Bobcat or Kabota?

[VikingsGuy]

Not about the brands per se, but about the type of tool - skid steer vs small tractor.

We have 70 wooded acres, flat, fairly wet ground, lots of rock below the surface, no real rocks above surface. Looking for a vehicle for snow removal, trail clearing/maintenance, mowing a 5-10 acre pasture, gravel road maintenance, and construction support (moving lumber, pushing up a wall, etc), post hole digging, light excavation, misc projects.

What do you guys recommend?

 

[Dsnow9]

I would do the tractor or something like a toolcat, the skid steer does well for a few things but would struggle at others.

Edit:added photo

 

[TexanSam]

I would say for the variety of jobs, you're probably going to want a small tractor. That being said, certain jobs are going to be easier with a skid steer, but you would not want to have to mow a 5-10 acre pasture or regularly move snow with a skid steer.

Certain implements are going to work better than others though on your tractor. For example, if you get a post hole digger, make sure you get one that attaches to the loader of the tractor, not the 3 point. For that you will need a 3rd function hydraulic hookup on your loader, so be sure to remember that. If you are wanting to level a gravel road, make sure you get a blade that does hook up to the 3 point, but has the 6 way adjustments.

Also I should mention that those kubota's are good machines. They may not be anything fancy but they sure are reliable.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I used a 45 horse kubota for about 6 years doing generally what you describe, though skewed toward snow removal. The neighbor had a bobcat and it's just nowhere near as diverse. He had other machines as well so it worked out, but for a do-it-all I'd have to think a tractor is your best bet. The toolcat looks cool as well, though if it's very wet, loose, or deep snow big ag tires cover a multitude of sins.

 

[blazinsoles]

Tractor has the upper hand for all reasons listed above. I'll throw in that used attachment availability and $$ and will have an advantage over the skid steer.

If I were going the skid steer route I would also be getting a machine with tracks as opposed to wheels. So the cost continues to rise

 

[2rocky]

If you are on firm surfaces, in tight quarters and handling materials , that is where the bobcat shines.

Loose, soft dirt, snow and mud, plus mowing and especially pulling implements the tractor has the edge.

 

[88man]

Kabota tractor 60 to 70 hp 4wd> make sure to get quick disconnect bucket & diverter valve 3rd function. Almost limitless the number of attachments you can run, grapples/shears/snowblowers etc.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Dont buy a skid steer. They tear up the ground too much and the implements for them cost a fortune.
I have access to a SVL-75 whenever I need it and I always grab the keys to the tractor.

I have a kubota MX 5200 HST with a backhoe attachment on it and I have the 6 foot tiller and brush hog and pallet forks and rock rake.... I promise you that unless you are going full scale farming that you wont need anything bigger than that. Its a powerful machine. I have pushed over some trees that are VERY big with this machine and cleared a pile of land

I would recomend something small in the 30-40 ho range for your needs. Especially since its 70 acres of woods. My tractor is just a pinch too big for 4 wheeler trails and things like that. My father-in-law has a 35 HP kubota and it is just right for just about everything and it is a VERY stout little tractor as well.

My wife's uncle just bought a 40 HP tractor from Kubota and it is pretty nice as well.

All of our machines are 4X4 as well.

Brace yourself....the cost of everything I said that I currently have for my tractor listed above is going to be a religious experience....

 

[Zach]

I'll throw https://www.ventrac.com/ into your conversation for S&G's.

But given what you described above a 30-50 hp tractor would be choice. Mowing in a SS would be a pain.

 

[npaden]

To get the same work done on pretty much everything except excavating or moving dirt you are looking at getting it done faster and with much less expensive implements with a small tractor vs. a skid steer IMO.

The tractor is going to be almost as good as the skid steer at excavating or moving dirt and materials, but the skid steer will suck at mowing, plowing, planting, etc.

Skid Steers tend to be very specific use machines, great at what they do but not very good at being an all around machine.

 

[npaden]

My current tractor: 55 hp LS. The cab with air conditioning is super nice!

 

[Western Traveler1]

Skid steer can move dirt way faster than a small tractor and do a great job contouring slopes etc. they can operate in tight quarters and have plenty of uses including installing fence posts. I would love to have one in addition to a tractor but to choose one or the other it has to be a tractor. Diesel 40hp minimum, 4X4, 3 point hitch and diverter valves etc. There are some beautiful packages out there.
I have an older 40hp Kubota that I love but my neighbors bought a new one a couple years ago that is the cat’s meow...
John Deere has a few nice ones...

 

[Zach]

My current tractor: 55 hp LS. The cab with air conditioning is super nice!

View attachment 152706View attachment 152705

How do you like the LS? Don't see many up here in CO, in fact don't see many blue tractors up here. I've got a NH 75hp. I like that seeder, about what I'm looking for.

 

[2rocky]

I generally would rent the specialized equipment I need. Ditch witches or escavators for trenching, pneumatic hammers, tillers etc.

But I would feel under equipped if I did not have a Front loader of SOME sort available to me at a moment's notice. ESPECIALLY if I lived in snow country.

A lot of what you will choose is going to be a function of what rental options you have close by. I'd recommend doing a month long rental or lease of what you are considering buying and see what you use AND FIND USES FOR....

The Shuttle Shift (F-N-R) has become essential for me ..

 

[BrentD]

I would rephrase your question slightly. Having similar property and similar needs, I would now rewrite the question, "that sort of implement do I want to power my grapple?" I bought a John Deere 3039R with a grapple and now I realize that the grapple is, by far, the most important tool I have, and while it takes a tractor or skid steer to run it, the grapple is the part that makes it so valuable.

I like the tractor option, I would hate to mow with a skid steer.

This is my grapple doing duty in cleaning up after the Derecho recently. I don't know how I lived without this thing for the first 17 yrs we lived here.

 

[MO Betta]

I would get a tractor, based on your needs. I know I wouldn't have wanted to do half of what is on your list with a skidsteer. That grapple is pretty damn neat @BrentD - that would have been handy on the farm.

 

[ZMT588]

@EYJONAS! Tell em' about the outcross.....

 

[fmnjr]

 

[NDGuy]

Just a heads up (Former BC employee) they just re-released their own line of small tractors and they are pretty awesome.

 

[npaden]

How do you like the LS? Don't see many up here in CO, in fact don't see many blue tractors up here. I've got a NH 75hp. I like that seeder, about what I'm looking for.

I got it for an almost unbelievable price a few years ago. Purchased it for $18,500 in March of 2016. It is a 2011 LS 5030C. I think it had just over 500 hours on it. Closet dealer to me is over 300 miles so I'm most likely never going to take it to the shop for repairs. It was just out of warranty when I bought it. They gave me a really good trade in credit for my broken (over $6,000 to fix it) 1996 L4200 Kubota as well.

The LS is a heavier tractor than my Kubota was and a 55 hp vs 42 hp, but it can lift almost double what the Kubota could with both the front loader and the 3 point hitch.

Only issue that I have had with it was a tiny little filter in the injector pump. No one even knew it had a filter there. It was obviously a fuel delivery problem but isolating it was a pain. Finally found the solution from a post on the Tractorbynet forum. There is an LS forum on it that is pretty helpful. The fix was just to pull the thimble sized filter out and clean it. Took 15 minutes and it was free. Getting to that point took some time and effort though.

I'm pretty happy with the no-till drill too. Bought it an auction online earlier this year. It is a Tye Brand and has the large seed box and a small seed box. Called a Pasture Pleaser. It is a 7'er. I have $4,500 in it including shipping from Oklahoma.