CUT vs Skid Steer

[PJSprog]

Wow, Xfaxman ... that is a whole different beast there.

Can you tell us more about what you plan to do as far as loader work?

See Post #14

 

[roadhunter]

Wow, Xfaxman ... that is a whole different beast there.



See Post #14

I saw that but it was still pretty vague as far as the weights involved. If you are talking about moving more than a couple yards of dirt at a time the lift capacity could be an issue on small machines, especially if you are moving wet material or gravel. Same with firewood, if you are talking a bucket of firewood no big deal but if you stack wood on pallets or even larger bases like Sawyer Rob the lift capacity of a CUT could be an issue. I was surprised on more than one occasion of what I could not lift with my CUT.

IT's difficult to compare the capacities as they are reported somewhat differently IMO. The number on a CUT is actually pretty close to a tipping load and on a SS the capacity is about half of the tip load. One advantage the tractor has is a bit of reach where the skid steer has almost none. That's where XFAXmans telehandler shines.

 

[PJSprog]

Nah, nothing seriously heavy. We're not cutting up redwoods or sequoias or anything large. Just the occasional fallen elm or pin oak branches, and sometimes the whole tree (after the chainsaws have their way with them). Wife likes to change the landscaping, sometimes more than once a year :muttering:, so we move a lot of plant material and ground cover, like small rock and mulch, but not in huge quantity. I try to discourage that as much as possible .

 

[DK35vince]

For what your wanting to do= tractor

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For what your wanting to do= tractor

+1

SR

 

[bdog]

I love my skid steer. It is a tracked machine and will go places a tractor never could. I do have a big farm tractor (130hp) but for loader work and working around things a skid steer can't be beat. I say unless you plan on doing small scale farming like plowing and planting crops a skid steer will do everything a compact tractor can and faster. I use mine almost daily. The attachments generally cost more but you can get dang near anything that runs off a PTO in a skid steer hydraulic version.

Then again if you don't plan on using the loader much a tractor may suit you fine but for loader work a skid steer will do things twice as fast. I have bad knees and a bad back and I have no problems getting in mine.

 

[Ivan49]

I have 120 acres and I have both. I use the SS more than the tractor but if I had to choose one over the other for my use I would go with the SS. I can clean the driveway of snow in the a much shorter time than with the tractor. For firewood it cannot be beat. I cut the trees and pick the tree up move it out in the open and cut the top off. My ground in the woods is not flat and if you use the tractor off the trail you may have something running down your leg. No problem with the SS. The biggest faults with the SS is it travels slow if you have to go a long ways to a job. It also tears up the ground when you turn. The biggest advantage with on is you can see the cutting edge on your bucket. and you can see the forks very well. As the dealer told me if you have the use for one you will love but if you have uses it wasn't made for you will hate it. I would be lost without both after haveing them

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I also "had" both, the skid steer is gone! And, I don't miss it at all...

SR

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . The biggest advantage with on is you can see the cutting edge on your bucket. and you can see the forks very well. As the dealer told me if you have the use for one you will love but if you have uses it wasn't made for you will hate it. . . .

Amen. I love being able to see the cutting edge. With a SS, you are sitting right there where the action is.

But 4 things I hate about the SS: (1) rear visibility just completely sucks; (2) getting in and out is a royal PITA compared to jumping on or off a tractor; and (3) they ride really rough. On my property, the SS I used for a while darn near beat me completely to death; and (4) while they work fast, they travel really, really slow.

