Tractor expectations

   / Tractor expectations #1  

fwc

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2003
Messages
57
Location
Near Atlanta, Georgia - USA
Tractor
Kubota BX25D
Me and my wife have some land (8.8 acres) that we plan on building on as soon as we can decide on a plan that fits us. I know long term a tractor will come in handy doing landscaping and maintenance.
The property has a large number of small saplings 1-2 inches sizes that I can usually hack down with a ditch bank blade.

Our Land - see typical growth pix

Not growing up around tractors and farms, my question is this => Is it reasonable to expect a 30-40 hp tractor with FEL (possibly toothbar) and 5ft bush hog to clear growth like this. We really want to leave as many larger trees as possible.


Thanks for your thoughts.
fwc
 
   / Tractor expectations #2  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is it reasonable to expect a 30-40 hp tractor with FEL (possibly toothbar) and 5ft bush hog to clear growth like this. )</font>

Yes. My cousin did a lot of similar clearing with a New Holland TC29D and a Bush Hog SQ600 with no apparent damage to either, although I might be inclined to recommend a slightly heavier duty brush hog.
 
   / Tractor expectations #3  
Congrats on the land. I would go with the smalle rof your range.. 30-ish hp.. to keep the tractor size a bit smaller for maneuverability. I would suggest 4wd as well.. looks like there is a bit of up and down terain.. also will make life with the front end loader easier.

My guess will be a 5' rotary cutter... sure a 30-something hp model will pull a 6'.. but if you get a 5' it will be closeer profile to your tires for getting around those trees. FEl will make taking those sappling out easier.

To answer your question.. will a rotary cutter cut a 2" sappling? yes.. in most cases.. though the woody 2" ones you have have alread mady it to juvenile growth.. quite a bit to chew. If ya did run one over.. I'm sure you could chew it.. but you wouldn't want to run over a thicket or stand of them.. just to abusinve on the cutter and your pto drivetrain.

I would clear them out, and then maintain it with the cutter. You could push them over, or cut them out... they are probably small enough to push out.. stump/root and all.

Also.. a fel will make manuvering even tighter.. but I see it as a necescary evil.. as you will need a fel.. or at least want one.. in that woodlot. I also wouldn't hesitate to dip as low as say a ford TC 29D... (That may drop you to a 4' cutter.. I'm just not sure. ) though I think a 29 will pull a 5' if you don't have 4' grass to cut.. which looks like you don't.. just nuisance grass.. and undergrowth which is easy to cut, once you get the sapplings out of there. The 29d will be more agile, and you can get hydro and 4wd.

Now if you want to slash-n-burn and log it.. a heavier tractor might be in order... or even better, a rental bulldozer to conture the land.. but then.. I don't get tthe impression you want to do that...

Good luck

Soundguy
 
   / Tractor expectations #4  
I see we must have been 'copying' off the same page.

Soundguy
 
   / Tractor expectations #5  
Hi...


A 30hp or less tractor is adequate... I recommend getting a backhoe for it... especially when clearing and building new... you won't regret it...


Dave...
 
   / Tractor expectations #6  
A good dozer operater will save you time and $$'s, in which you may not need 30-40hp tractor w/heavy duty attachments to keep your land up to par...just a thought /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / Tractor expectations #7  
I'll echo Thomas. Rent a dozer (and possibly a driver for it) for clearing and then you can look for a smaller tractor to maintain the land, maybe something in the low to mid 20hp range. It will be faster to clear the land with the right equipment the first time and the smaller tractor will make mowing around the trees an easier chore in the future.
 
   / Tractor expectations
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Bird,
The dealer has an SQ600 (I think) hooked up on the tractor I was looking at. I was thinking an older style model 12 Bush Hog might be better suited because of increased cutting thickness capacity but I think it needs at least 25 PTO hp to do its thing so thats why I was considering the higher hp tractor.

Thanks,
Floyd
 
   / Tractor expectations
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Soundguy,
I agree on th 4wd - Hydro is on the list as well. - I was thinking I would need the HP cuz of the loses in the hydro and also as noted in my response to Bird above. For close up cutting to the house, I have one of the small 16 hp Scott/Deere(sabre clone) to precision cutting. If I end up with a lot of grass, then I may change my plans, but my wife loves trees so much we may not have a lot - just leaves to grind...;) - From what I have read, some folks have used FEL w/toothbar to kinda dig and push out the small ones.

I probably should be spending my time getting the house going and quit playing with the land and start living on it..we surely like it when we are there.

Thanks,
Floyd
 
   / Tractor expectations
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Dave,
This tractor thing has grown for me. It started out with the thought of getting an old 8n and has mushroomed into something like an "egg laying fur bearing pig" (Soemthing I can do anything I could ever imagine with) - I know I could use the backhoe especially on taking down trees and stump removal, but I suspect we will have the builder contract all the major work. If you looked at the pix, then I will probably spend a lot of time trying to get my self unstuck from the marsh. Maybe I need to get a floating tractor.. option...;)
The backhoe will be on the wish list, but I suspect it won't happen until my wife gets her pool.... hmmm maybe I could dig it... with the hoe... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks for the ideas
Floyd
 
 
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