Buying advice for small but powerful loader

[4570Man]

Why do you want the smallest tractor possible to move 1600#? Space constraints or budget?

I think a skid-steer would be a lousy choice for moving pallets into a pickup truck and trailer. I can pretty much guarantee you'll smash part of your pickup really quick. And a skid steer is not very versatile. If you start pricing tracked skid steers, you'll be in shock. A tractor or articulating loader is much more versatile.

Have you put in much time on a skid steer that wasn’t junk? A skid steer is probably the most versatile machine ever made. The viability of the forks is much better than a tractor.

 

[Xfaxman]

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You didn't mention a budget, but a small "telehandler" is king for this as you can "shoot" (6-8') your load to it's final destination, a much more precise motion than the whole machine moving, but then they are wider & longer than a SS as well but outfitting it for other tasks (snowblower) will not be as easy.
You won't need tracks for a SS if a normal car can operate in your loading area, but tire chains I recommend for your snow work.

Don't know what you are basing that statement on. Most of the compact telehandlers now have SSQA with aux hydraulics on the boom.

Bobcat makes a snowblower that will fit my V417 with 22GPM flow. I don't have one because we don't get much snow here. :thumbsup:

Some compact telehandlers are narrower that the tracked skid steers. I need to take a picture of mine next to the pickup truck to show how small it is.

Here it is with the 6' wide bucket and a 5'x6' hay bale:

And the fork tips are visible from the seat:

 

[RyeThomas]

The cool thing about the one above is you can extend the boom and feather and watch it from a good vantage point. I have a tractor and skid steer and don’t like either for loading a pickup bed. My deckover is money with either, pick up box no thanks.
I’ve pulled my deckover with single pallet vs trying to load it in my pickup. When it goes bad, it’s real bad.

I also agree a 40 hp large frame tractor is what you need. Case in point I have a 4310 and a 4510. My 4510 is the lowest hp largest frame 4 series Deere made in that era. My 4310 is just a frame size down. I really like the size of my 4310 but it doesn’t hold a candle to the lift capacity my 4510 has. They are close in power but goodness the 4510 is much larger and less maneuverable in a tight spot. Not only that she is much heavier. All good for work but heck on your yard. Problem is when you need real lift you need a larger tractor or a skid steer that is absolutely terrible on turf, beats up the operator, no pto, etc.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[rScotty]

I've had a dozen or more tractors in the last 50 years and you cannot beat a tractor for versatility. But someday I do hope to own a telehandler like Xfaxman's, it's a dandy machine. And IMHO, he has figured out ways to use his machine in novel ways that the Telehandler mfg. should think about.
rScotty

 

[MossRoad]

Have you put in much time on a skid steer that wasn稚 junk? A skid steer is probably the most versatile machine ever made. The viability of the forks is much better than a tractor.

The OP is a maple syrup producer. When I hear maple syrup producer, sugar shack, skids of syrup, I picture a sugar bush full of maple trees... and mud. Go ahead and run a skid steer through a muddy sugar bush and see how that goes. Loading a pallet or two onto a pickup truck once a week, it would be hard for me to justify the cost of a skid steer, especially since the OP stated he does not currently own a tractor. From everything I've seen in maple syrup production around here, a tractor would be much more useful than a skid steer in a maple syrup production environment, especially as a first machine. An articulated wheel loader would also be more useful, and less prone to getting stuck in mud than a skid steer.

To each his own, however, I'd never let a skid steer into my woods (maybe a tracked one), and I certainly would never purchase one as my first machine for a maple syrup operation. I'm currently managing a small 1.5 acre grove of maple trees for syrup production when I retire in about 8-9 more years. I've done some research. I've helped out in a sugar bush for a friend of my wife's that has 65 acres of maple trees in syrup production. So I have some minor knowledge of how its done. It's not the right first machine overall for the tasks associated with the big picture of the total operation. I'm looking at the big picture, not just the task of lifting one or two skids a week over maybe a couple month period. Even if he makes syrup for 8 weeks, 2 skids per week at 5 minutes per skid is only 80 minutes of operation per year.... VS how many hours could be put on a tractor pulling a wagon with equipment for setting up the taps and tubing, hauling boiler wood out of the woods, maintaining the woods and grounds, mowing in summer, etc.... all that stuff that tractors excell at VS a skid steer. That's all I'm trying to get at... the bigger picture, not just the lifting of heavy skids. What's the best piece of equipment for the OP for his overall operation?

