Excavator or Skid Steer (Skid Loader)?

[@thereplacementfordisplacement]

Skip tractor and get excavator and tracked loader and invest in attachments. They hold value extremely well. If you travel far across property get a good dump trailer and you should always first get a 1 ton 4x4 truck, 3/4 ton if you want to hack it. Can't go wrong with this combination for homestead small farm property owner.

[@kurtvance1320]

How about a backhoe for the tractor? All in 1 tool

[@alanack67]

A mini excavator will out dig almost any backhoe. Even an actual backhoe hoe is just "fair" at digging. Excavators are excellent at digging

[@fewworddotrick]

Backhoes are ok for smaller projects but a mini excavator is far more efficient

[@alanack67]

@@fewworddotrick backhoes do everything, just not well. Obviously specialized equipment is better

[@dand33911]

a backhoe can only swing 180°, that gets old very quickly.

[@alanack67]

@dand33911 giant boom in the middle of view, cant track forward or back quickly, often dont have thumbs ect

[@andyyokley2274]

Something for thought, I was a equipment mechanic for years. If you run that bucket tilted to full dump use extreme caution because in that position driving forward and it catches something still stuck in the ground you will break the cylinders. I have fixed several that have broke the piston off the back of the chrome rod of the cylinder. It is better to operate it where there is still movement in the cylinders to slow for a situation where you do hit or catch something in the ground.

[@brossshorts]

Mini excavators are very useful. Unless you're doing alot of lawns or planting the best duo is a mini ex and a skidsteer.

[@wesman7837]

Excavators are very versatile, and a necessary tool on a ranch, farm or homestead!

[@Jon-lv4bu]

You can get a backhoe attachment for the skid steer tho

[@EthanPDobbins]

You can get one for a tractor too. The tractor will do both jobs just not as well as the purpose-built machine.

[@M.TTT.]

dude no, they're not ideal

[@CuriousEarthMan]

exactly, hoe attachment, and a box blade for the rear or tractor to grade with. They might even make a hoe for the tractor, 3 pt hitch.

[@EthanPDobbins]

@@CuriousEarthMan they do. You can get 3 point hoes and harbor freight even has one with it's own engine that you can tow behind a 4 wheeler or something. The 3 point ones are a lot better though

[@xxxmikeyjock]

so then it can suck in more then 1 way

[@adhdrebel982]

Pipeline 101 --- I beam or 8" piece of pipe 8' long a pair of ears on center line ,4' holes cut to match bucket and thumb teeth spacing .Clamp tightly and grade away in and out .

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

that sounds like a cool idea!

[@kubota33]

You can even do that with a big piece of lumber or a log. As long as you have the thumb

[@xxxmikeyjock]

or just learn to grade. you can cheat and run a grade beam on a tilt rotator

[@tomdennison7928]

I can dig trenches, brush mow, till dirt while pushing rocks infront of me out of the way, pull trees, trim trees, doze slope for ditching, auger holes, and grind stumps. That's not mentioning bucket or grapple bucket related. All of these I do with a my CTLl or for those who don't know a skidloader on tracks. I would love for any mini excavator or tractor with loader demo a 1 story house with basement faster and better than I can. That doesn't mean just push it into a pile but clean the mess up too. All machines have the place where they are better suited but theirs absolutely no comparison of what you can do and in a fast time period when your trying to compare a mini excavator, tractor with loader ot a CTL it's just a fact.

[@smclynden]

It depends, I would bet my house that 90% of the things I do with my mini you can't do with a ctl...also, they use more fuel, are more expensive to purchase and maintain, and you can't charge as much per hour for them...

