Buying Advice Need experienced user advice

[flusher]

A thought came to mind . . In Wisconsin we can certainly get -25 f or -30 f temps . . so rimguard of winshield/rv washer will work for loading tires. But in Canada I assume temps can get still colder pretty easily. Not thay your going to be out in -45 f. But the storage sheds aren't any warmer. So what do they use for loading tires in Canada?

This stuff is supposed to be good to -40C (-40F)

FUSION Tire Ballast

It's some type of modified beet juice (like Rimguard). I suppose it's like water in that it expands when it freezes. That's not a problem usually since liquid ballasted tractor tires are generally only 2/3 to 3/4 filled with liquid. So there's room for the frozen ballast liquid. As long as the tractor is in storage for the winter and not moved, freezing should not be an issue. You might want to bleed off the air pressure before storing the tractor. If you try to drive the tractor with frozen ballast in the tires, you might be in for a rough ride that might not do your rear tires any good.

Good luck.

 

[DieselnHooters]

Like Piloon mentioned take a look at Kioti , you have their largest dealer over in the Sherbrooke area (Distribution Payeur) not that far from where you are. Kubota may be the safest bet but you will likely get more for your $ with Kioti, I have no personal experience with them but owners on here rave about them.

And stay away from TYM and such unless you are mechanically inclined and in no hurry for spare parts.

 

[Martingouin]

First of all, thank you everyone for all your advice.

To be more specific and answer few questions, I do not have mechanical aptitude yet. I'm a self learner and I learn pretty fast.

The specific usage for the tractor will be to transport manure, build trails/road and maintain them, pick up woods in the forest, pickup sap from maple tree in spring and probably raise hay for the horses.

With this I know I need a FEL. Now I am hesitant on the Backhoe as I can rent one as suggested. I must admit I'm a leaning toward the kubota as the dealer seems very good in my area. With all your comments, I will be probably looking for a MX5200 HST. But my question is, is it to big for the woods compare to a L3901 HST?

A part of my land is always wet so this is why I've talk about the mud so I cannot wait for it to dry. I need to do some irrigation.

I will also look for Kioti but I'm never sure with those kind of brand.

Thanks again for your help

 

[TJP89]

Hi,
I am new to this forum and new owner of a 90 acres land. I have zero experience with tractor and I have several questions that I would like to have your opinion. I live in Quebec, Canada and I need to buy a new tractor. Here is my situation:

I have 90 acres of woods of maple tree (35%) and mix woods for the rest.
I need to do trails (for horses and tractor).
I will be cutting woods for the winter
A part of my land is really humid so I will need to do ditchs for my trails (so lots of mud in certain area).
I also have 2 horses.


So I've been looking some some time now and I am wondering what is the better option for me.

Do I need a lighter tractor for the mud or heavier?
Do I need agricultural tires of industrial (so I do not destroy the trails I'm making)?
What minimum HP do I need?
Should I buy new or used?
How many hours are considered good to buy for a tractor?

I am looking at Kubota and Tym now as the John Deere dealer sucks in my area

I have a special now for a used kubota L39 but I'm affraid that is not going to be good in wood and mud because it's build for construction.

So what should I be looking for?

Thank you very much for your advice

Don't know what you mean by a "special", but the L39 would work for you. Yes it's a construction vehicle, but the loader is great, it has 4WD, PTO, and comes with a 3PTH kit, I believe. They are sturdy, so if you have a good deal on one, I'd go with it. Don't discount it just because it's a construction vehicle.

 

[hunt4570]

First of all, thank you everyone for all your advice.

To be more specific and answer few questions, I do not have mechanical aptitude yet. I'm a self learner and I learn pretty fast.

The specific usage for the tractor will be to transport manure, build trails/road and maintain them, pick up woods in the forest, pickup sap from maple tree in spring and probably raise hay for the horses.

With this I know I need a FEL. Now I am hesitant on the Backhoe as I can rent one as suggested. I must admit I'm a leaning toward the kubota as the dealer seems very good in my area. With all your comments, I will be probably looking for a MX5200 HST. But my question is, is it to big for the woods compare to a L3901 HST?

A part of my land is always wet so this is why I've talk about the mud so I cannot wait for it to dry. I need to do some irrigation.

I will also look for Kioti but I'm never sure with those kind of brand.

