Am I going to regret buying Skidsteer ?

[DPx2]

I'm sure somewhere this has been debated before but I couldn't find a thread on it.

I'm considering purchasing a SS for the main purpose of pulling trees. At some point I'll also get a mower for it, but have a tractor and brush hog that works just fine for now.

My ground is 5-9% slopes, and quite a bit of it is in CRP. I have trees (cedar, burr oak, wild plum mostly) growing up in it. They are between 2'-12' tall. This is NW MO ground.

I'm wanting to get a 65-75hp skidsteer with tree puller to do the job. I want to spend 15-20k on an older unit because 1) I'm cheap 2) i'll put only50 hrs a year on it 3) I'm afraid of the maintenance costs on a CTL 4) I trying not to spend $40k on a CTL for something I won't use a ton each year.

I'm retired, so I don't have to try and do things on a weekend regardless of the weather like when I was working. I can wait till things dry out for example.

Will I be dissappointed with a wheeled SS in this size for the job?

I've run both wheeled and CTL's at work. Not a bunch, but some. I want a CTL, but I'm very frugal.

I don't want to buy something that will fail at the reason for the purchase.

Thoughts?

 

[hillrunner]

How big are the trees you want to pull? It takes a big horse to pull a tree with any size. I've been doing a lot of pulling in recent weeks.
I've owned a lot of different skid loaders over the years. They are extremely useful for property work, even the smaller wheeled versions can do a ton of work. I would not put a puller on a smaller machine however, I just don't think it'd be able to justify itself for me. Maybe your have a lot smaller stuff you want to pull that out would work well for?

 

[hillrunner]

This skid loader would fit in the range you are describing. I don't own this one anymore but I did a lot of work with it when I did. I built the damn in the picture with it. Made a great little pond. I don't think I'd be satisfied with it on a puller though.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have both a ctl (110hp) and a mini ex (50hp). For popping trees give me the mini all day long. I can dig up just about any tree in the woods with mine. If you buy a shear for a skid steer they are not cheap and for big trees like cedars you will have a hard time even getting close enough to the trunk to cut it. And then with that hp trouble moving it. I had a buddy tip a 90hp over totting a tree!

 

[DPx2]

How big are the trees you want to pull? It takes a big horse to pull a tree with any size. I've been doing a lot of pulling in recent weeks.
I've owned a lot of different skid loaders over the years. They are extremely useful for property work, even the smaller wheeled versions can do a ton of work. I would not put a puller on a smaller machine however, I just don't think it'd be able to justify itself for me. Maybe your have a lot smaller stuff you want to pull that out would work well for?
View attachment 62728

I have a fair number of trees the size in the picture above, mostly smaller though some larger. Another poster mention a shear, I don't plan to shear as I don't want to have to go back and spray.
What kind of work did your older wheeled SS do? Was it hi-flow? Do I need hi-flow for a brush cutter?

 

[DPx2]

Another question is how often did you get stuck with your wheeled SS? I'm usually working alone so if I get stuck, I'm kinda SOL.....

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I have a fair number of trees in the picture above, mostly smaller though some larger. Another poster mention a shear, I don't plan to shear as I don't want to have to go back and spray.
What kind of work did your older wheeled SS do? Was it hi-flow? Do I need hi-flow for a brush cutter?

Cedars don’t need to be sprayed if cut below the lowest branch

No you don’t need hi flow for a brush cutter

If you don’t plan on getting some kind of implement specifically for tree removal you are going to be disappointed in it’s effectiveness

 

[hillrunner]

I have a fair number of trees in the picture above, mostly smaller though some larger. Another poster mention a shear, I don't plan to shear as I don't want to have to go back and spray.
What kind of work did your older wheeled SS do? Was it hi-flow? Do I need hi-flow for a brush cutter?