[@tomdennison7928]

@smclynden I don't even burn 7 gallons in a 10 hour day pulling trees of various sizes, a lot that are bigger than what either puller I have are rated for. I barely stop to have lunch when I'm in a hurry to get jobs done. You think you make more an hour, I suppose that could change from area to area. Depending on how heavy of brush I can earn $250 an hour with my brush cutter, I don't see anyone brush cutting with mind's. Do you have a rally rake for finish work that can be seed right after or reclaim gravel for driveways, lanes, or the shoulder of gravel roads? How about doze material with a 6way dozer blade? How about grind a stomp in a yard where they don't want it dug up? I have many different attachments for my CTL, so I wouldn't bet your house with me. Each attachment and the kind of job is what changes the earning an hour price. Dirt work with a bucket is the cheapest of hourly wages. I charge fair prices and don't milk hours

[@xxxmikeyjock]

I can demo a house better then any CTL with my mini ex

[@Konepoika]

Excavator beats a skid steer any time when you have the right attachments to it, with a quick coupler and a grading bucket, it becomes good, you get a tiltrotator on there with a few different buckets, and it becomes a superior tool.

[@xxxmikeyjock]

@TheDilweed I own both, skidsteer is no where near as useful as an excavator

[@xxxmikeyjock]

@TheDilweed so is my excavator. I but 4 times the hours on my excavators that I do on my fuel thirsty skidsteer

[@xxxmikeyjock]

@TheDilweed the main reason I bought a skiddsteer is to run a laser grader that I have yet to buy for it.

[@xxxmikeyjock]

@TheDilweed yeah, which is why I own both, but the excavator is way more useful, has way more attachments and makes less mess of any job then a skidsteer. the only thing a skidsteer can do better is tram material.

[@xxxmikeyjock]

@TheDilweed LoL, you keep saying a skidsteer has more attachments, which is complete bullshit Kid. what attachments do you have that make you think this? if we list useful attachments there are not many at all. sweeper, landscape rake, snowblower

[@BaseballSunrise]

You can get a trench-digging attachment for skid steer

[@michaelhoneycutt7138]

Skidsteer is a very handy tool. You can invest in a blade for a tractor and it will do a good job. Tractor has 3 point level. I always used a Massy Ferguson 30hp and 8' angle blade. Very handy. I just keep 3 point lever greased well and wind it and unwind as I need.

[@charlesbrown4483]

An excavator is just more useful than any other machine.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Once you've had one, you know!

[@fishjohn014]

​@@PineyGroveHomesteadI disagree.....a tractor is definitely the most useful The versatility is unbeatable. Just moved 20 cubic yards of sand for the traps at my golf course. That would take 10x longer with a excavator We use our 4320 to grade, mow brush, move material, build tee boxes, move trees, and hoist heavy equipment all the time A tractor isn't the best at anything, but its decent at everything with a few implements

[@DMAXRYNO]

Absolutely! An excavator was the first thing I bought when I got my property! It held me over for 3 years and did everything before I bought a tractor. Still use the excavator for most things!

[@jacobrife7694]

Backhoe can do all

[@charlesbrown4483]

@@jacobrife7694 I would definitely say a backhoe is second best, excavator is just more capable. But if you've got a backhoe you can do just about anything.

[@LOGIBEAR01]

You need to watch your bucket on your tractor. Curling it that far down and dragging it along the ground will risk bending your bucket cylinders.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Agree that it CAN do that, but it has never happened to me in 15 years. kzbin.infoxcSeUwLGD8o

[@GRUBB-MUDD]

All u need is a backhoes attachment for the tractor and not have 2 machines. Especially for concrete work. F a skid steer. Tractor w a backhoe is it most versatile machine

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

you couldn't give me a backhoe. Well you could, but i would sell it the next day.

[@Red1red1MC]

Its funny. My dad and i have been having this debate for over a year now. I lean more towards an excavator. He wants a skid steer. I think he just likes the skid steer more cuz it goes faster 😂

[@skatir9]

I ended up with the sub compact backhoe for our small farm and didn't realize how useful the digger is.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

We are starting from raw land so we are digging every weekend it seems!

[@skatir9]

@PineyGroveHomestead same here and we went with something smaller because time is the main savings and wr have plenty. I'm gonna keep watching your videos to see your progress!

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

@@skatir9 We have a gravel driveway series published. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXu5qWipZ8R2na8 And we have a new project we just started that will publish soon.

