# Skid Steer or Tractor???



## RyanC123 (Feb 7, 2019)

Hello, I cant seem to wrap my mind around which option would be better. Owning a skid steer like Bobcat t595 or owning a tractor like the JD 5075e. This would be my first heavy equipment purchase. The majority of my work is gravel driveway resurfacing and regrading and i've been renting a JD 3038 tractor for that but am quickly realizing that I need a cab and something that can lift more stone! I also get the occasional drainage project or finish grading job. Its easier for me to rent a skid steer like the t595 than it is for me to rent a tractor like the 5075e. Either way I need to get out of the elements.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

What attachments would you put on the JD?

Takes some practice to grade a road with a bucket, it's even harder to cut ditches with a bucket. 

I've done it, but I also do stuff with a skid-steer that a lot of guys can't. 

I have an 8-way dozer blade for my CAT 287, but it has a learning curve to it. 

I don't know if a gannon box or back blade would be easier to use than the 8-way, as I don't have that setup.

If you're doing any amount of digging, it'll be FAR easier with the skid-steer than the tractor. Trying to dig, not scoop, with that tractor is a pain in the marbles.


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

"get out of the elements'....??

Can't take the heat? Sun? humidity?

Cold? wet, cold and wet?

Diabetic? Fat and or old? long term you need to get in shape or move to a different trade...

Nothing destroys moral/production quicker then an operator that is glued into a Air conditioned cab watching the peons sweat..

With their longer wheelbase, tractors produce smoother drives, All other things being equal....

Do you just raise the grade, or reprocess the old rock and dirt on site?


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

The only advantage that I've found a tractor has over a skidsteer for a contractor is the ability to exit the operator's station with the boom up safely, and tractors are easier to fix usually.



Other than that the skidsteer wins at just about everything else. Easier to truck, faster moving equipment, higher lift capacity for it's size, generally less repairs (depending on the machine, construction tools vs land owner tools lots of the time)


I think everyone should have a skidsteer. I use mine almost daily for something....I actually want two now because I need one out at work and another at home.


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## RyanC123 (Feb 7, 2019)

The majority of our work comes in the form of driveway resurfacing (Ripping up the top of the driveway using some sort of scarifier to loosen the first couple inches of gravel, removing ruts and potholes, adding a crown and then installing fresh gravel.). For the skid steer we own a grapple, pallet forks, the bucket and a brush mower. As for the tractor, we own a box blade, rear blade, a disc, reverse tine tiller, and a brush mower.

Like I said, this is the majority of our work as of right now. It would be easier to rent a skid steer for any jobs where I have to dig or move around dirt. 

Also forgot to mention that i'm an owner operator right now.

The bucket on the JD would be used purely for smoothing out driveways after they've been resurfaced and hauling the gravel from the pile to spread over the driveway.

Forgot to mention something else: Ive been using a box blade for all the driveways i've done in the past.


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## Fishindude (Aug 15, 2017)

Skid loader is the way to go, not even close.
I've got a Deere 5085 which is real close to the 5075. Tractors are for pulling implements and the front loader is just a handy afterthought. They aren't even very good loaders, hydraulics are slow, tractors are top heavy and tippy and it's hard to do a good job grading with the bucket.

I'd get a skid loader with front hydraulics and some additional implements in addition to the bucket. However, I would not waste money on a backhoe attachment for a skid loader. Get a real backhoe or mini excavator if you need to dig.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

Skid steer 

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## Ed Hartmann (Dec 26, 2018)

There are a lot of contractors in the world that don't even do a lot of work with equipment who have skid loaders. I am one of them. There is a reason so many people have them. They are versatile, move quickly, fit into relatively tight areas. Its a no brainer. Mine is nothing fancy because I just don't need it that often, but when ever I use it, I remember why I have it.


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## dave_dj1 (Mar 16, 2010)

Both would be best but instead of the tractor get a front end loader.
Or this 




https://www.spartanequipment.com/products/skid-steer-grader-attachment-laser-system-optional.html

https://www.agcon.co.uk/grading-beam/


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

skid loader. I can do double the work. Probably more than double.

