Anyone have experience with skid steers?

[Sebculb]

Hola! Would any of y'alls be able to answer some questions about skid steers? (just warning this is a long question, please bear with me I value your knowledge and experience ) I wanna see if I could use one in place of a small farm tractor, mainly because I perceive the skid steers as being substantially sturdier machines with more crossover into my construction and excavation bidneth.

Bit of background, moved to SW Costa Rica about 14 years ago, was going to be a vegetable farmer. Got a small Kubota with a loader and backhoe attachments, and also a little potato plow subsoiler combo thing. The terrain where I was living then is too steep and Rocky to really plow anything properly so the plow was useless. I could prepare nice garden beds with the backhoe okay though. Eventually I broke the chassis of the tractor in half trying to do real dirt work with what was really a little toy garden tractor. Welded it back together and sold it to a friend that uses it for estate maintenance rather than heavy farming and construction work.

I used the money to buy an old dinosaur construction backhoe and that thing is awesome! I've been primarily a local excavation dude since then, just making house lots, farm roads, etc. But I'm turning 40 tomorrow so I guess my midlife crisis is I wanna try focusing on farming again as my main gig. Wife has a good job now so that helps.

Now I've got some nice fields and roads that I made with the backhoe. But that thing is a bull in a China shop and I've been considering getting a smaller machine for around the house use. Been considering a skid steer for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I perceive it as a small construction grade machine that won't break like a compact tractor under gross misuse. (I know the previous instance was my fault, not the Kubota's fault)

So here's the questions:

- what tips over easier, a garden tractor or a skid steer? Like I said, this is steep mountain terrain.

- how are skid steers in the mud or soft dirt farm fields? I'm thinking I'll make some tracks for it, I'm a decent welder and am certain can copy some of the designs I've seen. Not interested in a specific tracked machine cuz replacements are way expensive compared to tires I do believe.( Is that correct?)

- ROTOTILLERS this is the big one, has anyone used skid steer rototiller attachments? Would one be adequate for a market garden type application?

- backhoe attachments, how are they on a skid steer? It appears there are two types, one that has a seat and stabilizer feet, and a simpler type that just has the boom coming out the front of the loader mount. Any insight?

- USEFUL LIFE another big one. If I were to get one of these it'd be used and abused already. Such is the nature down here, what you can get for 10k. So how are the internals? Two reverser transmissions with a bunch of clutch disks? (I have no idea, never driven one). Do they wear out like a dozer or excavator undercarriage? Or just replace some disks and keep on digging? I am mechanically inclined and keep a hoe with 25k hours working.

- mowers/bush hogs? Could I start a mowing sideline with one of these attachments?

- towing/pulling, does anyone ever weld or bolt some kind of hitch on the back of a skid steer and pull little trailers or plows or disk harrows etc? Could that work?

I guess the pipe dream is to get an old skid steer with backhoe, rototiller, and bush hog attachments. And make some tracks for it. Is this feasible to run a market garden with? We have critters too so hauling manure, feed sacks, etc. I'd be able to incorporate it into my excavation jobs periodically also. It'll take a bit of time to amass the attachments but there's plenty of old skid steers for sale and even some with hoes.

Or is this straight dumb, wrong tool for the job and I'm better off trying to buy my old Kubota back from my buddy or find something similar?

Thanks so much for bearing with me and any advice or experience you can share.

 

[mikester]

SS are relatively cheap, compact machines good to get in tight spaces with decent lift. Other than that I have nothing good to say about them and avoid them at all costs. If your idea of a good time is a harsh pogo stick ride, poor visibility, and instability then go for it.

 

[Sebculb]

One vote against skid steers, thanks! I'm in the information gathering stage, and like I said I could always try to buy my old toy farm tractor back.

Any others with input?

 

[Citydude]

For my forested application which is steep terrain, I chose a tractor for ground clearance and stability. The guys with skid steers are few and far between.

 

[dodge man]

I personally have never used one except to sit in one and move it around. I am retired but was a land surveyor and saw them all the time on construction sites. If I needed on I would get one with tracks and not wheels. They make a lot of implements for them, they have a lot of power and lift height for their size.

I don’t see them as being cheap, maybe the ones with wheels instead of tracks are. The implements are also pretty expensive. The big thing is they are a construction grade machine and will hold up well where most compact tractors are not.

 

[PROFarms]

Unless you’re going to be solely using it on yard/hard surface I’d get a tracked machine anyway, stability is so much better than a wheeled one and traction is better too!
Personally I’d choose a loader tractor if possible. Much more substantial from my experience and generally more useful unless in tight spaces

 

[Industrial Toys]

Your first op sentance pretty much sums it up accurately.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have got a skidsteer (today CTL) and not a JD 6000 series tractor.

We grew up with the TRACTOR mindset. A neighbor with a NH skidsteer did basically ask me back then, what are you doing? Why didn't you get a skid steer? But he also had a new FORD 5610 with cab and AC.

 

[airbiscuit]

Unless, you get a tracked skidsteer, they are TIPPY. I can't imagine using one on steep slopes. I don't know anyone who has owned one that hasn't put it on its nose at least once. I owned a Bobcat skidsteer for a while. I loved being able to see the front bucket edge and using it for landscape work. Maintenance was easy enough, but repairs were a bear. You had to be Houdini to reach into cramped quarters, and parts can be quite expensive.

I sold it to buy a CUT and I couldn't be happier for my needs.

 

[4570Man]

I’d never buy a skid steer with wheels. Getting stuck is about all they’re good for. The track loaders are way better.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was focused on the A300 Bobcat for a while. Skid steer or conventional steer. Good thing I test drove that thing after a snow storm and realized how useless it was in snow.