Skid Steer ???

[Rich Riddle]

I have one decent tractor (a Yanmar) and an old tractor (Cub Loboy) for the farm. Since we inherited the elderly farmer with the farm, we can't get rid of his old tractor. I am now considering a skid steer instead of a larger tractor. The problem with the farm is the steep hill on the back of the property and too many farmers are warning against a tractor loader as being too dangerous. Any knowledge you have on skid steers would be appreciated, as I have never run one.

It will be used to move dirt, debris, lift objects, etc. on the small hobby farm. Thank you.

[Ronald Blue]

Skid steers are very versatile. Many attachments available. You then have to decide tires or tracks. Advantages to both. Will you be dealing with a lot of muddy conditions and if so soft deep mud? I wouldn't necessarily consider a skid steer as the solution to a steep hill either. There is no perfect solution in my opinion. What will you be doing that requires traversing it?

[Alex Snyder]

How big is the Yanmar? And how steep is the hill? I have a 50hp Deere with a Wallenstein FX90 skidding winch that excels at getting things up and down nasty in/declines. Certainly doesn't help for things you'd carry in the bucket, but crushes trees and wood debris while keeping the tractor firmly planted on flat ground.

[Rich Riddle]

The steepest part I will really be working on is about fifteen degrees, but the hill progresses to about 40 or 45 degrees at the very top.

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[John K Jordan]

I have one decent tractor (a Yanmar) and an old tractor (Cub Loboy) for the farm. Since we inherited the elderly farmer with the farm, we can't get rid of his old tractor. I am now considering a skid steer instead of a larger tractor. The problem with the farm is the steep hill on the back of the property and too many farmers are warning against a tractor loader as being too dangerous. Any knowledge you have on skid steers would be appreciated, as I have never run one.
It will be used to move dirt, debris, lift objects, etc. on the small hobby farm. Thank you.


Rich,

This is mine, just dug up a stump (hackberry) before building my shop.
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It's a good tool and a lot of fun. It would be nice to have a much larger tractor, but the skid steer is so useful I'd hate to be without it.

I have a 40 hp Kubota tractor with a FEL and backhoe but the John Deere skid steer (65 hp I think) can lift a LOT more weight and turn on a dime. It is shorter and can maneuver better between trees. It will also tear the ground to pieces. I've gotten it stuck several times in mud or soft dirt on a hill. My tractor has more traction in mud, probably due to the huge rear tires and more ground clearance. The skid steer has a lower center of gravity.

The skid steer is a lot tougher than the tractor, made from heavy steel. You can run into things that would damage the tractor but never hurt the skid steer.

I do wish I had the tracks sometimes, even the kind that fit over the normal wheels.

This skid steer weighs over 6000 lbs. Nice for compacting dirt - I fill the bucket with gravel and drive back and forth at different angles. Great for moving a lot of dirt, leveling, digging up big rocks and stumps, building roads. The skid steer is far better than my tractor for clearing overgrowth with small trees, and for moving downed trees. If putting in a lot of fencing I would probably invest in an auger for the skid steer since you can use down pressure unlike the tractor 3-point-hitch.

If you use it to load a truck the lift mechanism, unlike a front end loader on a tractor, keeps the bucket level and moving straight up and down.

The tractor is gentler on the land, better for grading my drive (using a yard box) and far more versatile for general farm use. The skid steer is probably safer in a rollover and in the woods since the operator cage can protect you from a widowmaker branch. You can turn either one over but you are more likely to walk away from the skid steer. (I have not turned either one over)

How steep are the hills? A few months ago I dug a small pond with the skid steer and carried a lot of dirt up out of the hole. I built a ramp but it was far more stable going forward up the ramp instead of backing, even without much weight in the bucket. Digging with the tractor would have taken a lot longer because the skid steer could take a bigger bite and because it could turn around in a tighter spot. I do run this with a toothed digging bar on the bucket.

With either a tractor or a skid steer you can have a problem with hills with a heavy load in the bucket. Best to keep the load as low to the ground as possible and back down the hill. And always move slowly - much safer.

