Yep, I’ve had both. It really depends on the application. After a couple of years, I found myself using my tractor far more often and sold the skid steer.
Yeah, it's funny, there's some overlaps with other equipment with each depending on your particular conditions and tasks. Like an excavator. Both a skiddy and an excavator would manipulate in a smaller area far better than a tractor but once that operating envelope expands past a certain point the skiddy starts winning. as it gets bigger than that that the tractor looks better for many tasks. Sure the tractor may be useful in a lot of the skiddy envelope but also far inferior to an excavator for many things. But the Excavator would be super slow in a lot of the tractor tasks. There really isn't an answer that will satisfy everyone. But it starts with what are you doing and where?
Yeah have also had both, and sold both. Track loader for heavier work, full day in the machine work, and if you have a helper. Tractor for when you are on and off, utility, maintenance work, and working alone. Even having sold both, I'd happily have one of each if I had acreage, and would use them both depending on the job.
If your doing a good bit of brush cutting an older tractor like from the 70s with few hoses/tubes is best, or the newer tractors have to armored underneath, and the right brush cutter. A David Brown cutter on the right tractor will run circles around a skid. An older 60s/70s 50hp tractors like a ford 5000, and a good 100hp rated cutter with no slip clutch will drive over all those trees, faster and burn less fuel than a skid. The older bush hogs also have gearboxes and shafts that were rated for 100-150 hp and can take amazing amounts of abuse without a slip clutch. The newer thin walled cutters with 40/50 hp gearboxes need the slip clutches tho.
A tractor isn't designed for that work to begin with. The tractor is designed for agricultural tasks. Light excavation with the front loader. The Takeuchi CTL is designed with more aggressive tasks in mind. The hydraulics on the CTL are higher pressure, designed to lift more, and has a lower ground clearance for pushing dirt. Where the tractor can push dirt, it has deeper ground clearance, better traction by way of skinny tight contact patch and a steerable axle. That tractor with the right ballast on the back, the right blade, and the right operator will move more deep snow in a better time frame than that CTL with stock tracks. They truly are two differently intended machines. Great video highlighting their differences. Cheers.
Andrew don't give up on this tractor. a 75hp pre-DEF tractor is a great tool. You need a quality heavy duty brush mower, maybe a flex wing rotory cutter. You can chop down trees with the skid steer. With a batwing you could cut a lot of pasture or fields that need annual upkeep. New sideline maybe?
I laughed out loud at the fixing of the dent on the truck! Andrew you crack me up! As a child you must have been quite the inquisitive and entertaining kid always taking things apart just to put them back together! Love your videos! ❤️
I remember when you got the white pickup and compared it to your older gray one. The white didn’t have any rust or dents. It’s had to work hard to earn those dents.
Skidsteer is great for building things and tractors are great for maintaining things. Skidsteers are awesome, but they destroy the ground just moving around.
Also heavily depends on the weight of the tractor, what wheels you have on and how dry/wet the ground is. You can quickly tear up the ground and make small ruts and stuff by turning sharply and doubly so if you've got four wheel drive engaged.
@@RyansVideoGamesmy brother-in-law has a kobota very similar , those front tires are hell on the turf , every time he does some work here he leaves reminders that last a while . 👍🇨🇦
Skidsteers are fine on soft ground if you don't zero turn in them, just like zero turns are fine on soft ground if they don't zero turn. It's the turning in place that fucks up the ground.
Had to laugh when Andrew said the tractor was not for that purpose. I believe he takes most of his equipment beyond its engineered limits. Great content.
And if the equipment was not to Andrew's expectations, he explained to his viewers how it could be better if they did some other modifications to it. The good thing about his shows is how he explains in detail what they need to improve, to make the equipment better. He's a good operator, starting from the ground up.
And the drive shaft needed about 6" cut out of it off both ends. Way to close and as nice as Andrew is to all his equipment he WILL bust it through the rear housing on that tractor.
