Gravel driveway maintenance and brush work attachments for KIOTI DK 5010?

[kermitismydaddy]

Dear Tractor People,

I am an intermediate tractor operator and recently sold my Kubot B 3300 SU to upgrade to something a little bigger. The best deal I can find is on a manual Kioti DK 5010 for about 20K--that seems like a great deal for a 50 HP tractor with a decent lineage, and yes, I am fine with operating a manual over a HST.

My situation is this: I am considering the purchase of a new tractor and implements for "light commercial" use. That is, I live in a rural part of California's Sierra foothills and we have a LOT of high fire danger (extreme) acreage that needs periodic clearing and there are a LOT of gravel roads to be maintained and improved. This is going to be a full time job for me, clearing brush, mowing fields, and maintaining gravel roads.

The dealer is recommending the following attachments (see below), but I do not want to take his word for it... What attachments would you purchase if your PRIMARY purpose was fire safety and gravel road maintenance? HINT: One thing that is missing from the list is a rear scraper. It is my understanding that for folks doing gravel road maintenance a lot of the material sloughs off to the side and my hunch is that a box scraper and a grading scraper will be ill-equipped to throw that aggregate back onto the roadway...

1. KIOTI RC2072 6' rotary cutter.

2. KIOTI GS3084S 7' grading scraper.

3. KIOTI BB3072 box scraper.

4. YCT-74 74" rototiller.

5. FLGR root grapple

6. LD-66 4/1 bucket

KIOTI DK5010 Tractor

KIOTI KL5510 Loader



Thank you in advance,

Benjamin
Grass Valley, CA

 

[CurlyDave]

I agree, you need a rear blade. Preferably one that can be offset to reach into the bar ditch.

Depending on what your bar ditches look like, even a rear blade might not bring the gravel back up to the road surface.

One other thing I think you would need is a top-n-tilt for the box blade, and the tractor hydraulics to actuate the top-n-tilt.

Personally, I would reconsider the HST. I faced that choice when I bought my tractor, and I am very thankful that I bit the bullet and paid for the HST. The choice was a Kubota without or a Deere with HST, and after a day of road/loader work the HST is very welcome.

 

[oosik]

What CurlyDave said - 2X. I have a mile long gravel driveway. I use rear blade for winter snow removal - LPGS, land plane grading scraper and ROBB, roll over box blade for summer driveway maintenance. I've had two tractors - first was Ford 1700 4WD with manual transmission and now - Kubota M6040 with hydraulic shuttle. Both worked just fine - the bigger Kubota simply gets the bigger jobs done faster/easier. However - I'll be the first to admit, I've learned to appreciate the ease of operation with hydraulic shuttle.

Likewise - I've never had a whole lot of luck bringing bar ditch "lost" gravel back up onto the driving surface with any of my implements. I sure can bring up a lot of big stone, pine straw, muck, limbs etc, etc. The trick is getting the gravel before it ends up in the ditch.

And last - a good brand hydraulic top link is worth its weight in gold. Adjustment on-the-fly is a God sent feature that saves a lot of time and aggravation.

 

[LRover]

For me, a rear blade is just about the most important implement for road work. I can do without the others if I have a rear blade that has angle, tilt, and offset adjustments and if it can be adjusted hydraulically, all the better. With a blade that has offset to either side and sideways tilt and angle, you can even cut ditches for drainage along the sides of a gravel road or for a fire-line almost like a plow. A box blade is best for leveling were-as a rear blade will easily allow you to put a crown on the road and pull gravel back from the edges.

 

[oosik]

BTW - I forgot to mention - Welcome to TBN & the forum. Where advise & help spending your money comes at little cost, :laughing: :laughing:.

 

[bookmyer]

I'm not sure why you would need a grading scraper and a box scraper. I would axe the box scraper and get a rear blade instead.

 

[oosik]

For me the difference between use of the rear blade, land plane grading scraper & roll over box blade is because of my driveway. It was constructed with just enough clay/volcanic ash on the final surface that after the winter snows/spring rains, the "gravel surface" will dry to concrete. The rear blade will either bounce along behind the tractor or dig in and head for China - there is no middle ground. The LPGS will tackle the top couple inches only and the ROBB will move material from here to there. Now, if your road/driveway has a top surface of screened gravel or the like - then the rear blade will probably work just fine. And I've tried catching the driveway when it has "just the right moisture content" - what a joke. My driveway can be completely frozen in parts and have mud holes just down the way.

 

[Texasmark]

Dear Tractor People,

I am an intermediate tractor operator and recently sold my Kubot B 3300 SU to upgrade to something a little bigger. The best deal I can find is on a manual Kioti DK 5010 for about 20K--that seems like a great deal for a 50 HP tractor with a decent lineage, and yes, I am fine with operating a manual over a HST.

37 years in learning how to farm and maintain country property.

