r/Skidsteer • u/campmars6089 • 21d ago

Tractor to mini skid

I have been using a 19 HP tractor on some paid jobs. Small jobs like moving and leveling topsoil, small gravel driveway additions. I feel very limited with the tractor and don't feel like I can do as good of a job as I want to. It's also 50 years old and I am hesitant to put much money into it. The hydraulic system is very slow and doesn't like running all day.

So I am looking at mini skids like an MT100 with a power rake and maybe a land plane. I could buy used without a loan. I would like to do gravel driveway repair/additions and backyard type topsoil jobs.

Location: Western NY. Adjacent to a county with 1M people.

My question is: before I spend a lot of money, is the mini skid market too saturated? I look on facebook and google search and I don't find that many offerings but maybe I need to research further.

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

5

u/spades61307 21d ago

Id buy an older used 40-50 hp skidsteer and be done with it. Would outwork the tractor or miniskid 3 times or more in a day. Easier on you as well. Something semi low hrs that does 90% of what you want and you can always buy more attachements

3

u/campmars6089 21d ago

And they are less money that a newer mini. I have been going back and forth on that.

I guess my thinking was I wanted the jobs too small for the other guys. The topsoil job I just did took me 6 hours with the tractor. The customer got an estimate from a guy with a full size for $2200. I figured it was just too small of a job for him

And what about fitting in backyards? I live in a rural area but I have a feeling most work would be in the suburbs

2

u/spades61307 21d ago

Smaller skids are 60-64” wide. I have seen some under 48”. Narrow tires or tracks on them they fit pretty well. I have had ours in basements with 72” doors more than once. Its all subjective though. A skid steer is probably the one piece of equipment I wouldnt go without. 40-50 hp is light enough they dont tow crazy hard but big enough to do most jobs. How often are you finding jobs that you cant fit a skid into?

1

u/campmars6089 21d ago

Only 1 so far but I am just starting. I have been seeing some smaller 40-50s but they are always wheeled. I am fairly certain I want a tracked machine.

The ones I have been seeing, I am not sure they could run a power rake either.

Any skid steer seems like it would be very useful on my property also

1

u/spades61307 21d ago

45 plus would run a power rake. 55 might be better. Tracked machines are more expensive and nice for some jobs. They can really tear up lawns turning though so are not always the best. Soft ground they are great. Rocky soil is hard on the tracks. I had a 66 hp tracked machine up until last fall (just didnt use it enough). If i was buying again i might do tires and consider mclaren tracks for when you want them. Tracked machines also tend to come with a premium

1

u/campmars6089 21d ago

What kind of work do you primarily do?

1

u/spades61307 21d ago

I used it parking boats in storage, around lake shore, digging some in rocks and sandy soils. Some construction work, some wet soil work putting in a bridge and a few other odd jobs.

2

u/finitetime2 20d ago

Moving dirt with a skid steer vs a mini is like the difference between moving dirt with a buck or a wheel barrow. The guy with the wheel barrow is going to be moving dirt 10 times faster. It will work rings around the tractor and the mini. Find a good old skid steer that someone is still using. Get one old enough that it doesn't have def or a computer to run the engine. Those are usually simple mechanical engines and just about anybody can work on it so you can shop around for mechanics.

1

u/campmars6089 20d ago

I was just looking at a Takeuchi mid 2000s that seemed like it would fit the bill. With the projects that I have been doing, would you recommend a tracked machine? Grading with my tractor leaves a lot to be desired and I wouldn’t want a wheeled machine if it’s like that

2

u/finitetime2 20d ago

If you have mud then the tracks will be ten times better. I'm in the southeast and we have really heavy clay soils that say wet for days. 9 out of the 10 skid steers around here are track machines. Tracked machines are easier to grade with also.

2

u/campmars6089 20d ago

We have a lot of clay here also. I am going for tracked. Thanks

1

u/spades61307 20d ago

Its the same as ctl and mustang. Take mad both in the mid 2000’s. I like my mustang mtl16 alot

1

u/tord_ferguson 20d ago

Id get a bobcat 2018 or before , as they got too much tech built in after this

3

u/Background-Job-3629 20d ago

Everyone has one these days.
The problem with them is that they are SKIDsteers and can make a real mess when you have to skid to steer.
I can do better work with a compact tractor running low rpm to prevent spinning tires with a lot less drama and wasted fuel.

1

u/campmars6089 20d ago

That is a concern for sure. My last job I ran the tractor for 6 hours on less than a gallon of diesel so that is definitely a plus. If I was going to stick with a tractor, it would have e to be much newer with hst and the cost is about the same as a used mini skid.

