How to Choose Between a Skid Steer or Compact Wheel Loader for Your Landscape Business

Bucket shapes are different for skid steer loaders and compact wheel loaders because they’re optimized for each machine’s capability. If you're moving the same material with each machine, you'll notice the bucket size can be much larger on a compact wheel loader. This, again, comes down to machine capability. Compact wheel loaders will increase your load carrying capacity by up to 70%.

Are you primarily working at ground level, doing work like soil prep, using a power box rake or an auger, or trenching? Or are you frequently loading or unloading pallets, placing irrigation pipes, or loading haul trucks with dirt or snow during the winter months?

Remember to take lift height into consideration if you’ll be lifting or loading materials frequently. A compact wheel loader will have an advantage on lift height as well as visibility. The higher seating position of a compact wheel loader gives you a different perspective of the job site than the enclosed cab of a skid steer loader. 

The great news is that maintenance costs for skid steers and compact wheel loaders are about the same. Both are typically utility based machine. Cat® skid steer and compact wheel loaders run the same engine and have the same oil change intervals.

At Caterpillar, we focus on service access, long life coolant, and long life hydraulic oil to give our customers the lowest maintenance cost and longest service intervals possible, because we know you have a job to do, and deadlines to meet.

Once you work through these questions and considerations, contact your local Cat dealer to request a demo and get a closer look at each machine. Either way you go, we’re ready to support your equipment needs and have industry specialists on hand to help you make the best decision for your business.