A long time ago, I worked for a guy that had a Ford 545. Sure it could do the work, but it was very slow. He said skid loaders were worthless. Said they were too small to get anything done.
I quit him, (not because of the tractor) and bought a Case 1845C. He saw me using it one day. A few weeks later, he traded the tractor for a Cat skid loader.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

builditguy said:


> skid loader. I can do double the work. Probably more than double.
> 
> A long time ago, I worked for a guy that had a Ford 545. Sure it could do the work, but it was very slow. He said skid loaders were worthless. Said they were too small to get anything done.
> I quit him, (not because of the tractor) and bought a Case 1845C. He saw me using it one day. A few weeks later, he traded the tractor for a Cat skid loader.



Just like it was here....everyone, including me, had skid steers with tires....I bought a T200....and my concrete guy said "no way"....maintenance and tracks would eat me alive...then he saw me unload a building in a muddy ditch and place it all neatly on the job site....when to walk it, it was a slipping and sliding adventure. 

he went out in a month and traded for a T190, and then bought a new T570 (?).... :clap: His old wheel machine is delegated to hydraulic hammer use. 

Skid loaders have it all over wheeled tractors, and they have grading attachments that work well...if you buy new, they interface with the machine for precision grading.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

Joasis said:


> Just like it was here....everyone, including me, had skid steers with tires....I bought a T200....and my concrete guy said "no way"....maintenance and tracks would eat me alive...then he saw me unload a building in a muddy ditch and place it all neatly on the job site....when to walk it, it was a slipping and sliding adventure.
> 
> he went out in a month and traded for a T190, and then bought a new T570 (?).... :clap: His old wheel machine is delegated to hydraulic hammer use.
> 
> Skid loaders have it all over wheeled tractors, and they have grading attachments that work well...if you buy new, they interface with the machine for precision grading.


Tracks are well worth it. 

Myself and another guy were digging, within 10 feet of each other. It was into the side of a hill.
The skid loader with tires was sinking in about 6", while the tracked skid loader was sinking in 1/2".

Yes, there is some expense with potentially buying new tracks. The Cat skid steers had some issues with the bazookas, needing to be rebuilt, and the undercarriage. But overall, they make it so much better.


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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

About the only thing you see wheeled SS’s used for up here is light landscaping and snow removal. Otherwise tracks all day long.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

Buying a tractor, as the OP is seeking advice on, is simply not viable in what we do...the difference between a skid loader, especially with tracks, and any loader tractor with a box blade, is like the difference between a backhoe and a mini-excavator. 

Are backhoes dead? Nope...there will always be a place for them....but there are a lot less of them then in the old days, and they tend to be pretty cheap too. 

I used to have a 6 foot box blade I used with my skid loaders...and for grading a building pad, it was a great improvement over just a blade. Another local turned the box forward when he built his, and it has a laser pole...easy, easy to run fine grade.


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

If you working on mainly dry jobsites or off and on pavement, then get a John Deere 210L. I absolutely LOVE mine and it is far better for loading trucks.









If you are on wet jobs or need augers, tillers, etc. then get a tracked skid steer (the largest one you can afford)

Of course the best answer is to get both!


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

builditguy said:


> skid loader. I can do double the work. Probably more than double.
> 
> A long time ago, I worked for a guy that had a Ford 545. Sure it could do the work, but it was very slow. He said skid loaders were worthless. Said they were too small to get anything done.
> I quit him, (not because of the tractor) and bought a Case 1845C. He saw me using it one day. A few weeks later, he traded the tractor for a Cat skid loader.


Depends on the task really. We just have to remember that tractors were originally designed as agricultural equipment, they excel at it, and can do other things okay with the correct attachments and a loader.

Skidsteers are primarily construction equipment, they are the best option for work on a job site, but get into landowner or farm territory and their use is far more limited.

Since this is a forum about construction though, the skidsteer is likely going to win for most scenarios we discuss.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I was just looking and see ai can get a brush hog for a skid steer, as well as a bucket. 

Anyone use a skidsteer on thier property, for farming, ranching type work, clearing brush and blackberries. 

Can you get a tiller?

