Tractor or Skidloader

[sb47]

With a skid steer a lot of the times you get stuck you can push yourself out with the bucket where a tractor, not so much. I ran a skid steer for years with and with out tracks. I had metal tracks that I could put on and remove. With tracks it will go more places but it does tear up the ground more. Many have expressed the fact that a skid steer doesn't have a PTO and thats true, but you can run most anything with it, it just runs on hydraulics instead of a PTO. If you plan on gardening, get a tractor. But for everything else a skid steer may be better.

 

[TimberWolf530]

Skid Steer Disadvantages I've experienced (Had a Skid Steer for the past 20 years, and tractors my whole life - 50 years):
1. You mentioned it, ground clearance & also muddy ground, or non-flat terrain
2. They suck for digging holes. OK, you can rent a backhoe attachment, but they're a pain IMO. Tractor is better for digging.
3. Tires. They go through tires like a stoner goes through Doritos. OK, not that often, but I'd say we replace tires every year and half or two on the JD 240 Skid Steer, but the Kubota M6800 tractor is 20 years old with the original tires.
4. Towing or plowing
5. Hard to use in the yard without causing damage.
6. Harder to work on. There is so much stuff jammed into such a small area that it's hard to get to stuff to work on it.

If you are OK with those things, they're better at everything else. If I could have only one or the other, personally i would choose the Skid Steer. The versatility & number of attachments you can get for them is staggering. If you live in a snowy area, they absolutely rock at moving snow, & you can get a plow for $500-$600, cheaper if you look hard for a used one.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Very nice tractor you have there!

It's a heck of a tool. This morning it dug 900 row feet of carrots, tilled the garlic bed, bush hogged the tomatoes and peppers, turned the compost, and spread compost over the garlic we planted. Not sure what's on the schedule for this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm gonna put the winch on and go help my buddy drop and move some oaks.

 

[kyle1!]

Are parts and repair cost similar or is there a difference between the two? My 542 skid loader needs a new drive motor...a $1K blow to the money belt.

 

[sb47]

The only problem with skid steers is they can be hard to work on because everything is hard to get to. I can remember many times a worker parked and left the arms down where you couldn't get to the battery to jump it off if it was dead. You have to remember to park it with the arms up and the lock engaged so it wouldn't leak down. That way if there was an issue, you can get to it to work on it.

 

[4seasons]

The only problem with skid steers is they can be hard to work on because everything is hard to get to. I can remember many times a worker parked and left the arms down where you couldn't get to the battery to jump it off if it was dead. You have to remember to park it with the arms up and the lock engaged so it wouldn't leak down. That way if there was an issue, you can get to it to work on it.

Some are easier to work on than others. Mine is an older model with a scissor style lift. The battery can be assessed with the lift in any position and the hydraulics are all under the seat. But if the lift is down you can't open the engine cover. Other things like the drive chains and gears require major disassembly to access. Other models you can access the engine with the lift in any position. These are things you should know before buying.

 

[Mustang71]

The same goes for tractors too. Some are a lot easier to access the engine bay and air filter and battery. My massey the whole hood opens and there's everything right there. A lot of them you have to take panels off to access stuff.

 

[4seasons]

The same goes for tractors too. Some are a lot easier to access the engine bay and air filter and battery. My massey the whole hood opens and there's everything right there. A lot of them you have to take panels off to access stuff.

That is very true. My Yanmar is very easy to work on, but my dad's New Holland is a pain to do anything to. And splitting a tractor is not a small job that can be done with just common hand tools. If you don't have a big garage to work in with big jacks or a crane system, you will have to rig up some way to support both ends and still move them apart.
With a skid steer most things can be done with common hand tools. I have to pull the engine out of mine now and could use a cherry picker but I will have to make due with a strong tree limb and a come-a-long. Oh well, I guess I have to live up to the name of shade tree mechanic.

 

[artbaldoni]

I run a skid loader with steel OTT tracks and will out perform any tractor in the woods. However, I wouldn't use it anywhere near my yard unless I was moving in a straight line. I have NEVER been stuck, and I have been in some nasty spots. Rocky areas are the worst. The tracks make ALL the difference! I also have a root grapple and backhoe attachment.
You just need to determine what tasks you need to do in order to determine what type of machine you need. 3pt attachments, rolling over a yard, pulling a trailer, driving a distance, as stated above leads to a tractor. Boring around a woodlot, loading trucks or trailers, skidding logs out of tight areas means skid loader.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

My neighbor down the road just called. He'd like me to bring my tractor and skidding winch over. Guess he got his skid steer stuck in the mud...

 

[CentaurG2]

I have pulled many a tractor (and other vehicles) out of the mud with a backhoe.