Help selecting a tractor for steep brush clearing.

[PBinWA]

Look for a "low and wide" tractor. Also consider a belly mower since it will be more maneuverable and add weight down low.

You will want to fill the tires with fluid for the ballast. Make sure your tractor can have filled front and rear tires.

You may want to consider a Ventrac. Ventrac

[hillslider]

Nice looking property....reminds me of our land that we had in West Virginia. I have a Kubota L3130 with a 5' brush cutter, filled ag type tires, 4x4, front extra weights, and hydrostatic trans and used it to mow about 10 acres of hilly country. I always went up and down and that is why the hydrostatic tranny is so nice. When you get to the top of the hill you do not have to hold the brakes push in the clutch and then change gears. Lots of room for problems.....it is no fun being on a tractor free wheeling down a hill if you missed that gear. The hydro is so much nicer....just let off the pedal.....tractor will stay put and then press the pedal for forward. Easy and very safe. One thing I noticed about you land are all the stumps. Be very carefull once you can not see them in the tall grass. You hit one and you could get into trouble. As posted before.....make sure the land is nice and dry. You do not want to loose traction at any time. Also a trator with rear differential lock is very nice. There were times that I have driven down the hill going forward and it got so steep that I would spin the front tire and the rear trying to go back up. Having the diff. lock I was able to get both rear tires annd the help of the front one was able to back up the hill. You said the grass gets really high so I would not go with anything smaller than 30 hp to help get the job done. Also when I bought my tractor the guy who delivered it came out and spent about 4 hours with me on my land showing me all about the tractor. That was really great since he was very familiar with the tractor on what could be done safely and what to really stay away from. So having a dealer that can do that for is well........worth your life. I know it gave me the confidence to get the job done without hurting me or the tractor. Good luck and I hope I have helped.

[G-force]

Thanks for all of the knowledgable input guys.

Any thoughts on the Kubota L2800? There is one on craigslist with all the empliments we would need (loader, brush hog, scraper), It's a 2007 HST with 20 hours. I think they want something like $17,000 for it. Does this seem like a reasonable choice for my needs?

[woodlandfarms]

Power-Trac. Will go sideways across that hill no problem. Otherwise you are left with a regular tractor. It should be HST, Loaded R1 as wide as possible.

[diyDave]

Short fat sheep and goats are your best bet! Fewer moving parts! if the hill is too steep, they roll to the bottom, and it's funny a hedoublehockeysticks! Grab a camera, and you might win the 10 grand on AFHV!

[jbrumberg]

Originally Posted by G-force

Thanks for all of the knowledgable input guys.

Any thoughts on the Kubota L2800? There is one on craigslist with all the empliments we would need (loader, brush hog, scraper), It's a 2007 HST with 20 hours. I think they want something like $17,000 for it. Does this seem like a reasonable choice for my needs?

G-force:

Welcome to TBN , and nice pictures . You have had some good operational suggestions so far in this thread. I have a NH TC29DA which is very similar to the Kubota L2800. My lower 7 A's is steep but not as steep as yours, but I do have "terrain anomolies" that can roll me If I do not stay focused on rotary cutting. I do not cut when it is wet with dew and/or raining, I keep my FEL for "balance" and keep it low to help my find "obstacles". I also mow slow. I try to stay under 15 degrees of tilt when mowing and will apporach this field with that in mind. Although I have a Lev-O-Guage; my "Pucker Power " is quicker and more reliable, and it is less of a distraction. I also recommned a slip clutch for a rotary cutter. My avatar shows me coming up out of my field while rotary cutting. One reason the vegetation is so high is that other than cutting the perimeters I let it grow for the animal life it brings in Good Luck- Jay

PS: I cut high that year ~8" due to turtles and a new RC .

[PBinWA]

Originally Posted by G-force

Thanks for all of the knowledgable input guys.

Any thoughts on the Kubota L2800? There is one on craigslist with all the empliments we would need (loader, brush hog, scraper), It's a 2007 HST with 20 hours. I think they want something like $17,000 for it. Does this seem like a reasonable choice for my needs?

I think the L2800 is a nice tractor but it is a little "taller" than some of it's competitors.

You may want to look at the TYM tractors. There is some really low pricing on them right now at my Mahindra dealer in Newberg: Valley View Tractor & Equipment,Inc.

The TYM 273 HST with a loader is only around $12K. That's a pretty good deal for a new 27HP tractor with loader and you can get a belly mower.

[RFB]

Ah yes, those dreaded "terrain anomalies".

That's a keeper.

[woodlandfarms]

Originally Posted by PBinWA

I think the L2800 is a nice tractor but it is a little "taller" than some of it's competitors.

You may want to look at the TYM tractors. There is some really low pricing on them right now at my Mahindra dealer in Newberg: Valley View Tractor & Equipment,Inc.

The TYM 273 HST with a loader is only around $12K. That's a pretty good deal for a new 27HP tractor with loader and you can get a belly mower.

Just a 2nd opinion on this dealer and tractor. Very impressed with both. if I had not stumbled onto the PT I would have bought the TYM. Amazing machine for the price. And Valley View really impressed me as well...

[DavidVT]

When I read the subject for this thread it made me think of a friend who mows along the highways with a massive 100hp CAT tractor.

Nothing like seeing this guy fighting with gravity and usually he wins. A loss is just loosing traction and him sliding sideways down the hill a bit...

Dual rears and that monster goes just about anywhere. I often think you could drop a plumline from the top of his cab and it would be outside his wheels.

As for me, I have one nasty knoll that I brushhog. I only tried once the easy way to mow around it in circles (going across the hill). Now I just go up and down the hill, turning only at the top of the hill. I also have two horses for most of the mowing duty...

Lots of good advice here! Good luck with your decision.