Skid Steer/Track Loader

For general all purpose farm use, clearing fence lines, maintaining roads, tank clean out, what size type should we be looking at.

In Sandy loam soil, but some pretty good sandstone, and clay mixed in occasionally.

Trees are mostly cedar, with post oak and mesquite scattered.

Skid steers are cheap but didn’t think the wheeled versions will do a whole lot that our midsize tractor won’t.

Would a small bulldozer be more useful or bigger tractor, or is the compact track loader the ultimate in all around farm use?

I watched one of these go back and forth from pine trees to a burn pile. He pulled them up like green onions, shook the dirt off the root ball, then went over and precisely laid it on the burn pile. I think the one I saw was the biggest one they make.

https://www.takeuchi-us.com/compact-track-loaders/

I've been watching-waiting for about three years on a skid steer. IMO you want at least 74hp (seems to be hp level for that tier). Prices have leveled and in a lot of cases are coming down as the economy has softened.

I feel that the skid steer is going to be more useful than a dozer. Sure, the dozer would likely make faster work of moving trees and dirt. But I talked to a guy who had a small JD dozer and a big JD skid steer and he said they were pretty even on pushing dirt. And with the skid steer, you get all the possibilities of attachments. Cutters, grapples, forks, drills, buckets-just an endless list.

And if money is no object, check this bad boy!

https://www.casece.com/northamerica/en-us/products/compact-dozer-loaders/overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzP2jK4F9k0&t=107s

Minimum Kubota SVL-75

It will do lots of work, and no DEF. A friend of mine ran one of years. He said all it needed was 1000 pounds added to it.

Since I do not haul around my skid steer, I have a Kubota SVL-95. 11,500 pounds, 95 horse power. I do everything with it. With a tooth bucket it is like a small dozer, cutting dirt down. Many days I do not need such a large powerful machine. But, when I need it, it is there for me.

Smooth bucket
Tooth bucket
Grapple bucket (and absolute must for hauling trees and limbs)
Pallet forks
Bale spikes
Gin pole (turns it into a crane)
Skid Pro 72" brush cutter (blaze a trail)

I can transform property very quickly with it. I built the pad for my shop and house with an 80 horse tire skid steer. I've got 20 years of seat time in a skid steer like that. The big track machine is a night and day difference.

If you're ever going to be up my way, you are welcome to come operate it. It will impress you!

I have also rented a post driver. I drove 2 7/8" pipe five feet in the ground, making fence braces.

There are over 100 implements made for skid steers.

I call the skid steer the Swiss Army Knife of machinery. They can do all kinds of tasks. I will never be without one.



^^Best of both worlds right there. I don't want or need a loader on my tractor. Can't operate a 15' batwing shredder, or hay implements with a skid steer.

My dad has a New Holland and has removed mesquites with his. Not sure the model but he has been very happy with it.

This...... For 90% of land owners this will do everything you would ever need to do.

Are there deals to be had on the used?

Is there an alternative to the Kubota that offers anymore? We already have a Kubota tractor and RTV just curious about other competitors.

You can save money on used, just like anything else. If you're borrowing money, the interest rate may be higher than what Kubota is offering.

A machine with less than 1000 hours is still fairly new in my opinion.

Brand is a Ford, Chevy, Dodge debate.

Deere controls are jerky. Deere and Bobcat have horizontal swinging doors. Kubota slides over head. If you have your mast partially off the ground (I do weekly) you cannot get out of a Bobcat or Deere. That is no wano.

Not all, but many experienced skid steer operators say Kubota got it right. Best machines they've ever operated. I say the same and have experience with New Holland, Bobcat and Deere.

They were designed to move material very fast and are great for that. You already have a farm tractor that will do almost everything you listed except cleaning out tanks. For what they cost and the maintenance involved you might consider renting something for cleaning out tanks.

There is no comparison to a loader on a tractor versus a skid steer.

They are not in the same league at all.

If a tractor could put enough break out force on it's bucket, parts are going to break. But a tractor cannot do it.

