Excavator v. Skid Steer for Hobby Farmer?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I have a Kubota L3710 which I generally use with brush forks. I don't grow row crops. Most of what I do is general property maintenance. I cut and move trees. I bush hog when I have no choice. I use the tractor for lifting stuff. I move dirt with it.

The guy who used to own this farm sold me the tractor, so a tractor is what I have. Sometimes I think a skid steer would be better for me. I have seen skid steers ripping out stumps and other things, and I have been impressed. Also, I have machine tools, and a skid steer would be able to lift them, while the Kubota is not.

Since I've been thinking about getting a used skid steer, it has occurred to me that a mini excavator might be better.

The Kubota has been marginal for moving rocks because it has a low lift capacity. It can't dig narrow holes, so removing dirt around rocks and stumps is not practical. It would be neat to have a machine that would dig around these things in a hurry.

I'd also like to be able to shove medium-sized trees over and then buck them instead of felling them and then trying to get the stumps out the hard way.

Seems like excavator prices are way lower than skid steer prices.

So what's the better second machine for a gentleman farmer who doesn't grow anything but needs to dig and move stuff?

 

[Xfaxman]

Have you seen what a compact telehandler can do? Click this link:Compact telehandler

Get one and sell the tractor like I did.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'd also like to be able to shove medium-sized trees over and then buck them instead of felling them and then trying to get the stumps out the hard way.

Or pull them with a tree puller:

A cedar tree:

 

[Xfaxman]

And it is small enough to park in the garage:

 

[M59]

Suburban Plowboy,

No machine whether it is a tractor with loader or tractor loader backhoe ( TLB ) or backhoe or skidsteer, or trackloader, or excavator or telehandler is going to do everything you want and do it well. Excavator's ( mini and larger ) and larger TLB/ backhoes have good digging and lifting power and reach ( being able to work at distance ). Skidsteers and trackloaders are good for lifting and carrying things and are agile but both require adding a hoe to their SSQA to dig and the reach is much shorter.

My personal preference for all around capability to do work was a Kubota M59 as it had sufficient weight for stability while working and sufficient horsepower to run a wide range of tools of the front and back of the machine. I have SSQA forks for moving pallets and a SSQA McMillen auger for planting posts and trees, a SSQA grapple for moving pretty much anything, a Power rake for cleaning rocks and debris from ground while leveling it in preparation for planting grass, a backhoe with thumb for pulling out trees up to 6" in dia and digging root ball of the rest. Thumb also move rocks and build walls and steps. Also pull a box blade for leveling pretty much any dirt pile or driveway. Near term addition is a trenching tool for laying pipe and power line into a trench.

In a nutshell, I looked for a machine that gave me the greatest range of capability because it could use the greatest range of tools for maintaining and upgrading property in hilly NC.

 

[4570Man]

I have a skid steer and an excavator. For your uses I would go with a skid steer and a stump bucket. The excavator would be better for digging things but the skid steer is better for lifting and carrying things and it sounds like that’s your main use. I previously had a M59. It would also be good for your uses. It’s better at excavator jobs than a skid steer is and it’s better at skid steer jobs than a excavator is although a skid steer and mini excavator is far better. The M59 has a pretty strong loader. A lot more than your current tractor.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

That telehandler is really something. Makes me wonder if they have dented the market appeal of skid steers.

 

[kevin37b]

Buy both . You will never regret it .

 

[Xfaxman]

Buy both . You will never regret it .

With a compact telehandler you don't need both.

Speaking of a stump bucket: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/compact-telehandler.160568/post-6274525

Had to cut some roots on both sides:

 

[sea2summit]

That telehandler is really something. Makes me wonder if they have dented the market appeal of skid steers.

If they’re prices were closer I bet they would. Last time I looked there was a pretty big difference.

