WOULD YOU CHOOSE A MINI SKID STEER OVER A TRACTOR? 

Have to agree. The mini skid steer would absolutely be the wrong tool in this situation. Used for smaller, specific applications it would be OK but certainly not for 11 acres.

Mini skid is great for sidewalk/brick paver work. Rent B4 you buy has always served me well.

I own the Kubota SCL 1000 stand on compact loader and love it but it’s NOT for a farm I use it in landscaping business in tight areas. Buy a Tractor for 11 Acres

I think you hit the nail on the head with the mini. His application is so far from the intended application of those machines. A full size skid steer is a great machine but I think you're right in recommending a compact tractor. If money isn't a large concern (and especially coming from the world of finance and not growing up working outside) I would get a tractor large enough to have a cab with heat and A/C. No matter what part of the country he is in there will either be a few days (or weeks) a year at the least that he will appreciate the A/C. Cold climate obviously the heat is very nice.

I agree 100% great advice. A tractor is more versatile for his application.

Sub compact tractor and mini skid steer are for different applications. Both would be nice depending on what he gets into but the tractor is probably the best option by far. If the budget isn’t an issue it might be better to consider a higher hp tractor with an actual garden tractor.

good lu k fixing you MT without experience. The compact desighn makes them a challenge to work on

I couldn’t agree more and I’d like to that the person would be very sorry having to stand for every chore chosen.

We have one of those at the cement plant for getting into places only a wheel burrow will fit.

Don’t know if anyone here has tried the Avant loaders but they are a pretty awesome rig!

I have a 9 acre farm and also own a rental company so i have all 3 of the options. I use all 3 on my farm for different jobs the tractor is used the most by far and i believe its the best option. That being said if budget isnt an issue i would go tractor and mini skid especially if your going to be cleaning barns the mini skid is amazing when it comes to that. Also the narrow machine fits in large gardens better than a tractor does.

I'm guessing that maybe the person that emailed you might have seen Brock's (Rockhill Farms) recent videos highlighting the mini skid that Baumalight (I think it was them that provided him with the mini skid). I completely agree with you Courtney, a mini skid would absolutely be the wrong machine for the person that posed the question to you. If you're only going to have a single machine, it's pretty rare that a tractor wouldn't be the right machine to have.

I have to agree with you it’s too job specific a mini tractor is more versatile around a small homestead you’re always are going to have jobs that you don’t foresee and it’s nice to have an good all around machine and attachments also when you think you found the right size tractor buy the next size up trust me I found out the hard way no one ever said I wish I had a smaller tractor lol.

Totally agree with you, a tractor is the best choice for versatility and unseen new uses!

While I just got rid of my tractor and I'm looking at various options to replace it, there's a reason why most farms have tractors. They really are the most versatile machines. In my case, I'm using my machines for my land clearing/landscaping business so the tractor doesn't quite cut it (literally). Mini skids are nifty, specially when used in tight places and easy to lug around hence why most tree service companies use them but they are pretty limited otherwise. Other worthy contenders for farm use would be small articulated loaders and compact tele-handlers. They offer better lift capacities (for bales, etc.) and tighter turn radiuses over tractors.

I can see the mini Skid being a great barn machine in addition to the tractor.

Sounds like a prank email.

He needs a Bobcat Tool cat. I love my Toolcat. It’s a all in one solution. It takes all Skid steer attachment. High Flo hydro, seat 2 drives 18 MPH , has a dump bed. Enclosed cab with heat and AC.

I have a ditch witch sk1050. It’s a great machine for landscaping jobs. The downsides are that operating them really beats you up after a while. Maintenance can be difficult and expensive. Even hydraulic hoses can be difficult to access and replace. A compact tractor in his situation would probably be best.

He needs a 3038e, perfect size for 10acres. But if heavy brushing is involved just hire a mulcher, just not worth what you end up breaking doing it DIY with a compact tractor.