You are an inspiration to me. You make things happen no matter what. I enjoy watching your videos and seeing all the hard work turn into amazing things
Hey Andrew, the guy that was driving the skid steer behind you as y’all was going through the woods clearing it out you need to keep him back at least a couple hundred feet because if he would’ve hit like a big rock or a brick in the way that mulcher is tearing that stuff up it could shoot it up and hitch in the back of the head. You never know it keep distance on that. Keep safety in mind.
The brush hog should trail straight behind the tractor so the driveshaft stays in alignment and only has to compensate for the up and down movement of the mower. It will compensate both ways but it is still meant to be trailing straight behind and not twisting and moving side to side like that. Stabilizers missing?
Looks to me like it was mostly caused by removing the hitch crossbar to accomodate the PTO shaft. Definitely not an attachment suited to the size of the machine.
Yeah, i get the idea of punishing things to the death to see how they work, but there are some technical limitations that you should actually take into account. You cant run such a driveshaft at the wrong angle. Of course its gonna break.
Inspiring video! Some days I just need someone to get me going and able to figure stuff out, I recently purchased another tool after seeing it on your video's, a powered grease gun! I know its not necessary but it sure makes the job much easier on most applications. I like the method you incorporate of some talking while repairing and how you do it and why you do it. Thank You!
The main difference is mobility around a construction site. A skid steer will do a 360 turn in one spot and a tractor takes all day to turn around in a tight spot :) Tractors are kind of a novelty on a construction site but are good for wide open spaces like your property.
My god, the paintless dent guys better be taking notes. That truck looked brand new after you fixed the dent in the bed side. Not a single indication left that it had been in a collision afterwards.
I spit out my drink laughing when you said, "Look at that!! You can't even tell it happened!!" 🤣🤣🤣 You are a funny guy without even trying. Andrew is the best!!!
See how you left the grappler reminded me of a tragedy we had in our family. My five year old nephew was climbing on the dirt blade his father had just unhooked from the tractor. Young boys like to climb on everything but somehow the block that was holding the blade up moved and he was crushed by the blade. Please be careful and don’t take unnecessary chances.
On the same safety subject. I recall about 20 years ago, a farmers wife was killed by a stone chip from underneath a bush hog. The machine bounced over a rock and the chip hit her in the head. She had come to bring the driver his lunch - very sad! 😢 The lesson here is that no one should be within a couple of hundred yards when the machine is running . Don't take any chances Andrew - imagine the consequences!
Andrew - Just want you to know that I recognized your professional level congruity in editing at - 101:44 to 101:54 - you did a ground level shot of a tree - and then flipped up to drone footage in perfect timing to see the track loader make mince meat of the wood. We recognized you care about your film craft - and that was evidence right there - the extra detail to attention that makes you a film maker - and not just a youtuber.
This 100x!!! Andrew was a master mechanic, builder and skilled in his services offered through his business. But now he's mastered editing, directing, and all entailed in his filmography.
That was without a doubt the most random brush hogging I have ever seen.. The tractor would have worked great if Dave had just stuck to an area and mowed everything 4' and under then moved to the next area. Then Andrew could have focused on the bigger brush with the cutter designed for it. Could have made a lot better progress with a lot less damage to the tractor bush hog. You do have to adjust those slipper clutches as they wear also. It was probably wearing a bit faster than normal though with what it was going through.
Chain as top link on a bush hog is a way better idea, you'll see as soon as you get on an incline and the top link forces the mower deck into the ground.
Nice tractor! Has good power, capabilities and a cool mini turbo whistle! You missed your calling, Andrew. You were destined to be a great auto body repair technician! I can't even tell that anything happened to that panel.
That’s a very nice little tractor and well equipped. Fancy the seller not fixing that hyd control for the sake of a simple pin.!!! Good for you to negotiate the price down tho 👍 I don’t think Kodi was buying your perfect panel repair either 😂
It's priceless to see you get excited when you accomplish certain projects at various points in the vid man... like ingeniously fixing the massive dent in the white pickup truck🤣
I have the little baby brother to this tractor. New Holland TZ 25 DA also a 2005. Nice little unit with the front loader, ag tires and 60" deck. My neighbors are constantly asking for my help in moving material around on their properties. Worth every penny.
I love watching his tool and toy collection grow. I think he’s living the best life of doing things that are fun or interesting to him. Keep at it and making videos!
