Small-Frame Skid Steer Shootout: CAT 226D3 vs. Bobcat S66 vs. Kubota SSV65

Three-way comparisons are useful precisely because they break the illusion of a clean two-horse race. Line up the CAT 226D3, Bobcat S66, and Kubota SSV65 and you get three genuinely different answers to the same question: what should a small, affordable skid steer prioritize? CAT goes light. Bobcat goes for output. Kubota sits in between on weight while trailing both on capacity. None of the three is wrong -- they're just optimized for different jobs, and knowing which one you're actually shopping for makes this an easy call instead of a confusing one.

The Numbers, Lined Up

The CAT 226D3 is the lightest of the three at 5,849 lbs operating weight, running 65.8 net horsepower and rated for 1,550 lbs of operating capacity -- the smallest, most maneuverable machine in this group by a real margin.

The Kubota SSV65 sits in the middle on weight at 7,054.8 lbs, running 64 gross horsepower and rated for 1,950 lbs of operating capacity -- roughly 1,200 lbs heavier than the CAT with real capacity gains to show for it, but the lowest horsepower figure of the three.

The Bobcat S66 is the heaviest at 7,154 lbs and also the most powerful at 74 horsepower, rated for 2,400 lbs of operating capacity -- the strongest machine in the lineup on every output metric, at the cost of being the heaviest and, typically, the priciest of the three to acquire.

What Each Machine Is Actually Optimized For

The CAT 226D3's light weight is the whole story -- it's the machine you pick when access and maneuverability matter more than raw capacity: tight residential lots, indoor or covered work, or any job where a heavier machine simply won't fit or will do real damage to the surface underneath it. You're trading capacity for footprint, and that's a legitimate trade for a lot of landscaping and property-service work.

The Kubota SSV65 is the value-and-reliability play -- a genuinely capable machine at a weight and price point below Bobcat's flagship-output competitor, backed by Kubota's diesel engineering reputation and a dealer network that often overlaps with agricultural equipment support in rural and semi-rural Florida markets. It's the right call for a contractor who wants real capability without paying for horsepower they won't regularly use.

The Bobcat S66 is the output play -- if your work regularly demands maximum capacity in this size class, the S66 simply does more per cycle than either competitor, and that throughput advantage is worth the extra weight and typically higher acquisition cost for a business where time and cycles translate directly into billable work.

A Simple Way to Decide

Ask yourself which constraint actually limits your work more often: access, budget, or throughput. If it's access -- gates, tight yards, indoor work -- the CAT 226D3's lighter footprint wins. If it's budget and long-term reliability with capability to spare, the Kubota SSV65 is the pragmatic middle ground. If it's throughput -- how much material moves per hour on a busy day -- the Bobcat S66's extra horsepower and capacity pay for themselves the fastest.

Financing Any of the Three the Right Way

Whichever machine fits your constraint, the financing conversation is the same: renting a small skid steer repeatedly costs more over a year than owning one, with nothing built up to show for it. Equipment financing through BFC is structured for contractors at exactly this stage -- down payments that scale to credit profile rather than a fixed hurdle, and the ability to finance a second machine while a first loan is still active, which matters for a small operation trying to scale past one crew without waiting years between purchases.

Attachments Across All Three Brands

All three machines run the standard auxiliary hydraulic range common to small-frame skid steers -- buckets, pallet forks, brooms, light grapples -- and none is marketed as a high-flow specialist at this size class. The Bobcat S66's higher base horsepower gives it the most reserve capacity running hydraulically demanding attachments without bogging down, while the CAT 226D3's lighter build and the Kubota SSV65's mid-weight, lower-horsepower platform both handle the standard-duty attachment range comfortably. If your attachment plans stay within typical landscaping and property-service work, all three are well-matched; if you're eyeing anything hydraulically demanding, check each machine's flow rating against that attachment's requirement specifically.

