Would you give up a tractor for a skid steer (CTL)?

[LouNY]

Where are the tool cat guys,
that would be a much better choice then a skid steer ever thought to be.
Or lots of money for the side door type from JCB or Volvo

 

[mikester]

I hate operating SS because they are brutal for operator comfort and you are riding a pogo stick. CTL's are high maintenance and costly to repair. Operator access is limited and I don't like the idea of having to exit a machine under a load.
Both machines are great for moving heavy loads in restricted spaces.

If space wasn't a concern I would take a full sized construction TLB over a CTL. Do the jobs, then sell it.

If you are grading and building roadways rent a 6-way dozer or hire a guy with one.

A machine that does a little of everything does nothing particularly well.

 

[shooterdon]

Looks like what you have works well except for this one project.

So you need to determine if whatever you "upgrade" to will do your regular duties just as well or better. And if this one project is worth the investment.

My gut tells me you will be getter off with a cabbed tractor, but I am not you. But I was you, I would at least get a quote on what it would cost to have the work done by someone who knows what they are doing and has the right equipment. You may need both an excavator and dozer to do the job right.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

One big thing to consider is access to the cab and getting out of the cab while any attachment is lifted.
Also many times a cab door doesn't have the clearance to open with many attachments if lifted just a couple of inches.

We have two Kubota skid steers. The doors raise like a garage door. Both are high flow. Mulcher, grapple, bucket, hay spear and Bush Hog for both. Both high flow. We use them for a lot of general work. Also set up with FEMA and go clean the roads immediately after a hurricane. That means chain saws too. Plus we have 3,000 plus head of cows. And we have tractors. But, if I could only have one thing it would be a tractor. Skid steer with a tractor, but not just a skid steer. I've seen the SS stuck in places that if we didn't have another one we would have had to get a helicopter.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Last job I was on we took two ss and a large trac hoe. Another guy we know well brought a track hoe and ss, case dozer. We tore down 6 chicken houses full of water and dead chickens. Foot deep black mess water. You would think as high as lumber was... Thousands of 20' 2x4 and 2x6 trusses. But folks so hard to deal with, didnt show up when they said. We dug a couple big holes and lit it up. Burned every bit of it. Called a scrap yard and they left a couple of trailers there and we mashed the roof tin down in them. Got rid of them houses. Pulled concrete footings up too and threw in the burnt out holes. We talking six 600' houses. All them feed lines, water lines, cables run the full length. We had to pull footings up because new houses would be wider. We didnt have a tractor on that job. But if I didnt have that type of job I wouldnt need a skid steer.

 

[TractorGuy]

The short answer is NO WAY!

Track machines metal OR rubber will destroy a lawn.

 

[Xfaxman]

Where are the tool cat guys,
that would be a much better choice then a skid steer ever thought to be.
Or lots of money for the side door type from JCB or Volvo

I am a Toolcat Guy.

A Toolcat 5610 has the 3 point that will handle your 3 point implements.
But I recommend selling your brush hog and getting a front mount like our 7':

It also handles the 6', 1 cubic yard bucket:

More pictures here: Toolcat 5610 F and 5610 G Series Pictures

 

[Hay Dude]

JCB skiddys have side door.

 

[4570Man]

I am a Toolcat Guy.

A Toolcat 5610 has the 3 point that will handle your 3 point implements.
But I recommend selling your brush hog and getting a front mount like our 7':

View attachment 709326View attachment 709327

It also handles the 6', 1 cubic yard bucket:

View attachment 709328View attachment 709329View attachment 709330View attachment 709331

More pictures here: Toolcat 5610 F and 5610 G Series Pictures

So does Volvo. That would definitely be an advantage IMO.

 

[Rustyiron]

Volvo re brands the JCB.