Need reasonably high hp tractor w/cab & loader...

[Dargo]

To use for some pretty tough work. I have around a couple hundred acres of propert a few miles from my house that is, well, let's see, let's just call it everything between smooth grassy areas to the far extreme of rough and steep. I have about 40 acres or so that is so thick with bushes that I've never seen most of that part. These bushes are so thick that you cannot get through them on foot. I also have some erosion ruts that have formed over the last hundred years or so that are hidden by tall grass and shrubs that will knock your socks off if you don't see them.

Here is my issue; I have a couple of nice tractors, one of which is a year old L5030HSTC that I really like, but I don't want to scratch the living crap out of and beat them to death clearing this area and using my FEL like a dozer. I also have a 9' rear blade that weighs well over 1000 pounds I use and I built up a 7' rotary mower in my metal shop that I can almost use as a battering ram. It has an entire cage of 2" X 2" X 3/8" wall square tubing all around it and over it along with 3" wide 1/2" wear plating on the bottom of it for skids. It has an 80 hp gear box but also does have an inline slip clutch for protection. I use it to chop up anything I can run over.

For this 'need', I have zero preferences for brand. I just don't want to have to wrench on it before I use it each time, and I don't want to be stranded miles from my truck either. An FEL and 4X4 and a cab w/ A/C are about the only 'must haves'. I can legally haul about 12,000 pounds on my trailer. What do I need for this job? I can't justify spending big bucks to buy that "perfect" machine because I have the first of my 5 kids starting college next year. I know everyone here wants something that they can buy for less than it's worth. I'm no different. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I really just don't know what I need. I looked at a new Tractor King at Rural King. It has a nice 82 hp Perkins engine and seems really heavy built (although a bit crude - which doesn't particularly matter in this case), but I don't know much about them. Besides, by the time I add a nice heavy loader, I'm now up to more money than I really want to spend on this machine. I guess that means that I'm hoping that someone will suggest that 'perfect' machine that is a few years old, may be ugly, but is reliable and tough as nails. Okay, ideas?

 

[LeadPoison]

Pay someone to clear and then keep it up with the 5030.

 

[Highbeam]

Having just reinforced my brushhog, I would love to see some picks of your manly 7' hog. I can always add more steel.

If 4wd isn't critical it would seem that a big ag type tractor would be the ticket and cheap too. Those monsters are tall, have cabs, cheap power, and should be pretty plentiful in your weight range since the new ones are bigger. Most have no loader though and I wonder if you really need one for this purpose bought machine. I imagine you can raise the hog 5 feet off the ground with the super tall 3ph and then back over anything you might want to use the fel for. Is there a chance you could leave the tractor onsite since it will be less valuable than your Bota? Stashed in the woods somewhere? If so, then you can get a big heavy monster that is too heavy to be stolen.

I'm resisting teasing you about not wanting to use your Kubota. Kinda like at car shows when you have trailer queens. My tractor has some dents from the clearing since it is a worker.

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you seen that video bmac posted about clearing his trails? He hired a guy with a skid steer on tracks and a super shreder on top. It just goes through everything and when he's done, it's just maintenance afterwards.

My neighbor did the same thing, but with a more specific type machine. not a skidsteer, but more like a small trackloader with an oversized enging.

What they can do in a day is amazing. You hire one for a week and I bet he could do every single thing you want done, but plan on spending a year on.

Considering fuel, depreciation and the value of your time, it might be an alternative to spending money on another tractor that you really don't need, nor seem to want that much, but will have to maintain and deal with over time.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[JimMorrissey]

D,

Your 5030 sounds like the perfect machine for the job! What about spending some of the money you'd spend on another tractor on a nice set of armor for the 5030? You could fab it or have it fabbed. Make it removable so you're nice Kubota isn't a tank year round. There's got to be some fun implements that would be good at brush clearing for the front of the 5030 of the QA loader. Just an idea to save you another major purchase and maintenance chore.

 

[jazzdaddy]

I've just gotten a Kubota M105X and have some of the same tasks that you do in terms of land clearing. I also need the Ag features that this kind of farm tractor has. It has the the LA-1301s loader that can lift about 2900 lbs to full height. I've put a Bradco rock and root grapple on it and will use it for grubbing trees. I've also put a Landpride 4096 grader blade with three-way haudraulics for road maintenance.

That said, I wouldn't use it for clearing large areas of forested land. Even with it's size and weight (>10000lbs without filled tires), I can't afford to beat this machine up as I also need it for farming.

You might want to look into a large TLB. There is a lot of used excavating equipment available that you could beat up and resell when the land is cleared. I'll be hiring excavators to do serious land clearing for pasture and roads.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

How about this one ? 90 hp cab & loader, plus designed to look tired right from the factory: Belarus cab tractor New @ 29k and built using heavy water & other heavy metals too !

 

[GeneD14]

Boy...I wish I could get a new JD, NH, or Kubota for that price!

 

[Builder]

here ya go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Used-KUBOTA-M9000-DTC-with-CAB_W0QQitemZ7618282955QQcategoryZ91953QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kubota-M9000DTC-4WD-Cab-Tractor-w-Kubota-Loader_W0QQitemZ7616936383QQcategoryZ91953QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/L-k-LIKE-NEW-KUBOTA-M6800-CAB-4X4-WITH-LOADER_W0QQitemZ7618741060QQcategoryZ91953QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I think you'll find that a older Case 580 would be the ticket. There are lots of those around.