Help choosing a tractor for land management

[chris.miller]

I'm looking at getting a tractor for the natural resources department of a town on Cape Cod, MA. Initial task will be to clear out underbrush in forested areas to reduce fuel loads and ladder fuels as part of our wildfire management plan. We'll also use it to pull tree trunks etc. out of the woods to create burn piles, trail maintenance, etc. I do not expect to be cutting lawns, and won't be grading roads or keeping road right of ways clear; the DPW has some larger equipment dedicated for that type of work. DPW's larger equipment is simply too large for this type of work.

We have several larger parcels (one around 800 acres, several in the hundred acre size). We're also maintaining some areas as field habitat with once or twice annual mowing to reduce woody brush. We have a couple backpack mounted cutters (like a blade on a large weekwacker) as well as chain saws and other hand tools.

I've got around $25,000, give or take a bit. We qualify for a municipal discount of about 20% off list on Deere, New Holland, and Kubota, and I think some of the vendors also carry accessories such as Woods decks. I'm thinking of a 4wd tractor, probably manual trans, a rear PTO rotary cutting deck (for brush), FEL, (and possibly a trailer to move it, although I could get by for a while with a loaner trailer until I can raise more budget $$). Would a flail work better than the rotary cutting deck? I'll be in second growth underbrush, including vines, poison ivy, bull briar, etc. for much of the work.

I plan to maintain the tractor myself; I'm an ASE certified master mechanic and the DPW can also help; hoping to get something we can use for 20 years.

I currently have an older JD 260 lawn tractor of my own and I'm happy with its ruggedness and how it's lasted. Have a friend with a smaller Kubota and I've been impressed with it as well. Have no experience with the New Holland tractors.

Any suggested combos? Should I maximize the HP and wait on the FEL for a year or so? Is a medium duty rotary deck strong enough for brush clearing?

Thanks for any suggestions. Chris

 

[rvaitor]

I'm looking at getting a tractor for the natural resources department of a town on Cape Cod, MA. Initial task will be to clear out underbrush in forested areas to reduce fuel loads and ladder fuels as part of our wildfire management plan. We'll also use it to pull tree trunks etc. out of the woods to create burn piles, trail maintenance, etc. I do not expect to be cutting lawns, and won't be grading roads or keeping road right of ways clear; the DPW has some larger equipment dedicated for that type of work. DPW's larger equipment is simply too large for this type of work.

We have several larger parcels (one around 800 acres, several in the hundred acre size). We're also maintaining some areas as field habitat with once or twice annual mowing to reduce woody brush. We have a couple backpack mounted cutters (like a blade on a large weekwacker) as well as chain saws and other hand tools.

I've got around $25,000, give or take a bit. We qualify for a municipal discount of about 20% off list on Deere, New Holland, and Kubota, and I think some of the vendors also carry accessories such as Woods decks. I'm thinking of a 4wd tractor, probably manual trans, a rear PTO rotary cutting deck (for brush), FEL, (and possibly a trailer to move it, although I could get by for a while with a loaner trailer until I can raise more budget $$). Would a flail work better than the rotary cutting deck? I'll be in second growth underbrush, including vines, poison ivy, bull briar, etc. for much of the work.

I plan to maintain the tractor myself; I'm an ASE certified master mechanic and the DPW can also help; hoping to get something we can use for 20 years.

I currently have an older JD 260 lawn tractor of my own and I'm happy with its ruggedness and how it's lasted. Have a friend with a smaller Kubota and I've been impressed with it as well. Have no experience with the New Holland tractors.

Any suggested combos? Should I maximize the HP and wait on the FEL for a year or so? Is a medium duty rotary deck strong enough for brush clearing?

Thanks for any suggestions. Chris

You might want to contract out the 800 acre piece. I would go with a utility sized tractor in the 60HP range. Deere, Mahindra. And I guess you may need a loader with possibly a grapple attachment for moving debris around. I would go 4WD as well.

I did quite a bit of clearing brush with a 7ft International Machines(World Agritech) Medium duty mower, and it cuts pretty well too. Here's an example of the stuff I was cutting.

 

[chris.miller]

Whoops, wasn't really clear about the parcel size with respect to the 800 acre piece. We're doing fire management at first on roadway intersections (say 200' radius around each, perhaps an acre, with about half a dozen intersections to start), then along the main dirt roads through the property. Won't be clearing the brush in most of the parcels, just in areas to act as firebreaks and for safety zones. Other parcels we'll be dealing with a couple acres at a time.

