# Skid Steer Vs. Pick-up truck



## procut (Dec 1, 2004)

Alright, just looking for some opinions from those who have used both. I see a lot of guys using skids with 8' push boxes. To me, I have to wonder can they really move that much more snow than a pick-up with a 9'-6" vee or an Blizzard 810 / Western Wideout? I could see them having possibly a little more carrying capacity, but they would be a lot slower than a truck, thus pretty much cancelling that out. Especially on just a 2"-4" inch snowfall, it seems like you could move more snow with a truck not to mention be in a more comfortable and civilized enviroment. Opinions, like I said, I've never used one.


----------



## dodge2500 (Aug 20, 2009)

I thought the same thing as you until last year when we added a 95hp Gehl skid loader with a 2 speed and an Arctic 10' sectional plow. We do a lot of apartment complexes, small businesses, banks, etc all within a 3 mile area. The skid does the job of at least 3 trucks and all of our trucks have either 9'6" v's or wideouts. I couldn't beleive what that skid can do. I think without a 2 speed and without being as big as it is it wouldn't be nearly as productive but it is truely amazing how productive it is. We are actually thinking of adding another one next year and only using trucks for far out places and to salt.


----------



## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

I found about a 30% improvement in efficiency across the board. I have a few accounts where the skid has totally eliminated the truck. Others, the truck still rules.

I am picking up a backhoe and pusher in hopes to totally eliminate trucks by next year.

On one tight but large site, we went from 8 hrs of truck time to 3 hrs of skid time. That was by far our biggest improvement. 

The capacity of our pusher is about 5-7 cubic yards. The capacity of a blade is going to be about half that at best. You also have major time savings if you can push in both directions.


----------



## 3ipka (Oct 9, 2009)

These threads seem to pop-up over and over again.
To answer your questions, there is no comparison between a truck and a skid, sure each has its advantage over the other but in the end the skid does overall outperform a truck when it comes to a snow removal application. In terms of the comment on the blizzard/wideout having more carrying capacity, you can put a blizzard power plow on a skid, if you think it will suit your needs better then a box. I personally don't like boxes, they are only good in certain applications, IMO multi-position plows like the blizzard, snowing, v-plows are much more versatile. In terms of comparing comfort my case skid is as comfy as my truck, I have Heat/AC, Radio, suspension seat, arm rests, cup holders, pretty much everything I have in my truck. Also Case is letting out a new line of skid steers in april, and they now offer seat warmers as options, now thats awesome....


----------



## snocrete (Feb 28, 2009)

A 2speed skid w/pusher is more productive than a truck in most commercial settings from what I have seen....and makes taller/tighter piles.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

dodge2500;1244190 said:


> I thought the same thing as you until last year when we added a 95hp Gehl skid loader with a 2 speed and an Arctic 10' sectional plow. We do a lot of apartment complexes, small businesses, banks, etc all within a 3 mile area. The skid does the job of at least 3 trucks and all of our trucks have either 9'6" v's or wideouts. I couldn't beleive what that skid can do. I think without a 2 speed and without being as big as it is it wouldn't be nearly as productive but it is truely amazing how productive it is. We are actually thinking of adding another one next year and only using trucks for far out places and to salt.


sectional plow is amazing how well it cleans,isn't?


----------



## Brad3403 (Sep 8, 2008)

3ipka;1244240 said:


> These threads seem to pop-up over and over again.
> To answer your questions, there is no comparison between a truck and a skid, sure each has its advantage over the other but in the end the skid does overall outperform a truck when it comes to a snow removal application. In terms of the comment on the blizzard/wideout having more carrying capacity, you can put a blizzard power plow on a skid, if you think it will suit your needs better then a box. I personally don't like boxes, they are only good in certain applications, IMO multi-position plows like the blizzard, snowing, v-plows are much more versatile. In terms of comparing comfort my case skid is as comfy as my truck, I have Heat/AC, Radio, suspension seat, arm rests, cup holders, pretty much everything I have in my truck. Also Case is letting out a new line of skid steers in april, and they now offer seat warmers as options, now thats awesome....


I agree. I've run both and the skids are at least 50% more productive. On some lots even more than 50%. Trucks do still have their place though.


