Skid Steer vs. Tractor: What Are the Differences?

There were nearly 20 million jobs in the American agricultural sector in 2020. If you’re making a living in this field, you’ll be familiar with the wide variety of specialized vehicles and machinery you need to use and invest in to get the most out of your land.

When it comes to farm machinery, you’ve likely contemplated the skid steer vs. tractor debate. You need to consider what each machine does well to decide the best fit for your farm.

Read on to find out.

Benefits of a Skid Steer

What is a skid steer? Also called a bobcat or skid loader, a skid steer is a small vehicle with four wheels and an enclosed cab. It’s used to dig or haul materials from one place to another on a construction site or farm.

Versatile

Because they’re relatively lightweight and highly manuverable, skid steers like those sold at https://fecon.com/ are more versatile than their tractor counterparts.

They function great on rugged terrain, so they’re perfect for clearing undeveloped land or working in a tight space. You can also purchase a wide range of attachments to help you with things like raking, post-hole drilling, and tree removal.

Easy to Move

Skid steers are small and agile, making them easy to transport around your property or other worksites. Just secure your vehicle behind your truck, and tow it to where you need it. Tractors, by contrast, need to be moved on a flatbed truck or in a trailer.

Operator Can See Better

Even the best skid steer offers high visibility compared to similar yet more complicated machines like excavators, loaders, and, of course, tractors. The operator sits in a cab, but it’s open on all sides, so they can physically see where they’re drilling a hole or what they need to pick up.

Benefits of a Tractor

A tractor is probably the machine most people associate with farming. And that’s because these versatile vehicles have been helping agricultural workers since the late 1800s.

Unrivaled Horsepower

Where skid steers win out in maneuverability, even the most compact tractors will give you the power you need to complete big tasks. Tractors bottom out at about 50 horsepower. You can use them to tow or pull heavy items and support hefty attachments.

Cheaper

Even the best tractor will be a more cost-effective option than a skid steer. Since they’re a classic piece of farm machinery, they are readily available and are cheap to maintain. You can also pick up good-quality second-hand models quite easily.

Many Sizes and Models

Grab any good tractor guide, and you’ll quickly see just how wide a variety of tractors there is. First, tractors range in size, from an enormous 1-tonne tractor with a hundred horsepower to a lightweight 50 horsepower tractor. Tractors can also operate multiple attachments simultaneously, meaning you don’t have to switch out or re-mount attachments as you move between jobs.

Skid Steer vs. Tractor: Which Will You Choose?

Whichever side of the skid steer vs. tractor debate you fall on is a moot point. Preference is not what matters here.

The key to making a smart investment is knowing which machine best suits your type of agricultural work. Overall, skid steers function better when you need a light, high maneuverable vehicle, while tractors are best suited to niche tasks like tilling and harvesting.

For more farm machinery insights, head back to our website and browse the other informative articles.