Thanks.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

Find your local Mahindra tractor dealer, at mahindrausa.com dealer finder, and check out the Mahindra 5530 4WD tractor. You should end up with a lot of rugged tractor with the Mahindra. Good luck, and let us know what tractor you decide on.

 

[chris.miller]

Looks like a very nice machine. Nearest three dealers are 60, 90, and 110 miles away, and the dealers aren't on the state equipment list, so it makes it much more difficult to purchase (requires multiple sealed bids, etc., versus calling the dealer you choose). The Deere dealer is the closest, followed by the Kubota dealer, which is the same dealer's other store...

 

[john_bud]

I do similar stuff on my private land. 280 acres. A small tractor 4wd in the 35-40 hp range is about right. Size it as the smallest tractor able to use a 72" cutter and a 66" to 72" FEL bucket. Get Ag tires with more plys for puncture resistance and have the tires filled for stability. If you are going to be diving deep into the underbrush - you may not want a cab as the glass may not last very long. Also, check the under side of the machines close. You don't want any danglers that can catch and get ripped off.

Kubota L3840 HST would be a good size or the similar JD.

jb

 

[IslandTractor]

I agree that a 40ish HP 4wd tractor is about the right size. I'd also emphasize choosing a loader that will be strong enough to handle the stumps and bushes you will move to a burn pile. I'd aim for a loader with at least 2000lbs of lift capacity as that can save a lot of work uprooting small and medium size trash trees you would otherwise need to cut down then deal with stumps in a separate step. A grapple is an ideal replacement for a bucket for this sort of work.

You might want to check with Bobcat of Boston as they now carry the full Kioti line. Don't know if they give a municipal discount but a budget of 25K should get you a DK40se, DK45se or DK45s with six foot cutter, loader and grapple. You could get essentially the same capabilities from JD, NH and Kubota models in that HP range too but at a higher cost. Photos below are a DK40se with a $1000 grapple that I use for exactly the type of work you are describing. Very efficient machine and cost was well under 25K as equipped with the light duty flail. You might want a heavier duty flail or just a medium duty rotary cutter for the work you are describing. If you are near intersections then you probably do want a flail though as there is less risk of sending high speed projectiles into the road. I think you could get a heavier duty flail and a light duty grapple and still come in under your budget +/- the trailer though.

 

[greggh]

Chris,
They all are good tractors. It seems to me that the utility tractors are a little less expensive than the CUT's. However having said that a lot will depend on how and where you use the tractor the most. In the Utility size the JD 5x03 series is a good dependable tractor. They are made in India at a JD factory there. I have to agree that a grapple would be better than a loader for the removal of derbis for the burn piles. I don't think that you can make a wrong decision picking one of the tractors mentioned. Just sit on a few and see how they feel with you in the seat. All of the controls, where they are located, and your access to them.

Good luck and keep us informed.

 

[kiotikid]

Hey Chris,I sent you a pm.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Using a tractor in a commercial/industrial application is a different world than what the typical acreage owner encounters. You're usually operating on a demanding schedule, often in less than ideal conditions, and accumulating far more hours of use than "normal" tractor owners even dream of. There's issues involved with this sort of use. (I own a business where we mow large acreage on a commercial basis, accumulating 1200 to 1400 hrs per tractor per season)

You need a DEPENDABLE parts source to provide back-up.

You want a heavy duty machine.

To a degree, the more "bells & whistles", the more complicated life can get. Simple is simply the best.

After shopping for several month's, I recently purchased two 80+ hp tractors and mowers. (and am currently shopping for 2 more) I found Deere, New Holland, AGCO (MF), and Kubota to have a more than adaquate "commercial" equipment line-up. They offer options and/or aftermarket accessories to custom fit a tractor to your needs as well as the requirements of your insurance underwriter. (ie saftey equipment) Also, don't overlook the Caterpillar Challenger line up. In the commercial/industrial world, CAT takes a back seat to NO ONE for warranty, parts and service. Their pricing is also very competitive.

I'd suggest a full sized utility tractor rather than a compact for your needs. After reviewing what's on the market right now, and considering the pricing, I'd look at EITHER the Deere 5XX3 series OR the Massey Ferguson 500 series. Good, rugged tractors with VERY competitive prices.

I'm demoing a flail mower now. (Alamo "Interstater") It has some distinct advantages, one ISN'T economy of operation from a maintenance standpoint when used in abusive conditions. When you're plowing into tough mowing conditions, it's hard to beat a good extreme heavy duty Bush Hog rotary cutter in my book.