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Our honey locust trees here look like that. The thorns are strongly attracted to tires! Seriously, though, there are a couple of ways to deal with them. One is to toss dry hay or straw as high as you can on the trees, then put some kerosine or lighter fluid (never gasoline!) on the straw you can...

I suspect the particulate problem is much higher in urban areas than in rural areas, so tractor controls will do little to help those most at risk.

I would never tow with a ball mounted on a lower link drawbar. The drawbar can rotate and put undue stress on the ball shank. And when you are braking going downhill, the drawbar can rise up, letting the back end of the trailer drop down and possibly damaging the tractor. You should only use the...

I mowed 1 acres per hour with a 4' bush hog on my Kubota B7100 HST, and 1.5 per hour on the lawn with a finishing mower. That was only a 16 Hp tractor. I now do 5 acres of bush hogging per hour with an 8' dual spindle brush cutter on my Mahindra 5035 HST. That is a 49 Hp tractor. So I find 2...

Kubota is excellent. I worked mine really hard and managed to wear it out in 2500 hours. However, if you are doing a lot of lifting and considerable ground engaging work, consider a heavier tractor in that power range. I would suggest looking at Mahindra. At the same engine power, Mahindras...

Plow skids are essential. You WILL make contact of the blade to the asphalt without them, no matter what angle. Even with them, you may find high spots that the blade will gouge. You want to set the blade angle such that it is flat from side to side even when angled to the right or left. If your...

All I can say is be careful. I bought VP Racing Ultra Plus J20A oil at TSC. When I emptied the jug, there was sludge in the bottom of it. I wrote to the manufacturer, and they did not reply. So even name brands might be dirty.

One other thought: get hydrostatic drive. It can save your life when working in the woods.

That tractor should be ample for your needs. But I would not rule out other brands, such as Mahindra or Kyoti, as long as you have good dealer support.

would have, not would of. (The contraction is "would've")

I once had a Massey 135. I used it for bush hogging and hay baling. I was unable to do the latter for long because the hitch frame kept falling off. It was bolted to the transmission housing and the bolts loosened. Lock-Tite did not stop it. Eventually the bolt holes stripped out, and I could...

I have a Mahindra 5035 HST. I use it exclusively on our property, so mostly I go a few hundred feet on the road to get to another field if the creek is too full to cross it. But I sometimes take it on the road to a repair place about 6 miles away for service. My back gives me trouble, so I don't...

Have you considered Mahindra? In general, they are about 20% cheaper than Kubota. Don't just think about Hp. Think about weight. While more weight is not necessary for mowing, it helps a lot for hauling, grading, etc., where pulling force is needed. I also suggest that hydrostatic drive is safer...

I have not done so. But my Mahindra 5035HST managed to break a new tow strap supposedly rated at 20,000 lb breaking strength. Since my tractor weighs a bit over 10,000 lb as equipped, I am skeptical that the tow strap matched its claimed rating. My tractor has not broken a 40,000 lb strap, and...

Not quite correct. Heat is conducted in every direction, and it radiates in every direction. But the third method of heat flow is by convection, and natural convection carried heat upwards, due to density differences. That is why placing a heater on the bottom is more effective.

I just put a hair dryer under the hood. After 2 hours, it is warm enough.

Can you still hear well, or have you had hearing loss?

That is my philosophy too. I may be wasting a few bucks, but I have never had a fuel issue in nearly 50 years of owning diesel tractors. And mine sometimes sit for months between use. I would rather not find out the hard way that I really did need them. A few bucks for peace of mind is worth it...

I have used both methods. The rear blade is cheap but if you drive forward with it in heavy snow the snow will build up in front of the blade and run into your rear wheels, losing traction. If you drive backwards, it plows better but the risk of damage is greater and in my case, iot gave me a...

I just note that the 20" bar is the longest recommended for that saw. You probably have to baby it a bit if you bury the full length of the bar in hardwood. Personally, I would go for a bigger saw, but the 261 should be reliable and powerful enough for smaller bucking chores. I use an MS500i. It...

I actually have both an electric and a gas chainsaw. I am aware that the best electric saws can match the capability of some of the smaller chainsaws, but my gas chainsaw is a Stihl MS500i. I would say it cuts 6-10 times as fast as my Kobalt saw. But my Kobalt electric is handy for quick jobs...

