bell tec on tractor for the win!

I do the type of work you’re asking about for a living, and I have a lot of experience with larger compact track loaders. As already mentioned you can do a great deal of work with 75-100hp tracked machines. I run Cat 299d2 and d3s, which are 98-110hp machines depending on which package you get. They are very good CTLs. I have a friend who runs a 289d which is similar in size to the 299 but derated to 75 hp to avoid DEF. He has been happy with his machine also (and the majority of the problems I’ve had with the 299s have been DEF/emissions related, and any brand of machine with DEF will have similar problems). So you’d have to decide if the extra weight and HP of a 100hp machine is worth fooling with the more extensive emissions systems (75 hp have some emissions systems as well, but they don’t have DEF and all that goes along with it). Cat 259 is smaller frame 75hp machine.

I’ve operated a friends kubota Svl 75 a fair bit, it’s a good machine and I also wouldn’t be afraid of an SVL 95-97.

I know of a few guys running Takeuchis and they are said be good machines also but no personal experience with those

I did not especially like the Deere 333 we had, it was a 2014 model IIRC. We ran it for 3-4 years before switching to Cat in 2017

I was not impressed with a case CTL I’ve ran for a day or so

I’ve done one job with a customers nearly new Bobcat CTL and it felt pretty similar to the Kubotas I’ve operated.

I owned a 2005 Gehl 7810 (large wheeled skid steer). Owned it from new to about 2600 hours, It was a POS and I wouldn’t consider another

As far as the work you are looking at doing, you can do a lot with a CTL and the proper attachments. You can grub/push/pull small to medium cedar, small mesquite and small hardwoods with an attachment like a danueser intimidator, and pile with a grapple bucket or rake. Obviously you can move dirt and grade with a bucket, and a grading attachment or plane can smooth up roads etc. Montana type post drivers are awesome, skid steers run an auger about 10x better than a tractor. You can load a dump truck, buy a shredder deck to trim along fences or under larger trees etc. Like JG said you can do a little of almost everything with these and all kinds of attachments are available..but they do have their limits.

You aren’t going to be moving thousands of yards of mud or dirt to clean out or build stock ponds, pushing large hardwoods, grubbing mature mesquite or pushing thick mature cedar with any CTL/skid steer. That is work for a dozer or full sized track loader. You also won’t be cutting in miles of ranch road with a CTL, you need a dozer/motor grader for that. But if you could only have one piece of equipment around a farm/ranch property, a good CTL is awful handy. Then maybe rent or hire larger or more specialized pieces of equipment as needed.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions

You should use your mouse more and your keyboard less. You don't own a dozer and are making assumptions.
I am a fan of CTL's, they can do a lot of stuff but they have their limits. I've done a lot of work over the years with a dozer, besides pushing dirt, that a skid steer can't do.
The op can do most of what he is wanting to do with a CTL.

Shoot me a pm with any questions on the size, brand and new or used models. I know a little bit about these things,

You should find someone else to troll. I ignore you most of the time. Focus more on keeping your boyfriend happy, than trolling me.

And yes, Scot can do most of what he wants to do with a CTL. That's what I've been saying all along. If he needs a dozer, the best course of action is to pay the man that runs one every day, instead of renting one.

Up here in idaho everyone who makes a living moving dirt and gravel and snow mainly have Cat skid steers. Bobcat comes in second. All wheels no tracks.

This must be one of those times you are out of Midol.

Sounds like an SVL 75 or SVL 95 is the answer. Now to scrape up the funds.

Had 1 of each, Bobcat 773G Skid Steer, Komatsu D31P-18 Dozer, and a Kubota Tractor Front Hydraulics (Third Function Valve) , over at the 100 acre place I sold a few years back. The Big Kubota would run the Tree Shear like the Bobcat. . Cleared a lot of tree's, about 15 or 20 acres with the Dozer. The most versatile for everyday ranch Work was the Skid Steer. Still have that puppy.

They're like buying Gold now or the new ones are and in that HP size ,, I'd look for an Older Model without the DPF or DEF stuff.

