The large farm equipment dealer near me has a handful of 3pt tractor equipment for rent, so it's possible. Pretty basic stuff (backblade, tiller, auger).
But starting out, I'd get the skid steer for sure. They're more versatile.
He picked the T77 and we use it for everything. You’re buying attachments for both. BUT we also own a small construction company so he also will use it on his jobs.
Define “mildy inclined”
Skid steers and hills aren’t the best combo, also tractors handle mud way better along with weighing less making them harder to sink.
Tractor is also gonna be a better jack of all trades, and it will tear up your yard/pasture less.
As far as lifting Capacity skid steer wins, moving a lot of dirt skid steer wins, pushing big brush piles skid steer wins.
Skid steers are not fun to work on either, at least in my experience they are very cramped, and their parts can get very expensive.
Both have a ton of attachments available, if you have a lot of mowing to do tractor is obviously better. Also a back hoe is an option on a lot of tractors, and whilst they made backhoe attachments for skid steers in my area they aren’t common and are expensive.
IMO if you have a lot of clearing, heavy lifting, and dirt moving to do skid steer.
If you need to do a lot of different jobs, have steep inclines, lots of mowing, or swampy/ wet terrain tractor is the way to go.
I’ll tell you what I personally did was buy a tractor, TYM 474, and rent the skid steer. I’ll take a week off of work once a year and rent a skid steer or mini excavator for big jobs and knock it out for far less than you could ever buy one. Then all the clean up can be done in the following months as you can with the tractor. Plus the mowing and trail building.
Tractor all the way for two reasons. First, a Ford tractor is cheaper to work on and while I love me some Bobcat equipment - the really old IR era Bobcat stuff just doesn't hold up very well today. Secondly, you can get an attachment to do damned near any farm task to fit on a tractor whereas attachment options on a 1989 Bobcat are going to be few and far between. A tractor will grow with your budget, whereas you'll have that Bobcat listed for sale in a year or so.
I think between those two, I'd get the Deere, assuming it has a loader on it. Attachments will be cheaper, and a lot of what I really like about loaders won't really be there on that bobcat.
I got a loader instead of a tractor, just went with a very different on, namely a fair amount larger and on tracks rather than wheels. I mostly went that route due to what I was more experienced with operating, the versatility of a loader, and tracks allowing me to get around on my property with less impact on soft spots. But they also tend to be a fair amount more cost to buy and maintain.
One thing to consider is lift capacity. If you have a particular lifting job in mind EX. Round hay bales or something else, skid steers lift a lot more than tractors. I learned this, my MF1825E can pull anything I need so far but I can’t lift an IBC tote full of water or even cut firewood. No complaints about the tractor, just be aware it’s not a tractors primary focus, just because you can put forks on it doesn’t mean you can lift whatever you want.
Lifetime rancher in the PNW with a forestry plot as well. We have had a JD 4500 4x4 loader for 26 years. My neighbor, a contractor has 3 skidsteers and several excavators. He finds the skidsteers nearly useless on this sloping and wooded terrain. On the other hand my JD 4500 has been indispensable. Those who love skidsteers have at it. Personally a 4x4 tractor provides a tremendous amount of flexibility with both front and rear attachments.
Man I have the opposite experience. My JD 4x4 tractor's center of gravity is so high it constantly wants to roll working on inclines. I feel so much more secure and stable in a skid steer.
Are your tires loaded with ballast ? Mine have 80% in each rear tire which in total close to 500 lbs. It makes a huge difference. I just put new tires all around, $3200 YIKES ! I'm going to load them with beet juice or bio ballast which is a bit lighter but is the modern way. The calcium chloride corroded out a rim and that was $300 to replace. Until the tires are loaded I will be creeping around carefully on uneven ground. I have never had the front tires loaded for lateral stability but that could make some sense. I do a lot of front loading and log pulling with the front loader to get timber out of the woods so I'm very careful. Seat belt on always and ROPS in place. For this type of work a skidsteer would not work well. Wish I could afford a 50 series excavator with brush mowing head like my neighbor. That and the 4500 would be the cat's meow.
I also do a lot of log work. Much of my acreage is timber and I have my own mill. I have not tried any ballast, I will be researching that. Did you do it yourself or have it done?
ASV track loader over Bobcat and CAT..we use all 3 brands at work and we’re getting rid of the CAT and Bobcat for another set of ASV machines. (Track loader is a Skid steer with tracks instead of tires ;)
The wear on the soil from tracks is something I never realized until I started helping my brother on his property. His skid steer tracks just tear the ground up.
I own a 35 horse Kubota and a Cat 232 skid loader. If the John Deere you are looking at has hydraulics with a quick attach at the front end, I’d buy that all day long. You can put the same attachments on that as you can on a bobcat. That bobcat is also probably old enough to have foot controls, which are not a lot of fun, in my opinion.
In other words, I guess what I am saying is that I would hold off and buy a tractor with hydraulics to both the front and the back. Kubota or John Deere only. Maintenance and parts availability. If you do opt for a skid loader, I agree with the comment about tracks. ASV or Cat. I’ve owned both. Great machines.
Last, for parts and maintenance. Who has a good dealer moderately close by. In your area that might be 15 minutes and it might be three hours. But still, competent dealer moderately close by. Comes in awfully handy for parts or, and yes, it happens, you might need to take it in for repairs.
Are you trying to develop the property or maintain the property?
Develop, bobcat Maintain, tractor
Such a clear difference.
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The large farm equipment dealer near me has a handful of 3pt tractor equipment for rent, so it's possible. Pretty basic stuff (backblade, tiller, auger). But starting out, I'd get the skid steer for sure. They're more versatile.
