Buying Advice Skid steer -vs- Compact Tractor

[freddymac63]

I'm a tractor novice looking for advice on the best suited machine for my application, skid steer or compact tractor. I have a fair sized timber tract that requires the following work:

• clearing property lines of timber & brush. Dirt work required for fencing
• Install fence
• mowing firebreaks
• improving old pond, constructing new pond
• improving roads, installing ditches and water bars
• piling up timber slash

I estimate it will take me 50 years to accomplish all this so I need something that will last also!

 

[Guesseral]

Skid steers are cool, fun and expensive much more than a compact! I like a compact others will disagree!

 

[jlsmith]

I would go with the compact. More tools to work with and get the job done, and cost lest.

 

[PAPPASMURF]

I'm a tractor novice looking for advice on the best suited machine for my application, skid steer or compact tractor. I have a fair sized timber tract that requires the following work:

• clearing property lines of timber & brush. Dirt work required for fencing
• Install fence
• mowing firebreaks
• improving old pond, constructing new pond
• improving roads, installing ditches and water bars
• piling up timber slash

I estimate it will take me 50 years to accomplish all this so I need something that will last also!

I am in the same boat you are in...same property issues at hand, and no...I'm not done yet either, but here is my advice, and what I did....Get a compact with a backhoe. Its probably the best choice I've made. A neighbor of mine (with adjoining property) has a bobcat skid steer and he has let me use it for some of the pond work, and clearing. Although its much faster and more agile than a compact, when it comes to digging ditches and working the road a compact tractor and back hoe cant be beat. I ended up buying myself a Kubota L3200 with backhoe for around 28,000 with a trailer included. A bobcat skid steer was more than that and didnt have the clearance (undercarriage) to go off roading like i needed to do. I LOVE my tractor and its done an excellent job on my property so far (116 hours***bought it brand new). Just my opinion...you'll be happier and be able to go more places in the woods /property with a compact.
:thumbsup:

 

[murphy1244]

attachments for skid steer are very expensive.

 

[jeff9366]

Skid steers are made to PUSH. If you want to power a skid steer implement it is in front 99% of the time and the implement is always powered off the skid steer hydraulic system. (Know anything about hydraulic systems?) No choice in tire sizes, very little in tire types. Rough on the operator due to short wheel base, small wheels and hard tires; tracks WORSE.

Tractors are made to PULL. Quite a few applications use the tractor to PUSH, of which the most common is the FEL/bucket. Tractors are never quite as satisfactory pushing as they are pulling but they do both. Implements are powered off the PTO, which is part of the tractor already, SIMPLE, RELIABLE and efficient at power transfer. If you are working dirt, with an implement carried in the 3 point hitch, the dust is behind you. Wide assortment of tires types and sizes available. Tractors are more comfortable for the operator.

I suggest you browse the implement videos at everthingattachments. com:

EverythingAttachments.com

Good luck on your choice.

[ you want a tractor/loader ]

 

[PapaPerk]

Compact tractor. Rent a bobcat when you need one. :thumbsup:

 

[20 20]

It's not a matter of which is the better machine both are made for a job. I have owned/own both and from what you describe you'll be better of with a compact tractor unless you want to upgrade to a tracked SS. Not sure what your $$$ are but SS's are more expensive then compact tractors. If it where me I'd buy a compact with small dump trailer and a used mini excavator, you'd be surprised what you could do.

 

[CMP]

I have access to skid steer, backhoe and track hoe but I love my enclosed tractor w/ loader that cost less than half of a enclosed skid steer.

 

[LD1]

I agree with others here, get a tractor. A much more versitile tool IMO. Skidloaders excell in everyway at dirt and loader work. But thats where it stops.

The things I see on your list that would be better with a SS but not impossible with the tractor are dirtwork, fencing, and piling timber. But that you would want a skidloader, post hole digger, and a grapple bucket at the minimum. And if pricing new, you are looking at pushing $40k

The tractor would be better for the driveway maintenance and PULLING logs wherever you want, and mowing. But it can still dig postholes (cheaper attachment too), and can still use the loader for piling logs and doing dirtwork, just a bit slower though.

I am not sure what size timbers you are dealing with or the size of your property and ponds. There is a HUGE difference between 5 acres and 100 acres in terms of what SIZE machine to get. But for the money (and even considering a SS in the mix) I would opt for something in the 30-40HP range if you are in the ~10acre range and WITH a backhoe.

That backhoe would be VERY handy when doing your ditching work, stumps, and general pond maintenance. A tractor with loader and backhoe (TLB) will do way more than a SS can do. Sure, you could get a backhoe for a SS, but it just isnt the same as a true backhoe.

 

[magicheater]

I will agree with prior posters. A tractor is better suited to your "bucket list". If you have more than 10 acres, especially more than 20, a tractor of 35-40 HP would be sufficient. The Kubota L39 would seem to be a perfect fit and generally the loaders are beefier. Once you get your Timber tract under control you could opt for a smaller "maintenance" tractor. Kubota does hold their value and the way the money supply is going a tractor may not be a bad investment!

