see them. No rear attachments. Everything is on the FEL arms and anything that needs power (mowers, tilers, cutters, power-angling snowplows, etc...) is hydraulic. No PTO shafts, just hydraulic hoses. Quick attach implement changes in 15 seconds without getting off the seat (about 45 seconds and a walk to the front of the machine, if you have to hook up hydraulics).
These types of machines run circles around conventional tractors for these tasks. And they do little to no damage to lawns and trails.
They are worth looking into. No dealers. All factory direct. So you are your own mechanic, unless you take it to a local shop that services engines and hydraulics. As far as we Power Trac owners can find, there is nothing similar for anywhere near the cost. We cuss at them often, but smile every time we get on them because of the simplicity and ease of use and the amount of work you can accomplish in a shorter time. There are similar machines, much nicer machines, much better built machines out there. But nothing nearly as simple or cost effective.
Versatile Tractors,Compact Tractors,Trailer Packages,Landscaping,Utility Vehicle Rentals,Mowers-Power Trac
Here's mine...
These types of machines run circles around conventional tractors for these tasks. And they do little to no damage to lawns and trails.
They are worth looking into. No dealers. All factory direct. So you are your own mechanic, unless you take it to a local shop that services engines and hydraulics. As far as we Power Trac owners can find, there is nothing similar for anywhere near the cost. We cuss at them often, but smile every time we get on them because of the simplicity and ease of use and the amount of work you can accomplish in a shorter time. There are similar machines, much nicer machines, much better built machines out there. But nothing nearly as simple or cost effective.
Versatile Tractors,Compact Tractors,Trailer Packages,Landscaping,Utility Vehicle Rentals,Mowers-Power Trac
Here's mine...
