Not sure which machine fits what you're trying to get done? That's exactly the right question to start with. A track loader on the wrong job costs you time. A wheeled skid loader (sometimes called a skid steer) on Missouri clay in March costs you a machine stuck to the axles. Getting the class right first makes everything else easier.
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We're the local Manitou and Gehl dealer for central Missouri. Here's how we'd walk through the decision based on the work you're actually doing.
If you're breaking ground, cutting slopes, or moving material on raw Missouri ground, the track loader is your starting point. Mid-Missouri's dense clay soils are the reason.
Compact track loaders spread their weight across a rubber track, which keeps ground pressure low enough to float and keep digging where a wheeled machine would rut and lose traction. Spring conditions especially - saturated clay after snow melt or heavy rain - are when wheels stop working and tracks keep going. That's not a small advantage on a farm or a subdivision lot in central Missouri.
The Gehl VT320 is our track loader. It's a 70-75 horsepower machine in the medium-frame class that handles general dirt work, land clearing, and site prep without being more machine than the job needs.
Browse track loaders or find your machine if you want to compare against other options first.
Once you're off raw clay - concrete, asphalt, compacted gravel, a finished lot - a wheeled skid loader often makes more sense than a track loader. Wheels cost less, travel faster across a large site, and don't chew up surfaces the way tracks can.
A skid loader turns in its own footprint, which is why it ends up on almost every job site in some role. Digging, truck loading, backfilling, running attachments - it does all of it and gets in places a bigger machine can't.
The Gehl R-series covers the range from the compact R105 (under 49 inches wide, useful for tight gates and residential work) through the R165 (a solid all-around machine for most contractors) up to the R190 GEN:2 and the vertical-lift V330 GEN:2 for heavier lifting and loading high-sided trucks.
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If the ground you're working on is turf, a finished ag yard, or a surface you need to preserve, an articulated loader might be a better fit than a skid loader. Articulated machines steer by bending in the middle rather than skid-turning, which puts far less torque into the ground. That matters when you're working a nursery, a golf-adjacent property, or a farm yard where ruts and torn turf are a problem.
Articulated loaders also tend to be gentler at load-and-carry across soft terrain and give you a different sightline that some operators prefer in tight spaces.
We carry the Gehl articulated loader lineup - the AL650, AL750, and the telescoping-boom ALT750 and ALT950 for reach on top of that.
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When the job is placing materials at height - framing a steel building, loading a hay mow, setting equipment on an elevated pad, or reaching over obstacles on a rough site - a telehandler is the right class.
A telehandler extends forward and up on a telescoping boom, so you can place a load where a loader bucket can't reach. The rough-terrain capability is what separates a telehandler from a warehouse forklift - you can run these on construction sites and ag properties where ground conditions are constantly changing.
The Gehl telehandler lineup covers both ends of the use case. The RS5-19 G3 and the RS6-34 G3 are compact Ag-Spec machines designed to clear low barn doors and work in tight farm settings. The TH6-42, TH8-42, TH9-50, and TH12-55 step up in reach and capacity for construction and commercial work.
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When the job is moving pallets, loading trucks at a dock, or handling materials inside a building or on a flat yard, a forklift is purpose-built for it. Forklifts are rated for precise load handling and fit the workflow of a warehouse or distribution setting in ways a loader wasn't designed for.
The fuel source matters a lot in this application. Diesel forklifts are built for outdoor and open-air work - good on uneven surfaces, high lifting capacity. Electric forklifts are the right call for indoor work where emissions matter - clean to operate, quiet, and no exhaust fumes around people and products.
We carry Manitou forklifts across both types. The ME-320 and ME-425C are electric for indoor and clean-air environments. The MI-25 D through MI-50 D are diesel for tougher outdoor conditions, and the MSI-30 covers all-terrain use where you need forklift precision on rough ground.
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When the job is lifting people, not just material, you need an aerial work platform (AWP). The right type comes down to how high you need to go and whether you need to reach out over an obstacle.
Scissor lifts go straight up. They're the standard choice for maintenance, lighting, HVAC, and any work where you need a stable elevated platform directly above your position. The Manitou SE-3246 is a compact scissor lift built for this.
Boom lifts reach up and out. When you need to get workers over a parapet, around an obstruction, or out to the face of a structure from a setback position, a boom is what works. The ATJ-46 and TJ-65 are articulating boom lifts that can reach around obstacles as well as up. The Mango 33 is a compact tracked boom that gets into tighter spots.
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That's what we're here for. A lot of jobs cross categories - a property that needs site prep AND material handling, or a farm that needs a telehandler for hay AND a skid loader for dirt. We're a local dealer, not a call center, and we'd rather spend ten minutes on the phone understanding what you're doing than send you home with the wrong machine.
Find your machine - answer a few questions and we'll match you to the right class and a model to look at.
Or browse the full equipment lineup and request a quote on anything you want more information on.
Browse the lineup and request a quote - we spec your build, no online pricing.
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