A farmer friend of mine said the same thing ten years ago. I told him "clearly you have never owned a skid steer or you would not have said that."

Then he bought his own (first ever) skid steer and called and said he was sorry for saying something so foolish. He doesn't know how he made it all the time without a skid steer.

The nice thing about a loader on a tractor is if you're haying for somebody else, you can cut/roll/load without having to bring another tool to the mix. Roading a tractor is tolerable; SS you have to haul on a trailer.

A tracked dozer will accomplish work a skid steer can't do, not even in the same class, but it's about money well spent to me. I don't move much ground so I really don't need a skid steer vs a farm tractor. Renting a skid steer for a couple of days is money better spent for me. They require quite a bit of maintenance.

That's right, a tracked dozer will move a whole lot more dirt. And that's all it can do.

It's a one trick pony. The skid steer is the 100 trick pony.

True

But Scott didn't say anything about doing any hay work. And especially doing hay work for his neighbors.

I stack my hay with the skid steer.

Two days a year, I'd like to have a loader on the tractor. Bale spikes on each end.

363 days a year, I don't need a loader on the tractor.

And the tractor usually doesn't move November to March. The skid steer gets used on a weekly basis.

Dozers can knock a giant tree down too. I had one here last spring and knocked hundreds of them down.

I have a Deere 317 for all the small stuff around the ranch.
A 333G wouldve been nice, but wasnt in the budget 5 years ago.

If I would be in the position to replace it, Id buy a Case B series.

RDO has been terrible about service or parts since 2020, cant get a mechanic to come out and work on it so Im on my own.

ASCO has been great to me with my dozer and I was impressed when I test drove their skiddy.

Dozer gets used for dozing, tractor for discing and mowing, skidsteer for everything else. I dont think it makes sense to buy all those if youre working on small acreage.

Id look for a dealer youre happy with before you decide on a brand.

Can it lift pallet forks 10 feet in the air?
No

Can it be used as a fork lift at all?
No

Does it have front, remote hydraulics to run a huge list of implements. Like post driver, auger, stump grinder, pole saw, mulcher, brush shredder, soil conditioner, finish mower? (Just to name a few)
No

Can it scoop up, transport, and lay out soil?
No

Does it have a high gear that will travel over 7 mph?
No

Two trick pony. It can push dirt and push trees.

For what the O.P. is wanting to do, a dozer is NOT the answer.

I had a dozer rented for a week in 2018. It did some chores. Never needed it again. But as I've said, the skid steer gets used weekly. I used it today for 10 minutes. I used it last week for four hours.

A friend of mine has a small excavation business. One man show. He sold his dozer last year. He said he will never be without a skid steer. He will rent a dozer when needed.

My point was there's always something better but I agree on that one. He also said he has a tractor already and with what it can do, taking into account the high cost/maintenance of owning a skid steer, I'm still suggesting he look at renting one when needed. If he didn't have a tractor already, I'd suggest going for it though.

What is the high maintenance cost?

You don't own one, you are making assumptions.

As RiverRider said yesterday, use your mouse more and your keyboard less.

The maintenance cost is the same as a tractor or a pickup. Fluid and filter changes. That's it. And they are due every 200 hours. That's about once a year, or longer for me. And I use mine a whole lot.

https://idigtexas.com/

https://skidpro.com/skid-steer-attachments/

Look around these websites. Look at the list of implements.
They connect to skid steers. They do not connect to Bull Dozers.

If all you spend on the maintenance on one is the same as a pickup then good luck to you.

Put an auger on a skid steer and a tractor - see which you appreciate more.

If you are dealing with financing Deere is much friendlier than Kubota in my experience. I have a 317G, great little machine but probably should have went 325G. Hydraulic sensitivity is adjustable on the 325G, so maybe info provided on controls for Deere being jerky is outdated. Standard routine maintenance is less on Deere as well.

bell tec on tractor for the win!

