Tractor vs Skid Steer Loader Specs

[4570Man]

I think the compact telehandler with the right tires and high flow or a JCB teleskid on tracks would be excellent all around tool.

JCB Teleskid | Skid Steer Loader | JCB.com

The JCB Teleskid is the first skid steer loader or compact tracked loader with a skid steer telescopic boom, making it the most versatile tracked skid steer you’ve ever seen.

www.jcb.com

Problem is, even the used ones are pretty spendy. The compact telehandler s been out a long time and may be more affordable.

If they could make a road speed telehandler with high flow, it might be worth a look for me for bales, front bush hog and land clearing work. With a set of rear hydraulic remotes, it could pull a wheel rake for hay.
The JCB is still a bit of a toy.

I’ve never operated a compact telhandler but I have operated a compact 5 ton wheel loader that one of my friends owned. It was excellent at lifting and carrying materials. No surprise there since that’s the sole design purpose of a loader. It was smoother riding and didn’t shake your pallets apart like a CTL tends to do, the visibility was better with the forks at truck bed height although the visibility was worse at ground level, the tipping load was over 4 tons which is more than a comparable size skid steer and you could safely get out of the loader with the boom raised. The downside is the loader was trash for doing dirt work. Grading out a yard is nearly out of the question with the loader. The next major downside to the loader is the off-road stability sucked. The compact telhandler appears to be better in that aspect. The other downsides that the telhandler doesn’t solve is the tires on the loader are bigger than a skid steer tire but they’re still not equal to the flotation a tracked skid steer has and the loader has marginal hydraulic flow. It could use a grapple but a mower or other high flow attachments was a no. Ultimately he sold the loader and bought a 97-2 Kubota CTL and my desire for a loader was mostly cured and I kept my skid steers. I could still go for a JCB Teleskid on tracks.

 

[jb1390]

I have a couple questions for those that have owned Skid Steers, both tracked and wheel. What do you think the cost of maintenance of the drives (tires and tracks) is, compared to a tractor? I just did track chains on my excavator and the cost was significant just for parts. I know that's a bigger machine, but the cost of tracks must be higher than tires on a SS or tractor I would think. My neighbor seems to go through tires really quickly on his LX665 SS. Maybe that's just how he operates, but he's been through several sets in the past 10 years, and he doesn't use his machine a tremendous amount.

I have about 1600 hours on my tractor, and a bunch of miles on the road. The back tires look brand new and the front ones have minimal wear. Is that a non-negligible consideration in cost of ownership?

Also curious how the machines do on rocks. In New England, I am frequently driving over stones, some of them large and pointy. The tractor does that pretty well. My steel track excavator I have to be more careful.

 

[4570Man]

I have a couple questions for those that have owned Skid Steers, both tracked and wheel. What do you think the cost of maintenance of the drives (tires and tracks) is, compared to a tractor? I just did track chains on my excavator and the cost was significant just for parts. I know that's a bigger machine, but the cost of tracks must be higher than tires on a SS or tractor I would think. My neighbor seems to go through tires really quickly on his LX665 SS. Maybe that's just how he operates, but he's been through several sets in the past 10 years, and he doesn't use his machine a tremendous amount.

I have about 1600 hours on my tractor, and a bunch of miles on the road. The back tires look brand new and the front ones have minimal wear. Is that a non-negligible consideration in cost of ownership?

Also curious how the machines do on rocks. In New England, I am frequently driving over stones, some of them large and pointy. The tractor does that pretty well. My steel track excavator I have to be more careful.

The cost to run a CTL vs a tractor is obviously more but that’s not really a valid comparison. The CTL does far more work in an hour than the tractor is capable of. You can probably get 1500 hours from a set of tracks and sprockets and put off changing the rollers until the second set of tracks. That’s a fairly expensive job but not that significant compared to the work that was done. Larger rocks definitely don’t do tracks any favors. They’re not delicate but the lifespan will be less than if you ran in smooth topsoil. A wheeled skid steer cost less upfront but really cost more to operate. Maybe not in straight up cost per hour but change the comparison to cost per job done and it cost more.

 

[CoyPatton]

My question for you would be what are your currently identified needs?
2nd question would be what do you see as near future needs.

If loader work is your current and future usage needs, I would suggest looking hard at the skid steer. It has nearly 10x the hydraulic flow of most compact tractors. If you every look at hydraulic attachments for your needs, this becomes a game changer. If course it comes at a price. If space is a concern, go with the skid steer.
Now for my comment about spec sheets, they are basically not worth the paper or computer memory they occupy. Once you cross tractor brands they are difficult to compare. Crossing machines types even within the same brand is even worse.
As others have indicated from a loader perspective there is no comparison between a skid steer loader and a compact tractor loader.

Watch some work done with both types of machines, if possible spend some seat time in both.

