Skid Steers! Who has one? Who uses them regular? Things to consider?

[Slippy]

Any input on skid steers will be greatly appreciated!

I'm looking for one in the 65-75 HP range (7-9k lbs) Wheels vs tracks? I'm favoring wheels, but am I wrong?

Bobcat vs. Kubota vs JCB, vs Deere?

Hep me spend money you knuckleheads!!

[shootbrownelk]

Bobcat with tracks.

[T-Man 1066]

Tracks are good if you are cleaning dooryards, mud, animal shit, etc. Wheels are fine for anything else. If using this in your yard or on grass, you can minimize damage by turning very slowly, not sharp. Even my crawler with smooth tracks, no grousers, can tear up the lawn if I steer too hard.

Other thing to consider, is do you have enough door height in the garage or barn to get it in? Standard residential garage, my skidloader is about 3" too tall to get in, my caterpillar forklift can go in if I tip the mast all the way forward, clears by about 1/2". The Yale forklift will not clear. The 420C crawler fits no problem.

[TJC44]

Any input on skid steers will be greatly appreciated!

I'm looking for one in the 65-75 HP range (7-9k lbs) Wheels vs tracks? I'm favoring wheels, but am I wrong?

Bobcat vs. Kubota vs JCB, vs Deere?

Hep me spend money you knuckleheads!!

I can't help you with the skid steer, but am more than willing to help you spend your money.
I'll PM you my address! :bounce:

[Slippy]

Tracks are good if you are cleaning dooryards, mud, animal shit, etc. Wheels are fine for anything else. If using this in your yard or on grass, you can minimize damage by turning very slowly, not sharp. Even my crawler with smooth tracks, no grousers, can tear up the lawn if I steer too hard.

Other thing to consider, is do you have enough door height in the garage or barn to get it in? Standard residential garage, my skidloader is about 3" too tall to get in, my caterpillar forklift can go in if I tip the mast all the way forward, clears by about 1/2". The Yale forklift will not clear. The 420C crawler fits no problem.

Moving this from the Toolcat thread;
Good stuff T-Man!

Personal Use Only! Road and trail maintenance, mowing, clearing and some dirt moving/maintenance at my range and near the house. Will add a 60" cutter and a Landplane in addition to the toothed bucket.

My small tractor cannot handle the shit I need done regularly and I'm starting to feel unsafe pushing the boundaries that a small tractor can do. Steeper hills than a tractor can handle.

Already have a 14k equipment trailer.

I've trained my neighbors not to ask me shit! We like each other but we don't hang out with them and certainly don't borrow tools or time from each other.

I'm thinking wheeled unit, also I have plenty of height in the barn and carport. Not the garage, tho.

[Slippy]

Funny encounter with Mrs Slippy a few minutes ago...

She's been watching me research skid steers and she knows that I'm doing my due diligence and obviously concerned about the money...So we're talking about the pluses and minuses of the brands that I narrowed it down to and she finally says, "I trust your judgement"...

To which I reply, "You'd be a fool not to!" :tongue:

Dang, am I the perfect husband or what?!?!?! :callme:

[T-Man 1066]

Moving this from the Toolcat thread;
Good stuff T-Man!

Personal Use Only! Road and trail maintenance, mowing, clearing and some dirt moving/maintenance at my range and near the house. Will add a 60" cutter and a Landplane in addition to the toothed bucket.

My small tractor cannot handle the shit I need done regularly and I'm starting to feel unsafe pushing the boundaries that a small tractor can do. Steeper hills than a tractor can handle.

Already have a 14k equipment trailer.

I've trained my neighbors not to ask me shit! We like each other but we don't hang out with them and certainly don't borrow tools or time from each other.

I'm thinking wheeled unit, also I have plenty of height in the barn and carport. Not the garage, tho.

Agreed about the neighbors. I am the same way about borrowing shit. Real close friend is building a shop, I told him to take my scissor lift and don't fuck around on a ladder. He has done so much for me over the years he can use most anything I have, but when it comes to tools, he is probably better equipped than I am.

And agreed on the wheel unit. Use the track money for either a brush grapple, pallet forks, or some additional attachment.

[Slippy]

Steep area that I need to be able to maintain. You can see the area that is freshly mowed by my tractor and area covered in leaves that I cannot get to due to the way the land is. Landscape company I hire, uses a skid steer every few years and knocks everything down but I'd rather do it myself with my own equipment.

26625

26627

This area (below) is very dangerous on a tractor, easy with a skid steer. I have lots of areas like this. Everything gets overgrown real quick. Tractor not strong enough to knock down small trees so I have to cut them. PITA using a chainsaw on a steep incline;

26626

[Slippy]

Still haven't pulled the trigger on a skid steer that meets my requirements. Ramping up the search next week. Ran across this JD 318G at a nearby dealer.

27301

[Box of frogs]

Been looking at a used D4 online.
I was looking at a heavier tractor and skid steers but I think I need a small dozer.

[Slippy]

Been looking at a used D4 online.
I was looking at a heavier tractor and skid steers but I think I need a small dozer.

There are some pretty good "dozer blades" out there for skid steers, that's my plan.

Yesterday I was fixing some erosion on one of my roads and damn near rolled the tractor.

That was the final straw. I ain't getting dead due to my tractors center of gravity!

