The first decision

Wheels or tracks

Almost everything else about the purchase follows from this. It is a question about your ground and your hours, not about which machine is better: tracks buy flotation and pay for it in undercarriage, wheels buy running cost and pay for it in wet weather.

Compact Track Loader

90

Flotation and traction wheels cannot match on soft, wet or sloped ground, which is why they now outsell wheeled machines. You pay for it in undercarriage wear, road speed and purchase price.

$34,000–$143,639 · 12 brands

Wheeled Skid Steer

55

Cheaper to buy and far cheaper to keep. Tyres cost a fraction of an undercarriage, they move faster between jobs, and they do less damage to finished surfaces. They sink in mud.

$29,512–$117,805 · 9 brands