I have only had high flow on my larger tracked machines.
The brush cutter I owned was not high flow but it was about 2,000 lbs. I don't think it would be a great match for a smaller machine. That's my only experience with one of those.
For clearing smaller trees I've had great luck just pushing them out with the bucket or a root grapple using a smaller wheeled machine. A little momentum can bring forth a lot of force. I've cleared 1/2 acre areas for food plots using only the bucket.
Yes, wheeled machines can definitely get stuck. They are a little like a sow on ice when it comes to greasy mud or icy conditions. I've had to pull them out more than once.

 

[DPx2]

Cedars don’t need to be sprayed if cut below the lowest branch

No you don’t need hi flow for a brush cutter

If you don’t plan on getting some kind of implement specifically for tree removal you are going to be disappointed in it’s effectiveness

I plan to buy a puller but not a shear was my original thinking for removal of trees.
I did know the lower branch on the cedars to not get regrowth, but I also have a lot of other types of trees I didn't want to shear, but to pull so I didn't get regrowth.

Anything and everything that grows in NW Missouri is on the list....locust, hedge, maple, oaks, hickory, walnut, red bud, on and on...but the fields I have planned to hit first have mostly burr oak, cedar, wild plum thickets.

I'm ok if it takes longer with a wheeled SS than a CTL, as long as I can get the job done with a wheeled SS. Sounds like HillRnr has run both and has his doubts about a wheeled SS with a puller. That was my concern....

A mini is a whole other conversation....Never ran one, ran a backhoe for about an hour working for the state. That's the depth of knowledge with anything with a bucket on an arm....

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I plan to buy a puller but not a shear was my original thinking for removal of trees.
I did know the lower branch on the cedars to not get regrowth, but I also have a lot of other types of trees I didn't want to shear, but to pull so I didn't get regrowth.

Anything and everything that grows in NW Missouri is on the list....locust, hedge, maple, oaks, hickory, walnut, red bud, on and on...but the fields I have planned to hit first have mostly burr oak, cedar, wild plum thickets.

I'm ok if it takes longer with a wheeled SS than a CTL, as long as I can get the job done with a wheeled SS. Sounds like HillRnr has run both and has his doubts about a wheeled SS with a puller. That was my concern....

A mini is a whole other conversation....Never ran one, ran a backhoe for about an hour working for the state. That's the depth of knowledge with anything with a bucket on an arm....

Sorry thought you were specifically talking cedars.

A skid steer is sooo useful but if I had to have one personally I’m not sure I could part with the mini. I made a couple hundred yards of a new road through the woods the other day in a couple hours. I had originally started on the skid steer and beat the crap out of trying to remove trees. They aren’t hard to operate once you’ve put a couple hours on it and you can get one in your budget. The downside is they are slower than molasses if it’s a poke from where you store it to where you’re working.

 

[DPx2]

Sorry thought you were specifically talking cedars.

A skid steer is sooo useful but if I had to have one personally I’m not sure I could part with the mini. I made a couple hundred yards of a new road through the woods the other day in a couple hours. I had originally started on the skid steer and beat the crap out of trying to remove trees. They aren’t hard to operate once you’ve put a couple hours on it and you can get one in your budget. The downside is they are slower than molasses if it’s a poke from where you store it to where you’re working. View attachment 62737

I wish I could see one in action. Is a hyd thumb pretty much a necessity when using it for tree removal?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I wish I could see one in action. Is a hyd thumb pretty much a necessity when using it for tree removal?

Actually no not at all. I pretty much just use it to place downed trees. But honestly you could probably balance most trees on the bucket and curl it up and hold against the boom. YouTube has tons of videos of mini ex tree removal.

 

[DPx2]

Actually no not at all. I pretty much just use it to place downed trees. But honestly you could probably balance most trees on the bucket and curl it up and hold against the boom. YouTube has tons of videos of mini ex tree removal.

I'll check it out.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I would recommend renting one for a week, you would be surprised how easy you learn, and in my experience an excavator will walk circles around the skid for tree removal. Wish I owned one, but I just rent them when needed.

In the past I have leased new machinery for a year, if you think you can get it all done in a year, this would be my suggestion. I think it was less than $10k for a year, and it was a big machine.

 

[DPx2]

I would recommend renting one for a week, you would be surprised how easy you learn, and in my experience an excavator will walk circles around the skid for tree removal. Wish I owned one, but I just rent them when needed.

In the past I have leased new machinery for a year, if you think you can get it all done in a year, this would be my suggestion. I think it was less than $10k for a year, and it was a big machine.

Interesting - I looked at renting a skidsteer for a week and a month and was at a price point where I thought I could buy a wheeled unit and keep it for other jobs... I guess for 10k, I'd probably end up feeling the same way. That's the point I thought, well even if it's slower, but would do the job, I'd be ok with a wheeled unit. The question is - could it do a reasonable job. I never owned one so don't know what my expectation is or should be for now.

At work we had a Bobcat T770 with forestry pkg, 2sp and hi-flo that I got a couple hours on using a timber ax. I wasn't all that impressed to be honest. Slow on 8" and bigger trees and left a lot of material on the ground. We had a couple wheeled units as well and I did get to drive them is about all. I wasn't a fan of the foot controls so I don't know if I'm going to find a $20k machine with ISO in a wheeled machine either......

 

[Booner21]

Interesting - I looked at renting a skidsteer for a week and a month and was at a price point where I thought I could buy a wheeled unit and keep it for other jobs... I guess for 10k, I'd probably end up feeling the same way. That's the point I thought, well even if it's slower, but would do the job, I'd be ok with a wheeled unit. The question is - could it do a reasonable job. I never owned one so don't know what my expectation is or should be for now.

At work we had a Bobcat T770 with forestry pkg, 2sp and hi-flo that I got a couple hours on using a timber ax. I wasn't all that impressed to be honest. Slow on 8" and bigger trees and left a lot of material on the ground. We had a couple wheeled units as well and I did get to drive them is about all. I wasn't a fan of the foot controls so I don't know if I'm going to find a $20k machine with ISO in a wheeled machine either......

My dad just purchased a 2108 t595 with foot controls. I had probably 100 hours run time on iso controls before running this one. After running the foot controls for a little while I would say I prefer them over the iso. This machine had 600 hours on it and was in the mid 30s. Honestly After running it for a while I wouldn’t rule foot controls out. It has been a super handy machine to have. Currently have a hd brushog and grapple both have been very handy


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[jsasker007]

A thumb on an excavator is pretty handy to have. If you have rocks or want to grab a downed tree and slide it to the side you'll be glad you have the thumb. Once you use an ex with a thumb you won't want to be without it. Worth the extra $$ in my opinion.

 

[DPx2]

I've been talking with a number of folks over the past few days and I'm pretty convinced I need to be into a tracked machine for a skid loader. One part of the decision made.
The next decision I have to make is the size to buy. The last decision will be which mfg....
Case, Deere and Kubota are the likely ones based on dealerships in my area.
Thinking 75hp or larger, 2 speed. Whether I need hi-flow or not is unknown.
Does anyone road their CTL's 10 miles ? I don't have a 12k-14k trailer, only a 1/2 ton truck and 7k trailer, I know the trailer won't work for the weights of 75hp machines I've seen....
I'm hoping 1 purchase doiesn't require 2 more purchases (Truck and trailer)

A mini would be nice, but since I don't know much about them, and will have other jobs a CTL I think will perform better, I'd probably rent a mini if it comes to that It's what most guys I know do around me. They own a Skid loader, rent the mini's.

 

[Brokenbear]

I do not have a dog in this hunt and have never driven an SS but ..seems like in another discussion of SS driver/users there seemed to be some modest suggestion/concern that hills/stability were a concern ..especially with novice drivers ..foggy memory on my part but up hill with no front load?? and lateral slid on a hill with the wheeled type ??
So just curious on my part ..
Bear

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

10 miles would be not only a no but a hell no! I don’t even want to drive my tractor 10 miles. Plus I imagine the wear on those tracks would be punishing. Tracks aren’t cheap either.
I feel your pain on moving it. I can only use mine on my main farm for that same reason.

Brand is splitting hairs. Find the one in the best condition with the most life left on the tracks and undercarriage.