Completely new at this :/

[skyking1]

I would agree because it's so much shorter. You don't have that back bucket sticking that out there looking to ruin all sorts of things like the house, the trees, the brush, your car, anybody stupid enough not to get out of the way etc etc.
At the dam job, an operator drove a 988 or maybe a 66 or maybe the 80? Into the parking lot where people park their cars maybe he was getting his lunch. I don't know.
I do know that he counterweighted Chris the crane operators Subaru right at the a pillar.
He also parked the loader and left before he got two checked!

 

[Welder Dave]

It depends a lot on the person in the seat. Skid steers can be intimidating to someone who has never operated equipment before, especially with joystick control. You certainly don't want to go near buildings or other hazardous area's until you're fully familiar with the controls. Skid steers can also tip backwards or forwards. Any machine is dangerous when you aren't used to it.

 

[Project-man]

Thanks again for the tips..... the only reservation about renting a skid steer instead of a backhoe is that I'm not sure how well a skid steer can remove this old settled material that is essentially become a medium sized grassy hill with 2 mature trees on the side of it.

From some of the videos I have seen regarding how to operate skid steers, they shouldn't be operated on the side of hills or slopes because they can tip over. I would need to scalp the top of the hill to remove material and I'm not sure how much material I can remove from each pass. It's probably the same for a backhoe but I would imaging the force a backhoe bucket would have would be more efficient at removing material than the scraping of the skid steer. But I don't really know and that's why I really appreciate the tips and ideas you fellas have offered me.

Just this afternoon I've been cutting firewood from some big ass rotten fallen trees that made a mess of our property a month ago. I've been using my 3/4 ton plow truck to drag the 20' logs around and keep thinking how easy a machine could be to do this property "management" stuff. After several posts, I believe a machine is in my not to distant future and I need to realize it's almost like getting married..... God only knows whether it will happy or frustrating..... :/

 

[skyking1]

you can always get an annulment.

 

[Willie B]

Backhoe is the most versatile excavation machine. An excavator as heavy will dig faster. A skidsteer is a fine machine to distribute soils on a flat dry surface. A big articulated loader is great for loading thousands of yards. A tracked dumper is fine for rough terrain transporting. A bulldozer is nice for finish work, or lowering a grade.
None of these can do all the jobs a backhoe can do.
In my case, I have land 3 miles from home. Hooking up the trailer to the dump truck takes time. Loading the machine takes time. Chaining the machine, driving, unchaining, unloading, stowing the chains & binders where thieves won't steal them takes time.
In less time than it takes to air up a tire on the trailer I drive the backhoe to "the land". At "the land" the driveway is steep. A not loaded truck, towing a heavily loaded trailer won't make the hill. I have to unload out at the highway.
In my world a backhoe is pretty versatile!

 

[Coaldust]

How is a skid loader safer than a backhoe?

Interesting question. That could be quantified and measured fairly easy. A quick search identified at least six different gov, safety, manufacture, trade orgs & agencies that track that data, more if you include Canada. More if you look at agriculture. If I had more time, It would be fun to go down that rabbit hole. Looks like most skid steer accidents are mechanical crushing injuries and rollovers.

 

[MG84]

Rent a compact track loader (skid steer with tracks), with a tooth bucket, and it should have no problem digging anything but the hardest ground. Sod, clay, light shale, etc it will dig up with ease. It will also be more stable than a wheeled skid steer. It will not dig out stumps or take down large trees effectively, that's generally work for a backhoe or excavator. What you are proposing should be an easy weekend project.

 

[skyking1]

yes, I don't even consider wheeled skid steers. One of those would make for a nice weekend rental.

 

[NH575E]

Backhoes are the Swiss Army Knife of excavation. There are machines that do specific operations better but none that perform all the functions a backhoe can.