[T-Man 1066]

Been looking at a used D4 online.
I was looking at a heavier tractor and skid steers but I think I need a small dozer.

Bad thing with crawlers is the expense of undercarriage repairs. Especially CAT. Dozers are commercial machines, usually meaning by the time a company is done using it for profit, then sell it to a start-up company or three, then usually to a farmer or a landowner, they are usually pretty worn out. If you are just using it for personal use, 30 hrs a year or so, probably fine. My 420C is fairly rough undercarriage, but tracks do stay on, extension springs are fine, and stretch / sag isn't real bad. Bad thing with crawlers and skid steers, if they break down, usually no towing back to the shop. My 420 is a 5 speed manual transmission, not hydrostatic, and in neutral still takes quite a bit to tow it. Only about #8K.

[T-Man 1066]

There are some pretty good "dozer blades" out there for skid steers, that's my plan.

Yesterday I was fixing some erosion on one of my roads and damn near rolled the tractor.

That was the final straw. I ain't getting dead due to my tractors center of gravity!

Never been a fan of dozer blades for skiddies, seems like too much lateral articulation with the short wheelbase, and the blade another wheelbase length out there if you want to level ground. Yea they can move dirt, bout need a motor grader if you want to easily level ground.

I got my eye on a Austin-Westin grader, been sitting for a couple 20 years, probably need it like an extra hole in my head... :smashfreak:

[Box of frogs]

There are some pretty good "dozer blades" out there for skid steers, that's my plan.

Yesterday I was fixing some erosion on one of my roads and damn near rolled the tractor.

That was the final straw. I ain't getting dead due to my tractors center of gravity!

Slippy are your tires fluid filled?
That will counteract the height and lower that center of gravity.
Here in the south you don’t have big freeze problems, so you could use water or a mix of water and windshield washer fluid.

[T-Man 1066]

Slippy are your tires fluid filled?
That will counteract the height and lower that center of gravity.
Here in the south you don’t have big freeze problems, so you could use water or a mix of water and windshield washer fluid.

Original tires on my Hydra-Mac were foam filled. Insanely heavy. No freezing.

[Sparkyprep]

I don't own one, but I do have a lot of experience operating one. Stay away from JCB. Kubota makes a good one, as does Deere. Bobcat is the OG, and still a good option. Dozer blades don't work well on skid steers, on account of their very short wheelbase, and bounciness. If you have money to burn- look for a forestry mulcher set-up. Front mounted mulcher, extra hydraulic cooling systems on the roof, and fully-enclosed safety cab. Those things are beasts, and will mow ANYTHING.

[Slippy]

Slippy are your tires fluid filled?
That will counteract the height and lower that center of gravity.
Here in the south you don’t have big freeze problems, so you could use water or a mix of water and windshield washer fluid.

Yes, I have water+anti-freeze in my tractor tires and that helps a lot.

I just got myself in a bad situation on a hill. Operator Error but I got lucky.

[Slippy]

Slippy are your tires fluid filled?
That will counteract the height and lower that center of gravity.
Here in the south you don’t have big freeze problems, so you could use water or a mix of water and windshield washer fluid.

Yes, I have water+anti-freeze in my tractor tires and that helps a lot.

I just got myself in a bad situation on a hill. Operator Error but I got lucky.

[Chiefster23]

Did you fluid fill the front tires too?

[Slippy]

Did you fluid fill the front tires too?

No fluid in front tires, but I have a weight on the front of the tractor plus front end loader.

[stevekozak]

Steep area that I need to be able to maintain. You can see the area that is freshly mowed by my tractor and area covered in leaves that I cannot get to due to the way the land is. Landscape company I hire, uses a skid steer every few years and knocks everything down but I'd rather do it myself with my own equipment.

26625

26627

This area (below) is very dangerous on a tractor, easy with a skid steer. I have lots of areas like this. Everything gets overgrown real quick. Tractor not strong enough to knock down small trees so I have to cut them. PITA using a chainsaw on a steep incline;

26626

Is the skid steer the landscape company uses wheeled or tracked?

[Slippy]

Is the skid steer the landscape company uses wheeled or tracked?

They have sent both wheeled and tracked equipment.

[1skrewsloose]

When I was growing up out in the country after the new house was built we had dreams of a big yard around the house. That didn't last long, more time in upkeep than use. We finally let it grow out to a size we could more easily manage. Besides the gun range, upkeep was mowing about 20 yards around the house and the driveway. We were much happier.:)

I get it that some folks like big yards.

[Slippy]

When I was growing up out in the country after the new house was built we had dreams of a big yard around the house. That didn't last long, more time in upkeep than use. We finally let it grow out to a size we could more easily manage. Besides the gun range, upkeep was mowing about 20 yards around the house and the driveway. We were much happier.:)

I get it that some folks like big yards.

This 10000000%

Today and yesterday we have temps in the low 50's at night and low 70's during the day overcast and slightly dewey; perfect conditions to bush hog.

Which I did on the tractor.

Even with perfect conditions yesterday and this am, the dust, debris, leftover pollen and dangerous slopes have me thinking skid steer with closed cab/ac/heat and obvious safety over a tractor...again.

Damnit, why don't I live in a condo in the city?

HA! :vomito: