Tractor vs Skid Steer Loader Specs

[Hay Dude]

What’s your budget

 

[AaronD81]

What’s your budget

Haven't determined that yet, but $30-40k is probably the range I'd be comfortable with. I'd be more inclined to pay more for a TLB that has more versatility and can replace my tractor.

Based on my size restrictions I think I just need to come to terms with not being able to lift anything I want to.

Something like this seems great, but not at that price.
https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/31899697/2019-giant-4548-tendo-telehandlers-lifts

Bobcat T450 or T550 seems to be a reasonable size with decent capacity. CTLs seem to have better weight to capacity ratio than wheeled machines and although more expensive would also be better in a field or woods where we pull the logs.

 

[Smokeydog]

Weight out from lift pin makes a big difference in lift capacity. Heavy logs I can’t lift to load with forks I can grip with grapple from the top and lift. Grapple is more than twice the weight of the forks. But grabbing from top, the center of gravity of the log is closer to the tractor. Fortunately don’t happen too often.

Sounds like the L47 would be hard to beat given your weight requirements.

 

[nch77]

Yeah tracks are better, but eventually the skid steers bottom out. They have lower ground clearance.
It would be a fun contest to see if my 135HP Challenger @15,000lbs with Ag tires and both axles locked could push more across mud than a tracked skid steer. I think the weight of the tractor would really help. If the mud was 12” deep or more, I’d lean tractor.

that's what my bobcat weighs when it has the bucket on it

 

[4570Man]

Yeah tracks are better, but eventually the skid steers bottom out. They have lower ground clearance.
It would be a fun contest to see if my 135HP Challenger @15,000lbs with Ag tires and both axles locked could push more across mud than a tracked skid steer. I think the weight of the tractor would really help. If the mud was 12” deep or more, I’d lean tractor.

If you want to compare in that size class bringing a real track loader with steel tracks is only fair. A smaller rubber track loader would loose that contest but for all around dirt moving the compact track loader would win hands down. It’s got similar lifting abilities, far superior visibility of what the bucket is doing and it could fit in your footprint 3 times.

 

[finn1]

OP, when comparing spec sheets for lifting at ground level, and breakout forces, one of the reasons that this will be difficult to do is that SS and tractor loaders use different geometry for lifting. Independent of whether the cylinders are larger, you can see in SS geometry that the load stays close to level, even as the load is lifted. That is not true with a tractor. If you did not curl forward as you lifted, your load would be facing nearly vertical on many tractor loaders at full height, and the longer the arc would be that the load needed to travel. So the longer the load gets (i.e. pallets vs loaded bucket), the more the tractor capacity will drop, because the load needs to travel further to complete the lifting arc. So that's why there's some examples of the Kubota SS lifting a pallet when a comparable (on paper) kubota TLB won't do it. It's more complicated than hooking a gauge to the lift pins at ground level and reading what it says. In the real world you generally lift forward of the lift pins, and the further forward you go, the lower your capacity will be. This is more pronounced with tractor geometry.

Regardless of all that - I would look more at overall operating weight and use cases. My neighbor has a New Holland LX665 that I borrow sometimes, and I have a 50 HP tractor that weighs about the same. The lift for a bucket full of material is probably about the same. My tractor when I have heavy counterweight is much more stable, especially over rough terrain. I can get out of the tractor safely with a suspended load. The tractor is less maneuverable, and you can't see the bucket edge. The SS is better at grading both due to visibility and to lift arm stops. I can run a mower on my tractor at the same time I have a grapple attached. The SS has terrible ground clearance and is prone to getting stuck in the mud. The SS is shorter and can be moved on a smaller trailer. The tractor does 13 MPH on the road, where the SS probably does about 5. I can pull a trailer with my tractor. As has been said, implements are cheaper with the tractor.

There are a lot of areas of overlap, but a lot of differences also. For my uses, I greatly prefer the tractor. If I was working in the dirt all the time, I'd probably have a SS. For material handling that you need to get out of the machine with a suspended load, as others have said - the only SS that you can do that safely is a volvo or JCB. Don't get out of a SS under a suspended load.

