Tracked Skid Steer or Tractor?

[Snobdds]

If you ever get a skid steer stuck in a remote location, it will be there a while. They are super heavy and they need something twice as big to get it out.

I would get a TLB. This gives you a front bucket, Backhoe and three point hitch. Get a log winch and keep the tractor in a safe place while the winch pulls logs out of the way. Get some forks or a grapple too. The TLB can just about get itself out of being stuck with the bucket and hoe. That is huge.

 

[ovrszd]

If you ever get a skid steer stuck in a remote location, it will be there a while. They are super heavy and they need something twice as big to get it out.

I would get a TLB. This gives you a front bucket, Backhoe and three point hitch. Get a log winch and keep the tractor in a safe place while the winch pulls logs out of the way. Get some forks or a grapple too. The TLB can just about get itself out of being stuck with the bucket and hoe. That is huge.

I agree. For clarity, he's talking about a CTL not a SS. Huge difference.


Edit: Sorry Snobdds, I reread the OP, he did say Tracked Skid Steer. My brain automatically converted that to a CTL. Maybe that isn't his intent? Sorry.

 

[AKRazn]

yeah I own two landing crafts and that is how I plan to transport the equipment. The problem with hiring is that this job is way to big for 1 summer's worth of work so multiple trips will need to be made, and the cost of transport just from town to the site on the landing craft that is large enough is $8,000, then another $8,000 to come pick it up which basically pays for a piece of equipment.

I don't plan to push the trees down my thought was to cut them down and then buck them up into smaller sections that the equipment could handle, maybe even leave a 8-10' tall section attached to the roots sticking up, dig around the roots and then pull down with the tractor?

not sure just trying to gather info at this point and make sure I don't make a bad decision.

Thanks everyone!

 

[AKRazn]

I have thought about the getting stuck situation and you are correct that the skid steer will be there until I bring out something else to get it out. That may be the deciding factor whereas the tractor can get it's self out with which is a must....decisions decisions.

 

[Musdalen]

Why do you want to clear this much land? I'm just curious. It must be a powerful reason, 'cuz that's a whole buncha work just to let the sun shine in a little more (which cutting w/o grubbing the stumps would do anyway).

Brent

 

[bookmyer]

I don't know but a B series is a really small tractor. I doubt it would do what you need. I think you are going to need to do a lot of chain sawing with your weight limitations?

 

[Musdalen]

Maybe stump removal via dynamite is the way to go. Either that or good ol' fungus.

 

[AKRazn]

Why do you want to clear this much land? I'm just curious. It must be a powerful reason, 'cuz that's a whole buncha work just to let the sun shine in a little more (which cutting w/o grubbing the stumps would do anyway).

Brent

This is going to be our summer home and I would like to have the grounds cleared and grassed for our kids and eventually grand kids to play in. The Spruce trees hold a lot of moisture which lends to rotting etc. of the house and outbuilding we will be building. Kodiak gets about 70+ inches of rain each year so any and all sunshine we can take advantage of I would like to be able to. I don't mind putting in the work just want to try and get the best tool for the job with the option constraints.

 

[AKRazn]

I don't know but a B series is a really small tractor. I doubt it would do what you need. I think you are going to need to do a lot of chain sawing with your weight limitations?

I was thinking the B may be a bit small is the L that much bigger? what about a Mahindra? I was told by someone locally that Kubota has gotten to be a really big name and you are starting to pay for the name. Mahindra was recommended as it is now a good value like Kubota used to be? not sure on this was just suggested by a guy who has a homestead on the south end of Kodiak and owns an older L model Kubota.

This guy also figured out how to get dual front and rear tires on his L model and said that was the ticket, may be the way I go as well. I guess he purchased the next size smaller front wheels and welded them to the outside of the main front wheels. When he drives around he is on the two main front wheels but if he sinks into anything the other smaller front wheels help him float. May be the way to go?

 

[jeff9366]

Consider CLIC dual wheels: Clic Wheel Systems Ltd - Dual Wheels for ATVs and Off-Road Vehicles - Products - Off Roaders



You will make a better, quicker, tractor decision is you study tractors in terms of (bare tractor) WEIGHT rather than SIZE.

 

[AKRazn]

Consider CLIC dual wheels: Clic Wheel Systems Ltd - Dual Wheels for ATVs and Off-Road Vehicles - Products - Off Roaders



You will make a better, quicker, tractor decision is you study tractors in terms of (bare tractor) WEIGHT rather than SIZE.