 

[Catsparky1]

The thing about ssl Ctl . I was late for work one day and flustered tired . Boss man mad for be late yells at me to jump in the Bobcat and start shading pipe . Grab a bucket of sand and start hauling a$$ and a dude walks out from behind a dump truck and first thing I do is hit the breaks . Well its not the breaks and sand goes all over . Someone just getting used to those machines make that mistake a bunch . I can't stand bobcat for that reason .

 

[Welder Dave]

Need some pics. of what you want to do and the terrain. Without seeing the actual "job site" it's impossible to say what machine would be best. I wouldn't automatically discount a skid steer with tires.

 

[Welder Dave]

The thing about ssl Ctl . I was late for work one day and flustered tired . Boss man mad for be late yells at me to jump in the Bobcat and start shading pipe . Grab a bucket of sand and start hauling a$$ and a dude walks out from behind a dump truck and first thing I do is hit the breaks . Well its not the breaks and sand goes all over . Someone just getting used to those machines make that mistake a bunch . I can't stand bobcat for that reason .

That's a perfect example of why you should get used to a machine (any machine) in a big open area instead of just jumping in green. It greatly helps to elimate panic moments. Sometimes you have to tell the boss no. What if you would have hit the guy and he was badly injured?

 

[Acoals]

Well, I don't know anything about government data, but it would seem skid loaders are inherently more dangerous than a backhoe.
You can't see out of a skid loader, and when the boom is up, especially on some models (Bobcat) they can be real tippy.

 

[Welder Dave]

All machines are dangerous if people don't read the manual or have proper instruction on how to operate them. There also needs to be a lot of common sense which unfortunately isn't that common.

 

[Catsparky1]

That's a perfect example of why you should get used to a machine (any machine) in a big open area instead of just jumping in green. It greatly helps to elimate panic moments. Sometimes you have to tell the boss no. What if you would have hit the guy and he was badly injured?

I think I didn't get the point across . Wasn't green Ran the bobcat for months . Most people in a panic hit the breaks and that means feet not hands . Most I think will react that way if new and I wasn't just natural reaction . Would also hit breaks in a scraper even when they don't work before I would drop the bowl . Make sense ?

 

[Welder Dave]

Not really in a skid steer if you've got some hours in it. You could let go of the drive levers.

 

[Acoals]

Reading the manual and receiving "proper instruction" is a great blanket solution for internet Airchair Quarterbacks. You don't get good instinct and reflex from a book.

 

[rumblecloud]

I can see how it could be to a newer operator. Lower to the ground. Smaller. Less hangy-down things (technical term). etc.

 

[Welder Dave]

One of the most common pieces of advice on this forum is to get a manual. It doesn't just tell you basic maintenance. My Cat track loader has a plate on the dash that basically says to not operate this machine until you have read the manual and familiarized yourself with the controls. Having someone experienced with a machine show/teach you is the best way to get familiarized. It doesn't matter if it's a skid steer or a D11. You don't just hop in a machine you're not familiar with. If your boss tells you to, do you think he's going to take responsibility if something bad happens? Nothing wrong with saying you've never ran that machine before. And yes, I've got thousands of hours in a skid steer. They aren't a simple jump in the seat and you're an instant operator machine. You need to know how to react in an emergency situation. Knowing the controls and getting some competent instruction is the best way to learn.

 

[Acoals]

You know, honestly; I don't think I have ever actually read an operators manual for any machine I have ever run. I really don't know of anybody else who ever has either. Aside from explaining the controls, all the manual really winds up being is a liability cover for the manufacturer. Pages and pages of the manufacturer informing me that the machine can kill me.

The first time I ran a skid steer was on a farm I worked at as a teenager. The place was pretty much staffed from the local high school. Besides a couple brief instructions on what not to do, the training was basically "Go get the skid loader and start moving trees, two sticks, two pedals, you will figure it out". That's the way it is on every farm and small job in this country. So maybe you can go to a big union shop and they will give you all sorts of "proper training", but in the real word it often doesn't work that way.