Good post, but don’t forget that there are both vertical lift and radial lift machines. My old wheeled Deere skid steer was a vert lift machine, and my curr Case CTL is radial lift.
After using both, I would look fo vertical lift if I ever had to replace the radial CTL.

I would strongly consider the side entrance JBC.

 

[4570Man]

Good post, but don’t forget that there are both vertical lift and radial lift machines. My old wheeled Deere skid steer was a vert lift machine, and my curr Case CTL is radial lift.
After using both, I would look fo vertical lift if I ever had to replace the radial CTL.

I would strongly consider the side entrance JBC.

I’m considering buying a JCB teleskid. I could benefit from the increased reach but not enough to justify a telhandler and the side entry would be nice.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I don't follow what you're saying. If both have the same breakout force how will the SSV crush the L47 when lifting something a few feet off the ground. I understand skid steers are built heavier, but I'm not talking about that.

I just got off a skid steer. So a skid steer is way stronger than a 100 horse 4x4 tractor. We have both here. The tractor bush hogs a pasture better, but that's about it. Skid steer will walk around with a 3500 lb log all day. See, a grapple gets it closer, lifts more. I've moved heavies driving on tip toes of tracks. Way way more than any tractor. 9 days straight every day on the skid steer. Finished yesterday, off today. Cleaning out chicken houses.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Good post, but don’t forget that there are both vertical lift and radial lift machines. My old wheeled Deere skid steer was a vert lift machine, and my curr Case CTL is radial lift.
After using both, I would look fo vertical lift if I ever had to replace the radial CTL.

I would strongly consider the side entrance JBC.

Jbc and Volvo had single booms. All that crap on the bucket mechanism wore out cockeyed sideways. I worked for JBC as a field service mechanic. If anybody knows, I do.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Way too much lift height, But more lift power and more maneuverable with crab steer and extending boom: compact telehandler - Google Search

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That thing won't stay up 13 seconds in the log woods. Weight and tire size not good.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

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.

We have a skid steer, tractor with loader. But we use a log loader for loading logs.

 

[Xfaxman]

The tractor bush hogs a pasture better, but that's about it.

My 7' front brush hog is better than the tractor and rear brush hog that I sold when I got the compact telehandler:

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

My 7' front brush hog is better than the tractor and rear brush hog that I sold when I got the compact telehandler:
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Yeah but he's talking skid steer for logs. That thing you got won't stay up in the woods. Too heavy and small tires. We use one of those doing metal buildings with a basket on front. I'll bet you I can clear an acre of jungle with a skid steer with a bush hog faster than you can. Flip that high flow on and get after it. I'm sure yours is good for your use. But, if he's fooling with logs, tracked skid steer is better.

 

[Xfaxman]

The tires are bigger than normal skid steer tires:

I don't do logs, but it handles dead trees that look like logs just fine in the woods:

And this little tree:

 

[Xfaxman]

We use one of those doing metal buildings with a basket on front.

A compact telehandler or a full-size?

I'll bet you I can clear an acre of jungle with a skid steer with a bush hog faster than you can. Flip that high flow on and get after it.

Possibly, but not likely. Why would a skid steer be faster?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Compact must be, it's not a big one.

A skid steer will be a blur with high flow and a bush hog. You just don't know.

 

[Xfaxman]

A skid steer will be a blur with high flow and a bush hog. You just don't know.

I have operated a skid steer.

You have not operated my machine. You just don't know.

 

[Hay Dude]

We have a skid steer, tractor with loader. But we use a log loader for loading logs.

Right tool for the right job.
Beautiful Mack.

 

[Hay Dude]

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

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.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I have operated a skid steer.

You have not operated my machine. You just don't know.

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Yes , we took some of your machines and cleaned up after a hurricane in homestead Florida. You got paid based on loads. We had grapples on all machines. Those like yours had the o regular operators on them. They had solid filled tires because there is no place to get a tire right after a hurricane. I'm an hour from Texas where I live. I got 8 loads a day being loaded with a skid steer. I don't think any of those others got 5 loads, maybe one of them did get 5, so we'll say one got 5. That group didn't even go to Lake Charles with us.