skid steer or compact?????

[schmism]

Id opt for adding a cabbed CUT.

With FEL while not AS quick as a skidsteer, perhaps a larger bucket for that lite manure to offset its slower movement.

NH has the turtle-rabbit button for FEL work, turtle into the pile, rabbit for quick rearward movements and dumping, back to turtle for the next push into the pile....

the upshot is all your current implements fit with nothing else to buy. If you went skidsteer and watned to add a brushhog for backup, then you need to buy that and it doesnt work on the tractors....

overall i like the idea of reduancy.... if you did get a skidsteer and bid work based on useing it... then it goes down.... you have to come in with the Massy which is slower = loose money? meanwhile without spending more money for hog for the skidsteer, you have no way to backup the brushhoging of the tractors WITH the skidsteer....

A cabbed skidsteer = MUCH more than a cabbed CUT.

 

[bam747]

I haven't seen anyone mention the height, or lack there of, advantage of a skid steer over any cabed CUT. Seems most all skid steers will fit under 7', but cabbed cuts are going to require more like 8', and some will required about 8' 6".

 

[MrJimi]

My Case 1845 C with a 60 HP Cummins will fit under a 7 foot door easy.

 

[jmc]

Like others said, the tracked loaders/ skid steers are very productive AND more fun to run. (Although making a living in one may change that) Check out the oversized buckets for light material. I guess those buckets would also fit a CUT with a SS adapter but you don't usually see SS buckets on CUTs for some reason. Anybody done that?

John

edit: and the last time I priced SS brush cutters they were $4000 or 5000!

 

[EquipmentJunkie]

Wheeled skid steers cost about $1.00/hr. for maintenance. Rubber-tracked machines are about $4.00/hr. for maintenance. That is a published fact that I have read in mutiple magazine articles and backed up by several dealers that I have spoken with.

Rubber-tracked loaders are phenominal in the work that they can do, but there is a cost. Some dealers will claim that rubber-tracked machines have been over-sold and we will see a resurgence of wheeled machines. I don't know if that is the case or not.

I suspect that for your overall usage, a wheeled machine will be the best for your application.

I would recommend a skid steer instead of a tractor for manure work. The added bonus is that a skid steer could be used for a huge variety of other work by renting attachments from a local source as the need arises. Plus, a skid steer is great for snow removal.

 

[AlanB]

My vote would be in the diversefy, get the skid steer. There is no comparison in speed for doing bucket work between a skid steer and a CUT.

I would go with wheels, and possibly a track system (there are several) Some use the tracks over existing wheels and tires, and some use an entire dedicated track system you bolt on instead of wheels and tires.

If wheels work for the jobs you have (and they have worked well for a long time) then you are ahead of the tracked machines on both initial cost and maintenance. You can add the track system later if needed (and I am betting you won't) and while the add on track systems are not as good as a dedicated track machine, they will usually suffice for all but the worst conditions.

I always like having a variety of methods to attack a problem, and if you are doing much loading, material handling, my experience is the SS is all over the CUT in speed (which is the name of the game when you are being paid by the job.)

Good luck.

 

[BTI]

You could get a hi cap light duty bucket for the tractor, if you buy one.
One thing about it the tractor can be used as a back up for the rest of your operation.
The skidsteer CAN be also but SS mounted Rotaries are major-league pricy.

BTI

 

[Eric67ct]

My Case 1845 C with a 60 HP Cummins will fit under a 7 foot door easy.

I am looking for either a TLB or possibly a skidsteer. I saw this on my local CL. Is this a good deal in your opinion?


CASE 1845 UNILOADER SKIDSTEER - $8,100
"i have a case1845 uniloader skid steer in exellent shape well mantained stored inside machine runs new tires are in great shape ready for work nice machine oh and did i mention its diesel best resonable offer takes it"

 

[Sterff]

Don't buy a track machine. Take it from a guy who works on a farm; they stink for loading manure. We used one in the barnyard and they cannot get traction on the concrete. Also as mentioned before the maintenance is much higher on track machines. We use a Case IH 435 and 465 skid loader both with pilot controls. You can load a NH 195 in about 2 minutes with a standard bucket.