[@brodiemuench3052]

Should look into getting a Mecalac MCR, skid steer and excavator all in one

[@codybabb147]

I own both and sometimes i feel like backfilling/levelling with the kx71-3 is easier than the skidloader

[@dand33911]

100%

[@anthonyf2847]

We’ve found a tractor and a full sized backhoe works great for us. Full sized backhoes are really underrated especially old industrial ones.

[@TamBinkle]

The bucket curl grading is known in the Indsustry as "non operating"

[@eltsennestle998]

Excavator for sure.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

We agree for our needs.

[@MrEunderwood]

What if you have an old Ford 3000 2 wheel drive with no loader? Thinking I just need to upgrade tractors!

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

That''s a good old tractor!

[@quietobserver4636]

I have an array of tractors, a D3, and a little JD 35D mini excavator. Of them all, the mini ex is definitely as handy as socks on a rooster!

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

I like it!

[@thooper4380]

Handy as socks on a rooster??? So is it handy or not?

[@quietobserver4636]

@@thooper4380 it's as handy as your imagination will let it be!🙂

[@dieselwelds8645]

I have a tractor and wanted a backhoe. Ended up buying an IhI 7J. Smaller than I wanted, but way better than a backhoe

[@Onhereforfun85nodrama]

Does having your bucket tilted all the forward cause a lot of stress on the curl cylinders

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

It can if you hit something immovable. If you are pushing loose dirt occasionally, you won't damage anything.

[@tolgamatouk7206]

Excavator is more versatile if you are limited on choice (for various reasons, it might be space or transport reasons) A skid steer will do a better job at flattening a large area and moving material around but it excels at a handful of things where an excavator is more like a jack of all trades master of trenches

[@aaronburford5701]

Love it when you say Excavator! It rolls off your tongue...

[@peted5217]

Ability for Deep Burial is a Plus

[@cws10692]

Can't agree more especially If you get one where you can grub trees it's then that opens up a whole another means for farm income

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

I have this debate with fellow Tractor KZbinrs who went the Skid Steer route instead of the mini. We love our mini!

[@jerryrigsit5400]

That little blade is really handy. it's primary purpose is backfill the trench?

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

It's a stabilizer for digging. It can level the machine if you're working a slope. Push out stumps. Pretty useful!

[@derekdreke4990]

Age old question and it's all about what is best suited for you a skid loader will do anything and do it fast that goes away when you get into tractors that are smaller. I really believe if you are really going to be doing lots of loader work a skid steer is the only way to go rent the other stuff

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

Bobcat makes a backhoe attachment for their skidsteers. Just drive up, quick connect, hook some hoses up and you now have an excavator. Or the backhoe attachment for the tractor and keep the skidsteer pure. Lots of options, just depends how often you use what options. Your situation I can see how your recommendation is the best. But if you only need to dig trenches twice a year, that excavator is not worth the investment.

[@PurpleNovember]

Ever try a 6 way blade on a mini ex? Total game changer! They grade and level incredibly well, just takes a little longer and there’s a bit of a learning curve.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

This machine didn't come with one, but I can see how that would be next level. It would be a lot to keep up with though!

[@PurpleNovember]

@@PineyGroveHomestead It can definitely confuses some new users.

[@xxxmikeyjock]

never seen a 6 way on a mini or even heard of one

[@matty2helpfull]

If you already have a loader tractor yes get a mini excavator as a second then eventually get a skid steere

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

But if you could only pick two?

[@matty2helpfull]

@@PineyGroveHomestead if I had a loader tractor and had to pick one I'd definitely pick the mini excavator because it is extremely versatile and paired with a tractor there isn't much you can't do

[@manleyg4907]

What about getting a backhoe attachment for the tractor?

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Personally I don't like them, but it is cheaper than a mini.

[@chrs1212]

Backhoe attachments are now north of $11k

[@davidhalliday616]

An excavator can do everything that a skid steer can, but a skid steer can’t do everything an excavator can

[@dozer_bob]

Move 100 yds dirt 300' in 1 day with a mini excavator. They can not do what a skid steer can. Dig a mile of trench and then go to sand it. You will need a skid steer. Skid steer will lift double the weight at least so when you need to move a tree with no saw the skid steer will and the ho wont

[@gonzalosanabria2251]

I have a Mahindra ES20HST with loader, mid mount mower and backhoe and I can do a whole lot of different things with it !!!

