Skidder or Tractor? If you could only have one.

[4570Man]

Your skidsteer's hydraulics can lift 3600 lbs, but it will tip on level ground. If your on uneven ground or try to turn it will tip with less. .

If you’re comparing a wheeled machine thats largely correct but a larger track machine will make easy work of lifting and carrying 3600 pounds without tipping. My SVL 90 will drive on steeper slopes than you really want to or else the load falls off the forks without tipping. I poured a 6 yard pad the other day with my concrete bucket that holds 3/4 yard with zero tipping. That 90 won’t straight up lift a lot more than my dad’s 75 will. Honestly I probably need to have the relief pressure checked but it’s way more stable than the 75 is at max load.

 

[4570Man]

I never brought up the tipping and inability of my skid steer to go where most everything I own can, except the low cars.

I also feel much better about side hilling a tractor than the skid steer. Of course, that could be lack of experience (and feeling trapped), or it could be that tractors are a lot more like Jeeps.

A tracked machine fixes both of those problems. A tracked skid steer will beat the heck out of a tractor on a hill especially if they’re carrying a load on the front. A tractor with a load on the front is inherently unstable because of the pivoting axel. A solid frame skid steer is vastly more stable with a load.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

A tracked machine fixes both of those problems. A tracked skid steer will beat the heck out of a tractor on a hill especially if they’re carrying a load on the front. A tractor with a load on the front is inherently unstable because of the pivoting axel. A solid frame skid steer is vastly more stable with a load.

I considered getting one with tracks, but since mine's basically only driven on hardpacked snow or ice with the snowblower, my thinking was that the higher contact pressure would be helpful.

Without having tried a tracked version I don't know how they'd compare, but my wheeled one with chains on the front seems almost ideal as it pivots around the front axle when turning. But it's definitely much easier to get stuck with.

Also, and aside from the extra cost, I've seen enough tracks come off at inopportune moments.

 

[4570Man]

Also, and aside from the extra cost, I've seen enough tracks come off at inopportune moments.

A track coming off will definitely make your day worse but I’ve had way more problems with tires coming off the bead than tracks coming off. Remounting a skid steer tire isn’t fun either. Foam filler will fix that that issue but it’s costly and requires downtime.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

A track coming off will definitely make your day worse but I’ve had way more problems with tires coming off the bead than tracks coming off.

Same here. But that's largely because I've never owned anything with tracks.

Reseating beads I've done hundreds of times. No biggie.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Skid steer will do everything a tractor will do. It just costs three or four times as much to do it.
Really though, there are things the skid steer is better suited for. But the ones that always say "you should get a skid steer" are either very well off and can afford the extra cost or they can't afford to pay attention and just want you to think they have all the answers.

Many, many good points made in that post.

 

[veedub]

I have an old Case 1845c I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Well for anything other than a more modern skid steer or a tracked machine. For FEL work especially in tight areas it will run circles around a tractor. Get a load of 15 yards of gravel delivered and need to spread it on the driveway it’s a way better tool. But if you’re doing loader work on a nice lawn it’s the wrong tool.

I tend to do the rough grading of the driveway with the skid steer because it’s faster and does a better job, but I do the finish grade with the tractor and a rear blade.

But this has been said over and over in this post skid steer is better at some tasks tractor is better in others. The ground clearance is its biggest issue in my book. Comes into play in deep mud.

Where mine really shines and what I use it for than anything else is snow removal. I have 3 driveways 2 are steep and longish. One is really wide and flat. In my book you can’t beat the skid steer. I just have an old jeep plow I built a mount to a skid steer quick attach plate for. I used to run over tire metal tracks but now I just run chains. You just can’t beat the maneuverability for plowing. Heck if we get a real dump and the plow is getting over loaded I can literally turn 90degrees in the middle of the driveway and push of to the side, then just back up and keep going. With the way my driveways are set up and all the stuff and vehicles I have to work around and the places I want the snow piles to be, nothing beats the skid steer for this task.

I used to have an old 2wd tractor with a loader. An Italian articulated tractor (Pasquali). And the skid steer. Once I had the skid steer I had no use for the 2wd FEL and got rid of that. But I do like having a tractor for the versatility of 3pt hitch attachments and rear blade work.

It depends what your main tasks are. But for speedy loader work on hard ground that you can tear up a bit, you can’t compare a skid steer to a tractor with FEL. For mowing and other tasks tractor is a better tool.

 

[ttener]

That’s a tough question… I think I would trade my entire investment in the tractor with 6-7 attachments for a skid with a grapple and a bucket. Tracks for sure but I would be cursing that machine for the rest of my life watching it destroy my lawn whenever I used it around the house.

One of each would be ideal! I’ll run that by corporate today just for the exercise, but we all know what her answer is gonna be, lol.

 

[jrsavoie]

I'm on the skidsteer side.
I've been wanting a skidsteer for leveling dirt for 50 years.

 

[dannyojudd]

G'mornin.
I get asked when I will buy a skidder, usually by skidder folk. I say never and that I don't need one cuz of my tractor w/FEL and they look confused. Or wounded?
While I realize that seeing the cutting edge would be a huge advantage, I feel that a tractor is far better for rural living.
Your opinions??

Consider drive/tram time when properties are a mile or so apart. Skidders are a more specialized tool and the tractor is the crescent wrench. Skidders are smaller and specialized. Example - neighbors used tracked skidder with rotary mower/bush hog clearing very steep hillside working from bottom to top.