Actually it seems a little exhausting with all that equipment and a company of one! Lot's of maintenance and batteries are always dead from lack of use. Good for YT videos I suppose and that's why he hardly does any contract work (that he shows) anymore.
Roll theme tune from movie "Arthur": Arthur he does what he pleases All of his life his master's toys And deep in his heart He's just he's just a boy Livin' his life one day at a time He's showing himself a really good time He's laughin' about the way They want him to be When you get caught between the moon and New York City
Andrew, truly appreciate the effort which goes into providing the vids, hands down. Great content each time! When will the electric hoist & electric garage door opener be installed in the Castle shop?
I think from a business perspective the skiddy is better. If you're looking for something on a ranch I'd go with a tractor. My thoughts are purely based on cost and the little research I've done into both. If cost wasn't a factor then I would choose the skiddy for both applications.
Straight mowing fields without trees, the tractor would be much more efficient. A 12 or 15 foot bat wing bush hog behind that 75hp tractor would out mow the track loader all day long.
Growing up my dad farmed Alfalfa and had hogs. A skid loader was a useful tool with back hoe, post hole auger, pallet forks, dirt bucket, bale spear & manure bucket. I’ve since inherited the property and cleaning up scrap iron, downed trees & junk I couldn’t imagine doing that without a skid loader. A 100 HP tractor with loader is nice but I prefer a skid loader
Blue needs to use a lower ground speed for that kind of Mowing. Did you see the clutch smoke several times ? Even in tall heavy tuff weeds. Slow down and let it do its work instead of beating it to death. And put back the Chain Top link. When mower hits a quick rise in ground level the hydraulics can't slack fast enough, But the Chains can slack infinitely faster to avoid damage to the 3 point frame. You can't see it but it's going to break. I mowed old fields for 32 years as a custom operator it's not a distruction derby. Take care of your Equipment and it takes care of you with less down time.
Yeah they generally only do that with the "Homesteader" RU-vidr types who aint that hard on their equipment. One look at Andrew's back catalogue and they'd be covering their eyes and running for the exits......
He'll put them to hard work, then give his honest assessment on their performance. He calls it like he see it, and I'd imagine that'd pucker the assholes of most company execs
Can hear Andrew now using a new 7’ bush hog bull dozing and beathogging 4-6” trees with it, deck breaks out around the gear box and says…… look at that, it should have lasted longer than that and broke for no reason bit it did alright i guess😂
@young11984 he doesn't needlessly beat or abuse his equipment, except his pickup truck (lol!) He just expects a piece of equipment to perform the task it was built for, which in my opinion, as expensive as equipment is these days, isn't being unrealistic. He isn't going to be easy on something because it's an inferior piece of chineasium garbage.
Impressed with the "Dent Puller". A little buffing and it's as good as new. Less impressed with the blue mower. liked the blue tractor. Looks very handy! Blue mower looks like it's from 1960's Hungary.
The hitch was offset on that blue mower, it's gonna bend it sideways eventually. And the wheels on the back are there for a reason, not just something for the mower to ride on but to set the proper blade angle front to back. The front of the mower should be slightly lower than the back for the mowing height you want to avoid cutting everything twice. Same as it should be for a lawn mower.
They each have their strengths and weaknesses each can do something the other can't. If person can't afford a skid steer then the tractor is ideal especially if you are on a small farm or acreage. Nice tractor though hope it works out for you.
One thing to keep in mind when troubleshooting in the future, those low temp solder connectors are handy, but can be an issue, and more so with high vibrations that equipment can produce. While low temp solder has it's place to mix with normal solder for longer working times when repairing PCB's and such.... when the actual repair is made, flux and wicking solder braid us used to remove all the existing solder inculding any low temp that was added to aid in repair. Low temp is brittle compared to normal solder and can fracture causing obvious issues.
Andrew, love your videos. You look like you're having so much fun. Enjoy your life doing stuff. You enjoy in the you're very good at. Don't worry I always will be watching your videos.
Andrew. When you were considering some delicate body work for your pickup you said “I have an idea”. I knew we were in for something interesting. Well done!
