Tractor or bobcat ?

[Tim M]

Last weekend I rented a Bobcat S130. Machine weighs roughly 5000 lbs and lifts 1300 lbs safely. Handled the tree shovel no problem. However, I felt extremely uncomfortable on even my more moderate slopes. No way.

Being unable to rent or demo a tractor with a skid steer quick attach, I took my tree shovel to a couple of tractor dealers to try it.

Kubota B26 weighing in at 4000 lbs did not have enough front end weight to drive the shovel in. The hydraulics just lifted the front end off the ground pushing the shovel in a foot at most. Although I will say the dirt at this dealer was the hardest. I think it may have been an old gravel driveway. Certainly scratching away with the backhoe first would have made getting the shovel in possible, but I would still have to question stability during the move of larger trees. AND these little buggers are very pricey.

Kioti DK35 with woods LC108 FEL. Very close to the T140 track loader. Visibility and precision of shovel placement may be a problem. Perhaps this could be overcome with more time in the seat.

Kubota L3240 with 714 FEL. Very similar to the DK35 but visibility was better. This is a nice machine.

Both the 3240 and the DK35 are too big. I need much more maneuverability as I will be operating in and around some larger old growth trees and sometimes on a slope.

So right now I am demoing an ASV RC-50. Machine weighs 6200 lbs and can lift 1330 lbs safely(3800 lbs tipping load). The tracks on this are almost a foot longer than the T140 and have a "float" feature which maintains better track-ground contact. Noticeably more stable on the slopes than the T140. Ride is smoother as well.

I wanted to try out a L3400 or a Kioti CK30 (may be the heaviest in it's class). These machines set up with a FEL/backhoe and filled tires weigh in around the 5500 lbs range. And are still cheaper than a moderately used track loader...

I think in the long run the tractor w/backhoe is a more versatile machine, but certainly for the more immediate job the track loader is best suited.

Thanks,
Tim M.

 

[IslandTractor]

Given your combination of slopes, tasks and need for manuverability, why not take a look at the PowerTrac lineup. I think you'd need the T12 or larger T18 class for lift capacity but you should be able to adapt your bucket to the PT easily. They are roughly the same cost as an equivalent horsepower CUT and much less than the tracksteers. The only real "downside" with the PTs is that you don't really have a local dealer to interact with or get support from. However, check out the very active and enthusiastic PowerTrac forum here on TBN and you'll see that many guys are perfectly happy.

Versatile Tractors,Compact Tractors,Trailer Packages,Landscaping,Utility Vehicle Rentals,Mowers-Power Trac

 

[downtoearth]

How about this 3-point mounted tree spade to dig and move the tree? This example is advertised on eBay (link and photo attached):

NEW! OASIS T-36 TREE SPADE FOR TRACTORS - (eBay item 170180424642 end time Dec-29-07 14:40:45 PST)

 

[WeedHopper]

Have a BC 853 and it is great for getting into tight places and doing concrete work. My TN65 with 32LA loader digs deeper, lifts twice as much and gets my mowing chores done fast. The tractor is overall more versatile and you can safely exit the tractor with the loader up. Do that with all but a Robot skid loader and you are risking being crushed in the event of a mechanical or hose failure. I have never tried a tree spade on my loader but as much as the tractor and loader weighs it should push it down much better than a BC. As for a 3pt tree spade, they don't push down so you are depending on the weight of the spade. Unless you have at least 50 trees to move, I would rent. Never buy a new skid steer unless you are making money with it. Find a contractor that needs money in the winter and let him take the huge hit on the depreciation. Check out the mechanical condition and engine real good first as they are a pain in the *** to work on as everything is packed in under the cab in a steel bucket with no access. Also, skid steers eat up tires. Oh yes, one other thing. They are slow. Top speed of 5 mph versus 18 - 20 mph for typical tractor.

 

[candersen10]

I believe you are getting some poor information here. Bobcat skidsteers are certainly somewhat unstable on slopes, however, that's not to say that all skidsteers have the same problem. Look at what John Deere has to offer. I have owned a Bobcat 763 (flipped twice), a Cat 257 (flipped twice), and a John Deere CT332 (most stable machine I have ever operated). If you look at Deere skidsteers you will notice how low the center of gravity is and how heavy the machines are. Obviously, the Cat and Deere machines I have owned are larger tracked machines, however, the skidsteer machines without tracks are still clearly highquality. You can also get rubber tracks that fit over the wheels and are supposed to be pretty high quality. As for speed, my tracked CT332 will go around 7-8 mph, not 5mph. A wheeled Deere loader can do around 10-12 mph if you get the 2 speed option. There are very few situations in which I have found I needed more speed for my Deere so I am certain that a wheeled machine will be plenty fast.

Lifting capacity of skid steers is simply much more than comparable tractors. My Deere will easily lift 2 tons whereas my New Holland TN75 will have the rear wheels high in the air even with a heavy rear implement if used to life 2 tons.

The Skid Steers are designed to be used to dig and do loader bucket work. Tractors are designed to do some loader bucket work and a whole assortment of other jobs. If you need to do a lot of 3point hitch work, get a tractor, but if you want to do loader work, a skid steer is absolutely the better option and will be far more stable on slopes provided you purchase the right one.

The below picture is not particularly good. However, the Deere can grab the end of that log with the grapple and lift it all the way to the maximum heigh on level ground without tipping. This is a log that probably weighs around 4-5k pounds.

 

[candersen10]

Take a look at this picture too. Notice how much of the machine's weight is low down. Also, you can very safely keep the loader arms up like in the picture because there is a boom rest which you can activate from inside the cab.