Thoughts on going from a Kubota to a CAT track skid steer back to a Kubota.

[Cat_Driver]

I just took delivery of another Kubota a 2016 4060. First question might be - why go from Kubota to a Track skid steer and back.

At the time I needed a cab on a smaller utility tractor and as I remember at the time Kubota was not making them, so I went outside the box and went with a enclosed cab CAT 287B with AC/HEAT. I bought it when the economy took a crash back in 2007 so the guy was giving it away at a price I couldn't refuse.

The machine was actually a perfect machine for my needs. I was able to switch implements from the cab hydraulically without leaving the cab, that alone made the machine perfect. Next the tracks floated over the deeps desert sand I work in ( like a beach sand ). The lift capabilities was amazing, I could pull up next to a tree wrap a chain around it and pull it out of the ground roots and all. Maneuverability is a skid steers major selling point. I could get into some tight areas and just spin around 180 degrees and get out driving forward. I never had a flat tire on the track loader because it didn't have tires. Visibility using the grappler was amazing, I could pick up and pinch a golf ball if I wanted to. I sold it because a guy gave me what I paid for it 8 years earlier, so I used it for free for eight years, the proverbial offer now - I couldn't refuse.

About a year went by as I watched what was coming out and trying to decide what my next move was. Then I saw an ad for the L4060 with a full cab AS/HEAT with 68 hours at a price I could not pass up.

I spent the day on it doing some typical work yesterday and her's my observations. Visibility is great, using the attached grappler is not ideal as the grappler seems so far away compared to the skid steer. The entire length of the tractor, loader, grappler seems like it's twice as long as the skid steer.

I did the same type or work ( clean up trees brush ) as I did with the skid steer and it took two to three times as long, due to the maneuverability, controls, and far less lifting power nearly 1/2 what the skid steer was, and I feel it.

I had low hours on the skid steer when I sold it and today I realized why, I was able to do my work in such little time the hours never added up on the machine.

No buyers remorse so far because I bought this unit for nearly half the price of a Kubota or CAT skid steer, so I'll put up with working a little harder, working a little longer and keep the 40K in my pocket, but if flat tires start mounting up because of the thorns I work around then I'll be in a track loader soon enough.

 

[Piston]

I’m always interested to hear the real life experience comparisons of a track loader vs tractor.

Sometimes I think I should go with a skidsteer for the work I do, but with all the implements I’ve gained over the years for a fraction of new prices, I’d have to spend a fortune to replace them with skidsteer implements if I ever switched.

That alone is enough of a reason for me to stick with a tractor.

A neighbor of mine uses his tractor and skidsteer on a daily basis for work, and he always says that although the skidsteer would work circles around the tractor, if he had to choose one it would be the tractor for versatility and comfort.

 

[mopardude318]

yea I use skid steers at work for the drilling/pile driving co. they sure are nimble, can lift 2 tons, and man do they get abused. lol. when i get home and use the loader on my M7060, it seems so fragile. i have to take it easy on that thing!

one day i might buy me a kubota svl95. but ****, so expensive for a "just to have" machine, and not a commercial profit maker, dont know if itd make sense.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I’m always interested to hear the real life experience comparisons of a track loader vs tractor.

Sometimes I think I should go with a skidsteer for the work I do, but with all the implements I’ve gained over the years for a fraction of new prices, I’d have to spend a fortune to replace them with skidsteer implements if I ever switched.

That alone is enough of a reason for me to stick with a tractor.

A neighbor of mine uses his tractor and skidsteer on a daily basis for work, and he always says that although the skidsteer would work circles around the tractor, if he had to choose one it would be the tractor for versatility and comfort.

