Farm Equipment - Skid loader vs Front end loader

Skid loader vs Front end loader

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Topic: Skid loader vs Front end loader

Posted By: AC Nut
Subject: Skid loader vs Front end loader
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 9:33am

I currenlty own a Kubota M7040 (68 HP) with a loader which I used for general field work and loading round bales and cleaning barns and yard manure. I was thinking about the better visibility and versatility of a skid loader as the tractor with loader is a bit clumsy around the barn especially getting in and out of barn pens. My concern is that the skid loader may not lift as much, as high (I can stack rounds three high flat) and is prone to getting hung up in deep manure and muck. I recently bought an AC 6060, so don't really need a dual purpose tractor anymore. I know the skid loaders also tear up yards better and like to eat tires.

Thoughts?

Replies:

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 9:48am

Each has a place and a type of work they do better than the other.

In small areas and repeating work like loading and grading a skid steer works better but if travel distance and open area then tractor loader is better.

Height of lift on newer large skid steers is good but on extreme heavy loads at one time a skid steer might loose out but cycle time for smaller loads is faster for loading say 1500 lb of material into a truck dump box.

Skid loaders have advanced and do many more jobs not than early machines which one could call motorized shovels. Now most will match the work of a small track loader or bulldozer.

Same with small mini-excavators and a Backhoe (TLB) but each still has jobs it excels at over the other.

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Posted By: Nathan (SD)
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2012 at 9:54am

If you only use your loader around the yard a skidloader is probably better suited. If you like to hook a wagon on and go get some bales from the field once in a while, then the tractor is more suited.

Personally for me. I open and close alot of gates when feeding. I don't mind hopping on and off the tractor. I abolutely detest crawling in and out of the skidloader. It really sucks when you got a bale on the forks. But for doing pure loader work, (scooping then dumping) the skidloader will work circles around the tractor.