Tractors, Mini-TLBs, and Life

[RonL]

MChalkley

I originally came upon TractorByNet by happenstance ( serendipity? ) and was immediately taken by it. I have been online every day possible since. The people here comport themselves with an enormous amount of class and are more than willing to share their knowledge, opinions, and experiences. I have learned much and have enjoyed the shared experiences. I applaud your efforts to explore new possibilities. That said I will throw in my opinions. Dirt can be moved with a spoon ( which I was wont to do as a child) and it can moved with a Cat D11. Most of us on this board are somewhere in between. Compact utility tractors and tractors as a whole have evolved as agrarian instruments/implements. As such they are extremely usefull in farm settings for a multitude of purposes. The fact that there are a number of implements available that fit standard hitches and pto's makes them so. However, if you are involved in construction and earth moving the TLB has evolved as the general purpose machine. Now we must look at the " Jack of all trades, master of none syndrome". There is NO machine that does every single task as well as a task specific machine , or in fact does every single task. Because each of us has specific needs and desires each of us needs to detemine which machine will fulfill our needs and desires with AVAILABLE implements.
Because I am starting with 12 acres of wooded land on top of a mountain I felt that for MY purposes A full size TLB was the right choice. I need to put in perimiter drains, dig out foundations, install septic systems, crane in the septic tank, dig water lines, rebuild stone walls, fork deliveries off of delivery trucks, and a number of other things. However, I expect to bring in a dozer for a day in the beginning. A days worth of dozer work will probably save one or two weeks worth of TLB work. After everything is built and landscaped I don't think I'll be using the Cat to mow the lawn. I'll be looking for something suitable at the time.
I'm not a fan of the liberal clan but there's a quote by Robert Kennedy that I like. I must paraphrase it because its 6:00 O'clock inthe morning ( please jump in and correct me ). It goes something like this: " Some look at what is and ask why? Some look at what could be and ask, why not?"
MChalkley, best of luck on your quest!
Peace,

RonL

P.S. I'm going to watch "Funny Farm" for the thirteenth time.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Micro TL w/o B, PT425

Mossroad: The PT deserves a new category with a string of initials in the official glossary.
Your videos of the little PT prove that even a micro sized articulated loader (golf cart?) does a lot of things more easily and better than a compact tractor, although on a smaller scale than Mark's EF5. It is not suited to some ag uses, although most farms need a lot of mowing, at which it is superb. Maybe Mark's thread should really pose the question: "If you can have only one machine, which one best suits your needs?" For most of us, the Power Trac may be closer than either a compact tractor or the EF5. It wouldn't do a lot of Cowboy Doc's jobs, or some of mine and a lot of Mark's, but I'll bet if anyone on the TLB has one, it is used - a lot, and not set off in a corner.
In the spring, challenge Mark to a grass mowing contest. You'll win hands down if you don't let him claim that Virginia grass contains 4" trees that require his Brush Brute and Ammbusher. (If any compacts towing batwings are around, go ahead and let them in the competition -- just make sure a lot of the mowing is in tight quarters.)

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Charlie,

<font color=blue>Right up front, I'd like to admit that many of my purchases have been wrong </font color=blue>
<font color=blue>I suspect if I had a backhoe, its use would be seldom, but I really want one.</font color=blue>
Hummm... a cyber twin??? I bought the back hoe for just that reason, because I wanted one. I have found it much like the front loader, the list of things that it can do just keeps getting longer. Cleaning gutters, washing windows, just kidding/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I have no regrets for the decision to go for the TLB. Earth Force, Kubota, Deere, New Holland makes no difference to me as long as a hoe is attached.
Al

 

[MChalkley]

Charlie - I agree that the PowerTrac may come closer to meeting the needs of most TBNers than the EarthForce machines. In fact, I think they come closer than CUTs do, too. As for the 4-in-1 hydraulics, there's no reason it shouldn't work exactly the way you want it to.

My intent in starting this discussion was to evoke, not provoke. I don't consider a new viewpoint presented by someone else as a challenge to my intelligence (or manhood, or logical thinking ability, or place in society, or whatever is supposedly important for inner peace, stability, and security...), so I tend not to even consider the possibility that it might be viewed that way by others. At any rate, I've definitely stirred the waters a bit.

