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"But you can run a CTL 365 days a year, even on a wet jobsite," Zupancic says. "Plus a CTL will give the operator a much more stable ride."

Verdon suggests asking the following questions when trying to decide between a skid steer and a track machine:

Can a skid steer loader do all the jobs the contractor needs to do, or will wheels not work?

Can the customer gain more revenue and be more productive by using a multi terrain loader?

Will the increased productivity or utilization offset the increased owning and operating costs of the track machine (more maintenance & replacement of wear items)?

5. How many hours a day will your skid steer be operating?

In other words, is your skid steer going to be dedicated, say for doing planing of asphalt? Or is it going to be a utility machine that will be switched from task to task, or even switched from job to job on a given day? "If it's a dedicated machine that will be using its bucket to move material you need far fewer features than if it's a machine that will perform a variety of tasks," Fitzgerald says.