Sound advice. We had a landscaper show up with a rental mini-skidsteer to clean up roots, fill in holes, etc. after the removal of a huge magnolia. What a miserable machine it proved to be- the poor guy had to handload his dump truck.

I would never recommend the mini skid to a novice operator with no feel for the tipping point of his equipment.. You may have well saved the guys life talking him out of it.

I would definitely go with the wacker sm100 over the bobcat

My problem with a mini skid steer is that if you have to spend an extended amount of time on one, they literally beat you to death.

The b2601 is a good choice. But if you're on a slight slope I'd recommend 2.5 inch wheel spacers.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I have skid steers, excavators, several large utility tractors and a compact tractor (LX2610). I have used mini skid steers on constructions sites several times. If a site is large enough to easily use a larger unit we always will. The mini skids are great at what they do but not a jack of all trades. I would agree with the suggestion of a compact tractor or possibly small utility tractor if needing great lifting capacity and/or HP for running larger attachments. I could see a 50 hp unit working well based on the property described

No skid steer at this point, however get an enclosed cab. ONE yellow jacket nest will convince you

I'd personally rather have a small tractor for that size of a piece of property myself. I guess it depends on what you need to do, but I really don't use my full size skid loader as much as I use my tractors.

Former Bobcat employee here. Highly recommend against the MT100 in this application. It’s a great machine, but there are several limitations. 1) The speed, as Courtney has already explained; 2) The cost. The initial purchase price for this is going to start over $35,000 with no attachments. You can buy a lot of tractor for that; 3) Attachments. The selection of attachments available for this machine is really quite good, but they are small (and therefore slow) and surprisingly expensive- at least the price of equivalent tractor attachments; 4) Cost of maintenance. The tracks in particular are expensive and don’t last much more than 125 hours in my experience. The MT100 has applications where it shines, but farming is not among them.

A mini skid is the perfect machine..... for landscape companies or indoor demo. Small, not comfortable for long periods, attachments are not cheap and not alot of used options like there for ssqa. For property maintenance definitely NOT the right machine compared to a standard farm tractor

I bought a tractor when I probably should have bought a mini skid. 😂 I'm on a half acre though. The reason I don't just use my ride on mowers for utility stuff is that my block is odd. It's fairly long/narrow and has a steep section in the middle. It is difficult to move trailers in the back yard and I have a lot of trees to maintain. Dragging the 220kg wood chipper around is too much for the ride on mowers I have for example. The thing is though, a sweet old Kubota L1501 in good mechanical condition, cost me 7k AUD. Beat up basic model dingo or kanga mini skids are around 12k minimum, usually 15k+. I am getting a lot of use out of a 3ft 3pl scoop bucket, although a 2ft would have been a better fit in hindsight. I also made my own 3pl pallet forks. With front weight, I moved a 300kg wood heater that got delivered next door. I have an old Ferguson jib that I need to modify to fit properly, but it's handy. I have an overkill 5ft grader blade and fixed my road a few times after getting storm damage.

I don’t recall hearing what his actual plans were for his 11 acres. Too little info for a proper opinion and not a WAG! A mini skid might be nice if budget was no concern, like he said as a backup to his tractor. Just my opinion with 1 year of experience on 10 acres and I run a 3 series JD

It really depends on what you’re comfortable in and what you need to do with your property. In the past I lived on 8 acres of pasture land and a 3032E that eventually got upgraded to a 5045E were more than enough for almost anything I needed. Having said that, I now live on 5 acres that is heavily wooded as a mixture of clay and rock soil and doesn’t have a flat spot on it except where the house sits. I’m transforming the place into a farm, but with the amount of dirt work and land clearing that needs to be done I purchased an SVL 75-2, which are recently traded in -3 and I wouldn’t go back. My current dilemma is to buy a small subcompact tractor with a backhoe for working in tighter areas where the skid steer doesn’t fix and I currently have to do it manually or buying a mini excavator which will do a lot of the same jobs as the small sub come back that I need it for anyways, but will also tackle much larger projects. I’ll be 3 to 4 times the coast. I’m currently having to rent a mini-x several times a year

Totally agree. Skid steers have their place but not here. Take money, get a nice compact, load up with various attachments and implements and happy and more productive.