[@JonathanJones-i6p]

If you learn how to use it, it will work. Fine, you can level out what an excavator.

[@that6.7guy30]

yeah so I just bought a tractor with a backhoe... so I got it all in one machine. takes me 5 minutes to remove the backhoe from the tractor, and 5 minutes to reinstall it. I got the TYM T574 tractor with by85 backhoe, also have a 3rd function for the loader and a thumb for the backhoe.

[@sdfjsdjfghssfgdsgvfs]

Well yeah, that's the point of choosing what fits better for you. If you didn't need to dig trenches a skid steer would be a better choice.

[@bat__bat]

Obviously what your use-case is will determine, but excavator just seems to be the most versatile tool with skid steer and tractor after. However, many many people will get the tractor first because it can be had cheaper and it can do a lot that a skid can especially with nice front loader. Backhoe attachment ain't all that on a tractor and doesn't come close to replacing an excavator. A backhoe machine with a front loader is not as useful as people think.. the front loader bucket will come in handy more than the limited shovel, and once u get even a tiny excavator, your backhoe will collect dust. Still, a good backhoe machine has some niche scenarios where it bests an excavator where its limitation becomes a strength for trenching and when u need to get a machine into an odd place.

[@williamuskoski1385]

Id take a bigger tracked skid steer over a compact tractor. That and a excavator are the perfect match

[@wolfrig2000]

A tractor can have an excavator attatchment. As so can a skid steer, they sell excavator attachments for those too. Rightdully you only have to have one machine to do every job imaginable assuming you can afford the outrageous price for the attachments.

[@joeyl1742]

My dad always said his skid steer was the best money he spent on a piece of equipment

[@mattrivers973]

My tractor is useless for anything but mowing wit 15' batwing. Skidsteer does everything and even have a 6' mower for it.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Does it plow?

[@eriknelson45]

Ill take a mini any day, if i want to move dirt, i have a old 6k Case backhoe, not a used 50k skidsteer

[@dand33911]

I've got some equipment. A mini ex with a thumb is about the handiest thing I own.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Can do so much with them.

[@jimmoravec1326]

All depends on what you’re doing and where’s the skid steer ?

[@Eric-gi9kg]

A backhoe attachment is a Hell of a lot cheaper than an excavator. Though the diversity of the excavator is far superior to the backhoe.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Not sure it's cheaper in the long run. We expect to sell this excavator in 10 years and not lose any money on it.

[@MarkNehemiah]

I have a skid steer and a tractor with a loader but no backhoe. He’s 100% correct, however I’d say get rid of the tractor and get an excavator and a skid steer. I love being able to move pallets with my skid steer. My tractor is not large enough. If I got a larger tractor with a backhoe it would be sufficient but an excavator would be better on my property because I have a lot of hills.

[@Ericbjohnston5150]

Sell tractor. Get a skid steer. A dozen different attachments. Excavator attachment for one. Post hole attachments, Brush attachment, mulcher attachment, dozer attachment.

[@seanmccaffrey6378]

An excavator is so more than a skid steer in the right hands,I can grade with in a couple of millimetres at any grade,foundations drainage trenches,the slightest bit of rain and the skid steer just makes a mess!

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

They have their place in construction, but not so much on a farm.

[@ronbabcock4750]

Mine ex and track skid are all you need

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

if only we had a dump trailer!

[@RaymondPierce-s5t]

Skidster with excavator attachment you can't compete

[@colbymason8054]

If you get a dozer blade instead of a push blade it will spread better.

[@rockkhound943]

All depends on your needs

[@gabek7010]

What about a ditch witch?

[@HBSuccess]

Skidsteer with a backhoe attachment .

[@markive9907]

Skid steer with backhoe attachment, trencher…. Not trying to knock you , but my bobcat will do 4 times the work of a kubota utility tractor . But that’s me ,😂

[@thegreenerthemeaner]

Skip the loader on a subcompact. The Skid will do way more. The Excavator beats a backhoe or a loader tractor any day. Zero turn for the lawn, Excavator, and skid. A big enough Excavator with a clearing head along with one on a CTL can tame about 80% of anything under 18" in diameter.

