carlmill
New member
The problem is I am a total tractor rookie, I have no way of translating information in the manufacturer's specifications into what capabilities these machines have. My impression is, the essential variables are power and weight with a myriad of other issues secondary.
What I would like to do is lay out some goals for my property and ask you to advise what level machine is necessary to accomplish these goals. Feel free to be specific with model suggestions. The dealerships within a reasonable distance of us carry John Deere, New Holland, and Massey Ferguson.
I am a third-generation owner of a few hundred acres situated in the Northwest Adirondacks. Much of the land is streams and marshes with a number of rocky outcroppings that we call Islands. A small portion of the land is level sandy areas left by the glaciers that until the early 40s were hayfield for a dairy farm, since then these fields have been abandoned except for red pine plantations that were planted in the 60s. The property has two logging roads which, once the ground thaws and dries out a bit, are suitable for pickup truck traffic. Besides, there are a few ATV trails.
The tractor would be used to keep open the roads, improve and grade the surface with stone, expand the ATV trails, move modest rocks, move firewood, fill wet areas, drag good sized logs, and such like. Our neighbor would use it for similar things and also snowblowing in the winter.
Our biggest initial project would be reclaiming 3 1/2 acres of the sandy level area that were not planted in pines in the 60s. Currently that area is covered by brush, saplings, pine, birch, poplar, cherry up to 10 inches in diameter scattered about. Rather than buy a backhoe attachment that would really only be used one time for this particular project, I would hire a tracked excavator and operator to do the initial stump pulling and piling of the large stuff. Once that was done, the tractor would be used to brush hog the smaller stuff, till, level/grade. When this area is clear it will be used for wildlife feedlots, berry bushes, and a few fruit trees. Once the field is established, the tractor would be used to spread lime and fertilizer annually to maintain and improve the field.
There's more than that but you get the idea. What sized tractor do you suggest?
Thanks,
Carl
What I would like to do is lay out some goals for my property and ask you to advise what level machine is necessary to accomplish these goals. Feel free to be specific with model suggestions. The dealerships within a reasonable distance of us carry John Deere, New Holland, and Massey Ferguson.
I am a third-generation owner of a few hundred acres situated in the Northwest Adirondacks. Much of the land is streams and marshes with a number of rocky outcroppings that we call Islands. A small portion of the land is level sandy areas left by the glaciers that until the early 40s were hayfield for a dairy farm, since then these fields have been abandoned except for red pine plantations that were planted in the 60s. The property has two logging roads which, once the ground thaws and dries out a bit, are suitable for pickup truck traffic. Besides, there are a few ATV trails.
The tractor would be used to keep open the roads, improve and grade the surface with stone, expand the ATV trails, move modest rocks, move firewood, fill wet areas, drag good sized logs, and such like. Our neighbor would use it for similar things and also snowblowing in the winter.
Our biggest initial project would be reclaiming 3 1/2 acres of the sandy level area that were not planted in pines in the 60s. Currently that area is covered by brush, saplings, pine, birch, poplar, cherry up to 10 inches in diameter scattered about. Rather than buy a backhoe attachment that would really only be used one time for this particular project, I would hire a tracked excavator and operator to do the initial stump pulling and piling of the large stuff. Once that was done, the tractor would be used to brush hog the smaller stuff, till, level/grade. When this area is clear it will be used for wildlife feedlots, berry bushes, and a few fruit trees. Once the field is established, the tractor would be used to spread lime and fertilizer annually to maintain and improve the field.
There's more than that but you get the idea. What sized tractor do you suggest?
Thanks,
Carl