A new SVL 97 is $86k (quoted). Kubota was running 0%/48mo but I don’t know if it’s still available

I’d try to find a used CAT 259, the Kubota’s are decent machines but if you plan to keep it for a while the added cost of the CAT will more than pay for itself and will hold its value better down the road. You don’t see many Kubotas used by construction companies and that’s because they don’t hold up. I’ve tried them several times and I personally wouldn’t own one again. But once cry once and don’t look back,

I love Kubota tractors but nobody around here has Kubota track loaders if they use them in construction. I trust your opinion about equipment and once again you’re spot on.

Loader brands from top to bottom in my oppinion,

Cat
Takeuchi
Bobcat
John Deere
Kubota
Case
New Holland

I’d also put Cat on top and agree with the bottom but I’d like to ask what kinda bad luck you’ve had with Kubota?

I know of lot of local guys running SVL 75s and 95s that really seem to like them.

Pretty much everything but the motor. We had pumps, final drives, lots of electrical issues, valve bodies, AC issues, overheating problems, they don’t seem to like sitting for long durations and working right after sitting and don’t get me started on the lack of parts availability issues. They’re not a bad machine but not built very durable and definitely not built for commercial use. We bought 8 of them and they all had the same issues at differing times so it wasn’t a single Friday afternoon built machine issue.
In my personal opinion the only businesses running them are the ones who haven’t learned the hard way yet or they couldn’t afford a better machine.

The ones I know of in my area do seem to mostly be used for farm and ranch, less than all day-everyday type use.

Thanks for the reply

Bought this Kubota New in 2001. 773G with the 4 Cylinder Kubota Engine. Have run every Implement known to Man. Bought and Used for the Ranchito I sold. Still have it and it Runs like new Never a problem other the fuel pick up tube replaced going into Diesel Tank. Guess I got a good one. .Here with the 12" Tree Shear on it. Of course I'm the only one that's ever Operated it and stored inside a Barn. I think all new Equipment have issues especially with the emission crap.

Stating the obvious, your Kubota has a Bobcat sticker on it.

Well Scot, did you get lined out

Turned in to a 400k plus question.

I currently own a 130 hp tractor with loader, a 75 hp tractor with loader, a Takeuchi 112 hp tracked skid steer, a Deere 750 dozer, and a Cat 320 excavator. Out of all those things the skid steer is the handiest and most versatile and gets more use than everything else combined. They all have their place though

While it is possible to take out mesquites with the skid steer I can remove more in an hour with the excavator or dozer than I can in a full day with the skid steer.

I have a shredder attachment for the skid steer and it works well but if I have a lot of mowing to do I am putting the batwing behind the tractor.

The skid steer can fix washed out places in roads but it takes time. I can fix something with a couple passes with the dozer that would take hours with the skid steer.

I am sure they make attachments for the skid steer that can do it but plowing up and planting areas for food plots is a tractor job.

Skid steers are like Swiss Army knives. They can do pretty much anything, but they aren’t really the best at most things. Where I have found the skid steer inadequate is on big projects. By that I mean if you want to remove 5 mesquites sure go do it with the skid steer. Want to remove 500? You better pack a lunch. Got a bad spot in a road go fix it with a skid steer. Got miles of road with waist deep washes and ruts you are going to want something bigger.

Can't really speak for if it's the ultimate in all around farm use, but I can say I've been impressed with the track loaders. My buddy in KS has a T650. I was very skeptical about how useful they were until I've had a couple hundred hours of seat time in one. Another friend is the regional rep for Bobcat, so he hooks us up on rentals when we need more than one machine. I got the T86 from him one weekend when we were moving, burning, and cleaning up brushpiles on a property we built a wetland on. I was flat amazed at the size of trees you could pick up and move with the grapple bucket on that thing. I've always been impressed with the size of trees my buddy can pull with is T650. I know those track loaders would run circles around any tractor we could have used for the clean up work we were doing on our farm. I'd be hard pressed not to give one a serious look if I had a sizeable piece of land I lived on. Also impressed with all the attachments and how versatile they are.