Skid steer, telehandler or loader tractor?

P

PROFarms

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Exeter
Got a small farm in Devon so land is not flat in the slightest. At the moment we are just running an old IH 454 with a front loader but looking for something a bit bigger and 4wd. Currently moving silage on a rear bale handler. Main uses would be moving straw and silage around for Feeding and bedding in the winter.
Current options we are looking at is an old JCB loadall, a small ish loader tractor or a skid loader.
Loader tractor would be handy in the summer for odd bits of field work but not essential.
Downside of skid steers I’m told they’re not particularly stable on hills?

I’m just curious to hear anyone else’s thoughts on what may be suitable? Particular things to look out for/avoid?

Any and all advice will be welcomed!
 
daveydiesel1

daveydiesel1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co antrim
Get yourself a tractor with a loader and then you always have it in summer. Somethin around 100 hp would be suitable. Plenty out ther to choose from. Things to look our for check loader and front axle has been greased and isnt badly worn
 
Jackov Altraids

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
A loadall is brilliant but only on a hard surface. You would need a tractor as well.
It depends on your exact circumstances and what is available. If the right kind of 4wd loader tractor comes up then buy it.
I would be tempted to just get a larger 4wd tractor and muddle on with 454 loader until I could swap that for a loadall when the opportunity arose.
Running any older machines will always be a bit risky if you depend on them. It might not be such a huge extra expense to get something new on a good finance deal.
Not sure what one of these with a loader would cost /month;

ArmaTrac

Armatrac Web
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Cowabunga

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
PROFarms said:
Got a small farm in Devon so land is not flat in the slightest. At the moment we are just running an old IH 454 with a front loader but looking for something a bit bigger and 4wd. Currently moving silage on a rear bale handler. Main uses would be moving straw and silage around for Feeding and bedding in the winter.
Current options we are looking at is an old JCB loadall, a small ish loader tractor or a skid loader.
Loader tractor would be handy in the summer for odd bits of field work but not essential.
Downside of skid steers I’m told they’re not particularly stable on hills?

I’m just curious to hear anyone else’s thoughts on what may be suitable? Particular things to look out for/avoid?

Any and all advice will be welcomed!
Click to expand...
I've two skid steer loaders and while they are not really suitable for field use, certainly not when its wet, they are reasonably stable on hills as long as care and common sense is used. I have two large loader tractors which share the same boom, so have quite a bit of redundancy cover.
Here are my skiddies in action..

 
Lazy Sod

Lazy Sod

Member
Location
Warminster Wiltshire
When I was farming I had a JCB Loadall for 33 years, it was a brilliant machine and I wouldn't have been without it, but I had other tractors as well. Now that I'm retired and have a small acreage, I just have a tractor and loader. In your situation it has to be a loader and tractor.
 
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Cowabunga

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Galcam said:
Cowabunga what attachment have you on the front to clear all that stuff?
Click to expand...
Both had the standard buckets on for that job. I've a lot of implements for them because there's no point having a power unit with unavailable implements to do the job. So I have a muck fork and grapple, toe tip bucket, yard scraper, pallet forks, adapters for three point linkage implements like rotary yard brush, high lift bag hook and probably some that I've missed. Oh yes! Forgot the 4in1 bucket that gets a fair bit of seasonal use.
 
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Lazy Sod

Lazy Sod

Member
Location
Warminster Wiltshire
As you've got a pretty old tractor @ PROFarms, are you still knocking pins in and out to change between bucket and fork etc.
If so, get a loader with a euro headstock to enable intant hitching to various attachments.
 
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The Fields to Fork Festival celebrating country life, good food and backing British farming is due to take over Whitebottom Farm, Manchester, on 3rd & 4th May 2025!

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