I have run over deer even with the FEL down. I have also run ovder the bush hog chain guard when it broke off. That broke one of my blades.

I had safety chains front and rear. The wear and tear of rocks and logs broke the guard. It came off and went under the brush hog, breaking a blade. I now run without the guard. Makes me a bit nervous, but my seat is well above the ground, and the mower is close to the rear wheels, so the...

That makes some sense. But I have seen some run with the bucket at maximum height. I don't think that makes much sense.

No, Sta-bil does not float on top. It is fully miscible.

I am sure it works well. But with the cost of Vaseline, it this cheaper than using store-bought fire starters made of wax and sawdust? I start my fires with half of a piece.

Pickaroons/hookaroons are invaluable at saving one's back picking up logs and dragging branches. I bought the Fiskars version several years ago. I also use a Pinch-a-Log for heavier rounds. (Yes, that is a real product!)

I admire you for learning two languages. You actually write well in English. None of us gets it perfectly. I am trying to learn Chinese, and I am not very good at it. But think of language this way: Many on this forum are skilled craftspeople and are proud of their ability to build/assemble/use...

Yes. Punctuation changes meaning. As an example, "No thanks" means you are not being thanked, whereas "No, thanks" means "no, but I thank you anyway."

I have done that too, but I use small wax paper cups to press the hot sawdust mixture into. BTW, this whole thing is best done outdoors.

Starters, not starter's. An apostrophe makes it possessive, not plural.

When it is dry, a zero turn mower will cut your mowing time down to about 1/3 of what a lawn tractor will do.

Do you "need" it? No. You can rent what you need for occasional tasks. But it might be fun to have one anyway.

I bought some clamp-on Titan forks. The clamp screws bent in the first use. But I had a fab shop make up a clamp assembly with 1" bolts, and it works well now. Still reasonably cheap. The custom fab work cost me $100.

Nice to have an excavator. I have a tractor with a 4-way bucket, but I rarely use it to grapple logs. It can make the tractor tippy if the logs are not centered. I just use the Woodchuck Tools Timberjack to get the logs off the ground and roll them when needed. And I love my MS500i. Least...

Emphatically no! All truck manufacturers have some form of rust proofing already applied, and there are weep holes to drain any water that gets into body panels. Undercoating can plug the weep holes and trap moisture, increasing rust.

I use the dual wheel ones for firewood, 10 cubic feet capacity. No cornering problems.

That is why I replaced the tires with polyurethane. They will outlast the wheelbarrow.

Depends on the tractor. I managed to bend an 8" combo dozer/snow blade attached to my Mahindra loader. The snow blade was 3/4" thick on the wearing part, with another 3/4" backing it up. The loader frame did not get bent. I have also lifted 1.5 ton tree sections with a 4-way bucket. When off...

One fork should be able to handle at least 1500# vertical load. But they are not designed for side loads.

That is a light duty application. I don't think there is much risk with the Titan attachment.

"Wackos" is plural. "Wacko's" is possessive.

I have seen a lot of idiots do this.

Priceless! A chain reaction!

Yes, he tried using the loader. But in peanut butter mud, that does not always work. That Yanmar has outrigger mud cogs. I have never seen them used in the USA.

Ditto

I bought a quick hitch, but it does not fit any of my implements, except for a modified carryall I use to transport firewood rounds. But it is handy to drag logs out of the woods.

Congratulations on your land purchase. You have obviously given a lot of thought to the tractor. And you are dead on regarding the HST. In the woods a gear drive tractor can get you killed. You want something that stops as soon as you let off the pedal. You also need 4WD. I am not familiar with...

Anothder reason: vertical exhaust stacks can get whacked by tree branches. I use my tractor a lot in the woods, so I do not care for vertical stacks. Mine exhausts to the side, just in front of the front tire.

Not likely with Mobil 1 or Amsoil. They both have the same kind of base oil molecules as petroleum oil. But the molecule chain length is almost constant, whereas petroleum oil is a mixture of long and short chains. The short chains evaporate, making the oil more viscous, which causes it to run...