I had discussed in length with one of the tractor dealers in Anchorage and settled on a Kubota B3350 but then after reading about all the problems with the emissions etc. I got scared off as even the dealer admitted it was a nightmare. There is ZERO support in Kodiak so any dealer support would have me shelling out the expense of a plane ticket, parts, room and board for a tech to come down....

So I looked at the B2650 but not sure if it has enough balls to do what I need? A fully loaded B2650 with loader and backhoe is less than 5K pounds.

 

[jeff9366]

I expect most of your respondents will agree with this recommendation: one of Kubota's 'MX' series with a bare tractor weight of 4,000 pounds. MX are very simple, powerful small tractors. The MX design has been in production 25 years, maybe thirty years.

You may have to ferry the tractor as one boat load, the MX Front Loader, Backhoe and Three Point Hitch implements as a second load.

http://www.kubota.com/product/mx4800/mx4800.aspx


I suggest you commence another thread: Anyone operating DUAL REAR WHEELS on Kubota B, L or MX tractors?

I like SNOBDDS's suggestion of a PTO powered Logging Winch.
tractor logging winch - YouTube

 

[AKRazn]

I expect most of your respondents would agree with this recommendation: one of Kubota's 'MX' series with a bare tractor weight of 4,000 pounds.

You make have to ferry the tractor as one load, the MX Front Loader and Three Point Hitch implements as a second load.

And this is also something I have considered. I could load tractor on the boat and take it over to cabin, then come back and have a forklift put the implements on and then use the tractor to get them off once back out at the cabin. Just have to figure out how to secure them on deck in a way that i would be able to get them back off with the tractor.

 

[AKRazn]

Wondering if it's the 26 hp will be enough or if I need to go to the 33+ hp?

 

[jeff9366]

Hey!!! Forget horsepower. Consider tractor weight 1st and 2nd, horsepower third.

A tractor's capability is defined by its WEIGHT.

LINK: Google

 

[jeff9366]

And this is also something I have considered. I could load tractor on the boat and take it over to cabin, then come back and have a forklift put the implements on and then use the tractor to get them off once back out at the cabin. Just have to figure out how to secure them on deck in a way that i would be able to get them back off with the tractor.

Pull implements on with a Come-Along wire winch. Lift off light implements with tractor's FEL. Or pull off using tractor's logging winch or a nylon tow strap.
Use ratchet straps or 1/2" nylon rope to secure implements on the boat. I know how potentially dangerous sea passages in a laded boat are.
come along winch - YouTube

 

[Grandad4]

It's an overgeneralization, but Kubota tends to have a light footprint for its horsepower; Mahindra is at the other end of the scale, with lots of ground-hugging weight. Other brands are probably in between. Weight helps with pulling/pushing ability but gets you mired quicker in soft conditions. That MX size is pretty good, IMHO... big enough to do serious work, not so heavy as to get bogged down by its own weight.

 

[ovrszd]

It's an overgeneralization, but Kubota tends to have a light footprint for its horsepower; Mahindra is at the other end of the scale, with lots of ground-hugging weight. Other brands are probably in between. Weight helps with pulling/pushing ability but gets you mired quicker in soft conditions. That MX size is pretty good, IMHO... big enough to do serious work, not so heavy as to get bogged down by its own weight.

Good point.

 

[Rustyiron]

I don't under stand, you have 2 landing craft, a summer island home and rental properties on the mainland. You want to clear several acres of mature forest (does this mean stumps?) and are thinking about purchasing a little "b" sized glorified wheel barrow? (in relation to the scope of work)
Is this just a "pick at it for years" hobby project that you intend to mostly be working the tree's & resulting logs, brush manually into little pieces to use your orange wheel barrow to move about? I'm not trying to insult you at all and I look forward to you hopefully posting pics of this beautiful spot you have and your progress, but unless this is a very long term project with a huge amount of manual labor (all good), I really think you are way off track with this discussion of a tractor that small. It's still going to be a fairly monumental task even with several different 7000# machines like a CTL and a mini ex within those weight restrictions.

 

[AKRazn]

It's an overgeneralization, but Kubota tends to have a light footprint for its horsepower; Mahindra is at the other end of the scale, with lots of ground-hugging weight. Other brands are probably in between. Weight helps with pulling/pushing ability but gets you mired quicker in soft conditions. That MX size is pretty good, IMHO... big enough to do serious work, not so heavy as to get bogged down by its own weight.

Just looked and an MX4800 4WD gear drive transmission weighs 3729#. The LA1065 loader weighs 1350# and the NH92 backhoe weighs 1800# this puts me within the 7,000# range. This seems like a much larger tractor than the B or even L models and may be the way to go?