 

[jmc]

I have both a tractor and a tracked loader (skid steer with two rubber tracks instead of 4 tires). In addition to the good points made by the others:

1) if your property is large, it takes a much longer time to travel it with a skid steer. And they ride rough. 2) a tractor has good visibility toward the sides and back, fair visibility toward the front. The skid steer has excellent visibility forward, poor visibility to the sides, and the rear is blind. This is a real disadvantage when manuevering in tight quarters.

 

[Rustyiron]

One thing to consider is the type of soils and the topograghy of your land. Generally a tractor is better in the muck. I have a 110hp skid steer and a 9540 Kubota. They each have their place. Many here would be suprised what a SS with (over the tire) steel tracks will do in the nasty stuff, but they also only have only about 10in. of ground clearance for the rocks and stumps. Not considering your operating conditions, the SS will run circles around a tractor for loading. digging, clearing, post holes (down pressure) and stacking logs. But all those SS attachments are built several times more "beefier" (and it will cost you) than most small Cat I tractor attachments, and the loaders on tractors are, IMO really for chores and not designed or intended for much more. But I still say get your start with a tractor and buy as much HP as you can afford, the bigger the tractor, the harder it is to "overload/work" it, and we all do that! no matter what size!:laughing:

 

[Martian]

A tractor is like a swiss army knife, it does everything you can imagine at a very reasonable price. Albeit, none of it is done perfectly. A skid steer is like a part of that swiss army knife, but in it's perfected form and about 3 times more than a swiss army knife (aka tractor). If you're willing to shell out a lot of money, a skid steer is a viable option. But for me, I get by perfectly fine with my tractors....

 

[crazyal]

How much money do you want to spend? If you're budget is limited then a used SS that will fit your budget may have lots of hours on it and possibly worn. It's not something I would buy if I wanted a piece of equipment that'll last me a very long time. Most SS are built very strong but they are bought by contractors who need to work them to get their money back out of them.

 

[94BULLITT]

I'm a tractor novice looking for advice on the best suited machine for my application, skid steer or compact tractor. I have a fair sized timber tract that requires the following work:

• clearing property lines of timber & brush. Dirt work required for fencing
• Install fence
• mowing firebreaks
• improving old pond, constructing new pond
• improving roads, installing ditches and water bars
• piling up timber slash

I estimate it will take me 50 years to accomplish all this so I need something that will last also!

Both are vary capable machines. Attachments for a skid steer are more money and harder to find used. A skid steer with a forsety cutter would be nice for clearing the property line but a tractor and a rough cut and a will do the job. You are going to need a good chainsaw. I think a skidsteer would be better with a post hole digger because you have down pressure and it would be easier to get into place. You can get a post hole digger for a tractor and a downpressure kit. Both should do the job of mowing a firebreak but a roughcut is cheaper for a tractor but I do like the idea of the mower in front of the skidsteer. A skidsteer would be better for building and working on a pond. Both can be used to improve roads but I think ditch may be easier with a tractor. Both could be used with a grapple to pile up timber slash. If you went with a skidsteer you can rent attachments for them. I guess it depend on how much money you want to spend.

 

[freddymac63]

No ambiguity here! Buy the tractor, rent the SS.

thanks for the advice, I'll start looking.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I don't have any experience using a SS, but I do have experience browsing price lists on the Internet, and the difference between hydraulic-powered implements for a SS, and PTO-powered implements for a tractor, is something like 3x to 4x. On top of that, you can get lightly-used three-point implements for a tractor all day long; SS implements are much rarer, and you are likely to get something that has been dogged out by a commercial user. Unless you have a lot of money to spend, or have a very specific use for the skid-steer (like you're loading gravel all day long), get the tractor. The tractor is a much better general-purpose implement.

 

[Deere Dude]

I have limited experience with a skid steer but they are a pain to get in and out of, if you are a big guy. They are terrible riding in. I used a John Deere 250 which is a medium sized one and there was very little room to put your feet in it and the process getting in it was memorable. Every move to get in or out had to be choreographed. After a couple days on that scooping, carrying and traveling my body was shot.

I have noticed a compact tractor it is much easier to get in and out of, more room inside the work area, a lot smoother riding, higher ground clearance and attachments are fairly reasonable. Road speed is much faster and it is easier to cruise over the the neighbors to visit. CUT's are much better on a lawn than a SS. SS are no doubt better for contractor usage, but I'm not a contractor.

 

[Notforhire]

One thing to consider is the type of soils and the topograghy of your land. Generally a tractor is better in the muck. I have a 110hp skid steer and a 9540 Kubota. They each have their place. Many here would be suprised what a SS with (over the tire) steel tracks will do in the nasty stuff, but they also only have only about 10in. of ground clearance for the rocks and stumps. Not considering your operating conditions, the SS will run circles around a tractor for loading. digging, clearing, post holes (down pressure) and stacking logs. But all those SS attachments are built several times more "beefier" (and it will cost you) than most small Cat I tractor attachments, and the loaders on tractors are, IMO really for chores and not designed or intended for much more. But I still say get your start with a tractor and buy as much HP as you can afford, the bigger the tractor, the harder it is to "overload/work" it, and we all do that! no matter what size!:laughing:

I couldn't agree more.:thumbsup: I would look at Utility size tractors, or Industrial Utility if you can afford it, rather than a CUT. Ag. loaders are material handlers, and not realy designed to dig.
Do a search on " How do I straighten out my loader lift arms?" and you will see what I mean.

Bill