RTV or Tractor

[virtualanne]

My husband and I just moved to a 20 acre property in Western Oregon. Most of it is fairly hilly and wooded. We know we need some kind of machine for hauling things, but we think a tractor may be overkill, and may not be as useful in the woods and on the hills.

Most of the things we'd need a tractor for would occur so seldom, or perhaps not at all, that we'd probably be better off just hiring someone with a tractor to come do the work (burying a dead cow, grading the driveway, and so on).

We've been looking at the Kubota RTV 500 & 900. Looks like the 900 has attachments available that would dig fence holes & do some light grading (or at least remove snow from the driveway since it snows infrequently here).

The one thing we haven't figured out yet is how we'll turn the compost pile without a tractor/loader. Anyone have any ideas/suggestions/recommendations that don't involve a pitchfork?

 

[whistlepig]

With all due respect I think a tractor would be a better first choice than a UTV for twenty acres in the woods.

 

[timswi]

With all due respect I think a tractor would be a better first choice than a UTV for twenty acres in the woods.

Agreed, get a tractor with FEL first, CUT or SCUT..Get a UTV later.

 

[gc2310]

3rd the motion. Tractor 1st [ compact ] RTV next. Both are very useful by themselves and the combination is far greater. Good luck.

 

[virtualanne]

Well alrighty then. What brand do y'all recommend? All other things being equal, I'd love to have a red tractor

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Dig up a stash of cash and go shopping for a red tractor.

We have 15 acres that mainly hold the world together. We have not had a tractor since 1996 but this year got the late FIL 60 HP 265 Massey Furguson. My BIL talked me into getting a FEL but for $2200 more bought a 60 HP 1983 JD 310 backhoe.

Keep in mind older but nice machines are not likely to loose value since last week Washington has stated it goal to create inflation to help speed up the recovery.

Hiring tractor work done is cheaper if you do now have many needs or just are not farmers by choice. Most who post here see tractors are body parts.

 

[nolefan]

I went the opposite and bought my RTV first and then got the tractor a couple of years later. I don't live on my acreage full time so having something that could get me and tools to different areas of the property was the first priority. I used the RTV to repair fences and cut wood in areas a tractor wouldn't get me. I hired local help to grade the drive and bush hog a couple of times until I got the tractor. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up the tractor for anything. Now I can do the grading, bush hogging. and all the other things the RTV couldn't. They each have their strengths it's just a matter of your personal situation and current needs. Good luck with your decision.

 

[TripleR]

I will have to go against the grain on this one. We have several hundred acres and no less than three tractors on each farm, but we have wooded property in which a tractor is essentially useless or REALLY scary. My wife and I consider our UTV about the best investment we ever made. We use it to work and for pleasure.

I love my tractors, but that is because I have work only a tractor will do, the OP seems to have limited need for a tractor. For those tasks we have only occasional need, we simply rent something like a back hoe skid steer etc.

 

[rswyan]

My husband and I just moved to a 20 acre property in Western Oregon. Most of it is fairly hilly and wooded. We know we need some kind of machine for hauling things, but we think a tractor may be overkill, and may not be as useful in the woods and on the hills.

Hard to second guess you - you're there and have a set of eyes on the ground .... (pics of the property would help :thumbsup

I don't know how hilly your property is, or how dense your woods are ....

I know if I were someone who didn't have much experience tractoring, a hilly wooded property would be about my last choice as a place to learn on ....

Having said that, tractors are incredibly handy things to have - they will allow you to do large amounts of work, that if you had to do it by hand would take you forever .....

Depending on your lifestyle, your inclination of a UTV maybe a correct one ....

Personally I'd love to have one myself - we live on 16.5 acres (mostly wooded and fairly flat) and for what we needed and wanted to do, there was no question about the matter - it was going to have to be a tractor straight out of the gate, with any UTV/golf cart/Japanese mini-truck coming later.

It's 1130 hours (on the tractor) and about 10 years later .... and still no UTV .... mebbe one of these days .....

The one thing we haven't figured out yet is how we'll turn the compost pile without a tractor/loader. Anyone have any ideas/suggestions/recommendations that don't involve a pitchfork?

Yeah - you can get or build a compost tumbler (google it) - basically a drum that is set on it's side and is on rollers ..... so that it can be easily turned ....

Wouldn't work for me - my compost pile 6' high, 8' wide, and 15' long - and is larger than my tractor ....

 

[Soundguy]

I can't imagine owning 20ac and NOT needing a tractor. your last sentances proives that point. same with the driveway grading.. etc. they are truly a utility machine once you get one. nice to haul trash down to the curb with if you have a long walk too.

soundguy

My husband and I just moved to a 20 acre property in Western Oregon. Most of it is fairly hilly and wooded. We know we need some kind of machine for hauling things, but we think a tractor may be overkill, and may not be as useful in the woods and on the hills.

Most of the things we'd need a tractor for would occur so seldom, or perhaps not at all, that we'd probably be better off just hiring someone with a tractor to come do the work (burying a dead cow, grading the driveway, and so on).

We've been looking at the Kubota RTV 500 & 900. Looks like the 900 has attachments available that would dig fence holes & do some light grading (or at least remove snow from the driveway since it snows infrequently here).

The one thing we haven't figured out yet is how we'll turn the compost pile without a tractor/loader. Anyone have any ideas/suggestions/recommendations that don't involve a pitchfork?