Tractor, skid steer, or excavator?

@Mallett My tractor has a grapple. It works great for logs and brush. It won't feed the chipper well.

In general, as stated, art and mini skids will out lift a small tractor. If you're not doing tons of massive removals the tractor does just fine. We've done big and removals with the tractor, you just cut pieces smaller. We often utilize 20 yard dumpsters for wood since the tractor won't lift high enough for a 30 yard.

I don't fully agree with the stability part. If the tractor isn't loaded, sure. But when carrying logs it can be plumb scary if you are on any sort of rough terrain. Often I pull bigger logs backwards super low to the ground so if it twists I don't die. Lol. There's times I feel like the frame will twist in half with 5' diameter oak or elm.

That said, low cost of ownership, dramatically more efficient than winching our hand pulling, and more approachable price points were why I got the tractor last year. This year we're getting an art.
 
evo said:
Like Ryan said but also how far are you moving material? What else can the machine do? If machine feeding, short distance, wide space, get an excavator but aren’t very gentle.
Tractors are cool, and 1000’s of attachments. Yet because they are so ‘Swiss army knife’ they have their limitations. Mostly maneuverability.

There are so many considerations and it’s quite possible one machine won’t be enough. An articulated loader and a excavator would be one hell of a combo
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That's what I'm going for TBH. Not much you can't do with that combo
 
Brando CalPankian BCMA said:
@Mallett My tractor has a grapple. It works great for logs and brush. It won't feed the chipper well.

In general, as stated, art and mini skids will out lift a small tractor. If you're not doing tons of massive removals the tractor does just fine. We've done big and removals with the tractor, you just cut pieces smaller. We often utilize 20 yard dumpsters for wood since the tractor won't lift high enough for a 30 yard.

I don't fully agree with the stability part. If the tractor isn't loaded, sure. But when carrying logs it can be plumb scary if you are on any sort of rough terrain. Often I pull bigger logs backwards super low to the ground so if it twists I don't die. Lol. There's times I feel like the frame will twist in half with 5' diameter oak or elm.

That said, low cost of ownership, dramatically more efficient than winching our hand pulling, and more approachable price points were why I got the tractor last year. This year we're getting an art.
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So basically you are saying you overload the crap out of it and it flexes because of it. That’s why I wish I would’ve gone with a bigger Avant. So many times I’m operating it at its limits. Do that too much with anything and you are going to trash it.
 
I used a tractor at the company I used to work at but it wasn't nearly as helpful as the Avant and mini skid steer I have access to at my current job. The brush handling of a hanging grapple is so much better than winching and the Avant 528 claims to lift 3000# with forks. I've never weighed logs we've moved with it, but I'm always surprised by what it picks up.
 
RyanCafferky said:
So basically you are saying you overload the crap out of it and it flexes because of it. That’s why I wish I would’ve gone with a bigger Avant. So many times I’m operating it at its limits. Do that too much with anything and you are going to trash it.
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Exactly. It's not made for 6' boxelder rounds. Lol. It will do it but not happily. Hence why an implement lives on the PTO, for counterweight.
 
In a prior workplace we had a large Kubota tractor (~70hp) that sat at the yard most days.

It could absolutely outlift the DW SK1050, but because of the size and maneuverability of a tractor it was only useful on very open work sites. Plus, we had to drive it to the jobs because the float trailer was loaded up with other stuff, so it was a slow, rough ride doing 20mph down the highway. We all fought over who would get to drive it though, because it meant you'd be the last guy there and would avoid all the unloading and setup. And you could crank your own tunes for the drive.

The most useful part of the whole thing was absolutely the skidder plate/winch. That thing was terrifyingly powerful.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Unless your main demographic is large, rural properties a tractor is very limiting. And even then an art loader would be faster.

Buddy of mine uses a 2 ton excavator with grapple and it's a solid choice and very versatile, but slowwww.
 
Not the biggest or strongest, but I've been pretty impressed with my bobcat mt100 as an all around capable machine. I paid 43K this past may with 48months 0% interest. As far as different uses, some sites have nearly 30 attachments for mini skids depending on what you want to do and pay for. It's doubtful that attachments like an excavator bucket on a mini is as efficient as a true excavator, but it allows for completion of different task.


Also, what equipment is available to rent should you have a break down? My old mini would break down and I could grab a rental machine and still use all of my attachments.
 
Mallett said:
What size giant do you have, and how is the lift capacity? Does it have a grapple? Wondering how it compares to a tractor of the same price range. Seems like the main pro would be avoiding lawn damage & more nimble, and the cons would be lower lift capacity & less diverse applications


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I have the 254 tele with a bmg dangle grapple. When I bought it from tnt it was the first giant on the west coast. It has held up very well and it will lift snd carry surprisingly big loads but it took a minute to learn how to carry he’s y stuff. Picture carrying a log in your arms ,tucked up tight against your stomach and leaning backwards a little bit, you get it set up on the loader the same way as low as possible and it will move relatively large stuff. It can feed the chipper great, load a dump trailer and it moves as fast as I want to go ripping around someone’s yard.
We can piece down a tree and just leave the limbs under it, drop chunks on the limbs and then clean up the whole mess in short order. After buying it I wished I hadn’t waited so long.
 
For me and my market a mini skid hands down. I’m mostly in nice yards, often in woods, rarely in ‘rut it up’ land. But even in the woods ruts on some properties can change the drainage causing big problems.
 
flushcut said:
For me and my market a mini skid hands down. I’m mostly in nice yards, often in woods, rarely in ‘rut it up’ land. But even in the woods ruts on some properties can change the drainage causing big problems.
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Why is that "hands down" over a small articulated loader?

I've been looking at both... articulated loader will do better keeping nice yards nice. Only disadvantages I see in the loaders is:
*They are bigger...but a Giant 1200 or Intrepid KM85 are not much bigger than a mini skid loader.
*Articulated loaders that small have lower hydraulic flow than a mini skid steer. I wouldn't be grinding stumps and it's enough to run an auger for tree planting.
 
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ATH said:
Why is that "hands down" over a small articulated loader?

I've been looking at both... articulated loader will do better keeping nice yards nice. Only disadvantages I see in the loaders is:
*They are bigger...but a Giant 1200 or Intrepid KM85 are not much bigger at all.
*Loaders that small have lower hydraulic flow than a mini skid steer. I wouldn't be grinding stumps and it's enough to run an auger for tree planting.
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Traction and floatation.
 
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If you can wrench on your own machines a used articulated loader. Sounds like I do similar work as you. I’ve used DW, and Kubota tractor but find the Avant to be way more versatile and easier to use.
 
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