If it's going to be the only machine, I don't think it's the best choice

Totally agree with you and your recommendation about the size of tractor he should get. Would never use a mini skid on a farm. And he can rent a skid steer for a bit if needed, but over the years a compact tractor is going to be what he needs. Mini skids are primarily for bigger projects in the suburbs/city where you need something that can fit through a fence gate and haul a lot of materials. Like relandscaping a yard, digging a pool, moving brick/shingles, etc.

Wish the guy sent a picture of the 11 acres you could have shown. Plus an indication of the state/soil type. I have a Kubota BX23S tractor and a SCL1000 mini-skid. They are both amazing machines for light to medium work. There are limitations though. I have some large acreage but primarily use these machines around a 10-acre front field on my property in WV as well as around a residential suburb property in NJ. I'll give a few points to think about/comparisons. You need a tractor if you'll be brush hogging anything over a half-acre. The mini-skid is better for moving around a smaller areas/tighter spots rather than 11 acres. Even the tractor can be a chore to drive from one side of the field to another. Mini-skids are weighted towards the back so going over stumps or logs or other small items can be really sketchy if you're not careful. (Something to think about depending on rocks/items on your terrain.) These machines are both compact - but there's a huge power difference. The BX23S can lift a 48" bucket full of stone just fine, but that's just about it's limits. I was recently moving some heavy wood working equipment (jointer/wide-belt sander)... the SCL1000 had no problem lifting the machines up onto a trailer and felt sturdy driving around with them from pallet forks. It lifts ~1800lbs and 1000lb ROC. The BX23S tractor I think is ~800lb ROC - however, the tractor couldn't even lift the equipment with the loader arms. And with it's body length, it was extremely sketchy and tippy driving with all that weight up front. The only way I could lift the tools was use the forks to 'curl' the equipment up off the ground a few inches. I was surprised at the difference in lifting capacity and stability differences of these two small machines -- but it was VERY different. So - it depends on what you're doing with it. Coming from the finance world and starting a farm, I'm going to suggest you'd do better with a TLB sub compact tractor (The backhoe will be helpful!) Both machines are versatile -- but the tractor is just a bit more versatile than the mini-skid across different terrains. That said, my mini-skid has been indispensable for moving heavier items and getting in and around tight areas. I have tight areas in NJ though... if you don't have a lot of super tight areas to get through, just go the tractor/TLB route (to start). Plus, there's nothing for a mini-skid that you can't get for a tractor. The BX23S is a dream and can get in super tight areas too. (Plus the quick connect backhoe and front loader on it makes life so easy. Keep this in mind because you'll start to realize how long equipment setups/changes can eat into your work time.) Just keep in mind the ROC of the machines you're getting and what you plan on lifting... working above the ROC is ok 'every once in a while' but you really really don't want to be working at that max load/ROC all the time... you'll be working tensely. Maybe later on get a full size skid steer for moving heavier objects. Good luck!

No! Mini skids, stay with a 25 HP. sub compact tractor, with attachments... 😮😅.

One is operating skills. The other is how sof the ground is. Tractor are great but you need comsenc. Hard to say. Me Tractor. UT have 40 years of experience. Good luck.

I asked a contractor who picks up materials where I work, what he paid for that toro dingo on his trailer and he told me 50 grand all together, granted it made total sense for his operation but how much more would a full sized track loader cost? Edit: I am eating my foot, on average another 20-40 grand

Oh, dear goodness! That guy must have some money burning a hole in his pocket! An old Ford 8N for around $2K would do him just fine. I started out on my 27 acres with a1949 (in 2001) Ferguson TO20 for $1000 (and it came with a bush-hog)...and now I have a '91 Case-IH 1140. Yeah, a loader would be handy once in a while- but am I willing to pay for one? LOL! This guy has to learn some country wisdom, and how to do things without buying new and expensive toys.