My opinion, a skid steer is built with a loader as its focus. A tractor has a loader added to its frame to provide some additional usefulness. Mist of us (me included) have tractors because of the stuff that attached to the rear—PTO/3PH.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

Think about getting in and out of a skid steer not the same as a tractor. I have older both units. The skid will out lift the tractor and an offroad fork lift with beat them both.

 

[Fitch]

I have used both. I have an LS160 with a brush grapple. If you need to pick up logs on lawns, get a tractor. Otherwise a skid-steer is far better. Get one with a rated working load that covers what you plan to lift. The skid steers maneuverability makes it a fantastic machine for the job you describe. I use mine for that all the time.

Use the working load to max lift height as the specification for comparison. The break out capability has no meaning for your application. Be aware that with the actual working load at max lift height, you need to be very careful or you'll tip the skid steer over. They can tip in any direction with the max load that high. Use common sense and you won't have a problem.

 

[dcarman]

I'm trying to compare loader specs and it's hard to do on paper. I don't have experience with skid steers so I'd like some perspective from those that do. Ignoring all other differences between tractors and skid steers, how do you determine which loader is stronger? ROC and tipping load are the common skid steer specs, but how do you compare that to a tractor loader that is rated at lift at a certain height? Breakout force appears to be the only overlapping spec. It would mainly be used for lifting logs onto trailers and mills so max height isn't important. As an example, the Kubota L47 is rated at 2,848 lift to max height and 4,531 breakout force. The SSV75 has ROC of 2,690, tipping load of 5,380 and lift arm breakout of 4,850. On paper the lifting capacity seems comparable, is that correct? Again, I'm ignoring the usual differences between tractors and skid steers. Is there a certain spec that I should use to compare between the two and across brands? Breakout force seems to be more important for my use, should that be what I use to compare?

Well I've owned them both and I love the maneuverability of the skid steer but the disadvantages outweigh that. I work alone so the skid steer became a problem. You can't get out of the thing when you need to hook up something with the loader part way up was the biggest problem. Here the front end loader excels.
You got hills? you can't go up hill forward with the skid steer without a load on front, the front wheels come off the ground! As far as lifting goes put some counterweight in the rear of your front end loader like a box blade and wheel weights and you can lift as much. I like the front end loader.

 

[ovrszd]

Great discussion. Just need to clarify one thing.

There's absolutely no comparison between a Skid Steer and a CTL in regards to productivity. None.

A CTL will make a tractor/FEL look stupid doing loader work. Again, no comparison.

Someone mentioned soft ground. I used my Brother's CTL to trim a ditch and create a flat bottomed waterway. Then I drove my tractor across the waterway and got stuck. Again, a CTL in soft ground will make a tractor look helpless.

A CTL partnered with a 100hp tractor w/FEL would be hard to beat. And unless you have AG work to do, the CTL will get twice as many hours of use each year.

Great discussion.

 

[Sid Post]

First, people are talking about dissimilar machines that don't really make sense in comparison.

A huge tracked Skid Steer like a Bobcat T870 is significantly different than most wheeled skids. Costs generally start around $50K and easily top $100K.

Next are cost differences. A ~100+ HP ag-oriented 4wd tractor with FEL "soft ride" is a great option but, these days is easily over $100K too!

A larger backhoe has some merit if you are talking about a larger 4x4 model but, they are ~$50K for a well-used version and easily top $80K for a clean used version.

Telehandlers are awesome in a lot of applications but, you are looking at >$100K pretty easily.

Skid steers excel in a non-construction application when you are working in tight confines like inside a barn or building fencing where you need to mulch branches or pile drive steel posts. They are less than ideal for transporting stuff over great distances or where they will get high centered like a wet field. With high-flow hydraulics, they can be awesome mowers and mulchers though.

A classic AG Tractor with a heavy loader is the better option for most people and applications in a more open setting like a farm or most smaller sawmills. Soft ride loaders really take the bounce out when moving around. Visibility is significantly better. Transport with a load is easier and faster in most cases. They will lift higher and have a PTO and 3-Point for other uses.

Telehandlers are unique and pretty dedicated to their task so, not the best choice for general versatility.

Trackhoes have a lot of lift capacity but, are only really good for generally static usage. Backhoes are a little better but, have pretty limited uses for most people. How often do you need a wheeled backhoe to plant trees or did a trench for a water line?

There is a reason why most smaller operators run a 4wd Ag-oriented tractor. Prices are generally lower and the flexibility for broader use applications are strong benefits for most operators.

 

[Dukeisok]

I have a 50 horsepower four wheel drive tractor and a 90 horsepower skid steer with over the tire tracks. The skid steer gets 95% of the work at my house and with high flow Hydraulics it runs a mulcher, stump grinder, and mower. No comparison on lifting, but I find the thing u use the tractor for is fine grading where I can adjust the angle of the box scrape. No adjustment on the skid steer. It is much more expensive and implements are too, but when you look at them you can see why. 2 or 3 times the steel for heavy duty work. I find the skid quite versatile and am thinking of getting rid of the tractor and getting a tilt attachment for the skid