Unless you run a lot of stop and start driving in cold weather, 7000 miles is much too soon. I have used synthetic oil for almost 50 years on two tractors, 4 pickup trucks and at least 10 cars, generally changing the oil at 25,000 to 30,000 miles and the filter every 10,000 to 15000 miles. The...

I am surprised at the low MPG figures listed here. I have a 2013 F350 with the 6.7l diesel, long bed, crew cab, with all-terrain tires (not mudders). Cruising at 55 on a level highway I get 23 mpg. I average 16 mpg overall; mostly rural roads. When pulling an 1100 lb 5th wheel camper, I get...

When I run my Mahindra 5035HST in 2WD, it can get slipping and stuck on hills, particularly in reverse, even with a heavy bush hog on the back, because I have a very heavy 4-way loader bucket on the front. Witha full load in the bucket, it gets worse. I also can pull much heavier logs in 4WD...

Minnesota is colder. Evry time I have traveled there in January it has been -13F or below. Diesel tractors are not that great in winter either. But, oddly, my diesel Ford pickup has no problem starting at -15F. I have never used its block heater, though it has one.

That all makes sense. Battery powered equipment is great for occasional, short duration use. I rarely use any electric hand tools that are not battery powered. Even rotary saws work pretty well these days battery powered. I use an electric log splitter (wired, not battery powered) for some of...

I have some woofel dust I can sell you. That might help. :)

And I don't care. Greenhouse gasses attributed to human activity amount to only 0.28% of all greenhouse gasses, making our effect on the climate minimal. And we are currently at a CO2 level below what it has been for most of history. It got to 15000 ppm when the dinosaurs were alive, and there...

Can't make a nuclear reactor that small. You must have critical mass and all kinds of shielding.

I don't think pulling should be a problem. DC-electric motors produce far more torque than even Diesel engines, and they can deliver it at zero rpm. However, as you pointed out, they have limited run time, long charging time and problems in cold weather. BTW, it it lithium ion, not lithium iron.

The times I reported were my actual experience. It made a huge difference to me. Since the ZTR is lower to the ground than a tractor, it can get under most trees. But I cut branches of if need be to allow it to get under. But it really did cut my total mowing time by hours. The only problems I...

Just be careful in the woods. Farm tractors are very vulnerable to damage on the underside from rocks, roots, etc., not to mention your own personal safety.

The implements that require the most flow are front-mounted bush hogs, snowblowers and the like. Most Bobcat-like loaders have enough hydraulic flow to run these implements. Most tractors do not. Look into what you might want to have down the road and see how much flow they need.

I disagree that all the wheels need to be the same size to be called 4WD. Are not all 4 wheels driven?

Think of this: tractors have no front brakes. In 4WD, the braking action on the rear wheels is transmitted to the front wheels also. But with 2WD, you could easily slide down a hill. Heavier tractors are not necessarily more stable. It depends on the center of gravity compared to track width...

I actually hit my chain guard when it fell off. I have an 8' dual spindle brush cutter. Hitting the chain guard broke a blade and bent the others. The spindles and stump jumpers were OK.

If you can afford it, still get a ZTR for most of your mowing. I used to have a Kubota B7100 HST with a 60" mower. It took me about 3-3.5 hours to mow 5 acres, and then I still had to trim up with a push mower and a weedwhacker, as a tractor cannot get into tight places. My Bad Boy ZTR mows the...

Are they still in business? Cannot access their web page.

Wow! I bet you could do each hole in under a minute with that.

Some tool rental places might have those. Check with them.

For tilling and mowing, I agree with you. But I believe people should never work in the woods with a gear drive tractor. Death or serious injury can happen in a heartbeat. I am alive today because I was able to stop with my HST when a sapling kicked up on the front axle and almost impaled me. As...

I would suggest that if you do work in the woods, you only consider HST tractors, as they will stop just by releasing the pressure on the pedal. This could save your life. I agree with the general size. Much more than 50 Hp will be too bulky in the woods. I have similar acreage and I bought a...

I am shocked that it has a metal tank. I had a Kubota B7100, which had a plastic tank. I now have a Mahindra 5035 HST, also with a plastic tank. I think plastic is a better choice to avoid corrosion.

I use my Stihl MS500i for almost everything. It is actually less tiring for me than the 50-75 cc saws I have used in the past, as it gets the job done much faster. My only other saw is a Kobalt 80 volt electric. It is ample to do quick limbing and to carry on the tractor when I bushhog trails in...

