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forklift vs skid steer

28K views 68 replies 25 participants last post by  jim lyon 
#1 ·
I am expanding and seriously considering a Turbo Hummerbee. To me, moving bees is the number one priority but I would surely like to move dirt and add attachments. If the operation of the forklift is a smarter buy for beekeepers then I will hold off and get a tractor somewhere down the road.

Any thoughts with pro's and con's would be appreciated?

I thought this was discussed before but couldn't find the Thread with a search.
 
#6 ·
It also makes a mess with the ground if the ground is wet, ive been told you can enclose the bobcat and put ac/heater on those, but it's to crampy for me, although some have the wheel in the back not sure but i think that prevents u from tearing up the ground. i perfer the hummerbee, it can also lift quite a bit of weight and fast (especially the turbo)good luck
 
#7 ·
The Hummer bee is probably a bettermachine for beekeping. Its smoother you dont shake the bees as bad. Its better in the sand ,the caster on the bobcat will plow up the sand. Once you get used to using one its just as fast and manuverable as a bobcat. The only real drawback is the cost is alot more than a bobcat.
I use bobcats but Im going to chang over to Hummerbees once I can swing it.
 
#8 ·
I guess I want all the functionality of a skid steer but don't want it to make moving bees difficult. I've only driven a couple of skid steers and they are a bit jerky. I know you can control them if you are careful but the thought of dumping any bees makes me cringe. Also, the other points about tearing up turf, getting stuck, etc are worth considering. Has anyone tried using a bucket on their forklift?
 
#9 ·
I have owned Bobcats since 1982, but have never used one to move bees, I am a hobby beekeeper and a professional landscaper. I currently own an S185 and a T190 bobcat and a 331 excavator.

My thoughts: there is no one tool for any purpose that will serve all functions perfectly. I would think that a Hummerbee is better for most beekeeping purposes than a Bobcat, but is probably not great for moving dirt or augering postholes.

I own several sizes if sledge hammers and mallets. I own carpenter hammers with straight claws and curved claws, I own a brick chipping hammer, several sizes of ball peens and a Kellys tiny hammer for frame nailing. My Kellys hammer won't break out concrete and my ten pound sledge won't nail together frames.

My Blackberry cell phone does a lot of stuff but it sure sucks dialing with those tiny keys.

Buy one of each.
 
#12 ·
We just got a new Hummerbee Turbo. It is a dream come true. They did their homework & thought of everything, from the smoker holder, magnets for the hive tool (no more sticking it under my left foot), positions of the grab handles, colony clamp, everything... The clamp is extra special, it comes down from the top and clamps down on the hives, securing them to the forklift. This allows me to put the tranny in high range (via switch on dash, with lighted gauges) and run like heck through the almonds. The lights are mounted on fold-away guards, so they don't get torn off by branches. It has a selectable load cushion that dampens rapid control movements (not on side shift).

It's fast, smooth, quiet & everything else we could want. I can't say enough good things about it.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. I could tell from the moment I saw it that a lot of experience went into it. Everything, steps, grab handles, tool holders, controls are where they should be. It's very intuitive and fast.

I don't know if it was an option or not when my boss ordered it, but I wish it had a big, center mounted, rear view mirror. This thing is capable of moving in a hurry. I don't want to run over my partner.
 
#15 ·
This is really a hard decision. Probably the smart thing would be to buy the Hummerbee but a skid steer or compact TLB can do so much other cool stuff. I am also looking at a compact TLB with a 3-PTO as an option. I might wait one more year so I have time to think this through.
Has anyone used a bucket on a forklift?
 
#16 ·
How many commercial beekeepers have one or the other of these machines? There are many reasons why one beekeeper would have one or the other. It would be interesting if ABF and AHPA would do a questionaire about this. Simply, which type or types of loader(s) do you own? And why?

I own a Bobcat Skidsteer loader w/ headboard and forks and a bucket. I try not to get into and out of it any more than necessary.

I have heard that the Swinger can fall on it's side much easier than the Bobcat. Is this so?
 
#21 ·
That's just it - what about leveling for a foundation, or perhaps adding a million different attachments. I get the idea that the articulating Hummerbee is probably a better single purpose tool for moving bees, but as a multiple purpose tool, is it worth losing the benefits of a fast stable forklift in favor of the other jobs a tractor can do?

One thread I read, a guy claimed he could use his compact TLB and reach the far side of his truck with a pallet of bees so as to do all the loading from one side of the truck. Since I have a foundation to dig and some trenching to do, it is really tempting to opt for the multipurpose tool.
This is all new to me so I don't have much personal experience to make an informed decision.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
So does this mean you use a TLB? I have been looking at the New Holland Super Boom Skid Steers as another option after reading one of the posts above. A dealer nearby has a L175 for sale but 30,000 is a lot of money for me right now. Seems like a really nice rig.
I had a contractor out to the house and he told me it might cost as much as 20,000 to do the excavation work for my outbuilding (40X60) plus ditches for sewer, plumbing, electrical, etc. I much prefer to buy the machine and do the work myself. My dream TLB is a Kubota TLB-59M which seems like it can do a lot of different tasks. Not having the experience makes me wonder how much I would end up jerking the hives around with either a TLB or a skid steer. I have used skid steers and know that just a little getting used to and you can run it pretty smoothly, but what about uneven terrain? Those Hummerbee clamps look like they would keep the load from toppling.
 
#26 ·
I bought a new NH 160 three years ago and paid just over 20,000 forthe machine with forks and a bucket.* I have used Bobcat's as well and prefer the stability of the New Holland.* Not that the Bobcat is a bad machine by any means.* While it is true that skid steer loaders can be hard on the turf it can be minimized when operated with a little care.* The NH 160 is essentialy the same machine as the 170 with a little bit less horesepower, I believe the dimensions are identical.* The ground to hinge pin at full extension is a little over nine feet which won't reach to the top pallet in most truck loading applications but you rarely need to do that.* As far as comparison to a Swinger or Hummerbee I suppose it is a matter of preference if you feel the $10,000 plus price premium is worth it.* My opinion is that if you are doing a lot of pollination they are the way to go because they are so versatile and easy on the turf with about the only down sides being the length of the machine. But if I only had one machine I think it would probably be a skid steer because they are so versatile.**
 
#27 ·
I own a Swinger 1600, 2 as of now actually. I don't have the clamp on mine. I rented a Swinger with a clamp and I found it bothersome, drove me near crazy. Eventually I removed it. I learned to operate without one and found it difficult with the machine that had one. It slowed me down considerably. I kept forgetting it was on. After putting the top layer on the truck and trying to back the machine out, I could feel something was wrong, oh yeah the clamp. Do that 2-3 times and the clamp went the next day.

Jean-Marc
 
#29 ·
Yeah I have a Bobcat with the "crazy wheel" and a mast with the clamp. It definitely gives you something else to remember but I have never gotten mad enough at it to threaten to take it off. It is awesome in rough terrain. The biggest disadvantage is occasionaly you might want to move something tall and light and can't because the clamp dosen't go high enough
 
#30 ·
We have the fork bucket attatchment and it works well for moving dirt,gravel,snow etc. Very handy to have. I don't think it would work well for heavy digging. We have had the bucket attachment that sundance spoke of. I prefer the fork model better it can be on and off in a minute.
We also have the mower attachment and it works very well.
I have never ran a skid loader so couldn't help you there. I have ran in yards after one has been there and didn't care for the ruts.
 
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