Help me pick a skid steer

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   / Help me pick a skid steer #11  
I was being vague on purpose...

I can already tell this thread is going nowhere...

Well if you start a thread with that approach it IS going to go nowhere fast isn't it?

Anyway, I suggest you start with a compact or mid size tractor with a 4in1 bucket and backhoe. Thats what I did for pretty much the same project as you and it has been brilliant. I bought an old Kubota. It wasn't particularly expensive, and its easy to repair. A good skid steer and attachments is going to be very expensive. And skid steers can be very difficult to work on because they cram everything into a small space.


Incidentally, around here most landscapers carry small excavators (instead of skid steers) on their trucks these days. An excavator can do everything a Bobcat can do, plus a whole lot more. I recently bought a cheap Bobcat from a landscaper. He said he hardly uses his skid steers these days. The excavator is far more useful.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #12  
An excavator can do everything a Bobcat can do, plus a whole lot more. I recently bought a cheap Bobcat from a landscaper. He said he hardly uses his skid steers these days. The excavator is far more useful.
I disagree ... Certainly there are things that both machines can accomplish far better than using the other machine.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #13  
Why don't we ask how big of trees and how big of stumps? What type of dirt? Beyond that a wheeled skid steer I would not want. Get a tracked unit for sure and one that has a dozer like drive gear. Stay away from the tracked units that have the so called multi terrain undercarriages.

How much time are you planning for? Clear cut or small parcels years apart?

Skidsteers are cool pieces of equipment. A hoe on a skid steer is not the easiest thing to operate though. Is 20k your forever budget or right now money? Avanti makes a way cool kinda skidsteer, kinda wheel loader, kinda all terrain forklift. A telehandler can do more than most think too (no backhoe)

Picking one? A JD455 track loader (or larger) with 4 n1 and hoe is doable with your budget. It will do everything on your list plus some.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #14  
I have a Cat 246 that I put a full Logering undercarriage on, so now it is a full track machine. .. It is 10x faster to do anything than my Kubota L3700. It has a suspension seat and is relatively comfortable for long hours. I would suspect 20-22k will buy you a decent skidsteer. Mine weighs about 10,000 pounds with the tracks, bucket and machine itself. I can literally push almost any tree over that is less than 10" in diameter. Root ball and all. This is waaaaaaaay faster than digging them out.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer
  • Thread Starter
#15  
Well if you start a thread with that approach it IS going to go nowhere fast isn't it?
Trying to have a conversation mostly about the machine itself and not the land. The question was not "should I buy a skid steer", but rather "which one should I buy?".

Since we must, the land is mostly flat, there will be little earth moving to do. I want to leave as many trees as I can, there are many old growth hardwoods. If any bigger trees need to be removed I will probably have somebody come in and take them for the lumber. Much of the forest just needs to be thinned out, a few 12" or smaller trees, and a lot of thick vines and brush. There is a creek running through the middle which requires a 50' buffer on each side, which leaves about 2.6 acres where the tractor is not allowed and will be left mostly wild. The biggest job would be putting in a gravel driveway about 1000' long, but I think I can find a path without much over a 12" tree in the way.

One of the reasons I want a skid steer is for the portability, I can bring it with me on a trailer and use it like a forklift to buy heavy things. I realize a big heavy track loader would be better at removing a stump, or moving big earth, but that's not the majority of what I need to do. I need something to maintain the land after it's clear and a skid steer is something I can navigate through the woods more easily. I thought the backhoe attachments looked a little awkward to use, but after watching a few videos they look like they work pretty well:
Bobcat 463 backhoe - YouTube
I like that Avant skid steer but probably not as likely to find one for sale used.

I can get a backhoe attachment for around $2,000, a brush cutter for around $3,000, and $2,000 for over tire tracks...and still spend $13k for a machine with just a bucket.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #16  
One of the reasons I want a skid steer is for the portability, I can bring it with me on a trailer and use it like a forklift to buy heavy things.

Skid steers are surprisingly heavy suckers. They are much heavier than a conventional tractor of similar capability. You'd be looking at 3 tons or more for anything around mid-sized. That means you'll need a hefty trailer with electric self actuating brakes and an automatic breakaway system. There's another $5,000 to $10,000.
 
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   / Help me pick a skid steer #17  
Also being heavier they get stuck in the woods mud much easier than a tractor and thus much harder to extract.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #18  
Trying to have a conversation mostly about the machine itself and not the land. The question was not "should I buy a skid steer", but rather "which one should I buy?".

Since we must, the land is mostly flat, there will be little earth moving to do. I want to leave as many trees as I can, there are many old growth hardwoods. If any bigger trees need to be removed I will probably have somebody come in and take them for the lumber. Much of the forest just needs to be thinned out, a few 12" or smaller trees, and a lot of thick vines and brush. There is a creek running through the middle which requires a 50' buffer on each side, which leaves about 2.6 acres where the tractor is not allowed and will be left mostly wild. The biggest job would be putting in a gravel driveway about 1000' long, but I think I can find a path without much over a 12" tree in the way.

One of the reasons I want a skid steer is for the portability, I can bring it with me on a trailer and use it like a forklift to buy heavy things. I realize a big heavy track loader would be better at removing a stump, or moving big earth, but that's not the majority of what I need to do. I need something to maintain the land after it's clear and a skid steer is something I can navigate through the woods more easily. I thought the backhoe attachments looked a little awkward to use, but after watching a few videos they look like they work pretty well:
Bobcat 463 backhoe - YouTube
I like that Avant skid steer but probably not as likely to find one for sale used.

I can get a backhoe attachment for around $2,000, a brush cutter for around $3,000, and $2,000 for over tire tracks...and still spend $13k for a machine with just a bucket.

Ok, so we're back to time and money. Parts support, hydraulic hoses especially becomes the next issue if you're going to fix it yourself. If not, a mobile mechanic (90ish an hour here) has to be in the budget.
The bigger the better, IMO. For work, I'm running an ASV-100, which was a huge step up from the -60 I had. More hp and weight is ok. For the farm, I picked up a 1997 scatrak 2300 with 2500 hours for 3k. If I could find a ASV-4810 cheap, I'd get that without hesitation. It is a beast.
There's some good machines available, picking a brand gets tough. Too many of them have switched hands. I like my ASV, but wouldn't buy a new one. Kubota would be my first pick for new. Side entry on the jcb looks neat, but i've never tried one. Pick one you like and open everything with heavy maintenance in mind. How accessible is everything, battery, starter, oil drain and filter, hydraulic filters. How easy is it to pull the motor, tandem pumps? Separate implement pump? The more electronic gadgets, the shorter the machines life may be.

A grapple bucket/root rake is another must have for your list. Picking up brush, logs, rocks, hay bales, pipe, etc. A backup camera system is a huge plus, SS's have horrible backwards views.
 
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   / Help me pick a skid steer #19  
Also being heavier they get stuck in the woods mud much easier than a tractor and thus much harder to extract.

Not really, less ground clearance can be an issue. Getting yourself unstuck just takes time and a little ingenuity sometimes.
 
   / Help me pick a skid steer #20  
Since you are committed to buying probably the worse machine possible for taking care of the land, and spending the most money possible on attachments for doing this, I look forward to following your progress in working your intentionally vaguely described land. It really doesn't matter what brand you buy, they are all so similar that what you are paying for is extra features or HP.

Why not rent one and see how well it performs? I rent them all the time for different jobs. Bobcat is pretty much bullet proof with Kubota engines and years of abuse going into their design from rental yards all over the country.

Good advice was given to you based on many years of experience from those who took the time to reply.
 
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