[@peanutman6593]

There’s no better way to dig a trench, then with a ditch witch. It leaves powdery dirt, which is easy to push back in the trench vs large clumps, which take a long time to compress.

[@foxwood67]

Front end loader then excavator then bobcat

[@Dream4Design]

agree 100%, real excavator, and not backhoe.

[@zoomwithsmokeybear2597]

Reason you want tiltable controls on the 3-point and show you can put a box blade on it and you can tilt it to the right or children to left to make your driveway level

[@royhi1809]

Yup

[@nathanduckeorth806]

That's a no brainer

[@smokysirmons8370]

Make a mop pipe for your excavator and learn to use it and your grading capabilities will be unlimited.

[@Huntersprojects]

Skid loader you can put a backhoe on the front

[@saturatedodin476]

Well i guess it depends on what you plan on using it for then

[@sirslayerca4704]

Get yourself a 3 or 4 foot grading bucket and then you’ll be able to grade with the excavator a lot better

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

they are pricey! $2K

[@darronshirley7886]

I have my frontend loader with a scraper box and just got a new excavator

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Perfect combo IMO!!

[@kevindavis7822]

I agree, excavator if you already have a tractor. With front end bucket.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Definitely tractor first though!

[@landonmorel3715]

if you need to dig trenches, just rent a trencher for the skid steer. i would take a skid over a tractor unless you have a ton of mowing. excavator is really only good for digging

[@elkdudee8084]

Skid steer can dig trenches too

[@WhoIsJohnGaltt]

no enclosed cabin? that seems like a mistake. cant work in the rain if you wanted to

[@dobermanpac1064]

My skin steer has 15 attachments. I’m good without the tractor & excavator.

[@zfilmmaker]

Skid steer wins hands down when comparing the two based off on mini excavator. The skid steer can accomplish more jobs due to the abundant attachments and implements available including a trencher, which costs a fraction of the excavator. You could argue a mini excavator is better at removing light trees and brush, but you can buy a tree puller that doubles as a root digger too.

[@alexfrankl7861]

I carry 4 buckets on my excavator, 225,300,450mm and 900mm mud bucket and dig down 2.7metres cant do that with a skidsteer.

[@Gruuvin1]

Skid steer might be a better choice than a mini excavator for your first machine, but if you already have a tractor, a mini excavator is a better choice for your second machine.

[@TheHunterofshadow]

Mini X for all around. Skid steer for skid steer stuff

[@farmermann2335]

Could get a backhoe attachment for a skid steer or a tractor too its just not nearly as nice

[@TDog18]

You can do that with the backhoe

[@davemiller1593]

1st skid loader. 2nd excavator.

[@theoneonlymonkeymanohyea6769]

I just bought both 😂

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Winning!

[@SledgeHammer43]

I would agree. 1. a Mini excavator can get into spots that you would have to hand dig. 2. A mini excavator does very little soil compaction even as large as a Cat 308.5 3. There are tons of attachments including but not limited to breaking hammers, Grinders, sheep foot compaction rollers, milling heads/ cold planners, and so much more. While a backhoe is universal it is the jack of all trades and the master of none, but the tractor can do all those and more, and also is the master of many.

[@demojoker9216]

An excavator will level ground far better than a skid steer ever will

[@jayweathers2701]

Eh that’s debatable. Unless you’ve got a great operator on that ex the skid steer is going to grade better 90% of the time. Also MUCH quicker especially when you’re talking about a mini ex vs a skid steer

[@flydaddy55]

Depends on the operator and the situation. If you have a lot of fill work, the skid loader is going to do a better job. It can move piles faster and if it's a wheeled skid loader, it can pack the fill quicker.

[@tomdennison7928]

Says a mini operator. There not much chance of a mini keeping up or doing it better just because of the difference in speed between the two. Why even say such a thing unless you've never ran a skidloader.