 

[MossRoad]

This is one of the reasons we got our Power Trac.... we aren't dirt farmers. We don't need to plow fields and pull stumps, so we don't need the traction and brute force of a traditional tractor. And we don't bale hay. We live on a little over an acre, with a lawn that needs mowing and a driveway that needs snow plowing. And we own about 20 acres of land several miles away that has a couple miles of trails that need mowing or brush cutting 2-3 times per year. We heat our house with wood, that we harvest off of the property, by dragging out 16" and under diameter trees, and deadfall, to a landing for processing and hauling back to the house. And when our kids were young, we maintained the 4 ball diamonds at our local little league, and also the ball diamond at our church/school. So, our needs are lawn mowing, snow removal, loose material handling (mulch, dirt, granulated limestone for the ball parks), brush hogging, and fork lift. The Power Trac is basically an articulated front end loader with all attachments out front where you can see them. No rear attachments. Everything is on the FEL arms and anything that needs power (mowers, tilers, cutters, power-angling snowplows, etc...) is hydraulic. No PTO shafts, just hydraulic hoses. Quick attach implement changes in 15 seconds without getting off the seat (about 45 seconds and a walk to the front of the machine, if you have to hook up hydraulics).

These types of machines run circles around conventional tractors for these tasks. And they do little to no damage to lawns and trails.

They are worth looking into. No dealers. All factory direct. So you are your own mechanic, unless you take it to a local shop that services engines and hydraulics. As far as we Power Trac owners can find, there is nothing similar for anywhere near the cost. We cuss at them often, but smile every time we get on them because of the simplicity and ease of use and the amount of work you can accomplish in a shorter time. There are similar machines, much nicer machines, much better built machines out there. But nothing nearly as simple or cost effective.

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

Here's mine...

 

[oldpilgrim]

My brother had a skid steer for 20+ years. Wore it out and bought a tractor. He says he wished he gotten the tractor sooner...... More versatile for his needs.

 

[Piston]

I have a tractor but have a need for a skidsteer. I need to do some heavy lifting, and heavy dirt work, as well as heavy duty grapple work. Your describing pretty much the opposite, exactly what a tractor is great for.

For you, a tractor hands down.

 

[PJSprog]

There is definitely no shortage of diversity in this crowd.

I'm not likely to get a skid steer over a tractor, but it's certainly interesting to know that there are plenty of people who do.

 

[wolc123]

The CUT can do anything a skid steer can do, but the opposite is not true. For certain specialized tasks, as has been well covered in this thread, a skid steer vastly outperform a CUT. If and when you run into them, a skid steer rental is an option. For a homeowner looking to purchase a single piece of machinery, the numbers clearly show that the CUT is the way to go.

 

[Code54]

I personally would get the CUT as others have said if you really need to do a bunch of heavy dirt work just rent a skid steer for the day and knock it out.

 

[Sprinklerman]

I do residential irrigation and landscaping . I had a skid steer , it was great moving dirt and lifting pallets of sod . But I couldnt use it on established lawns. Attachments are expensive for skids . I would rent , but pick up and return sucked up time . I rented a tractor one day when my skid was down , I was hooked , I started picking up implements for my tractors from auctions and craigs list quite cheap . I could now bid jobs a bit cheaper since I didnt have to rent . I am getting jobs because I have tractors . Aeration alone paid for my new holland and the aerator in 2 seasons . if I need bigger or more powerfull i either call a friend with skids , or rent .

 

[MossRoad]

The CUT can do anything a skid steer can do,...

But you also need to consider how well each type of machine can to a task. Skid steers generally have much, much stronger hydraulics with much higher gallons per minute flow. They also generally have a much higher lift height than a CUT of similar size. Post hole diggers, jack hammers, trenchers, hoes, grapples, power brooms, etc... would work better on a skid steer.

Also, skid steers have power down ability on the FEL where all attachments are located. A CUT does not have power down capability on the 3pt hitch. So, for example, post holes are a breeze on a skid steer compared to a CUT.

 

[Piston]

Seems to be turning into a "which is better" thread. Let's remember the ops uses, light FEL work.

 

[merlynr]

I have 3 tractors and one ss and I use it a lot. I have 80 acres and my daughter and sil have 80 behind us and his driveway is 3/4 miles and the ss comes in real handy plus I can load round bales faster with the bobcat ss than a tractor. On that same note I would have a tractor over a ss if I had to choose one or the other.

 

[MossRoad]

Seems to be turning into a "which is better" thread. Let's remember the ops uses, light FEL work.

I agree that for the OP's usage, a CUT would be more useful. That's what's better. :laughing: