Comparison Comparison between skid steer and compact

[bookmyer]

Not really. The machines are designed for different core functions



Depends on what you are mowing.

Now I will elaborate some. First, I think given you already have three tractors, getting rid of one and keeping the SS is the smart move, and will give you the most overall capability. Just have to decide which tractor to part with.

Some good points about SS have already been brought up so I wont mention anything that has been already.

Bushhogging going forward......thats great if you are blazing trails through nasty brush etc. But got a 5 acre pasture you want mowed a few times a year.....the tractor is gonna excel. Larger tires and longer wheelbase make for a smoother ride, all the pollen and dust you kick up stays behind you, not tearing up the ground every turn, etc.

Pulling. tractors are made to pull. Wood hauling trailer in the woods, skidding logs out, pull a moldboard plow followed by a disc, etc etc.

Tractor is also easier on the lawn if your wife wants some mulch up around the house / flowers

Implements are cheaper and more plentiful in the used market.

Moving dirt, spreading gravel on the driveway, running a grapple bucket clearing brush or moving logs, all things a tractor "can" do....nut a skid loader can do better/faster.

So in summary, I dont think there is anything a skidloader can do that a tractor/loader cant, but the skidloader is gonna be better for most of them.
But there ARE things a tractor can do that a skidloader cannot. Having both = maximum capability

My skid steer can run a 17 inch tree shear that allows me to cut down a ton of Texas hill country cedar trees down in a day. My tractor can't come close to that..... how about a hydraulic breaker? I love driving my tractor but the skid steer has it's use.

 

[LD1]

My skid steer can run a 17 inch tree shear that allows me to cut down a ton of Texas hill country cedar trees down in a day. My tractor can't come close to that..... how about a hydraulic breaker? I love driving my tractor but the skid steer has it's use.

I never said a skid steer didnt have a place. Skid steers come in all different sizes as do tractors.

I dont think you are gonna run a 17" tree sheer on a bobcat 463 sized skid loader just as you wouldnt run one on a BX-sized tractor.

But a larger utility type tractor will handle a sizable tree sheer or hydraulic breaker.

You have a 75 HP skidloader that weighs 8200# and can lift over 5k. Pick a similar sized tractor and while visibility wont be as good, it will certainly handle a sheer, front or back.

 

[bookmyer]

That's exactly what I'm saying. I certainly would not buy a shredder for my skid steer. For one it would beat you to death with the short wheel base. Plus the cut capacity and width is not as good as a lot of PTO driven shredders. But there are certain applications where it greatly excels over the tractor. I have both sitting there and I just use the one I think is better for the job at hand.

 

[sagor]

