hello all, I’m looking to upgrade our skid steer to a CTL I currently mow some right aways with a tractor looking to use a TLC I talked to one of our local dealers. He told me I didn’t want to go that route due to it cutting up the tracks to bad. Can any of you give insight on this? I see to many people doing it I feel for it to be that bad on them.
What? I can assure you that my CTLs run through materials than are significantly more abrasive and sharp than your average back 40. Only concern I'd have is sufficient cooling for the hydraulics. High flow machines have a larger capacity cooling system by design, but, depending on the horsepower draw of the mower, a standard cooling system may be sufficient.
Cutting the tracks up too bad? Ask him how...
I've run a few different brands with mowers on them. CTL/MTL is the way to go short of a dedicated mower with steel tracks. As was mentioned watch your cooling system and keep your machine cleaned out, they burn up if the debris catches fire.
For ROW mowing if it's long straight runs and maintained regularly a tractor is way faster. We use skids for waterways, rougher ground, etc. And they have their place but don't replace tractors for us.
Hey don't knock him. He's right. We mow with a CTL and twisting and turning on those stumps is hard on the rubber tracks. Not to mention you will throw one off in a heartbeat. If its straight runs your good. But if you try to mow in between big trees or around objects and have to twist and turn you'll soon see what he's telling you.
Your operating costs will be lower with the tractor.
And I would rather spend a day in a tractor over a CTL any day of the week. Better visibility and for me being tall it's more comfortable.
My ctl mows all the time....plus it runs an fae head too...rocks and side hills bad....grass and trees not really a problem
Make sure you have a couple fire extinguishers on board. We learned the hard way. But the time the operator grabbed the extinguisher out of his truck he almost got it out when he ran out of extinguisher. The fire totaled the machine . And he is a conscientious operator that religiously cleaned out the debris that build up.
Use a tractor for mowing. Its cheaper and will cut better than a CTL.
We have a Kubota with diamond mower and also bradco mulcher. The diamond mower on this unit is a very good match. It runs it without any issues. Very powerful and comfortable. But as said it doesn’t replace a Tractor. But it will also do may things a tractor can’t