I'm considering buying a skid steer for snow clearing and light grading of a 25,000 sq ft yard and parking lot, both with a gravel/dirt surface. Would a skid steer be a logical choice for this work? I know nothing about them. Our last snowplow contractor declined the work this past season citing damage to his plow caused by the uneven surfaces. He was using a regular pickup with blade. Everyone else is quoting $2000/month, or $8000/season. If I can get a used skid steer for 30K (cdn) then it almost makes sense. What are the typical operating and maintenance costs? I don't think we would put more than 75 hrs/year on it. This past season we used one of our forklifts equipped with tire chains for plowing. It was okay as long as the ground was frozen. During the thaws we got it stuck more times than I care to think about. Mike
I've got a 1500ft long gravel driveway that I plow. I also need to plow parking around several out buildings. A skid steer is by far the best options I've found so far. Far more maneuverable than a truck with a plow. And as you've already seen, some truck plows don't handle gravel well. I used a truck plow on my skid steer at first. After breaking it a couple times, I build a plow frame that was up to the task of a skid steer. So you'll want a skid steer plow. Mine floats, the only down pressure is the weight of the plow, or else you end up dig up all the gravel. The other thing that makes a huge difference is snow tires. More ground clearance, more speed, lots of traction (compared to dirt tires). With a 4-6 inch snow fall, I can clear everything in less than 45 minutes.
I own a skid steer and what you are proposing is an ideal task for it. The only drawback is clearing that amount of space will take a significant amount of time with one machine. I’d recommend a machine in the 75 hp range, with tire chains you can put a ten foot plow or pusher box on it. A machine with a 2 speed hydro system will be more efficient for you. From what you describe it sounds like a power grading attachment like a Harley Rake would make short work of ruts and potholes, you’d want to take care of that just before the plowing season starts
Welcome to HEF. The first time I read your post, I read 25,000 square yards ... when I re-read it, it says "a 25,000 sq ft yard" which is a factor of 9 different . If you have 25,000 ft2, that is not too much ground ... works out to an area of about 160 ft x 160 ft which in Canada is about 50 m x 50 m or a 4 m wide road x 0.6 km long. Plowing with a skid steer is fast and easy, hence why you see many of them around dedicated to this service. On our small farm, I use a CAT 242B with an 8 ft wide snow bucket on an area perhaps 4 times this size. Other options are a plow blade or pusher box as Steve has pointed out. A lot depends on your yard layout and yard surface(s). Using aggressive tire chains on paved surfaces can lead to substantial pavement damage. Dedicated winter tires (studded?) may be better winter option for you. Check with snow removal contractors in your area to see what is working for them in your ground conditions. What works for me in the Rocky Mountains Foothills is likely different than what would work for your in the wilds of Toronto. CDN$30K sounds like a reasonable budget but perhaps on the lower side as prices have gone crazy in the past year. You will want to find one with less than 2000 hours on it, as at higher hours increased repairs become a factor . Without repairs, operating costs becomes maintenance items like oil, filters (oil, hydraulic, air and fuel) and grease (don't forget to grease every 8 hours or so). My 242B uses about 7 Litres per hour (1.8 USG/hr). More horsepower mean more fuel consumption. Plus you will want to factor in the cost of the operator. At 75 hours per year your maintenance cost should be in $2 per hour range to include oil, filters, grease and tires ($2000 in 1000 hrs ... WAG estimate). Good luck in your search.
And here is a good thread to read about Skid Steers in Snow: HeavyEquipmentForums
I'm with Steve....you definately want a pusher. 75hp would work, depending on your anual snowfall. Not a fan of a plow on a skid. Snowplows depend on speed to cast the snow. Skids don't have it and unless you get the lot cleaned up, there will be no speed from anything... Ed
I have pushed snow with my Bobcat for MANY years and found it much easier than a truck or farm tractor. However 4 years ago I go a good deal on a snow blower attachment for the Bobcat. I will never go back to pushing snow, the blower is the way to go! Just my 2 cents worth...
There are a lot of videos on YouTube with various attachments on skid-steers removing snow.
Thats not a very big area you are talking about. If you want a bit of an older machine a Bobcat 773, or one of the Case XT series are good solid machines without the electronics of the newer ones. A snow bucket would help speed things up a bit. You would probably find other uses for the machine too.
Thanks for all the replies. What would you think of using a smaller skid steer like a Bobcat 463 or S70 to clear snow on a gravel surface? Would it be a case of "slower but doable"? Mike
Both the Bobcat 463 and S70 have a lift rating of 700 lbs. By the time you add a 300 or 400 pound bucket, you don't have much capacity left for lifting snow. So I would not even put those machines in the "slower but doable" category. For your application, the minimum rated lift capacity that I would recommend would be 1500 lbs ... but bigger is better ... and faster.
I found a 2004 Bobcat S175 with 1500 hrs up for auction. A co-worker with some past construction experience drove it. Everything works but the operation seemed to be "jerky". Both moving forward/backward and raising and lowering the bucket. It was as if there was no fine or slow speed control. My co-worker thinks it's just a matter of getting a better feel on the controls-Would this be a safe assumption? I don't have any previous experience with skid-steers myself. Mike
Any long distances like a driveway an angle blade drastically speeds up the process.