 

[4570Man]

Probably a tractor but if you can’t unload a pallet from a truck bed with a skid steer than there’s other issues. I don’t see the articulated loader as being much different or more versatile than a skid steer. Aside from better access to the operator seat is there anything a loader can do that a skid steer can’t?

 

[MossRoad]

Yes. Turn around without tearing up the ground. Traverse long distances at higher speeds. Load trucks from a pile faster and more efficiently. Better visibiilty around the work area from the operator's station, too. Costs 15-30% more than a skid steer, but lasts 2-3 times longer. Cheaper to operate, too. Keep an open mind....

Skid Steer vs. Compact Wheel Loader ...Keep an Open Mind | Construction Equipment

And a head to head comparison based on contractor usage.
LOADER SHOWDOWN: Skid steer loaders vs. compact wheel loaders: Which is the better buy? | Equipment World | Construction Equipment, News and Information | Heavy Construction Equipment

For a maple syrup operation, I'd give the nod to the wheel loader over the skid steer, and the nod to a tractor over the wheeled loader. Then throw in the compact telehandler and I'd still give the nod to the tractor if its the only machine I could purchase. And in all reality, I'd get a PT1460 over a tractor for that operation as well...
T24 Class

 

[Grandad4]

Skid steers pack a lot of maneuverability, weight and hydraulic power into a package with a small footprint, which is great under most job site conditions. But a full load on the forks/bucket/whatever makes that small footprint kind of tippy on uneven ground. A buddy and I once loaded dump trucks with my tractor working side by side with his wheeled Bobcat on some rutted, rough ground. He was faster, but guess which one ate up the dirt pile with no problems and which one eventually did a faceplant with a loaded bucket (and scared the daylights out of the operator)?

Moral of the story? If you are working in rough terrain, pay attention to the stability of your equipment before lifting heavy loads.

 

[Xfaxman]

The OP is a maple syrup producer. When I hear maple syrup producer, sugar shack, skids of syrup, I picture a sugar bush full of maple trees... and mud. Go ahead and run a skid steer through a muddy sugar bush and see how that goes. Loading a pallet or two onto a pickup truck once a week, it would be hard for me to justify the cost of a skid steer, especially since the OP stated he does not currently own a tractor. From everything I've seen in maple syrup production around here, a tractor would be much more useful than a skid steer in a maple syrup production environment, especially as a first machine. An articulated wheel loader would also be more useful, and less prone to getting stuck in mud than a skid steer.

An articulated telescopic wheel loader would be even better: JCB TM22 AGRI Agricultural Telescopic Handler

To each his own, however, I'd never let a skid steer into my woods (maybe a tracked one), and I certainly would never purchase one as my first machine for a maple syrup operation. I'm currently managing a small 1.5 acre grove of maple trees for syrup production when I retire in about 8-9 more years. I've done some research. I've helped out in a sugar bush for a friend of my wife's that has 65 acres of maple trees in syrup production. So I have some minor knowledge of how its done. It's not the right first machine overall for the tasks associated with the big picture of the total operation. I'm looking at the big picture, not just the task of lifting one or two skids a week over maybe a couple month period. Even if he makes syrup for 8 weeks, 2 skids per week at 5 minutes per skid is only 80 minutes of operation per year.... VS how many hours could be put on a tractor pulling a wagon with equipment for setting up the taps and tubing, hauling boiler wood out of the woods, maintaining the woods and grounds, mowing in summer, etc.... all that stuff that tractors excell at VS a skid steer. That's all I'm trying to get at... the bigger picture, not just the lifting of heavy skids. What's the best piece of equipment for the OP for his overall operation?

I can do all of that with my compact telehandler. At 6' wide, 6.5' high and 13' long, with 4 wheel steer it gets around great in the woods.

 

[MossRoad]

An articulated telescopic wheel loader would be even better: JCB TM22 AGRI Agricultural Telescopic Handler

View attachment 550376


I can do all of that with my compact telehandler. At 6' wide, 6.5' high and 13' long, with 4 wheel steer it gets around great in the woods.

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