Skid Steer or CUT for Road Maintenance?

[bdhsfz6]

I currently have two tractors and am considering a third to use exclusively for maintenance on my 1.25 mile private road. I do a lot of grading, ditch work, hauling & spreading material, etc. Some of the work is in tight spaces. Ignoring the significant difference in price between a CUT and a skid steer, what would you choose and why?

 

[JJT]

"What would I choose?" I'd save my money and use what I have. With two decent sized tractors you surely don't need another for dedicated driveway maintenance, even if it is over a mile. Do you have a front end loader, box scraper, landscape rake and rear blade? If not, those are the implements I would need for your listed jobs.

"Why?" 1) I don't have room for another tractor. 2) I have all the implements I need for driveway chores. 3) I cannot justify the big money for a decent skid steer and the implements required. 4) I have access to a neighbor's skid steer if I ever have the need, (only needed it once in past 15 years).

 

[workinonit]

I dislike the "steer" part of a SS. Unless you have a 5th wheel on a wheeled machine a SS is rough on the turf and ground. They can be jerky as well. Tracks are a whole different set of issues. All that being said a SS can't be beat for efficiency, capacity and fitting in tight spaces. They also have great flow rates for hydraulic attachments. For me personally, I can't stand having to get in and out of the seat.

And what JJT said.

 

[chim]

Based on my experience I'd say tractor with implements listed above.

CAVEAT: My driveway has been paved for 30 years, is only 0.0568182 miles long and I've never operated a SS

 

[mikester]

Road grader

 

[Lineman North Florida]

It sounds like you have plenty to spend if you are considering buying a dedicated piece of equipment strictly for the maintenance of your driveway , so if money was no object I would get a 75 HP tracked SS to stay out of having to use DEF fluid and because there really is no comparison to a tractor and a SS when doing dirt work, If you do look at skid steers I would highly recommend a slide up overhead door verses a fold out door, with the overhead door it doesn't matter where your arms are raised you can still enter and exit the cab which is a must when working by yourself, with a foldout door you can't.
Good luck. Charlie.

 

[jmc]

In my hands, the relative short wheelbase of a skid steer/CTL makes forward grading difficult. (Each hump or dip under the wheels is magnified out at the implement. Seems like most operators back-drag in float mode if they can.

Also, unlike a 3ph tractor, if you want to tilt the blade in the vertical plane, you'll probably need an expensive implement.

 

[scootr]

I have a mile of road to maintain. I have a 50 hp tractor and a 50 hp SS. The tractor is best for the road maintenance with either the box blade or the landplane. It takes both attachments to meet do all the work.
There is a grader blade attachment available for a SS with forward wheels but they are too expensive for me and finding one used close by has proved impossible so far.

 

[Dozernut]

I have a tractor and a tracked SVL 65 Kubota. While I can grade with the SVL, my preference is to use my tractor. I can grade better with the tractor. Which can probably be attributed to the fact that I have hundreds of hours more use on the tractor than the SVL 65. A more skilled operator can most likely do this with ease. Just because you buy a skid steer, it does not come with the experience.

 

[Streetcar]

Skid steer are not great for traveling a mile. Slow and bumpy ride

 

[WranglerX]

HaD several SS working on my property by contractors... Had to use my SCUT and FEL and chain link drag to clean up after them...SS are hell on ground.... IF you have "tractors" just get a couple of implement's you might need if you don't have them... IF driveway is to small for your tractors, it's to small for your cars and trucks....

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[4570Man]

An actual skid steer is difficult to grade with. The short wheelbase makes it quite difficult to get rid of washboards. A CTL is a lot better but still not what I would buy for that much road maintenance. A decent size tractor with a land plane would be way faster. If you just wanted to buy something different a compact grader would be the tool for the job.

 

[LHF2019]

Depends on your level of experience and what you are doing to maintain your road. I would always go with a tractor however, since getting a skidsteer and having to fix my roads when they wash out. Hands down the skidsteer is quicker easier and more enjoyable than a tractor and I’m only using a bucket. Same with the tractor. Only a bucket. Side by side comparison. I will always take the skidsteer over the tractor. In fact since getting the skidsteer the tractor no longer does road maintenance or snow plowing. Again all I have for them is buckets.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long driveway that is not paved. After 40+ years - the surface is a mixture of volcanic ash, silt, sand and gravel. After spring break up - the driveway dries and becomes as hard as 40 year old concrete.

Been out here 40+ years. The first 27 I had a Ford 1700 4WD. It simply was not strong enough to pull a heavy implement that could break the driveway crust.

2009 I bought a brand new Kubota M6040. With FEL, grapple, RimGuard loaded rear tires and 1000 pound rear blade - it weighs 10,000 pounds.

Now I can pull a heavy Rhino rear blade and Land Pride LPGS. They will definitely re contour the driveway surface.

 

[Gee Ray]

If I had to maintain a large length of road, I would buy a pull behind land leveler has shown in these pictures. You could attach this to the three-point of the tractor and with the hydraulics on the back tip left and right and fine-tune the adjustments up and down. This would eliminate the transfer to the box blade that often causes problems when trying to level with a three-point box blade.

There are heavier options made that come with scaffires, but these pictures are what I found on a quick search.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I currently have two tractors and am considering a third to use exclusively for maintenance on my 1.25 mile private road. I do a lot of grading, ditch work, hauling & spreading material, etc. Some of the work is in tight spaces. Ignoring the significant difference in price between a CUT and a skid steer, what would you choose and why?

I just use a tractor, landplane, landscape rake and offset blade and I maintain a mile and a half of driveway and shared road. It only takes a few hours when I do it 3 or four times a year. I can't see a dedicated machine for that chore. If I did, it would likely be something like this

Champion 600d road grader - heavy equipment - by owner - sale - craigslist

Then I could have the fun of learning how to use it.

 

[scootr]

I just use a tractor, landplane, landscape rake and offset blade and I maintain a mile and a half of driveway and shared road. It only takes a few hours when I do it 3 or four times a year. I can't see a dedicated machine for that chore. If I did, it would likely be something like this

Champion 600d road grader - heavy equipment - by owner - sale - craigslist

Then I could have the fun of learning how to use it.

I'd flag that ad. Looks way to good to be legit. For $10k I'd buy it and ship it to CA.