My situation is this: I am considering the purchase of a new tractor and implements for "light commercial" use. That is, I live in a rural part of California's Sierra foothills and we have a LOT of high fire danger (extreme) acreage that needs periodic clearing and there are a LOT of gravel roads to be maintained and improved. This is going to be a full time job for me, clearing brush, mowing fields, and maintaining gravel roads.

The dealer is recommending the following attachments (see below), but I do not want to take his word for it... What attachments would you purchase if your PRIMARY purpose was fire safety and gravel road maintenance? HINT: One thing that is missing from the list is a rear scraper. It is my understanding that for folks doing gravel road maintenance a lot of the material sloughs off to the side and my hunch is that a box scraper and a grading scraper will be ill-equipped to throw that aggregate back onto the roadway...

1. KIOTI RC2072 6' rotary cutter.

2. KIOTI GS3084S 7' grading scraper.

3. KIOTI BB3072 box scraper.

4. YCT-74 74" rototiller.

5. FLGR root grapple

6. LD-66 4/1 bucket

KIOTI DK5010 Tractor

KIOTI KL5510 Loader



Thank you in advance,

Benjamin
Grass Valley, CA

Excellent choices. If you have loose gravel, like river gravel to name one, ground up concrete, aka gravel with few or NO "finds" (fine particles of grit that pack) in it, you will not beat the 3084 grading scraper "type" device. There are others that are longer and length could have an effect on performance. I have seen the longer ones in use but not the short one like you mention. However the design of the system is perfect for the above uses and makes for a perfectly smooth roadbed in one pass if conditions are right. If your material has such finds and packs, the box blade with scarifiers or your FEL bucket run in front of the tractor with max tuck of the bucket, after loosening with the box scarifiers is the right implement for that.

I just bought a 6' rototiller and I should have bought it when they first became available. You will figure uses for it daily. It is an amazing, time saving, competent tool for lots of jobs. Can't rave enough about that. I would only buy the gear drive.....think about the old hand operated garden tillers that originally were gear drive and to reduce costs mfgrs. went to chain drive and the complaints rolled in. Same device, same pressures. Spec says 80-90, but if you are going to use for long periods of time, I'd opt for the 85-140 gear oil. I did in mine.

All the rest are "good to go". Dealer did you a service.

One thing that I would add to that, if you have an application is the Hay King brand "pasture renovator".

http://www.wctractor.com/Price Lists/pasture_renevators.pdf

The quality of this product is impeccable. Built like a tank. The C3, 3 shank would be right for a 50 hp tractor. I have a 65 hp and use the 4 shank successfully in mid range gears in heavy clay. I bought mine from my local JD dealer for $1500 half a dozen years ago. It and the roto tiller you mentioned will do a mean garden prep from 40 year old, hard clay soil in 2 passes of each implement. The tiller has breakaway bolts for when you hit a root that the tractor can't pull through. Besides what I said, I am using the tiller to roll in Austrian Winter Peas for nitrogen and organic matter. One pass....growing plants, firm soil that hasn't been touched since planted, one pass over at a very slow speed and 6" depth setting and wala....no more expensive fertilizer for my hay patch.

Good Luck,
Mark

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I could make several recommendations, but the most important, and remember, these implements are what you are going to use to make your living with. DO NOT CHEAP OUT.

Any and all grading implements need to be at an absolute minimum of 125lbs per foot width, heaver is better. You need a box blade or a ROBB, an all hydraulic rear blade and a LPGS. These 3 implements along with a top & tilt set for your 3pt hitch will allow you to work just about any road back to a good surface.

To control these implements, you are going to need at a minimum of 4 rear remotes and preferable 5 rear remotes. This can be done, just not using factory Kioti parts.

Most people are not going to want to pay for "the proper road materials" so you are stuck reworking what is there. Nothing wrong with that in my mind, but you do need to control water flow to keep what is there in the best condition that it can be.

All things to consider as well as the other implements required to do all the different tasks that it sounds like you want to be doing.

Good luck with the whole process. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[airbiscuit]

Well, I think that's a good list. I had a hydro, now I have a 12x12 shuttle. I like them both and I think either would work for you. There is some plus or minus - under over on your list. If it were me this would be my list:

1. KIOTI DK5010 Tractor
2. KIOTI KL5510 Loader
3. At Least 2 Rear Remotes
4. LD-66 4/1 bucket (this is a nice indulgence. If you are pinched for $$ a 72" bucket would do)
5. FLGR root grapple or Everything Attachments Wicked Grapple
6. KIOTI RC2072 6' rotary cutter (would be okay with other brands) Just be sure to walk the area the first time to look for surprises
7. 7' or 8' Heavy Duty Rear Blade WITH Tail Wheel (you need the weight AND the tail wheel - Landpride, Bush Hog, Woods or??)The tail wheel takes out the woops
8. YCT-74 74" rototiller (or other brand)
9. KIOTI BB3072 box scraper - Optional
10. Land Plane/Grading Scraper- Optional
11. Landscape Rake - Optional
12. Canopy- Optional
13. Top n Tilt - Optional

The Tail Wheel is the most important option on your list.