I do the type of work you’re asking about for a living, and I have a lot of experience with larger compact track loaders. As already mentioned you can do a great deal of work with 75-100hp tracked machines. I run Cat 299d2 and d3s, which are 98-110hp machines depending on which package you get. They are very good CTLs. I have a friend who runs a 289d which is similar in size to the 299 but derated to 75 hp to avoid DEF. He has been happy with his machine also (and the majority of the problems I’ve had with the 299s have been DEF/emissions related, and any brand of machine with DEF will have similar problems). So you’d have to decide if the extra weight and HP of a 100hp machine is worth fooling with the more extensive emissions systems (75 hp have some emissions systems as well, but they don’t have DEF and all that goes along with it). Cat 259 is smaller frame 75hp machine.

I’ve operated a friends kubota Svl 75 a fair bit, it’s a good machine and I also wouldn’t be afraid of an SVL 95-97.

I know of a few guys running Takeuchis and they are said be good machines also but no personal experience with those

I did not especially like the Deere 333 we had, it was a 2014 model IIRC. We ran it for 3-4 years before switching to Cat in 2017

I was not impressed with a case CTL I’ve ran for a day or so

I’ve done one job with a customers nearly new Bobcat CTL and it felt pretty similar to the Kubotas I’ve operated.

I owned a 2005 Gehl 7810 (large wheeled skid steer). Owned it from new to about 2600 hours, It was a POS and I wouldn’t consider another

As far as the work you are looking at doing, you can do a lot with a CTL and the proper attachments. You can grub/push/pull small to medium cedar, small mesquite and small hardwoods with an attachment like a danueser intimidator, and pile with a grapple bucket or rake. Obviously you can move dirt and grade with a bucket, and a grading attachment or plane can smooth up roads etc. Montana type post drivers are awesome, skid steers run an auger about 10x better than a tractor. You can load a dump truck, buy a shredder deck to trim along fences or under larger trees etc. Like JG said you can do a little of almost everything with these and all kinds of attachments are available..but they do have their limits.

You aren’t going to be moving thousands of yards of mud or dirt to clean out or build stock ponds, pushing large hardwoods, grubbing mature mesquite or pushing thick mature cedar with any CTL/skid steer. That is work for a dozer or full sized track loader. You also won’t be cutting in miles of ranch road with a CTL, you need a dozer/motor grader for that. But if you could only have one piece of equipment around a farm/ranch property, a good CTL is awful handy. Then maybe rent or hire larger or more specialized pieces of equipment as needed.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions

You should use your mouse more and your keyboard less. You don't own a dozer and are making assumptions.
I am a fan of CTL's, they can do a lot of stuff but they have their limits. I've done a lot of work over the years with a dozer, besides pushing dirt, that a skid steer can't do.
The op can do most of what he is wanting to do with a CTL.

Shoot me a pm with any questions on the size, brand and new or used models. I know a little bit about these things,

You should find someone else to troll. I ignore you most of the time. Focus more on keeping your boyfriend happy, than trolling me.

And yes, Scot can do most of what he wants to do with a CTL. That's what I've been saying all along. If he needs a dozer, the best course of action is to pay the man that runs one every day, instead of renting one.

Up here in idaho everyone who makes a living moving dirt and gravel and snow mainly have Cat skid steers. Bobcat comes in second. All wheels no tracks.

This must be one of those times you are out of Midol.

Sounds like an SVL 75 or SVL 95 is the answer. Now to scrape up the funds.

Had 1 of each, Bobcat 773G Skid Steer, Komatsu D31P-18 Dozer, and a Kubota Tractor Front Hydraulics (Third Function Valve) , over at the 100 acre place I sold a few years back. The Big Kubota would run the Tree Shear like the Bobcat. . Cleared a lot of tree's, about 15 or 20 acres with the Dozer. The most versatile for everyday ranch Work was the Skid Steer. Still have that puppy.

They're like buying Gold now or the new ones are and in that HP size ,, I'd look for an Older Model without the DPF or DEF stuff.