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

We will be running Skids at all locations next year. We ran 4 Trucks and 1 skid this year, and the Skid made any 2 trucks look like they were City workers holding shovels watching the other guy dig. 

Did an experiment on a 2 inch snow. 
Didnt' put a Truck on the lot (14 acres). Wanted to see if the skid could do it all on it's own. (Cat 450 2 speed with 10' Arctic Sectional)
Did the whole job in 5 hours including an hour of extra cleanup leftover from our little 16.7" blizzard.
2 Trucks usually take a minimum of 4 hours each (8 total) with 2". (lots of lanes).
It's a no brainer.
I can lease the skid for 1k a month for 4 months. 
No wear and tear on the trucks. 
I'm an idiot for not doing it sooner.


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

vamootsman;1244592 said:


> We will be running Skids at all locations next year. We ran 4 Trucks and 1 skid this year, and the Skid made any 2 trucks look like they were City workers holding shovels watching the other guy dig.
> 
> Did an experiment on a 2 inch snow.
> Didnt' put a Truck on the lot (14 acres). Wanted to see if the skid could do it all on it's own. (Cat 450 2 speed with 10' Arctic Sectional)
> ...


so you did 14 acres of plowing with a 2 speed skid and 10' pusher in 4 hours plus one hour of clean up?


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

PlatinumService;1244630 said:


> so you did 14 acres of plowing with a 2 speed skid and 10' pusher in 4 hours plus one hour of clean up?


Yes. No BS. It amazed me too. Where it really shined was on the big open parts of the lot as it could take 8' of the sectional, and wouldn't lose any snow out of the "trailing" side.


----------



## greywynd (Dec 13, 2008)

It all depends on the site, and your routes. If you can windrow, and leave a bank along a long side, then a truck can be a lot faster. 

If you have a lot of little dead ends, tight areas etc, then a skid can easily outperform a truck. On large open lots, it could be comparable, depending on the shape and size of the lot, where you can or can't place snow, what you have on the skid, etc.


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

vamootsman;1244637 said:


> Yes. No BS. It amazed me too. Where it really shined was on the big open parts of the lot as it could take 8' of the sectional, and wouldn't lose any snow out of the "trailing" side.


dont take this the wrong way but i dont believe you. i have a tractor with a horst 10-16 it expands to 16 ft and is a 10 ft box as well, and i do 14 acres in 4 hours with a truck pulling out parking and handicapped spots.

are you able to push the snow both ways? how do you back blade anything? how long are the runs?

if this is true i would invest in a skid instead of a backhoe.

what is a cat 450 skid?


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

PlatinumService;1244681 said:


> dont take this the wrong way but i dont believe you. i have a tractor with a horst 10-16 it expands to 16 ft and is a 10 ft box as well, and i do 14 acres in 4 hours with a truck pulling out parking and handicapped spots.
> 
> are you able to push the snow both ways? how do you back blade anything? how long are the runs?
> 
> ...


Sorry, it's a Case 450. No back dragging and you can push in 3 different directions on every lot. Here's the lot

http://www.plowsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60735&d=1256616379


----------



## goel (Nov 23, 2010)

What size and style of plows on the 2 trucks vamootsman


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

goel;1244740 said:


> What size and style of plows on the 2 trucks vamootsman


Snoway 29R on an F250 diesel and a Boss 8'2" on an F250 5.4L


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

vamootsman;1244700 said:


> Sorry, it's a Case 450. No back dragging and you can push in 3 different directions on every lot. Here's the lot
> 
> http://www.plowsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60735&d=1256616379


so your telling me 14 acres and 16" of snow in 5 hours all cleaned up with a case 450 and 10'pusher.

thats just about 3 acres an hour. om really trying to wrap my head around that..... im really thinking of changing my strategy if thats the case.

thats 200% more efficient than a truck


----------



## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

PlatinumService;1244761 said:


> so your telling me 14 acres and 16" of snow in 5 hours all cleaned up with a case 450 and 10'pusher.
> 
> thats just about 3 acres an hour. om really trying to wrap my head around that..... im really thinking of changing my strategy if thats the case.
> 
> thats 200% more efficient than a truck


2" in 4 hours.