I'm going to wander into philosophical territory here, but first, a disclaimer: I'm not talking about anybody in specific, only in generalities - I'm not accusing anyone of anything, only talking about concepts. I've long had a suspicion, which I mostly keep to myself (but will throw out here to see what further trouble I can get myself into /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif), that what separates "great" individuals from "ordinary" ones is the ability to be open-minded and imaginative. Thus, the high priority I place on those qualities, both in trying to cultivate them, and in looking for them in others. For example, with regard to synthetic oils, to pick a controversial subject, I think most people decide they're "fer 'em or agin 'em" at some point in life (for most, I suspect it's between the ages of 2 and 4 /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif) for reasons generally unknown, and almost never remembered, and nothing, but nothing, will ever make a difference in their thinking. These, in short, are "ordinary" people. Not because they like or don't like synthetics, but because they don't have a reason for liking them or not liking them. They have a strong opinion based upon nothing. Funny thing is, they don't realize that they're in that situation. They either believe they're open-minded, or don't even consider the possibility that they might not be. Thus the need for constant-reexamination of one's thinking.

To put the above in context, in starting this discussion, I was only doing out loud for everyone here on TBN the same sort of thing I do to myself all the time. If it sounds like I challenged everyone to get out of a rut, and be open-minded, it's because I do it to myself all the time, and I don't take the slightest bit of offense at myself for doing it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif So, that's the spirit in which it was intended - as a stimulus to thinking. If you don't need one, please ignore me - I need them myself all the time.

No, I don't think the EarthForce machines are best for everyone here. Nor do I think PowerTracs are. And neither, by the way, are CUTs, regardless of color. But there's a lot more overlap between them than most realize, I think, and that's one of the things I was trying to bring out. And, while I suspect that many think EarthForce machines are very mission-specific, to some extent because of lack of exposure, in reality they are just as versatile as the others. And who better to expose everyone to them than somebody who traded a very fine specimen of a CUT for one? I didn't do it because I didn't like the Kubota, that's for sure. I did it because it wasn't versatile enough. But that doesn't mean it isn't versatile enough for somebody else. I don't mow any grass - bushhogging, yes, mowing, no. That automatically makes my needs different from 75% or so of TBNers, I suspect. I don't do any plowing. Tilling, yes, plowing, no. That makes my needs different from some, too. Nevertheless, I'd contend I use my equipment for just as many different types of jobs as anybody, and the EarthForce machines are the most versatile there are for the subset of tasks I need to do. That means they probably are for another couple of folks somewhere in the world, too, I suspect.

Again, all I'm saying is the same thing I say to myself all the time: Think about it. If you have an opinion, know why, and know that you've considered all the possibilities you can find first. And never, but never, fail to keep your eyes open to new possibilities. Otherwise, your opinion is useless to anyone but yourself. (That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course, just as long as you realize it and keep it to yourself. I again repeat the example that I remind myself of all the time: The guy who continues to take the long way to work for 10 years after a new highway has been put in, just because he doesn't like change, isn't qualified to give directions.)

 

[MChalkley]

Dan - My whole point was that EarthForce machines aren't just "dirt moving" machines. That they're just as versatile as CUTs, though not, obviously, best at all the same things. And that they belong in "general" tractor discussions, whatever that is, not just in the construction equipment group, just as much as CUTs do, because the needs of "general" tractor owners are so varied.

I see I haven't convinced you. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif That's ok with me - I'm not making hash marks on the side of my EarthForce to count "converts". /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I'm just throwing facts out - what you do with them and how relevant they are to your situation can obviously only be determined by you.

 

[HR_Mutt]

MChalkley
I get a big kick out of reading your adventures/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.I know I'm open-minded enough to know I want one, and the projects to do with it. I got to be realistic also, so I'll just look at the pics,read the stories,get a few laughs and go mow.
/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
regards
Mutt

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks!. Well, that was intersting reading. IMHO that was WTMI

Is this list compiled in totallity anywhere? I would like to add it to my favorite threads(which is a great feature, BTW).

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Micro TL w/o B, PT425

Would that be a TGC, LGC or TLGC or mini TLGC?

 

[MChalkley]

Mutt,

<font color=blue>I get a big kick out of reading your adventures ... so I'll just look at the pics,read the stories,get a few laughs</font color=blue>
I'd call that a success, by my criteria, any day. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I was a bit misleading in what I said earlier, though. Actually, I do a little mowing, but no more than can be handled by one charge of the Black & Decker electric push mower. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Micro TL w/o B, PT425

<font color=orange>Would that be a TGC, LGC or TLGC or mini TLGC?</font color=orange>

Definitely, Yes