Dealer Networks Across Florida

All three brands maintain real dealer presence across South Florida. Bobcat's network is the deepest and most established in the compact equipment world, CAT's is broad and well-stocked on D3 Series parts, and Kubota's overlaps meaningfully with the state's agricultural equipment dealers -- a real advantage for operations already running Kubota tractors. None of the three should leave a contractor stranded waiting on parts, so this shouldn't be the deciding factor unless you already have an existing relationship with one brand's dealer network.

Undercarriage and Ground Behavior

All three run wheeled configurations rather than tracks, so ground pressure and flotation depend heavily on tire choice rather than undercarriage design. The CAT 226D3's lighter overall weight gives it a natural edge on soft or established turf even before tire selection enters the picture, while the heavier Bobcat S66 and mid-weight Kubota SSV65 both benefit more from turf-friendly tire selection to avoid rutting on the same ground conditions.

A Real Jobsite Scenario

A one-truck landscaping operation in Kendall shopping for its first owned skid steer should walk through this exercise honestly: if most jobs are tight backyard renovations behind narrow gates, the 226D3's footprint wins even with less capacity. If the business is already running Kubota tractors for mowing routes, the SSV65's shared parts and dealer relationship make real operational sense. If the plan is to bid larger commercial mulch and material jobs where cycle count directly affects the bottom line, the S66's extra output is worth the extra weight and cost. There's no universal winner here -- there's only the machine that matches the actual job in front of you.

For more on right-sizing this decision, see our guide to wheeled skid steer size classes and our breakdown of financing your first skid steer as a solo operator vs. a small crew.

Fuel Burn and Operator Comfort

Fuel burn tracks roughly with horsepower across the three machines: the CAT 226D3 and Kubota SSV65's lower-output engines burn less per hour than the Bobcat S66's, though that gap narrows or reverses on capacity-constrained jobs where the S66 finishes in fewer cycles. Cab comfort is comparable across all three in their base configurations, with enclosed, air-conditioned cab options available on each -- worth the added cost for a Florida crew running full shifts through summer heat, regardless of which brand you choose.

Thinking Past This First Machine

Whichever of these three you choose, it's worth thinking about where your fleet goes next. A contractor planning to add a second skid steer or a compact track loader within a couple of years benefits from staying within one manufacturer's ecosystem now -- shared parts, one dealer relationship, and operators who don't need to relearn controls between machines. If you're genuinely starting from zero with no fleet plans beyond this one purchase, that consideration matters less and the pure capability-versus-footprint-versus-budget analysis above should carry the decision.

Tire Configuration Across All Three

All three machines accept a similar range of tire options -- standard traction, turf-friendly, and solid flat-proof configurations. The tire decision matters more for surface protection and puncture resistance than for differentiating between the three brands here; a landscaping crew working manicured lawns should spec turf tires regardless of which of these three machines it chooses, and a crew working debris-heavy demolition or construction sites should consider solid tires on any of the three to avoid costly downtime from flats.

Dealer Reach Across the State

All three brands maintain coverage beyond the immediate South Florida corridor -- CAT's network runs deep into Central and North Florida, Bobcat's dealer density is strong statewide as the volume leader in this equipment class, and Kubota's network tracks the state's agricultural regions closely. A contractor bidding work outside their home market should confirm parts and service turnaround with the nearest dealer to that specific job site before committing to any of the three, since regional coverage density can vary even within an otherwise strong statewide network.

The Bottom Line

Three brands, three legitimate answers to the same size-class question. The CAT 226D3 wins on footprint, the Bobcat S66 wins on output, and the Kubota SSV65 wins on value and fleet commonality for existing Kubota operations. None of the three is a wrong purchase -- the mistake would be buying any of them without first being honest about which constraint -- access, throughput, or budget -- actually limits your work most often.

Ready to Put This Machine to Work?

Whichever machine fits your crew, financing it the right way beats renting it forever.

Explore the BFC Equipment Loans home page to see how we help contractors finance the machines that keep jobs moving, or head straight to our equipment financing application to get pre-qualified. Browse current listings on our equipment for sale and financing marketplace, and if you want more breakdowns like this one delivered as we publish them, subscribe to the BFC blog.