Ships & Modules

Ore capacity is a considerable factor, the time you spend in warp as well as docking/undocking is time not spent mining. So as with most things in the game, it depends on the situation. If you can dump your ore at a POS that is only 1AU away, as opposed to dumping it at a station that is multiple systems away will determine if it is more efficient to use one or the other.

It really comes down to a personal choice as some people would prefer the tank even if there is a loss in efficiency.

launch drones and set them on aggressive and bombers will leave you alone too :p

Even In mining Barges I always have to pressure the point that more is not always better. The Procurer/Skiff may only have 1 High slot for a miner but its 150% yield gives you the same IF not more yield than the Mackinaw/Retreiver. On top of that Yes the Skiff and its little brother the procurer Are great at tanking. Its have better shields and a larger capacitor. I utilize a Shield hardener whenever I feel threatened and Keeps my ship alive and in the sky. I will always recommend the Procurer and Skiff over its brothers and sisters.

Always fly Skiff. Also, run low-level combat missions in Skiff. And hi-sec anomalies.

ALWAYS FLY SKIFF.

Procurer/Skiff have the same yield as Retriever/Mackinaw, with the same number of Mining Laser Upgrades. The difference is the number of strip miners, which are bonused in a way, that they are equal to 3 unbonused strips for each hull.
From my experience, mining in a Procurer/Skiff has only two downsides:
1) the smaller ore hold, which results in more trips to unload the ore, and
2) larger amount of ore yield from the single strip miner, which means more time wasted, unless you time your cycles.

On the upside, Procurer and Skiff are a bit easier to fit than Retriever and Mackinaw, you can have a solid tank AND a good yield, without relying on any fitting modules or rigs.
I usually choose Skiffs for ice mining, and in case I want to be safe and not watch d-scan every few seconds.

It's by design. The Mackinaw is meant to make choices between yield and durability, with the payoff being that your large ore hold means less time spent babysitting your barge...if you've picked a reasonably durable fit and aren't AFK in Planet 1 Belt 1 next to a CODE staging system.

The Skiff takes more attention because it fills up much faster (and if you aren't doing something with your ore then trips back to the station will eat into your yield) but flying means your ship is practically guaranteed to be there when you tab back in.

Absolutely. I even drive one in real life. My dog Muttley and I drive around scheming shenanigans against those dratted Carebears in the area races.

Its only better if you are lazy really. The reduced ore hold can be overcome by mining with a fleet and Orca booster(which is more efficient anyway).

I think CCPs reasoning is that because you can't AFK mine as well in the Skiff, it should be better in every other way.

Well I live in a C4 wormhole, and I guess when it comes down to it, if I get tackled I'm dead unless I've got Bros to warp in at a moments notice. So might as well go for the mackinaw?

Ps. We have a rorq with max boosts If that changes anything.