Hello everyone. I'm new here on this forum. But, I thought I'd pipe in about comparison between SS and SCUT. I have both. Having used a SS primarily for snow removal (40hp, 5200lbs), with a bit of summer gravel work, I got a bit tired of the usual "plow, lift, dump, lower, backup" routine with the SS. I have a 6.5" (maybe 7ft) snow bucket, it can move a lot of snow of course. After about 5 years of this, with at times heavy snowfalls, I was actually running out of room in some places to dump the snow. Also, snow sticking in the bucket (wet snow) made the volume of snow moved a bit less than usual.
But, just about a month ago, I bought a used BX25 with a front mounted snowblower (50"). Comparing both, it takes almost the same amount of time to clear about 500ft of driveway (equivalent with areas around the house). Though the BX25 and blower are smaller width, it takes about 45 minutes to clear 8-10" of snow, compared to about 60min with the SS. Main reason is, with the Kubota and blower, not as much backing up, not as much dumping time.
I have no comparison for heavy snowfall (2 feet or more), though a few times with the SS, I had to take single swipes and dumps to the side when there was too much snow.
Also, I plan to do a bit of land clearing. While the BX25 is not a heavy "digger", it does have more ground clearance (almost 9 inches) than the SS (only about 5-6 inches). Also, the SS just cannot dig through trees and bush. Tried it, no way. I have not, of course, gotten to doing the clearing with the BX25 yet - not until summer. I did get the skid plates for the BX25 to protect the underside. The backhoe will be a huge advantage of course.
So, in my case, I see little advantage for the SS for my needs. What gravel/road work I have to do, will do with the BX25 but may take twice as long. For snow removal, the BX25 with front blower seems to win hands down.
One final note, at one time this year the SS has an electrical failure which shut it down, leaving the bucket raised. Leaving the SS was a serious safety risk. If the arms ever came down, it could crush someone. The safety switch for lowering of the arms did not work because of the blown fuse (to SS logic controller). May be a design flaw... Leaving the SS and coming back with a new fuse required me to climb in and out under a raised, unsupported bucket. That is when I decided I needed a different snow removal machine. With a small tractor, climbing out under a suspended load/device not an issue - just leave out the side. There are some SS that are side entry - that would be a much safer SS to own....
So, that is my two bits worth. For some, having both may be the best option, but for many home owners with just local estate property work, I vote for a SCUT or CUT. The time difference for snow removal is small, but advantage goes to the front mounted blower. As a note, several years ago I had a 80HP tractor with a rear (PTO) blower. My neck got so sore from looking backwards, I gave up on it after one season (and got the SS in trade).
Good luck to everyone with their choices. Everyone has different requirements....

 

[Industrial Toys]

Most skid steers are in the construction equipment category. Most CUTs are toys or over sized lawn tractors. Not demeaning CUTS. Just saying the two can't be compared.

 

[ForestGrump]

I noticed something interesting this past snow storm, 5' over 3-4 days. I live in a residential area so the task is to clear driveways. Some of the neighbors have driveways with a pretty good slope. This means skid steers have to drive up and grab a bucket, back down and dump somewhere. On two of these drives after a few minutes they stopped and left, two different contractors. I assume because they had nowhere left to dump.

With my new Mahindra EMAX 22 I had no such problem. It appears I had more reach and height with my bucket. I finished the one drive. This snow was very wet, heavy with about 4" of slush at the bottom.

The SS also were not used for berm removal this time, larger mid size articulated loaders were used instead. I had no problem with berm removals.

So do SS have limited reach and lift compared to a subcompact? I know their lack of ground clearance was a problem with them getting around.

 

[Oldoak]

You're not fooling us man! You already made up your mind..........................................

It's a "no brainer"! :confused3:

 

[bookmyer]

Most skid steers are in the construction equipment category. Most CUTs are toys or over sized lawn tractors. Not demeaning CUTS. Just saying the two can't be compared.

I could not agree more. It's comparing apples to oranges.

 

[4570Man]

I noticed something interesting this past snow storm, 5' over 3-4 days. I live in a residential area so the task is to clear driveways. Some of the neighbors have driveways with a pretty good slope. This means skid steers have to drive up and grab a bucket, back down and dump somewhere. On two of these drives after a few minutes they stopped and left, two different contractors. I assume because they had nowhere left to dump. With my new Mahindra EMAX 22 I had no such problem. It appears I had more reach and height with my bucket. I finished the one drive. This snow was very wet, heavy with about 4" of slush at the bottom. The SS also were not used for berm removal this time, larger mid size articulated loaders were used instead. I had no problem with berm removals. So do SS have limited reach and lift compared to a subcompact? I know their lack of ground clearance was a problem with them getting around.

My buddy has a midsize skid steer. It lifts slightly more and higher, but his going ability is drastically less than my tractor. The low ground clearance and not very good traction to begin with severely limits where it can go.

 

[ForestGrump]

Most skid steers are in the construction equipment category. Most CUTs are toys or over sized lawn tractors. Not demeaning CUTS. Just saying the two can't be compared.

That's odd since in the above you just made a comparison, not an accurate one but a comparison anyway.