I've got $35,000 to spend......

[4710and110TLB]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I priced both the l48 and 110 and there is not one cent difference between them when you factor in all the options and extras. I paid 38000 for mine and got every option and hydraulic coupler, skid plate and buckets immaginable. The deere looks like it is the real deal the kub does not and that meants alot to me I hate having something that looks just pieced together. If you get every option on a 4710 that you have on the 110 there is still very little difference and you get 2000 more metal in the 110 it is a lot more rigid everywhere. If you take the bucket off the front it isn't that bad on your yard and it is not all that bad to manuever. I finish with mine for some customers and myself. Plus there is alot more **** to the hydraulics and bigger capacities on the 110. nuff said /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[JimMorrissey]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I agree on the 110 comments. The L48 looks like something left over from the Soviet era. I tested one and it had poor visibility compared to the 110. It also felt kind of long and hard to manuver. I'm sure it is very powerful though.

 

[KubotaBling]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

Well here's a 2600hp one i'd take 35K for if u realy want some power lol i haven't been able to plow the garden with it but sure makes the yard rutted out and ticks the neighbors off /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif my weekend hobbie..lol

 

[JimMorrissey]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

rocky,

Any idea what a setup like that would run $ (4320 / 448 BH)?

Jim

 

[kevinro]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I had the exact same situation a few years ago.

The main consideration (sounds like you are building a house) is what to do with it after that major work is done. This is exactly what I considered. I ended up with a JD4500, 460 loader, 48 Backhoe, Snow plow, box grader, weight box, pallet forks for about $35k.

Here is some direct experience for you:

1) 1000 feet of trench: A backhoe is the wrong tool. Rent a tracked excavator. You will be very very glad you did. That is a lot of trench. You will be moving the backhoe constantly. In fact, you will spend 75% of your trenching time just lifting stabilizers, resetting your position, and lower stabilizers. A small track hoe is only about $200 a day and should be able to trench about 200 feet an hour. A backhoe, about 30 feet an hour once you get good at it. Track hoe the right tool for the job. It also makes much less mess in the way of rutts.

2) Tractor/Loaders make extraordinarily poor bulldozers. If you are making a 50 foot road, yeah, OK. Making a longer road? Rent a dozer. Right tool for the job. Saves you many many hours.

Now that I burst your bubble on the main work /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif, moving top soil is the right job for your tractor. Backhoe great for digging shorter trenches, holes, etc. I have a mechanical thumb on my backhoe that I use constantly. Great for picking up logs, rocks, just about anything really.

I live in a heavily wooded area with big trees. I have about 4000 trees on my property, most are 130' tall Douglas fir, several 150' western maples, cedars, etc. The tractor is an invaluable tool. Nature dies all the time. A downed fir tree weighs in at around 3000 lbs or more. Last ice storm we had, I lost 45 trees that had to be moved. Life would have really sucked without the tractor!

A neighbor has a fixed backhoe loader (He has a Case 310 or a 550, can't remember which). His machine has definitely a substantial amount of power compared to my 4500. However, he is really limited by a few things:

1) His machine is really heavy. About 4000lbs more than mine
2) He has a backhoe and a loader with really no other optional equipment.

My machine, on the other hand, is lighter, shorter, and manuvers better. I can swap out the backhoe with a box blade and do a much better job grading the road. He is limited to backdragging the loader bucket.

I can also put a mower on the back and maintain the side of the road.

I use the pallet forks constantly. They are really nice compared to the bucket attached type that fit the larger machines. I use the pallet forks for moving pallets, trees, large rocks, trees, sprayers, and oh, did I mention trees.

If you asked the neighbor, he would trade machines with me in a second. A mid sized utility tractor is much more versatile than a full sized hoe.

Kevin

 

[4710and110TLB]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I would really disagree with you on the trenching aspect. With the 110 and the push button to repositsion it is nearly as fast as the trackhoe I can do 120 to 150 feet perhour and going 3 feet deep. Also to road is a toss up I can do alot with a really rigid loader and a good 6 way blade on the back and save the 500 dollars for the dozer. I have ran all of the above and everything has its place but for a homeowner with not much to do the 110 will do everything and then some. Plus you can get any skid loader attachments and use them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[turbo36]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I was in a similar situation last fall I was looking at the 110 and 4710 because I had a pole barn project that required a lot of trenching and driveway work. After I got all the quotes in and was ready to drop the big dollar my wife pointed out the fact that neither unit would accept a front snow blower and what was I going to do with these big units once the big work was done? . So I went with a 4410 and hired the trench and driveway work out, while this was not the most "fun" decision I was happy to get all the work done on time, save money and still have a great unit for all the clean up projects. The 4410 gets around in the tight stuff much better then the bigger units in fact the landscape contractor across the street is always trying to borrow my 4410 because his 4710 is too big to get around in the small yard projects. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Just another way to look at it.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

I also trench quickly with a CUT. Have a driver stay in the front seat to move the tractor, while the hoe operator stays put, the stabilizers start up and the operator is moving, she stops and the stabilizers are already going down, and back to digging. It does take two operators, but that hasn't been a problem at all in a homeowner situation. Its actually more fun!

 

[JimMorrissey]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

Kevin,

I completely understand where you are coming from. The main reason I don't want to rent is the fact that I don't have a straight week to take to do the work. I need to be able to jump on my machine and knock out something in the mornings and eves and on weekends. I'd have to rent the various machines for a month or more!

In addition....My profile is not up to date. I now have 7 acres and am subdividing into three lots, each with driveways, septic lines, eletrical trenches, backfilling foundations, top soil spreading, etc. I should have put more info in my original post but I didn't want to make a big deal out of the projects at hand.

One other thing I forgot to mention /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I have an old barn foundation and slab that needs to be removed. It's a lot of old concrete and the remains of a barn.

Actually, I was just wondering what my options were for tractors in my price range /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I appreciate everybody input and advice. I must continue to struggle with the decision on my own. --I hope not, but I may end up renting afterall.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[JayC]

Re: I\'ve got $35,000 to spend......

When you are done with all your projects, do you think you will be using the tractor for finish mowing? If not, then I still recommend the 110TLB. While a CUT with removable loader and hoe is nice, I would want the extra ruggedness for those projects. And as I said before, you can still easily drop the hoe on the 110 for use with 3PH and PTO attachments.