But like others said if it’s between mini ex and a skid steer I’d go skid steer, mini ex will never lift pallets or big pieces of machine tooling…well.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I don't want three machines. The Kubota is fine for moving logs, bush hogging, and doing little forklift jobs. It's no good for removing stumps and rocks, digging, and knocking trees over.

I guess those are the three jobs I would really like to do. I don't have to move machine tools every day.

 

[sea2summit]

I don't want three machines. The Kubota is fine for moving logs, bush hogging, and doing little forklift jobs. It's no good for removing stumps and rocks, digging, and knocking trees over.

I guess those are the three jobs I would really like to do. I don't have to move machine tools every day.

You could just get the BH put on the 3710?

 

[Carl_NH]

The Bobcat Telehandlers used are $40-50K, a used Kubota M59/M62 (if you can find one) are in the same range. You can get a Mini excavator 8K class used for around $25-30 range. A decent skidsteer with attachments is going to be at least $30K plus.

You have a tractor that does the lifting/logging/hogging and IMO a mini ex would be a better tool in the shed for your uses.

You wont get there fast in the Mini ex 3-4 MPH, but its more versatile for the stated tasks of rocks, stumps and knocking over trees and stacking them.

 

[oldnslo]

I guess part of the question is what size skid steer and or what size excavator are you considering?

There are skid steers that have similar lifting capabilities as your tractor and skid steers that will lift your tractor.

Same with excavator a little 3 ft wide unit or 8 to 12 ton unit.

For flat out digging excavator is winner since that is what it is designed to do.

 

[Xfaxman]

I don't want three machines.

One compact telehandler is all you need. There are many brands to choose from.

The Kubota is fine for moving logs,

This big?

bush hogging,

This is a 7' brush hog, so much better out front:

and doing little forklift jobs.

42 inch pin top forks:

48 inch block forks:

6' heavy duty forks:

 

[4570Man]

One compact telehandler is all you need. There are many brands to choose from.

This big?
View attachment 753948View attachment 753949

This is a 7' brush hog, so much better out front:
View attachment 753951View attachment 753952

42 inch pin top forks:
View attachment 753954

48 inch block forks:
View attachment 753955

6' heavy duty forks:
View attachment 753956

I like my skid steer mower you can really wreak some brush with it but for just regular grass cutting a tractor does a good job while using a cheaper machine. And a tractor of the same hp could pull at least a 10’ mower probably more.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

The fattest logs I have to move are under two feet at the base. I always cut them up and take a few pieces to the burn pile at a time. I suppose I could save myself a lot of sawing if I could move bigger pieces, but I don't know how well they would burn.

I don't like grapples. When I bought my Kubota, it had four forks attached to the bucket, and I got used to them. They hold lots of brush, and you can force them under things. I have seen a lot of tractors with grapples, and it seems like they always held less stuff than my forks, weighed more, and cost more money.

How do things attach to a telehandler? Do they comply with the SSQA standard?

I agree that they are amazing tools.

 

[Xfaxman]

The fattest logs I have to move are under two feet at the base. I always cut them up and take a few pieces to the burn pile at a time. I suppose I could save myself a lot of sawing if I could move bigger pieces, but I don't know how well they would burn.

How do things attach to a telehandler? Do they comply with the SSQA standard?

Yes, especially Bobcat models since they originated it.
And stronger than tractor versions:

I agree that they are amazing tools.

Yep, the most amazing machine that I have owned and I have owned more tractors in the last 50 years than I can remember.

 

[spitter]

Just to put another option out there is a Mecalac skid steer excavator. I think they are pretty new and cost a pretty penny.

 

[Notforhire]

My biggest complaints about skid steers is the poor vision and getting in or out of the operators seat.
If you work alone as I often do, you are sometimes tempted to exit under the boom to adjust/hook up chains for a lift. Bad idea!

I like the design of that tele handler as it eliminates those issues.

My little L47 TLB is kind of a do it all machine from mowing to digging. It has it's limitations but allows me to own just one piece of equipment.