Excavator v. Skid Steer for Hobby Farmer?

[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.