I have 16 acres with a 4052 bucket, grapple, tiller, bush mower, box, and tree puller. With that, I have a lot of dirt work, so I am purchasing a Tracked Skid Steer. I rent mini X as needed. I would never put a back hoe on a tractor. The mini skid is out on that size lot.

I have an hydraulic front mounted auger from land pride. It’s medium speed on my b2650, and fast on my l4760. I think the guy would be better off with a 35-40 model grand l in Kubota

I have to agree with Courtney on this one, as he is rarely wrong in his experience, especially since price is not a factor. The Bobcat MT is not designed for an 11 acre piece of property. It is designed for small, tight space job applications. I've only purchased 1 tractor and that was recently, but I looked at the purchase as one of two ways and you choose which philosophy to follow. 1. You can buy a piece of equipment that fits your needs now and grow out of it; or 2. You can buy a piece of equipment now and grow into it. I did the latter as the price of equipment will only get more expensive in time, so pay now or pay later....one way or another, you're going to pay. Also, is the MT the most efficient way (again, as Courtney said) to accomplish your task? You can use a screwdriver to drive a nail, but is it the most economical way to accomplish your task?

Tractor before construction equipment for an acrage

Just get the bobcat full size skid steer, fast action, mean, easy to work on, ridiculous amount of attachments! Cant go wrong!

Mini skid would be great for cleaning small barns but ruff traversing the property for other tasks. Obviously buy both.

Have to agree wrong tool, I use a JD3R cab tractor for 6 acres if it need to do something outside of the tractor work rent the equipment. Buy what you use more rent for the special/specific jobs

I have a ditch witch mini skid that’s bigger then the mt 100. He will not be happy with even mine. They are too slow for what he wants to do. If he doesn’t want a tractor he should just get a skid steer. But a tractor is probably best for him.

I agree a compact tractor would be better. But, what about a mini wheel loader (front loader)?

You’re a good man for giving us new farm and tractor owners candid advice on machines and attachments that are most practical for our specific applications, Courtney. Sounds like a Kubota LX3310 with appropriate attachments should be the “pearl” for his application, given it’s power and versatility, given there’s no budget restrictions. We’d highly recommend the Bxpanded Piranha Tooth bar for clearing brush, trails, and general bucket work - it’s an epic enhancement to the bucket IOHO. 🐻

It sounds like he wants to do construction on the property with the skid steer. Need more info.

The only use for the walk behind mini skid is stall cleaning and small landscaping projects. They are great for those jobs but way to little for any job that you can't do physically with your own body and a shovel.

I have 9 acres and a 35 hp tractor with FEL and Backhoe after many years wish I had at least 10 hp more mini skid loader is not really big enough for day to day needs. If you need to plow snow get a tractor with a heated cab wish I did that but at the time could not afford it.

Why not a 1025 with some hydro plus cylinders then it has the same lifting power as the mini skid but more forgiving on grass and way more versatile.

The Toro Dingo: Superb machine! It is absolutely not a substitute for a tractor or skid steer, per se. But in consideration of its size and functionality, it is a superior choice over a tractor or a skid steer for tasks on a smaller scale.

Mini skid is mostly designed for landscaping where they need to go through confined spaces and fence gates, They are back savers for sure. A larger track loader are more useful, but not as a replacement for a tractor. Track loaders are better for time management and heavier load work etc.

Standing that long would suck. Glad I have a yanmar SA223 for my farm.

