Tractor Sizing Have a half mile of gravel road to repair and maintain

[newby in tenn]

Never had a tractor so all help would be appreciated. I have about a Half mile of gravel road sloping down hill a little. Rain has overtime washed gullies and ruts (approx 1 foot deep by 1.5 feet wide) in it. From what I read I need a yard box to cut up the road to the bottom of the ruts then re-contour. And the budget is very lean. I have some questions I know to ask and there is probably a multitude I don't even know to ask. How much horsepower? How much weight would be necessary for traction? Would 4wd be mandatory? Then just some basic questions like: Hydrostatic or geared; wet or dry clutches; also I would like to get a belly mower or bushhog and a loader to move the gravel at some point. Thanks for taking the time to help.

 

[5030]

That stuff demands something with some power and tractive weight. On a 'lean' budget you are basically SOL. I'd go rent a machine and buy a lawnmower, you'll be farther ahead in the end. My smaller M9 was 62 out the door and the 105 was 65 and I don't mean hundred either. A machine capable of road work isn't suited for a belly mower, in fact, a machine that size, you don't want a belly mower in the first place.

 

[arrow]

Greetings and welcome to TBN. Well, lets start at the beginning. HP has more to do with how quickly you want to do work. In other words, a tractor of lower hp will pull a 4' box scraper however a higher hp tractor will pull a 6' box. Weight usually comes with more hp but sizing implement to the correct amount for the tractor makes this kind of moot. We don't know how fast or what amount of production you desire.

2. If you have a budget constraint, geared tractors cost less and are at an advantage for ground engaging equipment. 4wd will allow a lower hp tractor traction advantages (amongst a slew of other advantages) so I would not consider anything else for your drive.

3. I'd get a bush hog. A loader will add cost but it will come in very handy.

I wouldn't get too caught up with the mechanicals of clutch or break configuration as far as wet or dry. You simply need a tractor that will do the work you want to do and any mechanical configuration will do just that.

I had a 19 hp John Deere 750 tractor for 28 yrs and it did everything I wanted. Then I purchased a tractor weighing a thousand pounds more with 10 more hp and it cuts the time for the same work in half or more.

12-15K should get you a fine used 4wd tractor. I got 7K for my JD but I would recommend something a bit more recent for parts availability.

 

[5030]

I foot deep ruts will take a lot more than a 20 horse tractor to level....unless he has all summer to do it.

 

[teg]

Unlike some, I don't think you need lots of HP to fix the driveway. People have been getting lots of work done with smaller tractors. I built a road through the woods, going from 2450' elevation down to my creek 2300' elevation with a 6' box blade ($250) and a rear blade ($50). You have not listed who sells tractors near you... and roughly a budget. That will let us know new vs. used.

If I were to do it again now, I would seriously look at the k ubota L2501. The engine specs. are similar to the old L3400 (1.6L) but running at 2200 rpms (vs. 2650). Since you are new, Hydrostatic is much easier to drive and if you ever have to sell, will fetch a better asking price. As for tires, I hate R4's but I drive on my lawn and mow paths. If you don't need to drive on grass or you have to deal with mud, Ag tires will give you more traction. Good luck...

 

[arrow]

I foot deep ruts will take a lot more than a 20 horse tractor to level....unless he has all summer to do it.

Not true at all. As I stated, with correct sizing of implements, one can do serious work with a smaller tractor. I was hired to fix many a gravel drive with a 4' box scraper, scraper blade and Ibeam with some ruts deeper than 1' and in a couple of cases totally washed away. Rarely was at a site for more than 5 days for the longest and worse case drives. Most 300' drives were done in less than a day.

 

[747driver]

Welcome to TBN ! Much knowledge and info here just for the asking. I have a 2013 Kioti CK27 HST. 28hp with 24 hp at the pto it is a hydrostatic. I bought it used last year for $13,000 with 190 hrs. This tractor can do alot of work with the right size implements. I have a 5ft box blade, 48 inch rotary cutter and a front end loader. I maintain a 1/4 mile long stone road very easy. Sure it may take more time than a big unit but i also live in the Cherokee National Forest where you need a smaller size tractor to get around the trees. I live in Tellico Plains. Tyler Bros. in Maryville sell Kubota plus some used equip. Also The Mahindra dealer in Madisonville sells good used tractors. Good luck !

 

[newby in tenn]

That stuff demands something with some power and tractive weight. On a 'lean' budget you are basically SOL. I'd go rent a machine and buy a lawnmower, you'll be farther ahead in the end. My smaller M9 was 62 out the door and the 105 was 65 and I don't mean hundred either. A machine capable of road work isn't suited for a belly mower, in fact, a machine that size, you don't want a belly mower in the first place.

Thanks for the help. I didn't realize that you could rent tractors. Who rents them. Any idea how much they rent for?

 

[newby in tenn]

I do work cheap but I'd rather not tie up the whole summer.

 

[newby in tenn]

Thanks for the help. Afraid 12-15k isn't in the budget. May have to hire it done but was hoping to get a tractor and do the work myself. That way I would have the tractor to maintain the road in the future. Any rule of thumb on what people charge for gravel road repair?