Thank you Andrew for filming such interesting and enjoyable content. I love the style of your videos and your channel has been so much fun to follow along. Its been really nice that you've been uploading so much recently. I can always settle in and relax to watch a Camarata Video
Andrew brush hogs a field like my Roomba sweeps my house. Funny to see random paths through the field just to hit all of the trees and saplings. 😂 Love the videos Andrew.
Yep, I brush hog randomly too. It just seems more fun that way. He has an extra 30 hp on his NH tractor than I do on my 43 HP on my Deere. It seems to help when pushing over trees.
I love brush hogging saplings like that in a field. If you keep up with it and run the opposite direction each time, in 2-3 years the stumps rot away and you're left with a nice grassy field. It's an awesome progression.
Hi Andrew, I finally watched every one of your videos, took a while, thanks for all the work you put into them and taking us along. love your projects. bye
I enjoy the majority of your videos, thanks for posting them. With all the land clearing you seem to do (over the years) I would have thought you would have purchased a forestry mulcher (Fecon). One of those would do a much better job and you would have MUCH less damage to your machinery.
Your hydraulic banks (what the hydraulic hoses plug into on the tractor) will last longer and stay leak free if you push then pull to remove the hoses.
Andrew, have you ever considered putting a flat bed instead of having a truck bed on that white pick up. A lot of flat bed have slots in it to make a rack around it if needed. You could weld a rack to fit it and take it off when not needed. Flat bed is wider,put more stuff on it to haul to location. If you could find a truck that has been wrecked,but flat bed is in real good condition. I think you would have more usage with a flat bed with a few cabinets attached for repair tools . Just a thought. I like all your videos. Very entertaining.
You can definitely see the clutch smoking itself to death as the brush hog went over clumps of grass. I originally thought it was the blades hitting rocks or grass binding causing friction and burning but it was the clutch spewing out tuffs of smoke when under strain.
A tractor's strength is its PTO. Hydraulics on your average tractor are ancillary, even though many new agricultural implements use hydraulics to power them these days. E.g. some hay tedders. That brush hog that you had behind the tractor was the wrong implement for the right tractor. I knew immediately that the PTO universal coupling was going to break at that angle. At the very least, the chain should have been extended and used as otherwise the mower can't float as intended. A solid top link was the only option at hand, but not ideal. A proper attachment on the tractor and it will prove more useful. Another strength of a tractor is its mobility (as Andrew said) and its ability to haul heavy loads. Especially along narrow tracks and the centre pivot point, means that you can with an appropriate dump trailer, dump its load into angles that a dump truck would struggle with. Another advantage of a tractor is that it can travel down a public highway, so long as it meets local traffic law requirements, which in my country would mean registration with number plates and an amber flashing beacon on top of the cab or roll bar. I don't know what would be required in Andrew's locality. Where the tractor shines with mobility, it is let down by its manoeuvrability, which is why a lot of farmers also own a telehandler with four wheel steering capabilities. Personally, I would keep the tractor, but find proper suitable implements for it. As Andrew says, a hydrostatic tractor would have advantages, but I think that for the climate that Andrew is in, a tractor with a cab might have been a better choice. Especially as it seems that he is not jumping on and off all of the time. The tractor will really shine with winter tasks such as snow ploughing. It would also make a good yard shunter for all of the trailers that Andrew has. Especially if Andrew builds a frame for the three point linkage with a towball on it.
Hey Andrew, take a look at one of those heavy duty drum forestry mulcher for your skid steer...they're about 30 grand, but they'll go through anything and the bits are easy to replace
Andrew you crack me up. Side of truck caved in , Ill fix it with the skid steer . Crunch , yank, bend, Now that almost perfect. You are one of a kind, lol. I admire the hell out of you.
Interesting video comparing the two units. Apples vs Oranges though, I think. Definitely right that the tractor can go places the skid would struggle with. But the skid would be much easier to operate especially in limited spaces. IMO, the biggest problem in this situation was the cutter behind the tractor. With that tractor's HP you could put a quality cutter at least twice as wide (or more) behind it and hardly notice. You could also operate a monster snow blower. It would be interesting to know what you decide about it.