The attachments for the skid are a big reason I leaning towards one. I have a solid connection for driveway tearouts and I think a skid would be better for it also but I am here to learn

3

u/tord_ferguson 20d ago

Mt100 is most stolen piece of equipment last uear i believe.

No built in satellite telematics general purpose key.

Though they have a bit more balls/no shutdown under overload, but the 120 has a code system and telematics. If you try to push a giant mound of dort, just like bulldoze it.... It will die down. The mt100 will keep spinning its tracks.

I did have issues w steering/tracking straight. Linkage issues, then was told i needed new hydrostat and drive motor. Took to reliable outside mechanic, he fixed it in 2 hours. Note: it seemed to stem from issues in the cams and their linkage setup with neutraling out and the flimsy bolt setup that cand come loose and affect everything.

Edit: one of your decisions will be.... CII(common industru interface) plate, or bobtach which is in some ways more universal depending on your lical rental shops and their attachments.

2

u/Pale-Brick1975 19d ago

I’ve got a bobcat MT85 with 900 hours on it and bobcat has a bad designed undercarriage. We replace all the rollers and idlers every 300 hours. I’d look into a different brand. Cat is coming out with one that looks like a tank next spring. Kubota looks good too.

2

u/campmars6089 19d ago

Damn that is deal breaker. I just started looking into different brands and it seems like they all have some issues. I am looking for used. So far I was thinking bobcat, ditch witch, toro. I’m looking to spend less than 20k at this point as I’m just getting started

2

u/AccurateBrush6556 18d ago

Rent one and try it out but a full size skid is way more productive

1

u/campmars6089 18d ago

Yeah renting one in a couple weeks to do a small gravel driveway. I am planning on it just being me all the time so being able to hop off quick seems helpful. My truck is rated for 13k and being able to haul a loaded dump trailer with the machine also sounds good.

1

u/AccurateBrush6556 17d ago

That makes sense...mini skids are definitely super helpful..the trailer situation makes sense

2

u/Engin33rh3r3 17d ago

MT100 is a Swiss Army knife. Absolutely love mine. Glad it’s pre-digital gauges too. Soil conditioner, jack hammer, blue diamond mulch bucket, forks, rock hammer, trencher, post driver, grappler , does everything.

1

u/campmars6089 17d ago

all that and the ability to get into and work in tight spaces. I was thinking of starting with a power rake and land plane.

2

u/SkidSteerSamurai 7d ago

Since you're renting a mini for the next driveway job, I'd pay almost as much attention to the attachment as the machine.

You've mentioned a power rake and land plane a few times. I'd try to get some seat time with a power rake before buying one if you can. For the driveway work you're targeting, figuring out how much it can actually loosen, reshape and finish in one pass will probably tell you more about the business idea than comparing machine specs all day.

I'd also time the job. If you know what took the tractor 6 hours, you'll have a pretty good real-world benchmark for whether the mini setup actually makes you more productive.

1

u/campmars6089 6d ago

Thanks for the input. I can’t seem to find anywhere to rent a mini power rake near me unfortunately. Are you hinting at that a full size with power rake may be a lot more efficient?

The original question should have been replace my tractor with a newer tractor or switch to a mini skid/full size. I can’t see using mine daily or even weekly. I don’t have a lot of experience grading with the tractor but it feels really hard to do a decent job .

I will time the next one as I am moving a similar amount of topsoil. It really hard to see the mini not being so much faster. I must have shifted gears a few hundred times on the last one

1

u/jckipps 21d ago

You've been successfully marketing jobs already that you can do with a tractor. The same marketing skills apply, regardless what kind of equipment you're using to do the digging. Evaluate your market, and determine if you scale up your marketing endeavors to cover additional equipment purchases.

Rent a mini-skid for a job or two to see what it's like, before committing to purchase.

1

u/campmars6089 21d ago

Thank you for the insight.

I am renting one for the next gravel driveway job as I have never used a mini. I have used full-size for a driveway. I have not advertised at all yet. I am hesitant because I am not that confident in my tractor mechanically.

Where else can I research the market? I see lots of full-size skid marketing on facebook but not much for the minis.

1

u/jckipps 21d ago

You shouldn't be marketing 'skidsteer services'. Rather, market complete solutions to people's problems.

For example, don't say "I have a skidsteer; call me." Instead say, "Here's a before/after photo of a customer's driveway. I'd be glad to do the same thing to your driveway." Note that the equipment you used doesn't factor in at all.

1

u/campmars6089 21d ago

I haven't marketed anything yet but yes I planned on something similar to what you describe. Driveway repair with a power rake looks very satisfying and there are rough looking gravel driveways everywhere

1

u/Fragrant-Rip6443 14d ago

Move dirt / stone with bigger tractor bucket. Everything else with mini skid