Having actually used both on multiple occasions, I feel I can comment. With 11 acres, and no access challenges such as a narrow gate, the subcompact wheel tractor is the right choice. Our property has approximately 11 open acres along with several wooded acres and I can do most jobs with my 20 hp tractor. It is nice to have a friend come over with an additional tractor to help bush hog our biggest single field, which is about 5 acres, but I can manage it all over a weekend on my own if needed. I did a couple of projects in a suburban backyard where I did not have room to enter with my 48" wide Kubota L series tractor. I rented a Bobcat MT 120 stand-behind/ride behind track loader and a tracked Georgia buggy. This allowed me to move 96 yards of sand and 20 yards of topsoil for the project with minimal effort and navigate through a 42" gate. The stand-behind loader and Georgia buggy were well suited for the limited access, but unnecessary on an 11-acre farm. You can widen a gate, if need be, I suppose, and cut down an inconvenient tree with your chainsaw. I also work on my family's tree farm on occasion and use the Kubota there for such tasks as disking, planting cover crops, raking, leveling ground, repairing ruts left by a logging crew, moving brush and other things you find yourself needing to do at a farm. My recommendation would be to purchase a Kubota L3302 HST or equivalent other brand. Find out which brand is best supported by the local dealer. Ask your neighbors which tractor they own and if they would buy another one or would they look elsewhere if they had to replace their current make or model. Once you select the dealer/brand you want to patronize, get your tractor set up with a front-end loader, bush hog, disk and box blade. I would advise against the backhoe attachment unless you are planning to do an extensive amount of trenching, and then, unless you plan a new career as a ditch digger, I would rent a mini excavator anytime you require any ditching to be done. If you have any trees on the farm, you will also appreciate a grapple bucket in addition to the solid bucket for the front-end loader. Other attachments you may have use for but can either pick up used or borrow from a neighbor might be a PTO posthole digger, a fertilizer spreader, a 2-bottom turning plow, and a set of middle busters. If you need to do any ditching in wet weather, you can center mount one of the middle busters on the plow frame and cut a nice ditch behind your tractor to drain temporary standing water if you run into the need.

I got the bobcat m100 I use it very sigle day brush cat mover best machine ever

We bought a 10 acre ranch two years ago. The ranch has many huge trees that like to fall down during the winter. I purchased a Kubota L-47 on the very first day and have never looked back. Fantastic tractor, I also purchased a grapple, box scraper, flail mower and pallet forks (and it came with the bucket and back hoe of course) and I don't know how I could have done any of the maintenance without this incredible tool. My neighbors love me come snow time...

Agreed... Not a big fan of them...

If i where him id get a kubota l series

I like your videos you do a great job

I enjoy watching your u-tube channel , very informative and developing. It's a shame you do not ship to Canada 😢 . We have 33 acres of bush and l purchased a Kioti 2510 loader/ backhoe the first year and never looked back. The Bush is now being used for recreation and hunting, while still cutting in trails .

The mini skid is a very capable machine & it has a purpose. Being from farming and construction industries and I own a 1025r John deere ( I set mine up after the jd 210) on 1/3 of an acre mainly on a hillside too... mini skid would have been a much better option for my location and landscaping projects. The ease of getting on and off the mini skid is great but it wears you out standing and taking all the abuse from the hammer or bucket work. The first tractor I would buy is a JD 210 ( they added a PTO) it's about 70-110 hp range i think.. I suggest this tractor because it's made as a skip loader a utility and grading tractor for construction, a little heavier duty components and lots of ballast.. I would go with a 4in 1 bucket to get the 3rd function up front, and the Gannon box blade has a bank of hydraulic controls including down pressure on the draft arms, hydraulic top link, tilt on one or both draft arms to cut a v ditch and hydraulic actuated rippers or scarifiers. This size tractor will have enough height and lifting capacity to unload the pickup truck or trailer. It's a 84" wide bucket and box blade. I also believe it's better suited for loader work because of the transmission it uses. Generally speaking its a 4 speed with a forward and reverse selector lever. They are all different tools, my other advice is to go to your local rental store United Rentals, or similar and look at the attachments that can be rented to fit your tractor.... are you planning to do JD quick change, skid steer or Euro? I purchased a few attachments, it's cheaper to not have to store, maintain or repair stuff that you don't use all the time. An auger, build your fence plant your trees then send it back. I would avoid a backhoe attachment personally, rent a excavator that is far more efficient. Hopefully this will help with some of the rabbit holes 🕳️ that can be gone down.