Here is a suggestion for you. If unsure of how useful a skid steer would be on your hills how about hiring someone to bring one and do some clearing, carry some dirt up and down your hill, etc.? An experienced operator will be good at judging what the machine can do safely on a given slope and soil conditions.

BTW, I use mine a lot with forks. My tractor has the same quick connect as skid steers use so I use the same forks on both.

Just before building the shop.
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JKJ

[Justin Ludwig]

Skid steers are the bees knees, and bees have 6 knees. I prefer hand, arm and foot control models. Some just like hand and arm. Either one can be easy to get used to.

Keep up with the services and it will last you two lifetimes.

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

Another vote for the skid steer.

The loader on the farm tractor is designed for moving loose material and not really for digging, pulling stumps, etc (though I have done both with mine).

[Rich Riddle]

Why do some skid steers have "front auxiliary hydraulics" listed in advertisements? I am guessing that is a beneficial feature?

[Phillip Mitchell]

They are usually intended for running certain attachments that require a different or additional hydraulic flow. Many skid steers also have higher hydraulic flow rates as optional as well, which allows you to run certain specialized attachments that take more juice. Examples include a bush hog, mulchers, 4 in 1 buckets, specialized forestry attachments, etc. There are so many attachments that it can be overwhelming and quite expensive, but for specialized tasks it's hard to be a good skid steer.

It's difficult to tell from photos, but I wouldn't rule out a solid, 4wd tractor with quick attach loader / forks and some rear counterweight to (carefully) traverse it. If you're going to be wanting to take a machine off the beaten path (read: really uneven ground that requires ground clearance) or into the woods, I would recommend a solid 4wd tractor instead of a skid steer. If you're just going to be moving from place to place on well established and relatively even surfaces, then a skid steer could work well.

[Alex Snyder]

The steepest part I will really be working on is about fifteen degrees, but the hill progresses to about 40 or 45 degrees at the very top.

That ain't a hill :p ....get a skid steer!

A buddy brought his over to help make some firewood: https://www.facebook.com/va.alexsnyder/videos/1465738180108198/?l=1059237055608295298

[Jason Roehl]

Tractors have their place, but having spent several hundred hours in a skid steer in a production environment (snow removal, some landscaping), they're hard to beat for general purpose use. Dual joystick control is where it's at, too. The foot controls just unnecessarily wear you out (I've used both). Hydraulic attachment locks are really nice, too. Of course, I may be spoiled because some of those hours were in my friend's new Bobcat T650--definitely a higher-end model.

[Jim Andrew]

I have a Case 60xt, bought it new in 05, very good old machine. Thing about a skidsteer is you can see the edge of the bucket, and is much more accurate doing grading than on a tractor with a loader out front. Takes a little time to get onto operating the machine, and you need an attachment for every job you do. I have several attachments, can't beat a skidsteer for building fence, you can drill the holes very accurately, with power down, and clean the holes out with the machine. After digging the holes, I put my grapple on and use it to grab the posts and put them in the holes. When you tip the machine over on it's front, very easy to do, be sure to turn off the engine. A neighbor ruined his engine by leaving hit running, and the lube system does not pump oil when the engine is not flat.

[Ronald Blue]

You asked about the auxiliary hydraulic connections. There are many attachments that can go on them. A post hole digger is one and they work great. They also make a backhoe attachment, stump grinders, tree shears, and the list goes on and on. If you get one with wheels rather than tracks the add on over the tire tracks actually make them pretty amazing in soft ground conditions. The draw back to rubber tracks is they tend to wallow in mud and don't bite very well. As for brand? If you have a good dealer nearby for a specific brand then probably go with that brand. If you have more than one good dealer then go with the best deal you can find.

[Rich Riddle]

Based upon information garnered in here, I have narrowed the search down to a Case model, most likely a 1845. Case has the hand controls and the Internet says the 1845 was the most produced model and parts remain abundant and reasonable. Thanks.

[Phillip Mitchell]

There was a time a couple years back that I was seriously considering a skid steer and the case 1845C was at the top of my radar. You should be able to find a very nice example for under $15k. I would look for one with Aux hydraulics. Over the tire tracks are also really handy as an option for wheeled models.