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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

My county uses them with a brush hog to mow the highway. The attachment is probably overpriced though.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

VinylHanger said:


> I was just looking and see ai can get a brush hog for a skid steer, as well as a bucket.
> 
> Anyone use a skidsteer on thier property, for farming, ranching type work, clearing brush and blackberries.
> 
> ...


I use mine at the ranch all the time.

I bought some attachments from SkidPro. (I'm not affiliated with them.)

I really like the brush/log grapple. :thumbsup:

I also have an 8-way, (or 6-way, depending on how you look at it) dozer blade. It's great for keeping roads graded and cutting ditches.

They have a giant brush mower for it, but I prefer to use livestock for brush control, that way I get free meat. :thumbup:


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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

http://www.erskineattachments.com/teleboom


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## mrcat (Jun 27, 2015)

VinylHanger said:


> I was just looking and see ai can get a brush hog for a skid steer, as well as a bucket.
> 
> Anyone use a skidsteer on thier property, for farming, ranching type work, clearing brush and blackberries.
> 
> ...


https://www.bluediamondattachments.com/rototiller/

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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

VinylHanger said:


> I was just looking and see ai can get a brush hog for a skid steer, as well as a bucket.
> 
> Anyone use a skidsteer on thier property, for farming, ranching type work, clearing brush and blackberries.
> 
> ...


I have this one:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/72-MTL-XC7...471310?hash=item5b54c8d30e:g:gYcAAOSwQwxbp04s

Don't want to get in front of this bad boy, it will take down a 6 inch tree and chew it up. And my T200 is not a high flow machine. 

I justify owning this because we clear building sites and this mower will get it done. 

I don't have a tiller...but know a guy who does. Nice to be able to use it to blend in sand to a pad.


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## CanArkPaving (Feb 5, 2020)

If I can give some advice... I purchased my first skid steer 2 years ago. I got a Kubota SVL75 as my first machine. We do a lot of paving work which includes removing old asphalt from driveways and then grading the gravel to put the appropriate slope before paving. After 1 year with the SVL 75 I liked it so much I bought a 2nd skid steer but a larger one. i got the SVL95. Before all of this i used back hoes and tractors to remove my asphalt. I sped up my work about 100% with these machines. We also use the skid steers to move the asphalt from the dump truck into the hopper of the paving machine. Our work always turns out beautiful. I have a ton of photos of the work we have done with the machines and even videos of them operating if you guys want to see them.


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

It's been a year and a half, I assume he's figured it out by now.


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## sammarsh (Jan 3, 2022)

RyanC123 said:


> Hello, I cant seem to wrap my mind around which option would be better. Owning a skid steer like Bobcat t595 or owning a tractor like the JD 5075e. This would be my first heavy equipment purchase. The majority of my work is gravel driveway resurfacing and regrading and i've been renting a JD 3038 tractor for that but am quickly realizing that I need a cab and something that can lift more stone! I also get the occasional drainage project or finish grading job. Its easier for me to rent a skid steer like the t595 than it is for me to rent a tractor like the 5075e. Either way I need to get out of the elements.
> 
> Any input would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


Box blade is a dying art. But if you can use one they are great. I have a bb and can run a skid also. But always go back to bb.


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## Shalame1 (10 mo ago)

Go for the skid steer. That would be a good idea. It is more reliable, doesn't have as many issues as the tractor, and doesn't take a lot of space. I would recommend checking Electric Skid Steer Loader | Compact Mini Skid Steer - Gloucestershire - Oxfordshire - Worcestershire - Herefordshire - Warwickshire and The Cotswolds an electric one. It will save you from so many issues and stress. Plus, it is eco-friendly, so you should check it out. I've had a tractor in the past. It is expensive, takes a lot of space, isn't really effective, plus needs expenses for fuels, diesel, etc. Repairing it was just insane. It was so hard to find the problem and then solve it.


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

Shalame1 said:


> Go for the skid steer. That would be a good idea.


He probably has both by now.


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## Mr Latone (Jan 8, 2011)

NYCB said:


> It's been a year and a half, I assume he's figured it out by now.


While the OP may have moved on, the thread is useful and it's not unreasonable for people to respond. I am sure the topic is one that gets searched by more than a few people.

Pulling up old threads can be useful beyond the direct responses to the OP


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