Tractor Sizing Kubota L3800 -vs- L4600 For Stumping Etc.

[Konabrian]

Thank you everyone for the super informative replies. I may go use a friends L3800 and see how it feels in a real life situation.
Both my wife and I feel we have a LOT of BH work so I think we will be sure to have that added. Stay tuned.........................
Thank you all again!

 

[LD1]

If you know someone with a 3800, get all the seat time he will allow. But i think after you get accustomed to the tractor, and with having "alot" of BH work, you will find it a tad small.

 

[dave9652]

I have a mini excavator along with heavy FEL's....I use the excavator with blade for more projects than the tractors.....One can run a grade that no FEL can touch.....Mini can dig along a foundation, dig stumps, etc.

 

[Piston]

Brian,
If you are planning on doing any amount of woods work, your first and most useful attachment should be a FEL grapple. Hands down, you will get more use, and be more productive, than you ever thought imaginable.

I did this project with nothing more than a box blade and grapple, and the box blade wasn't all that necessary, but helpful nonetheless. No backhoe used for any of it (and I have a full sized John Deere 410 construction loader/backhoe as well)


Before:


After: (taken from close to the same spot)






Some more pics here:
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=61752.0

...and here...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/211635-grappling-fun-picture-thread.html

...and here...
What's your technique for removing trees/brush with your grapple? Here's mine....

Point being, either of those choices would be 100 times more useful with a grapple instead of a bucket on your front end loader. If money is a serious concern, I would rather the smaller tractor with a grapple, than bigger tractor without. However, the bigger tractor with grapple would be more useful, mostly because of higher FEL lift capacity since the grapple itself weighs a lot, and takes a lot of lift capacity away.

My tractor is equivalent to todays MX5100 for reference. After you get the grapple, then start thinking about other attachments

 

[dave9652]

I get more out of my root rake for heavy work...I would like a grapple, but the thumb on the mini works well for brush work

 

[Piston]

I get more out of my root rake for heavy work...I would like a grapple, but the thumb on the mini works well for brush work

I'm positive a mini ex with thumb, in addition to a tractor, is WAY more productive. That's not really in the cards for most people though, and would be way out of the price range the op is looking at.

What do you mean by root rake? One on a dozer?

 

[LD1]

A mini ex isnt nearly as versatile as a TLB with a removable hoe and 3PH. The OP mentioned firewood handling and skidding as well as some landscaping/planting small trees. Both those jobs would suck with an ex. And he owns 35 acres, he didnt mention it, but tilling a garden??? Mowing/bushhogging???Taking care of snow in the winter??

Sure If money were no object, I'd say go for it as well. But.......

 

[Piston]

Sure If money were no object, I'd say go for it as well. But.......

That was sorta the point I was trying to make as well, but you said it better.

 

[LD1]

Yea, If money were no object, I'd probably own a trencher, SS, New 4x4 backhoe, Excavator, A few tractors of differing sizes, and a Dozer. But I dont have a million dollars burning a hole in my pocket. So I make due with the old sloppy BH, small kubota, and my used ZTR

 

[dave9652]

I'm positive a mini ex with thumb, in addition to a tractor, is WAY more productive. That's not really in the cards for most people though, and would be way out of the price range the op is looking at.

What do you mean by root rake? One on a dozer?

These things are my toys.. I keep them on another farm and wife doesn't even know when I buy them