----------



## dodge2500 (Aug 20, 2009)

PlatinumService;1244761 said:


> so your telling me 14 acres and 16" of snow in 5 hours all cleaned up with a case 450 and 10'pusher.
> 
> thats just about 3 acres an hour. om really trying to wrap my head around that..... im really thinking of changing my strategy if thats the case.
> 
> thats 200% more efficient than a truck


I think he said a 2" snow and that he had some clean up to do from the Blizzard that was before that dropped 16". I will for sure back this up as we have just about the same setup and could not believe what this combination can do. We have an excellent operator in our machine that doesn't waste any movement and is always in high gear. The skid with a 2 speed is super fast and can turn in an instant and be going the other way before the truck even kicks the reverse lights on. we also push with a JD 7810 with a 14' pusher and obviously the skid can not out perform that combo but in smaller areas it shines.


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

2"s of snow is what I pushed off the lots.

We had some snow stacked in places that I didn't want it left in, so I knocked some of the piles back, and cleared a side walk that had drifted to high for a Truck or our blowers. That took about an hour of the 5 that I was there.


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

cretebaby;1244767 said:


> 2" in 4 hours.


oh my mistake.

i really like the response this is getting.. i just want all my ducks in a row.

but still 14 acres in 4 hours is a good number. thats 3.5 acres an hour and for the price of a skid is way cheaper than a tractor or a backhoe.

could your skid handle a 12'?


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

PlatinumService;1244780 said:


> oh my mistake.
> 
> i really like the response this is getting.. i just want all my ducks in a row.
> 
> but still 14 acres in 4 hours is a good number. thats 3.5 acres an hour and for the price of a skid is way cheaper than a tractor or a backhoe.


The Komatsu loader that we brought in for the 16"s of snow had a 16' Arctic on it, and he cleared most of the lot in 5 hours. That thing was a beast. I'm trying to decide between a small loader or a large Skid with a 12 footer.


----------



## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

PlatinumService;1244780 said:


> oh my mistake.
> 
> i really like the response this is getting.. i just want all my ducks in a row.
> 
> ...


never seen a skid big enough to handle a 12pusher, not full anyways.


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

buckwheat_la;1244795 said:


> never seen a skid big enough to handle a 12pusher, not full anyways.


Thanks. One nice thing with the loader is will 21mph, so I can get to other lots if my cohorts need help fairly quickly, so that sounds like the way to go.


----------



## treeman06 (Sep 26, 2006)

a gehl 7810 could probably handle a 10-12 push box


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

right now im running a deere 6420 with a horst 10-16 and am thinking to buying a backhoe to push 12' box. but i can get into a skid cheaper and have summer work for it. i need something that can load trucks, skid might be the way to go.


----------



## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

Everyone has there own opinion but If you have summer work for it to Buying the skid is a no brainer. I have a S300 2speed running a 8ft blade with wings and a 8ft push box (will have a 10ft box next year) and the machine flat out moves snow. Our plow truck is a f-350 running a 8.5 boss with sno-wings and the bobcat with the plow is noticably faster in a open lot and leaps and bounds faster in tighter conditions. It only uses 1.5-1.9gph. The best part is plowing snow is so much easier on a skid than it is on a truck. A skid will stand up to year after year of plowing with only rutine maintance.
To the person who said they would rather plow in a truck than a skid they must have never plowed in a newer skid. I stay warm, crank up the radio and have much better visiability than a truck. I hate plowing in a pickup. 
Robert


----------



## contractor078 (Dec 23, 2009)

i have to agree that they both have there places. i by far do no where near as much as some guys one here i on;y do a few small HOA's but they are great in the culdasacks. they are amazing to clean them right out. i just got my skidddy this past year in october and they are great for intersections and clean up work. the truck is by far better on all of the straight a ways then i go behind with the skid and do all the clean up work. i have the wife in the truck tell her to hit on pas in V and the angle right and left and i will do all the clean up work.


----------



## Mdirrigation (Dec 12, 2003)

One problem with the skid steers , no room for the salt spreader or salt .


----------

