Tractor vs Skid Steer Loader Specs

[ovrszd]

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

I'd really like to have a 90hp CTL. But I wouldn't sell my 95hp tractor to get one. I'm greedy, I want both.

Welcome to TBN!!!

 

[kmesr9]

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?

If you’re mostly going to use it to move and lift logs why have you not considered a reach fork? There are tons of options there and You can also outfit it with a. Bucket and a grapple etc. In my mind it was made for exactly what you’re trying to do.

 

[4570Man]

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.

It’s true that an all terrain forklift lifts more then a skid steer but the all terrain is pretty useless for grading the driveway or literally anything besides lifting.

 

[Xfaxman]

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

True for telehandlers, but not compact telehandlers.

Mine will out dig the average CTL. I did it using my 1 cubic yard 72 inch wide bucket on a Bobcat T300: Compact telehandler

As far as versatility, mine with SSQA can use most of the attachments made for skid steers. Plus one that I made using an old fork frame and an 8 foot box blade: Adding SSQA to a Box Blade

 

[Bison]

I would use an compact articulated loader before i would consider using a skid steer ( i have both)
Wheels are more forgiving in softer ground than a skid steer and these loaders are more maneuverable .One can also get in and out of the cab at any loader position were as in a skid steer the loader has to be at ground level to get in or out the cab., a skid steer tears up the surface every twist and turn and worse when the ground is wet.
Both skid and compact loader have equal load capasities.

My 2 cents

 

[Bison]

If you are going to be lifting max amount on a regular basis you would be wise to look at the skid steer. The front end of a tractor will take a beating doing that where a skid steer is designed to handle that kind of work.

I don't agree with you there.
I have used both my 74 and 105 HP tractors with frontend loaders to feed many thousands of big round hay bales weighing up to 1700 lbs and often 2 1200-1300 lb at the same time for 35 + years with no ill effect on the front axle.

 

[4570Man]

I don't agree with you there.
I have used both my 74 and 105 HP tractors with frontend loaders to feed many thousands of big round hay bales weighing up to 1700 lbs and often 2 1200-1300 lb at the same time for 35 + years with no ill effect on the front axle.

Moving a few thousand bales over 35 years isn’t that much. What if you were stacking a thousand bales a day. Would the tractor still hold up to the job? It’s no question that the tractor loader is built a lot lighter duty than a true industrial loader would be.

 

[4570Man]

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.

I own a wheeled skid and a CTL. The wheeled skid doesn’t fall that far behind on smooth hard ground. If the ground has deep holes or is anything resembling soft the tracks are in for big win. Either machine will make a tractor look silly. The tractor was already behind on maneuverability and considering the size difference required to get anything close to the same performance that’s a land slide victory for the CTL. Some of the larger farm tractor loader specs might equal a medium size CTL like mine but pretty much none of them could equal a T12 or equivalent machine. A lot of the posters here haven’t ever used a CTL and are considering a CTL and their brother in law’s small skid steer to be the same thing. If you’ve never had a CTL you really don’t understand. It’s a completely different animal vs a wheeled machine or a tractor. Especially in soft ground. I can make 10 trips over a soft area carrying a load and the same area would stick a tractor in one pass.

 

[ruffdog]

 

[ovrszd]

I own a wheeled skid and a CTL. The wheeled skid doesn’t fall that far behind on smooth hard ground. If the ground has deep holes or is anything resembling soft the tracks are in for big win. Either machine will make a tractor look silly. The tractor was already behind on maneuverability and considering the size difference required to get anything close to the same performance that’s a land slide victory for the CTL. Some of the larger farm tractor loader specs might equal a medium size CTL like mine but pretty much none of them could equal a T12 or equivalent machine. A lot of the posters here haven’t ever used a CTL and are considering a CTL and their brother in law’s small skid steer to be the same thing. If you’ve never had a CTL you really don’t understand. It’s a completely different animal vs a wheeled machine or a tractor. Especially in soft ground. I can make 10 trips over a soft area carrying a load and the same area would stick a tractor in one pass.

Well stated.