Excavator v. Skid Steer for Hobby Farmer?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I have a Kubota L3710 which I generally use with brush forks. I don't grow row crops. Most of what I do is general property maintenance. I cut and move trees. I bush hog when I have no choice. I use the tractor for lifting stuff. I move dirt with it.

The guy who used to own this farm sold me the tractor, so a tractor is what I have. Sometimes I think a skid steer would be better for me. I have seen skid steers ripping out stumps and other things, and I have been impressed. Also, I have machine tools, and a skid steer would be able to lift them, while the Kubota is not.

Since I've been thinking about getting a used skid steer, it has occurred to me that a mini excavator might be better.

The Kubota has been marginal for moving rocks because it has a low lift capacity. It can't dig narrow holes, so removing dirt around rocks and stumps is not practical. It would be neat to have a machine that would dig around these things in a hurry.

I'd also like to be able to shove medium-sized trees over and then buck them instead of felling them and then trying to get the stumps out the hard way.

Seems like excavator prices are way lower than skid steer prices.

So what's the better second machine for a gentleman farmer who doesn't grow anything but needs to dig and move stuff?

 

[Xfaxman]

Have you seen what a compact telehandler can do? Click this link:Compact telehandler

Get one and sell the tractor like I did.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'd also like to be able to shove medium-sized trees over and then buck them instead of felling them and then trying to get the stumps out the hard way.

Or pull them with a tree puller:

A cedar tree:

 

[Xfaxman]

And it is small enough to park in the garage:

 

[M59]

Suburban Plowboy,

No machine whether it is a tractor with loader or tractor loader backhoe ( TLB ) or backhoe or skidsteer, or trackloader, or excavator or telehandler is going to do everything you want and do it well. Excavator's ( mini and larger ) and larger TLB/ backhoes have good digging and lifting power and reach ( being able to work at distance ). Skidsteers and trackloaders are good for lifting and carrying things and are agile but both require adding a hoe to their SSQA to dig and the reach is much shorter.

My personal preference for all around capability to do work was a Kubota M59 as it had sufficient weight for stability while working and sufficient horsepower to run a wide range of tools of the front and back of the machine. I have SSQA forks for moving pallets and a SSQA McMillen auger for planting posts and trees, a SSQA grapple for moving pretty much anything, a Power rake for cleaning rocks and debris from ground while leveling it in preparation for planting grass, a backhoe with thumb for pulling out trees up to 6" in dia and digging root ball of the rest. Thumb also move rocks and build walls and steps. Also pull a box blade for leveling pretty much any dirt pile or driveway. Near term addition is a trenching tool for laying pipe and power line into a trench.

In a nutshell, I looked for a machine that gave me the greatest range of capability because it could use the greatest range of tools for maintaining and upgrading property in hilly NC.

 

[4570Man]

I have a skid steer and an excavator. For your uses I would go with a skid steer and a stump bucket. The excavator would be better for digging things but the skid steer is better for lifting and carrying things and it sounds like that’s your main use. I previously had a M59. It would also be good for your uses. It’s better at excavator jobs than a skid steer is and it’s better at skid steer jobs than a excavator is although a skid steer and mini excavator is far better. The M59 has a pretty strong loader. A lot more than your current tractor.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

That telehandler is really something. Makes me wonder if they have dented the market appeal of skid steers.

 

[kevin37b]

Buy both . You will never regret it .

 

[Xfaxman]

Buy both . You will never regret it .

With a compact telehandler you don't need both.

Speaking of a stump bucket: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/compact-telehandler.160568/post-6274525

Had to cut some roots on both sides:

 

[sea2summit]

That telehandler is really something. Makes me wonder if they have dented the market appeal of skid steers.

If they’re prices were closer I bet they would. Last time I looked there was a pretty big difference.

But like others said if it’s between mini ex and a skid steer I’d go skid steer, mini ex will never lift pallets or big pieces of machine tooling…well.