Tractor or skid steer Pros and Cons - Other Tractor Brands

Tractor or skid steer Pros and Cons

Tim
Join Date:
Posts: 1
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

1999-04-08 2597

Hi. I've been following this board for a bit, as I'm trying to decide ona compact tractor, a used Ford 8n or a skid steer.

Here's my situation: 35 acre home site at 10,000' elevation,so no grass to mow (the antelope and elk do that), plus I can onlyget a well permit for 3acre/ft/year -> one acre plus household plus animals.I'll be doing home building/excavation/landscaping/cistern building/tree work/snow removal/driveway and eventually, farming that one littleacre.

Tractor wise, I've narrowed it down to Kubota 2710 or B21, Cub Cadet 7260 or JD 4200. I'd like a backhoe, but $$$ and the fact thatthe hoes for this size machine dig only 6-7' may preclude this option.

Skid steer wise: Bobcat 753 or NH665. I can rent many of the attachments,unlike with a compact (which requires purchase or making new friends).

Budget wise: Restored Ford 8N with loader. Attachments might be cheaper.

I think I'd like the tractor best, but it seems as though the skid steerdoes more, for less. I just drove a B2400 and a TC25D today -- they'renice!

Here's my comparison chart:USE HR/YR COMPACT SKID FORD8N------------------------------------------------------------------[general]Usability GREAT GOOD POORTrailering to/from site 12 GOOD RENT/heavy GOOD[construction help]Backfill year one 16 POOR GREAT POORLandscaping year one 16 Log unloading 16 ??? GREAT POOR"Scaffolding" platform 8 SHORT TALLER SHORT[landscaping]Berms 24 GOOD GREAT GOODFence posts/snow fences 12 GOOD GREAT GOODStump pulling 8 POOR GREAT POORSnow removal 16 GOOD GREAT FAIRFirewood helper 8 GREAT OVERKILL GOODPaths, general landscaping 12 FAIR GREAT FAIR[gardening/hobby farming]Tilling ?? GREAT GOOD GREATSeeding ?? GREAT ??? GREATEverything else ?? GREAT ??? GREAT

Any opinions? Anything to add to my list? Any skid users that can comparethe pros and cons?

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Tractor or skid steer Pros and Cons

George
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 0 Connecticut
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

1999-04-09 2617

I know this may be general but I was stuck with a similar decision.I rented and used a Bobcat for a week. I have since used my neighbors JD 4200.Scraping up the $$$, I just bought a JD. There was no contest picking one over the other for me. On my land I could climb and cover all sorts of angles and hills with the tractor that tipped the Bobcat.I also had some trouble pulling a huge/heavy tree out of the woods with the Bobcat, it just kept lifting and tipping. I have not had any problems with the JD. My other neighbor let me "play" for a day on his Kubota and I found it to be just as good if not better than the JD.I know price is a factor but it was obvious after using both that I needed to get a tractor to deal with my uneven terrain.Hope this helps at least a little. ....

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Tractor or skid steer Pros and Cons

Tim
Join Date:
Posts: 1
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

1999-04-09 2656

Thanks for the input. Today I test drove a Bobcat 751 and a Kubota 2710; not that you can really head to head test drive the two!In my situation, with nothing to mow and only 1 acre to garden/farm, butlots of landscaping, the skid really merits consideration.I was at the site today for a soils test, and a TLB was busy digging out thesoil/excation guys Ford 4x4 pickup. Lots of drifting snow... but either atractor or skid could do what the TLB did (more slowly).Pricing is: Everything that I want costs $17,500 new. The skid does haverental of attachments savings, though. ....

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