To anyone that has used one, how does something like the Avant 420 or the Gehl 140 wheel loader stack up against a small skidsteer.

I have used articulating loaders, but only the huge material movers for loading up stone or mulch with like a 2 yard bucket.

I rent all my equipment by the job, sometimes it's a skidsteer, sometimes it's a walk behind unit like a Dingo or MT55. I am really digging the side entry and the steering wheel though, it seems a lot of residential arborists use them to pull out logs and brush.

I am going to try to find a rental yard with one in the fleet to test out, but I want to hear from anyone that's used one first.

We own and use a gehl 140. (Arboricultural service company)

Super versatile, and with dually turf tires at each corner, it is very low impact.


Of course, it doesn't have the ass of a bobcat t300, but they are for totally different roles

If you are worried about tearing up the turf, go with the gehl

I have a CAT 216B with the backhoe attachment and two dig buckets. Also the forks, bucket, and other stuff I've built for specific work I do (specialty demolition).

I'd rent or get the manufacture to do a show and tell. I still rent a bit of equipment. All will depend on what you want to do with it. I have very little experience with other fancy equipment like you posted. I've used a dingo a few times. That's really lightweight. Almost a toy. The 216 is the smallest piece of equipment I own. Everything else is JD710K and bigger.

I've never had the chance to use a mini wheel loader.  I've ran all the bigger stuff though.  I can see the advantage of the mini-loader when not wanting to disturb the soil as much compared to a skidsteer.  I Bobcat Toolcat would have similar uses when compared to the mini-loader with each having their strengths.  The toolcat doesn't lift a heck of a lot without ballast and I think it's rated at around 1,900 lbs.  What will that mini-loader lift and does it take standard skidsteer attachments?

I love the Dingo and MT55 when the job is right for them.

I did a pool deck demo two years ago, I had to go up a hill and through 3 gates after going through a 40" alleyway.

Permanent fencing on each side....access sucked. We demo'd 5 yards of concrete, took it out and loaded it, and brought in new base and concrete all with the dingo.

The hill was so nasty I couldn't even use a concrete buggy, it just spun out the whole time.

The help put some walking miles on, but it beat the hell out of doing it all by hand. They do suck for big jobs though, it will work, but they are pretty limited, although the hydraulic hammer is handy, a lot easier on the back than an air hammer.

Not sure about attachments, if they are proprietary that would get annoying.

I had never seen a toolcat until I just searched for it.....that thing would be a riot if you owned a farm, they threw every possible feature on it.

Sounds like a tough job. But you had the tight tool for the right job. The problem is, there is never one tool for every job. Too big, won't fit. Too small, not enough HP. Too fast or slow. No matter what you get, it won't be best for every job. Get what would work best for you on most of the projects. And would be helpful the rest where it's not ideal.

I have a landscape buddy with that dingo and he loves it... He might have two or three now.

I looked at those not long ago. Seem pretty handy and won't tear yards up as much as a skid loader. Spec wise, they certainly don't have the ass though.

Certainly versatile little machines. I know whacker-neuson makes them too.

I could see a small mini excavator and one of those with a four way bucket being a pretty capable combo.

That's why I still rent. I can't figure out what would work best for most jobs.

I do think I'll buy a walk behind for a first machine though, simply for the fact that they can replace a laborer, even on super small jobs like replacing stair treads.

It really sucks when you you need a skidsteer and only have a dingo though, I was on the "Young guy" crew years ago at an outift, when machines were short we always got stuck with the walk behind.