A new SVL 97 is $86k (quoted). Kubota was running 0%/48mo but I don’t know if it’s still available

I’d try to find a used CAT 259, the Kubota’s are decent machines but if you plan to keep it for a while the added cost of the CAT will more than pay for itself and will hold its value better down the road. You don’t see many Kubotas used by construction companies and that’s because they don’t hold up. I’ve tried them several times and I personally wouldn’t own one again. But once cry once and don’t look back,

I love Kubota tractors but nobody around here has Kubota track loaders if they use them in construction. I trust your opinion about equipment and once again you’re spot on.

Loader brands from top to bottom in my oppinion,

Cat
Takeuchi
Bobcat
John Deere
Kubota
Case
New Holland

I’d also put Cat on top and agree with the bottom but I’d like to ask what kinda bad luck you’ve had with Kubota?

I know of lot of local guys running SVL 75s and 95s that really seem to like them.

Pretty much everything but the motor. We had pumps, final drives, lots of electrical issues, valve bodies, AC issues, overheating problems, they don’t seem to like sitting for long durations and working right after sitting and don’t get me started on the lack of parts availability issues. They’re not a bad machine but not built very durable and definitely not built for commercial use. We bought 8 of them and they all had the same issues at differing times so it wasn’t a single Friday afternoon built machine issue.
In my personal opinion the only businesses running them are the ones who haven’t learned the hard way yet or they couldn’t afford a better machine.

The ones I know of in my area do seem to mostly be used for farm and ranch, less than all day-everyday type use.

Thanks for the reply

Bought this Kubota New in 2001. 773G with the 4 Cylinder Kubota Engine. Have run every Implement known to Man. Bought and Used for the Ranchito I sold. Still have it and it Runs like new Never a problem other the fuel pick up tube replaced going into Diesel Tank. Guess I got a good one. .Here with the 12" Tree Shear on it. Of course I'm the only one that's ever Operated it and stored inside a Barn. I think all new Equipment have issues especially with the emission crap.

Stating the obvious, your Kubota has a Bobcat sticker on it.

Well Scot, did you get lined out

Turned in to a 400k plus question.

I currently own a 130 hp tractor with loader, a 75 hp tractor with loader, a Takeuchi 112 hp tracked skid steer, a Deere 750 dozer, and a Cat 320 excavator. Out of all those things the skid steer is the handiest and most versatile and gets more use than everything else combined. They all have their place though

While it is possible to take out mesquites with the skid steer I can remove more in an hour with the excavator or dozer than I can in a full day with the skid steer.

I have a shredder attachment for the skid steer and it works well but if I have a lot of mowing to do I am putting the batwing behind the tractor.

The skid steer can fix washed out places in roads but it takes time. I can fix something with a couple passes with the dozer that would take hours with the skid steer.

I am sure they make attachments for the skid steer that can do it but plowing up and planting areas for food plots is a tractor job.

Skid steers are like Swiss Army knives. They can do pretty much anything, but they aren’t really the best at most things. Where I have found the skid steer inadequate is on big projects. By that I mean if you want to remove 5 mesquites sure go do it with the skid steer. Want to remove 500? You better pack a lunch. Got a bad spot in a road go fix it with a skid steer. Got miles of road with waist deep washes and ruts you are going to want something bigger.

Can't really speak for if it's the ultimate in all around farm use, but I can say I've been impressed with the track loaders. My buddy in KS has a T650. I was very skeptical about how useful they were until I've had a couple hundred hours of seat time in one. Another friend is the regional rep for Bobcat, so he hooks us up on rentals when we need more than one machine. I got the T86 from him one weekend when we were moving, burning, and cleaning up brushpiles on a property we built a wetland on. I was flat amazed at the size of trees you could pick up and move with the grapple bucket on that thing. I've always been impressed with the size of trees my buddy can pull with is T650. I know those track loaders would run circles around any tractor we could have used for the clean up work we were doing on our farm. I'd be hard pressed not to give one a serious look if I had a sizeable piece of land I lived on. Also impressed with all the attachments and how versatile they are.