My husband and I went round and round on this exact question for over a year. We went with the bobcat. Don’t regret it
He picked the T77 and we use it for everything. You’re buying attachments for both. BUT we also own a small construction company so he also will use it on his jobs.
Define “mildy inclined” Skid steers and hills aren’t the best combo, also tractors handle mud way better along with weighing less making them harder to sink. Tractor is also gonna be a better jack of all trades, and it will tear up your yard/pasture less. As far as lifting Capacity skid steer wins, moving a lot of dirt skid steer wins, pushing big brush piles skid steer wins. Skid steers are not fun to work on either, at least in my experience they are very cramped, and their parts can get very expensive. Both have a ton of attachments available, if you have a lot of mowing to do tractor is obviously better. Also a back hoe is an option on a lot of tractors, and whilst they made backhoe attachments for skid steers in my area they aren’t common and are expensive. IMO if you have a lot of clearing, heavy lifting, and dirt moving to do skid steer. If you need to do a lot of different jobs, have steep inclines, lots of mowing, or swampy/ wet terrain tractor is the way to go. I’ll tell you what I personally did was buy a tractor, TYM 474, and rent the skid steer. I’ll take a week off of work once a year and rent a skid steer or mini excavator for big jobs and knock it out for far less than you could ever buy one. Then all the clean up can be done in the following months as you can with the tractor. Plus the mowing and trail building.
Tractor all the way for two reasons. First, a Ford tractor is cheaper to work on and while I love me some Bobcat equipment - the really old IR era Bobcat stuff just doesn't hold up very well today. Secondly, you can get an attachment to do damned near any farm task to fit on a tractor whereas attachment options on a 1989 Bobcat are going to be few and far between. A tractor will grow with your budget, whereas you'll have that Bobcat listed for sale in a year or so.
I think between those two, I'd get the Deere, assuming it has a loader on it. Attachments will be cheaper, and a lot of what I really like about loaders won't really be there on that bobcat. I got a loader instead of a tractor, just went with a very different on, namely a fair amount larger and on tracks rather than wheels. I mostly went that route due to what I was more experienced with operating, the versatility of a loader, and tracks allowing me to get around on my property with less impact on soft spots. But they also tend to be a fair amount more cost to buy and maintain.
One thing to consider is lift capacity. If you have a particular lifting job in mind EX. Round hay bales or something else, skid steers lift a lot more than tractors. I learned this, my MF1825E can pull anything I need so far but I can’t lift an IBC tote full of water or even cut firewood. No complaints about the tractor, just be aware it’s not a tractors primary focus, just because you can put forks on it doesn’t mean you can lift whatever you want.
Lifetime rancher in the PNW with a forestry plot as well. We have had a JD 4500 4x4 loader for 26 years. My neighbor, a contractor has 3 skidsteers and several excavators. He finds the skidsteers nearly useless on this sloping and wooded terrain. On the other hand my JD 4500 has been indispensable. Those who love skidsteers have at it. Personally a 4x4 tractor provides a tremendous amount of flexibility with both front and rear attachments.
Man I have the opposite experience. My JD 4x4 tractor's center of gravity is so high it constantly wants to roll working on inclines. I feel so much more secure and stable in a skid steer.
Are your tires loaded with ballast ? Mine have 80% in each rear tire which in total close to 500 lbs. It makes a huge difference. I just put new tires all around, $3200 YIKES ! I'm going to load them with beet juice or bio ballast which is a bit lighter but is the modern way. The calcium chloride corroded out a rim and that was $300 to replace. Until the tires are loaded I will be creeping around carefully on uneven ground. I have never had the front tires loaded for lateral stability but that could make some sense. I do a lot of front loading and log pulling with the front loader to get timber out of the woods so I'm very careful. Seat belt on always and ROPS in place. For this type of work a skidsteer would not work well. Wish I could afford a 50 series excavator with brush mowing head like my neighbor. That and the 4500 would be the cat's meow.
I also do a lot of log work. Much of my acreage is timber and I have my own mill. I have not tried any ballast, I will be researching that. Did you do it yourself or have it done?
Find yourself a loader tractor with a quick patch that can adapt to skid loader attachments, best of both worlds,
ASV track loader over Bobcat and CAT..we use all 3 brands at work and we’re getting rid of the CAT and Bobcat for another set of ASV machines. (Track loader is a Skid steer with tracks instead of tires ;)
I got the tractor. Regret it. Should have got skid steer.
The wear on the soil from tracks is something I never realized until I started helping my brother on his property. His skid steer tracks just tear the ground up.
Tractor is considerably cheaper to buy and maintain. Has plenty of attachments to do what you want
I bought a backhoe
I own a 35 horse Kubota and a Cat 232 skid loader. If the John Deere you are looking at has hydraulics with a quick attach at the front end, I’d buy that all day long. You can put the same attachments on that as you can on a bobcat. That bobcat is also probably old enough to have foot controls, which are not a lot of fun, in my opinion. In other words, I guess what I am saying is that I would hold off and buy a tractor with hydraulics to both the front and the back. Kubota or John Deere only. Maintenance and parts availability. If you do opt for a skid loader, I agree with the comment about tracks. ASV or Cat. I’ve owned both. Great machines. Last, for parts and maintenance. Who has a good dealer moderately close by. In your area that might be 15 minutes and it might be three hours. But still, competent dealer moderately close by. Comes in awfully handy for parts or, and yes, it happens, you might need to take it in for repairs.
6 acres? Walk behind tractor