Thanks again for your help

No one else has asked so I will... how much of your property is woods and how much is open? Makes a big difference in tractor size and type of implements you get.
I have 102 acres of witch 85% is forested.. well 75% now as I just opened some more up.If you will be in the woods a lot, trails and such maybe a little smaller might work.. 35hp min probably.
I have a L3540 HST Kubota, 37 hp. It allows me to get around pretty well in my woods, and still does a good job in the open areas, FEL is plenty strong for working the ground, firewood etc.
Dont only look at HP though.. it can be deceiving. Look also at the footprint size of the tractor.. My "Grand L" series tractor has a larger footprint than the same approximate HP size in the "L" series so its quite a bit more stable. Has other conveniences also, like telescoping lift arms making it easier to hook up to implements.

You can go to a place like Tractordata.com and compare lots of different tractors.. but dont be stuck on only HP..

Good luck!!

 

[tractorshopper]

I think the MX5200 you're looking at is the right size for your property and chores you've mentioned already. I had the L3800 (the predecessor of the L3901) and it would do everything you mentioned, but if you will be dealing with round bales, I think the MX5200 to be a better size for loader strength. For trail creation and maintenance, I'd recommend that you buy a tooth bar for your loader and buy a box blade (6 or 7') for the tractor. This will add ballast when using the FEL and will be a great help for trail creation and maintenance. With a tooth bar on your loader, you'll be amazed at how much you can dig/shape/contour with it too. You will need ballast to get the most lift out of your loader, so along with the box blade, I'd also make sure your rear wheels are filled with antifreeze or whatever is used in your climate. It will make a huge difference in stability and lift capacity.

With that size tractor, you can probably run a 7' bush hog (maybe even 8). This will be a stout toy and exactly what I would buy if I were in your shoes.

I'm partial to Kubota, but that said, I would also look at the same size tractor in Kioti, JD (but they suck in my area with pricing), NH, and Yanmar. I'd be comfortable buying any of them. See what fits you best and what ergonomics you prefer amongst them.

Happy tractoring!

 

[Martingouin]

My land is 96% wood My goal is to open it more.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I've had my MX4800 (same tractor sans turbo) for a few months and love it. 100hrs so far with zero issues. But being new to tractor I can't stress enough how important a good dealor can be. (BTW fill the rears and add 3pth ballast to get the most out of your loader)
Unless you plan to do row crops, I couldn't justify the extra $ to get the 5200. The 4800 has the same loader and 3pt specs.

 

[jeff9366]

I think the MX5200 you're looking at is the right size for your property and chores you've mentioned already.

X 2

I recommend the optional Kubota L2296 Heavy Duty Round Back Bucket. It is much better than the standard bucket for trail and woods clearing work.

 

[Texasmark]

I think your best bet would be to go to the local coffee shop and chit chat with the guys in the area that have a spread the size of yours and have the things to do that you aspire to do. Will be time well spent. I am down here in Texas and things are just different and my aspirations and yours probably are different. They can shoot you a lot of yarns but they can also get you on the right track in selecting the right equipment for the job, and may even come and lend a neighborly helping hand, if not physically, mentally saving you time and money.

Now that I've said that here's my 2c.

1. On big jobs requiring skill and large equipment, have it done. A professional with the right equipment can come in and have your job done in short order and the $100 per hour or whatever the going rate will be well worth it. BTDT However if you have the time and money to experiment as you "learn by doing", then so be it. BTDT too and wised up and did the other mentioned. Money well spent.

2. Hard to have one tractor to do all the jobs that come up on a spread of that size in the environment you mentioned. As others have mentioned, see what others in your area are using for your aspiring tasks and mimic them with used equipment, at least at first till you know what suits you. A FEL and backhoe are valuable assets when you need them. But when you have tasks not needing them, they are just in the way. Also if you have difficult to attach implements, especially if you work alone (as I do) then you may want several used tractors sitting around with the implement permanently attached, like the FEL and backhoe. Guy across the road from me came out here and that's the first thing he bought, an old Ford combo. It was worn out and the engine needed rings but for no more than he needed done, a quart of oil here and there and a wobbling this or that was not a problem.

3. As you age, your desires and physical requirements will change which is a consideration in how much you plan on investing in a piece of equipment. I am 10 years retired but back 35 years ago when I bought this farm I was Joe redneck, six cylinder, stick shift, no ac or heater, crank up windows, manual door locks sort of stuff...... 2wd, no FEL and all that. In 2007 I bought my first new tractor and it has every available creature comfort offered in that class and I wouldn't have it any other way.

4. The family's contribution changes over time too and adjustments have to be made accordingly. Be sure and plug that into your plans.

Good luck and welcome aboard. This site is mostly newer equipment and seems to me to be more of the small operator....like me. Yesterday's Tractor site has a lot of the larger guys (like your 90 acres and more) and a lot of members have older equipment that constantly needs attention similar to what you may consider for your initial plans. Hence lots of help and ideas on solving problems. And there are others out there too. Got a question, just put it to a search engine and sit back!