When I switched from tractor to skid steer I converted a lot of my iplements to the skid steer just by welding the plate on them. I even Converted a 3pt hitch York rake to use on the skid steer. When I sold off the skid steer I had almost a dozen attachments, I had a back hoe, trencher, forks, rake, tree spade, trash bucket, reg bucket, sand bucket, lifting crane, hydraulic land grader, and believe it or not they all sold within a couple of weeks. I had all the gear for a decade and on most items I got what I paid for them, some smaller items I tossed in for a larger sale when a guy wanted to buy a large lot.
So there I was no tractor of any kind and not one attachment to my name.

My point is a switch can be made, as Now I've switched from Kubota to Skidsteer, back to Kubota, and it looks like I may be switching back to a skid steer as it's getting more and more frustrating not being able to do what I did with teh skid steer.

Plus I'm getting stuck in the sand almost every time I go out and use it that was something I never even thought of using the skidsteer as it would float over material.

Now again I need to watch my tires from thorns and flats.

I'll give it a while but it's not looking good for the tractor at this point.

It's mainly the lifting capabilities, I never found the skid steers limit. I could tell you stories of the weight that think handled. I even used the heany duty grappler as a plow with teh skid steer. It would dig down about 8" and I could put the throttle gown and it would just go without bogging down.

We shall see what happens, but I'm missing the power to teh size of the machine ration. Twice the power and what seems like 1/2 teh foo print.

 

[Cat_Driver]

yea I use skid steers at work for the drilling/pile driving co. they sure are nimble, can lift 2 tons, and man do they get abused. lol. when i get home and use the loader on my M7060, it seems so fragile. i have to take it easy on that thing!

one day i might buy me a kubota svl95. but ****, so expensive for a "just to have" machine, and not a commercial profit maker, dont know if itd make sense.

One thing about... so expensive, if you buy them right you alaways get your money back. Like with my CAT, I bought it right, used it for nearly 10 years and goy what I paid for it.
I'm seriously looking at the same unit - AGAIN.

I'm thinking it's too much work tring to do what I do with the tractor over the trackloader. I tried pulling up a tree, roots and all the other day and took me nearly an hour. In teh past with the CAT I would get up nect to the same tree catch it with the front blade by digging in a bit and just LIFT and it woyld pop out - roots an all. Total time less than five minutes.

My other option is renting a trackloader for the tough hard stuff and just keep the 4060 for "general maintenance"

 

[mopardude318]

yea what I think I actually want now is an M62 TLB! what a fine machine that thing is! it sure would serve me better than a CTL, I think.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a track Cat skidsteer and a tractor. The Cat as you pointed out is waaaay faster and more capable, but brutal on my lawn. Tractor is best for light around the house things and the heavy lifting goes to the Cat

 

[mike69440]

yea what I think I actually want now is an M62 TLB! what a fine machine that thing is! it sure would serve me better than a CTL, I think.

See Post # 50
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/381140-do-you-have-enough-tractor-5.html
Even though my L39 can pick up a lot, I doubt it can lifft as much as a even a smaller medium sized CTL.

A tractor cannot maneuver or scoot like a CLT, and in soft ground, the tractor gets stuck, but the tractor is a Swiss army knife, especially with a hoe.

 

[nybirdman]

I personally don't care to operate a S.S.,too limited of view for my liking;they certainly have their place.I recently hired two different contractors to do some heavy duty brush removal.Six days of work and both machines had break-downs of some sort,thrown tracks,non-working A.C.,busted windows and hydraulic leaks;both machines needed blades/teeth replaced after the job was complete.
So for me;if I need a S.S.,I will be contracting or renting.Another thing at 3,000 hours the tracks need to be replaced @$3,000+.

 

[mopardude318]

See Post # 50
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/381140-do-you-have-enough-tractor-5.html
Even though my L39 can pick up a lot, I doubt it can lifft as much as a even a smaller medium sized CTL.

A tractor cannot maneuver or scoot like a CLT, and in soft ground, the tractor gets stuck, but the tractor is a Swiss army knife, especially with a hoe.

I read that. I'm curious if your neighbors SVL95 can get it.

I really think I could use TLB out here now.

What do you guys say, a man who buys his first tractor, always buys another? I forget how it goes.