skidsteer vs. tractor

[BradleyS.]

My father and I are going to look at a bobcat 763 tomorrow as well as a 4WD john deere 5300 tractor with a bucket on it. My dad really wants the tractor for its ability to plow, but i'm concerned about a tractors digging ability compared to that of a bobcat. Like i explained in my other post a month ago that i'll mostly be just moving dirt to another location for my motorcycle track. I will be digging into the side of a hill most of the time but its just caliche(spelling?). So what is your guys opinion? I am pretty sure the bobcat will be superior in actual digging and shaping but hopefully you guys will tell me that the tractor will do a decent job.

 

[cat320]

Well your trying to compare apples and oanges as far a going from a tractor to a skidsteer , but id i was looking at one vs the other i would look at the break out force of the bucket.I think the bobcat as far moving around will be faster and the 763 has the longer wheelbase .

 

[Bob Horrell]

I use both a bobcat and a tractor in my business and part of what I do is build motocross courses. Either one will work for you, but each is best at certain jobs. The bobcat will dig into the caliche better than the tractor, but if you get bucket teeth for the tractor you will be amazed at how much better it will do. Both will do OK building the track. Usually I rough out a track with the bobcat and finish it with the tractor. This seems to work the fastest for me.
If you and your dad have to compromise and get a tractor, you can make it do a good job on your course.
Good luck whichever way you go and let us know how it works out.

 

[BradleyS.]

Alright thanks Bob for the boost in confidence! I was kind of having doubts about a tractors ability and i could just see my dreams of an awesome supercross track going down the drain. I suppose i'll be happy just to have something that moves dirt better than a shovel.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Or get an A300. :thumbsup

All Bobcat propaganda aside, you may want to consider other types of skid steers as well. The 763 (or S150 if you're looking new) may be a bit small for your needs; as the next three sizes up in Bobcat's lineup also have the... highly manuverable... wheelbase length, you may even want to consider Deere or Case.

As far as which digs better, as Bob Horrell mentioned, the 763 will probably fare a bit better. The loader on the 5300 isn't meant for heavy digging. This isn't to say you can't get good productivity out of the loader, but it may not be quite as quick as the skid steer could be.

And Bob -- when you mentioned adding teeth to the 5300 bucket made the machine "better," you mean better relative to a 5300 bucket without teeth? Just checking -- not a challenge.

 

[Bob Horrell]

Caliche can be really hard material to ding into. Teeth on any bucket will make a huge difference in this kind of material. Tractors do suprisingly well in the digging department if you equip the bucket with a set of teeth. They aren't as fast as a bobcat, but they do pretty well.