I've got about 1/2 acre with some slope of about 20 percent in places. I built my house on it last year and this year want to do the landscaping. I'll be doing steps down a slope, drain tiles in spots, trees, driveway, etc... I would like a small tractor with a fel and maybe a backhoe. Later, I want to use it for mowing and general annual cleanup. Just wondering what you might recommend. Thanks, G
Looking for some advice
- Thread starter TimOb
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IslandTractor
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Kubota BX24. Almost a no brainer. You couldn't use anything bigger on that size lot. The BX series is low and about as stable a tractor on slopes as you'll find without getting into specialty stuff. There are a few competing subCUT TLB set ups but I think the BX24 is pick of the litter these days.
The only serious competitor I'd consider would be a PowerTrac 422 or 425. They will do what you want but are articulated tractors with different strengths and weaknesses than subCUTs. Less loader lift height, no real backhoe (though some people love the minihoe attachment for shallow digging), less of a mower though certainly competent at that. Very stable on slopes. Gotta do your own wrenching but there is a great forum here on TBN to support you. Pluses are that you can switch out implements very quickly, there are lots of useful implements for them and they are very simple machines mechanically so are easier to maintain. Post your question again on the PowerTrac forum if no PT owner chimes in here.
The only serious competitor I'd consider would be a PowerTrac 422 or 425. They will do what you want but are articulated tractors with different strengths and weaknesses than subCUTs. Less loader lift height, no real backhoe (though some people love the minihoe attachment for shallow digging), less of a mower though certainly competent at that. Very stable on slopes. Gotta do your own wrenching but there is a great forum here on TBN to support you. Pluses are that you can switch out implements very quickly, there are lots of useful implements for them and they are very simple machines mechanically so are easier to maintain. Post your question again on the PowerTrac forum if no PT owner chimes in here.
daTeacha
Veteran Member
Be very careful with a conventional tractor/loader on a 20% slope. If you've never run one before, you will be amazed at how easy it is to have the thing fall over. There is a lot here about stability on different threads.
For basics, get as wide and low a tractor as you can find that will do the chores you want to do. Load the tires or weight the wheels. Of the articulated types, I think PowerTrac, Ventrac, and Steiner all have dual wheel options. I believe I saw a PT with triples at the Ohio Power Show. Put a counterbalance on the back of about half the weight the loader can lift. Avoid driving around with the loader up in the air -- keep it just high enough to avoid scraping it on the ground as you move. Resist the temptation to lift the load as you approach where you will dump it. Wait until you stop. Go VERY slowly on sidehills and downhill -- tipping happens in an eyeblink and stopping can very interesting since your brakes only act on the rear wheels but the act of stopping transfers weight to the front. Keep your ROPS up and your seatbelt on at all times. If you must drive without the ROPS up, don't use the seatbelt.
For basics, get as wide and low a tractor as you can find that will do the chores you want to do. Load the tires or weight the wheels. Of the articulated types, I think PowerTrac, Ventrac, and Steiner all have dual wheel options. I believe I saw a PT with triples at the Ohio Power Show. Put a counterbalance on the back of about half the weight the loader can lift. Avoid driving around with the loader up in the air -- keep it just high enough to avoid scraping it on the ground as you move. Resist the temptation to lift the load as you approach where you will dump it. Wait until you stop. Go VERY slowly on sidehills and downhill -- tipping happens in an eyeblink and stopping can very interesting since your brakes only act on the rear wheels but the act of stopping transfers weight to the front. Keep your ROPS up and your seatbelt on at all times. If you must drive without the ROPS up, don't use the seatbelt.
