Tractor Sizing What HP do I need to pull 48" box spreader in sand, beach sand.

[dqkadlec]

I have to level out about a half acre of sandy beach front on a pretty regular basis. There is the occasional bread-box sized rock involved, I will usually turn up at least a dozen every time I rake out the plot here. Wind, Waves,
people, dogs, turtles all conspire to make it lumpy again. am not allowed to fence it off really wouldn't want to even if I could. My big concern is to size a machine right the first pull, so I don't get wishing I had got something just a bit bigger three months after I get it. A certain amount of that feeling will happen even with the biggest of machines probably. ( who among us has not wished for a few more hp on anything ). Diesel powered, strong enough to push
machine itself through beach sand and pull a 48 inch wide box blade, all while loaded to no more than 85% total
torque capacity. How do I figure this all out ! ? Make and Model recommendations anyone ?

 

[Verticaltrx]

I'd suggest one of the lighter compact tractors in the 20-30hp range. The Deere 2000 series and Kubota B series would be where I'd start looking. I'd probably also opt for turf tires to get the most flotation possible. I know some will suggest a sub compact, but I don't think they have the ground clearance or tire size you'll need.

 

[Coyote machine]

Torque is a function of twisting force like spinning a brush hog. HP is pulling force like in # of horses needed to pull a given load.
What other jobs is the tractor in question going to be used for? You already have a tractor? Deere L9something?:confused2: Does it play into this situation?
You can usually size a BB to the width, or less, of the rear tires overall width,(track) and then 8-10HP/foot of BB. I tow a 5' BB with my 40HP 4x4 Kioti. Have you been using a York rake to do this 'plot' of beach to date?

 

[orezok]

I don't have beach sand, but I do have a LOT of sand around here. I found that the best thing for leveling our desert blow sand is a land plane. I pull a 65" land plane with my 30 HP Kubota and it does a fantastic job. It's much quicker to level than a box blade and leaves a finish smooth as a baby's bottom!

 

[dqkadlec]

I'd suggest one of the lighter compact tractors in the 20-30hp range. The Deere 2000 series and Kubota B series would be where I'd start looking. I'd probably also opt for turf tires to get the most flotation possible. I know some will suggest a sub compact, but I don't think they have the ground clearance or tire size you'll need.

thanx for opining in here, the jd is strictly for grass mowing upland, I wouldn't think of getting it any where near salt water, besides that is defiantly not the tool for job in question, that much I do know, do turf tires operate at lower pressure to give a ride in soft conditions or are they simply wider than normal to do as little harm to grass as is possible and still do work ? The sand here is very fluffy and things get stuck here with alarming regularity. I too am worried about ground clearance.

 

[dqkadlec]

O.K. very cool a tool I've not heard of before, I will look into Land Planes Thank-you

 

[dqkadlec]

Coyote Machine, man looks like you have a few tools at your disposal there, your barn has gotta be huge. big deal is the beach right now but later I invision an Auger to plant fruit trees with, and a chipper/shredder type of unit would actually be very handy right now.
I think a york rake would not move enough volume just slice through, think in terms of mogel sized lumps in the sand with corresponding sized divits. the little tractor is just for grass. Thanx for input seems like a Thoughtful way to size the BB

 

[jenkinsph]

A light 5' landplane with a 25 to 30 hp tractor should be the easy way to smooth your sand out. I have a 4' and 8' wide landplanes that I built but most brands I have seen seem to start around 5' wide. Smoothing out beach sand is one case where the lighter and less costly brands should work well. Most people use these to smooth up their gravel driveways and find them much easier to use than a boxblade.

 

[Coyote machine]

Coyote Machine, man looks like you have a few tools at your disposal there, your barn has gotta be huge. big deal is the beach right now but later I invision an Auger to plant fruit trees with, and a chipper/shredder type of unit would actually be very handy right now.
I think a york rake would not move enough volume just slice through, think in terms of mogel sized lumps in the sand with corresponding sized divits. the little tractor is just for grass. Thanx for input seems like a Thoughtful way to size the BB

Yeah, I built a brand new 52' wide x 40' deep barn with radiant in the concrete floor. I have an unheated boat bay with two, 2 ton chain hoists which allows me to suspend my 22' Mako flats boat off the trailer. The other three bays are for tractor and ATV and whatever I'm working on. There's another bay at the back which allows for grade level entry of furniture and whatever for the 2nd floor apt.
Actually, I don't use the barn for implements - they mostly stay outside.

Sounds like a land plane would do what you want for less $ and more ease of use. Turf tires are what keep a tractor from tearing up turf - the are essentially a smooth tread instead of a lug type you'd find in an industrial tire or an ag tire, both of which are less suited to your beach sand task. I think 4wd would be a must, and even if you don't use it for beach work, you will use it for other projects. Dr. Mower/Country Home Products, and others, make PTO driven chippers/shredders.
Take a look at Kioti's tractors- I'm confident there is something to fit your uses.

 

[jeff9366]

Would not the straining ability of a Landscape Rake work better for you than a box blade? I have both, so I am not prejudiced either way.

Landscape Rakes, like all implements, come in all grades/weights. A reasonably heavy Landscape Rake will pull a lot of sand. A rake will reveal large rocks when the tines skip over them, then you can use the front end loader (FEL), that most useful of tractor options, to pick up the large rocks and move them. A box blade is not going to pull "breadbasket" rocks emerging from sand. Landscape rakes + gauge wheels generally weigh 60%-70% of equivalent width box blades. You do not want to be heavier than necessary on the beach. You will need gauge wheels on any Landscape Rake used on sand.

Turf tires are usually low-pressure tires with 15-20 psi inflation. Definitely a good idea for sand. You do not want tractor + implement bogged with the tide rising. Some turf tires are smooth, some knobby.

The Kubota 'B' series tractors are worth consideration. Every manufacturer has entries in the popular 20-35 horsepower size, always imported.

Kubota Tractor Corporation - B Series - Compact Tractors

I would look for a used tractor; there is still a good bit of small scale ag on Long Island, so used compact tractors should be out there. Any tractor is going to rust if used on a salt water beach, so why buy new? Whatever tractor you buy, also buy a supply of Fluid Film rust preventive and keep the tractor and implement "wet".

What are you using now for your task? Hand rake and wheelbarrow?