[@RyanWithAviators]

Beyond what others have replied with, a mini excavator won't grade a steep hill of any notable size. I just worked a job a couple months ago and we had both on site, and I chose the track skid steer for its stability and speed for the grade work.

[@dimetrekorsikov5643]

A tracked skid steer will level and compact a hundred times better all the way around. Speed, quality, amount of material you can control and move with a blade. I did a swimming pool for a guy the day before the pool guys showed up to install the wall panels and liner and deck. The guys lot dropped about 2" foot which doesn't sound like much but consider a 28 ×16 foot oval pool , the deck on one side was literally a sidewalk, the other side was 56" off the grass. I did the excavation, the level and the compaction on the sand in about 5 hrs by myself using a 16 ' 2x4 , an 8'level, and cat 299d2xhp with an 8' six way blade, 6'bucket, and hm 415 mulcher for a couple small pine trees, and random roots coming through the side wall area. There's not an excavator or operator that can make that happen in a single day. A track hoe is exactly that, yeah you can get some attachments but stability and speed can't be matched to a skid steer. Also, how you going to run a monster root rake, or six way dozer blade, or a 5000 pound mulching head. I've had that thing on some crazy ass terrain, steep ass creek banks, rocky hill sides, that i wouldn't trust a track hoe.

[@DonMutchler-om5pg]

Skid steer, and excavator, no tractor.

[@Lownslow84]

How about a skid steer with a backhoe attachment?

[@tomdennison7928]

I have one, and it works great. With all the attachments made for skidloaders, I don't know why anyone would try comparing what a mini can do to what a skidloader will do. The mini guys watch too many excavator videos and think they can do the same in a mini, lol. They buy a mini because it's cheaper than a CTL. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but a CTL is so more versatile.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Not on a farm.....can't pull a plow, disc, planter, mower. Skids own construction though.

[@ericyoung5543]

Both

[@johnbidwell2725]

Rent a skid steer when needed.

[@PaulHopper-q8d]

Get a removable backhoe so you use other options.

[@doylemaintenance]

I Have all 3, thinking of selling my skidsteer. I use the tractor more as it doesn't rip up the ground as much as the tracked skid steer.

[@albertaproud7855]

Pretty much a kubota commercial

[@shawn-1984]

Amd thats y u have both a excavator and a skid steer than u odnt ahve to worry about it can do anything with them 2 things if ur a operator and not juat run em around ur house big differences

[@skyart11]

Why not only have a skidsteer and purchase attachments/implements

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

Not practical on a farm but SS have their purpose in construction, IMO.

[@skyart11]

@@PineyGroveHomestead good to know, thanks.

[@B.ToalsonM]

Geta net... SKID LOADER has ALL D FRONT X's

[@Daniel_Vandiver]

You are going to tear up the cylinders on the tractor pushing with the bucket flipped over like that.

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

We understand the risk, but 1300 hours of tractor work and it's never happened.

[@danielbailey6619]

​@PineyGroveHomestead your lucky

[@kubota33]

It's a kubota..... lol

[@mikeike7161]

It would be a lot easier putting bucket flat on ground lifting it couple inches and then pushing stuff also grade that way as well. You will be able to see better in front of bucket. But never seen shit like this. When I see this I see inexperienced. Wonder how many times you ran into something and never see it.

[@adriandeward9976]

Yea, I wouldn't grade like that with the cylinders fully extended. Try turning the bucket perpendicularly or flat to the ground. Must be a tough machine, More power to you, love the vids❤. I VOTE EXCAVATOR, or a John Deer with a bucket on the front and PTO Backhoe attachment on the back. That way you bushwach and moe on the same machine

[@gerardfarrell3135]

Then the right operator isn't on the excavator !

[@Sky-dw3dw]

Get the new tech the skidsteer excavator Its way better for me tho 😅

[@joeyedwards1945]

We used to level locks off with an excavator when we clear land what you do you take a log and you can level a whole lot off the log you know what you doing wrong

[@nomad57-u3x]

why not a piece of equipment that can be and do all 3 equally...

[@berniemiller2992]

ToolCat 5700