Can’t think of any application past maybe cleaning out an animal barn where a mini skid would be a better choice than a tractor. A tractor will always be the most valuable/useful piece of equipment you can have on a farm. It’s hard to make a recommendation on a tractor! Everyone’s applications are different. 11 acres isn’t a big farm but it’s not a small piece of ground either. It’s well within the capacity of a 25 horse machine. It’s also totally within the realm of a 60 horse machine. What it comes down to in my mind is how much actual ground work are you going to do? Because anything will pull a mower assuming it’s sized correctly for the tractor. It might take all day but it will do it. Moldboard plows and disc harrows tell the tale. Lots of ground work involved start looking at utility tractors. Little ground work involved JD 3 series or Kubota L series. The Kubota Bs are great tractors but I think they get over recommended and seems to be the standard response when someone says they are in the tractor market. The B series shines in a support role. They may not be the best option for your only tractor. One major stellar quality and I’m sure a big selling point is the fact the B series and other tractors of comparable size can be moved on a landscape trailer with a 1/2 ton truck

10 acres ... 40 hp tractor ... if you have tight spaces the mini would be helpful . . but not great

I agree, this person would be better served by a compact tractor. Like you, I think mini-skids are a better tool for construction sites. That said, I can see farm applications for them -- mainly on dairy, feedlot, and produce operations. Where you need handle heavy material in tight spaces. They would be a slow and miserable ride on open land.

I have several tractors with front end loaders and a 299d3 cat skid steer. I wanted and finally bought a mini skid steer to use around my shop. I do metal fabrication and heavy equipment repair. I basically use it for an extra set of hands and for that it works ok. I took it up to my house from my shop to do some irrigation repair which is at the other end of my 25 acre property. I got about 300 yards from the shop, stopped and put it on my rollback and hauled it to my house. You definitely gave that guy sound advice. I would say it’s a luxury extra you buy unless you’re a contractor that has to to regularly get in residential gates in neighborhoods. I think mine has 28 hours on it and it’s 3 years old lol.

Since he didn’t have budget concerns I would go a little bidder then b2601 like LX or CK Kioti.

I use it on my hourse farm

I would recommend a ventrac. Way safer on hill sides than a tractor the tough cut is a beast and mows grass like a freak its like a Swiss arm knife that is if you have deep pockets which it sounds like he has

100% agree

tractor

13 acers

The use for the mini on the farm, is in a small tight barn with lots of posts.

I am wondering what I could do to make a compact tractor more safe (I know it will never be completely safe) for slopes. I have relatively flat land on top of a hill, a decent slope. and more flat land at the bottom. My intended uses for the tractor are clearing property, moving logs, rooting out stumps, brush hogging, etc. I'm in SW Virginia, so once in a while I am clearing snow. I'd also probably have good use for the bucket spreading dirt, mulch, and gravel. I've run bobcats, excavators, and grew up running a 1952 Ford NAA Jubilee (now THAT'S A DANGEROUS TRACTOR ON A HILL!). Some of the trees I'll be clearing are fairly decent size so I am concerned that the 25 HP models don't have the lifting capacity. There's a Rural King about an hour away, and I was looking at RK37; there's a John Deere dealer nearby but prices seem REALLY high, especially on attachments. Last of all there are two Kubota dealers nearby but one has a horrible reputation. I was hoping to get at least 1500-2000 lbs lift with the appropriate size grapple. I've watched your videos on wheel spacers and even dual rear wheels but I doubt rear wheels can be doubled on the larger compacts. Worst case I'll get a road cut. Last of all, recommendations for winch mounts for tractors - like to skid logs off of slopes. Thoughts?

Sounds like a city person who should stay in the city. Like with most people who live in the country or farm land we don’t want city people destroying our areas.