MossRoad
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Welcome to TBN! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You mentioned a 20% slope. Is it 20 percent or 20 degrees? The difference is almost half as much. A 100% slope is a 45 degree angle. A 50% slope is 22.5 degrees and a 25% slope is about 11 degrees. I mention this because it is important when choosing a tractor. My Power Trac model PT425 is rated at 20 degrees. That is the limitation of the oil lubrication system and anything over that angle could starve the engine of oil. Other Power Trac models are rated for more severe slopes up to a 45 degree slope mower. However, I think that may be overkill for 1/2 acre. Backhoes are expensive options. If you just need it for the occasional hole or shallow trench, the PT mini hoe would be a very good alternative.
Best thing to do is start making the list of the exact chores that you need to do, start investigating what machines will do those chores with the time and budget that you have available, and then test drive the heck out of as many models as you can in conditions that are similar to what you have. Ask your local dealers if they can bring out some demo models to your place to see if they will work. Keep a good list of the pros and cons of each model that you are considering until it is whittled down to a couple that you can't choose between. Then, as many folks will tell you, be sure you can live with your dealer. Sometimes that is the deciding factor in a tractor purchase.
Good luck in your search. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
You mentioned a 20% slope. Is it 20 percent or 20 degrees? The difference is almost half as much. A 100% slope is a 45 degree angle. A 50% slope is 22.5 degrees and a 25% slope is about 11 degrees. I mention this because it is important when choosing a tractor. My Power Trac model PT425 is rated at 20 degrees. That is the limitation of the oil lubrication system and anything over that angle could starve the engine of oil. Other Power Trac models are rated for more severe slopes up to a 45 degree slope mower. However, I think that may be overkill for 1/2 acre. Backhoes are expensive options. If you just need it for the occasional hole or shallow trench, the PT mini hoe would be a very good alternative.
Best thing to do is start making the list of the exact chores that you need to do, start investigating what machines will do those chores with the time and budget that you have available, and then test drive the heck out of as many models as you can in conditions that are similar to what you have. Ask your local dealers if they can bring out some demo models to your place to see if they will work. Keep a good list of the pros and cons of each model that you are considering until it is whittled down to a couple that you can't choose between. Then, as many folks will tell you, be sure you can live with your dealer. Sometimes that is the deciding factor in a tractor purchase.
Good luck in your search. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
The main slope is a paved section that I will be driving up and down. In about 35 feet, the elevation difference is about 8 feet. As mentioned, I'll only be going up and down this section. In my Ranger 4x4 pickup, I use 4x4 low to go up it, starting from a stop, with no trouble at all. The other section is probably about 30 feet long at about the same elevation diff. I will not be going up and down it. Working from the bottom, I'll be cutting some steps into the hill.
G
G
MossRoad
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So if it was 32 feet forward and 8 feet up that would be the same as 4 feet forward and one foot up. That appears to be a 25% grade, or 11.25 degree slope. Not bad at all going up and down.
daTeacha
Veteran Member
That's very livable, but also enough slope to cause problems if you aren't careful. Your ground is about like mine from the sound of it. Unless you are real unusual, there are small places where it's steeper and others where it's less steep. With a conventional machine, down angle and cross slopes can be very interesting if a downhill wheel hits a low spot or hole and also if an uphill wheel hits a high spot, small log, rock, and so on. I use a conventional tractor, but I really watch where the wheels are going.
MossRoad
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That's a very good point. Especially since the poster is talking about carving steps into a hillside. If he were to go across the hillside and drop a tire off one of those steps, that 10 degree slope could quickly become 20 degrees or more.
One neat thing about the Power Trac tractors is the oscillation between the articulated halves of the machine. Not only does is articulate side to side, but the front half can be as much as 12 degrees different in the roll axis from the back half. It keeps all four feet on the ground very well. That, combined with the very low center of gravity make it a very safe side hill design compared to conventional tractors.
One neat thing about the Power Trac tractors is the oscillation between the articulated halves of the machine. Not only does is articulate side to side, but the front half can be as much as 12 degrees different in the roll axis from the back half. It keeps all four feet on the ground very well. That, combined with the very low center of gravity make it a very safe side hill design compared to conventional tractors.