Buying Advice Skid steer vs traditional tractor??

[Tractorable]

Buy a used 4 ton mini excavator and a used compact track loader, clear the trees, dig out the stumps, haul the material away, sell the equipment for the same that you paid for it, then buy a compact utility tractor to maintain.

 

[rademamj1]

Skid steers are so powerful for land clearing operations, they can make short work of the seemingly difficult job. Typically here in Central Texas, for a mix of heavy brush, tall scrub oaks and Mesquite trees, i am seeing land clearing rates of between 2.5 to 4.0 acres a day, per machine at $1500 per day. So your 20 acres would be just 5 or 6 days work. That's a short term job and the question certainly comes up whether it best to purchase a skid steer, do a rental or just hire a short term contractor to do your land clearing.

Tractorable offers interesting advice, and just might work. But for me, unless your planning to operate a future business with a skid steer, it probably does not make financial sense to purchase a used skid steer and all its implements for just clearing operations on 20 acres.

 

[Hay Dude]

Compact track loaders are a fun ride.

Bruce

Bahahahahahahahah :rotfl::rotfl::wave::applause:

 

[Rustyiron]

Harry homeowner in a rental I bet.

 

[ruffdog]

Harry homeowner in a rental I bet.

Yeah, I like the "walk of shame" as he walks over to turn off the camera.:rotfl:

 

[PBinWA]

Compact track loaders are a fun ride.

Bruce

I have a hill on my property that I can't drive my skid steer up without the bucket on. It just starts to tip backwards.

My tractor (with filled tires) is way more stable on rough or hilly terrain.

 

[PBinWA]

There are some pretty nice compact wheel loaders out now. I have an old one that I am slowly rebuilding that is pretty awesome. Easy on the ground but with good ground clearance. Some of the newer ones have decent hydraulic output and can run most standard flow skidsteer attachments.

 

[GeeVee]

I have a ASV RC-30 with a bucket, root rake/Grapple, and Forks. And I have a tiny Mits MT372D Ag Tractor about 40" wide, I pull a 4' bushog with along with a box blades with scarifiers teeth- no loader.

That being said, I wouldn't and can't do clearing with the tractor, (nor moving dirt well)

I can't mow with the Tracked skidder either?


I can say the two machines are optimal for saving me hard physicals labor I would be stuck doing if I only had one of the two. It would be a choice of Chainsaws really.....

Having both, I am steadfast that even if my tractor had a FEL, it isn't efficient enough for me. I get to choose how much other stuff gets torn up trying to do a job, and that includes the wear on the machine.

Dont discount a RC-30 as plenty of machine to do the clearing, and can move mountains of dirt or debris. But having a nice tractor to mow, bushhog with, is a bonus.

I say this because I can see a 15k purchase of a low hour RC-30 and 5k in a small 3 cyl diesel tractor and bushog as being in just about anyone's reach- anyone who wants to clear their own 20 acres, and have the easiest time doing it.


Did i miss you say where you were and how clear you wanted it and how thick and mature the 20 acres is and needs to be? Picture are always good.
You DONT want wheels on your skidder, and a 40k tractor fel is still slow and inefficient, and not going to get the clearing done as simply as having the skidder.

 

[Xfaxman]

I have a ASV RC-30 with a bucket, root rake/Grapple, and Forks. And I have a tiny Mits MT372D Ag Tractor about 40" wide, I pull a 4' bushog with along with a box blades with scarifiers teeth- no loader.

That being said, I wouldn't and can't do clearing with the tractor, (nor moving dirt well)

I can't mow with the Tracked skidder either?

--------------------------------------------

You can mow with a ASV RC-30 and a brush hog, finish mower or flail mower on the front.

Image search found one with a flail:

 

[GeeVee]

You can mow with a ASV RC-30 and a brush hog, finish mower or flail mower on the front.

Image search found one with a flail:

View attachment 679945

Of course, yes thanks you XFAXMAN, I know they have plenty of attachments for the RC30, Ive owned mine since new in 2005. I have a little over 1000 hours on it, and all my needs have been met with just the bucket ( i am on my second bucket- wore through the original doing alot of grading) and the Root rake/grapple, -forks are marginal at best) With only 10gpm of aux hyd flow, and the cost to purchase a mower or flail, I dont own one. Fact is. My 2 cylinder Mits (4wd Diesel) I bought for 1300 and a brand new 4' bushhog mower for 800, it was less than any kind of mower type for the RC. About the only thing I would consider for my needs for the RC is a Post Auger. I did buy a tree boom for it. I can use the Tractor to pull logs or a dump trailer, and my wife and adult children can drive either and get work done. The RC 30 could be a swiss army knife if you wanted to but alot of attachments, but the economics of attachments over a used tractor don't add up for me. I could ideally move up to a used Tractor with a 3 or 4 cyl diesel but no more than 48" wide, a little more weight for 3-5k, probably even get a FEL on it, and still only want it to pull a Bushhog. I need to work in tight spaces, but still come out ahead instead of buying alot of attachments for the RC. Got a log splitter, could use a stump grinder, but even that attachment doesn't have the dollar values. I can buy a good purpose built grinder for less than an attachment. Another bonus for me, I can put both, and all the attachments I have on a 24' trailer, and be under 9k weight?