I am sure that happened. I bought a "new" printer at Wal-Mart and found a used printer inside the box. Fortunately, they took it back. It is sad that dishonest people do such things. But Lowe's should still honor the return, because it behooves them to inspect returned items before returning...

I can buy a chainsaw that is adequate to cut 6 cords of firewood per year for less than $500. The MS500i goes for well over double that. Since I do not sell firewood, the extra cost is not based on economic grounds. The point applies regardless of product type. And you still used "non sequitur"...

I used to have a Kubota B7100 HST 4wd that I used with a rear mower to mow my lawn. I also used it with a brush cutter to mow fields and trails. I used my FEL to shove trees out of the way on trails, to load manure, and as a portable 550#crane with an 8' high reach. In short, I used all of its...

I don't think you know the meaning of "non sequitur" It means "it does not follow", which would only make sense if a logical assertion were being made, which was not the case. My chainsaw example was just an example of how not all purchases are made based on monetary benefit. Sometimes they are...

5k is the top line. 1.5k is the cost. Cost and benefit are two different things. From a business viewpoint, benefit must exceed cost to make sense. For a homeowner, the benefits are not always monetary. For example, I bought a Stihl MS500i chainsaw to cut about 6 cords of firewood per year. Is...

you actually need to include the time value and inflation effects to give a true cost of ownership in today's dollars. For example, that $10K residual 10 years from now might be worth only 5K in today's dollars.

If water were not a problem, you could always do it at night or very early in the morning, with artificial lighting.

It would be bad for your health and bad for the plants. Postpone it.

Let me offer an alternative approach. Limb the top as best you can so that the top can fall freely. Then plunge cut the trunk right on top of the berm, down to within an inch or two of the berm. If you can reach the top away from the berm, cut it into sections. If not, cut the top at the berm...

Not feasible for many people to go that way. The current electric grid cannot handle it. And the batteries are a serious potential pollutant when disposed of. New batteries cost $$$

Not to be too redundant, but I originally used a 4WD Kubota tractor with a 60" rear-mount mower. It took me 5 hours to mow 5 acres, and then I had to trim around trees with a push mower. I bought a Bad Boy ZTR from TSC about 15 years ago, and it mows the same 5 acres in 90 minutes, with no need...

I had that happen to me when I bought a "new" printer at Walmart. They took it back, of course. But they had to waste time processing it, which could have been avoided if they inspected the returned merchandise.

I used to have the B7100 also. Great little tractor. I don't think I will outgrow the Mahindra 5035, however. My woods would make a larger tractor difficult.

I had a similar thought when I bought my Mahindra 5035HST. It is a CUT with 49 bare engine Hp, HST drive, 4WD, empty weight about 5400#. With a loader, weighted tires and an 8' dual spindle brush cutter, it weighs almost 11000 lb, and is close to 20 feet long. It was the biggest thing I could...

Since "loan" is a noun, not a verb, you can lend it out but you cannot loan it out. But I would not do so unless I knew the person very well. And I would definitely charge for it.

The mark of a good brand name is that it becomes used as a generic name for the kind of product it is. Bush Hog has achieved that. So has Kleenex, and, to a lesser extent, Coke, Frigidaire, Bendix and a few other brands.

It would depend a lot on specific models. For example, John Deere does not manufacture some of their smaller models, which are made by Yanmar. Overall, probably Kubota tops the list for smaller tractors (<100 Hp). But who really knows? There is not a "Consumer Reports" for tractors; the evidence...

IMHO, though Kubota is a great tractor, it is a bit pricey. I ended up getting a Mahindra 5035 HST. That is a bit bigger than you might be looking for, but the loader can lift 2700# and the 3-point can lift about 3000#. Lift height is about 10 feet, if I recall. It weighs about 1500# more than...

I use a big fat black permanent marker to put the mix ratio on the jug. I leave it blank for straight gasoline.

Almost a year ago, I bought a Stihl MS500i. It is the least fatiguing saw I have used. Not just because it is light for its power, but because it cuts fast and has a broad torque band. I am a "senior citizen" also.

Probably the repairs would cost far less than a new truck. But, as previous posters have said, anything made of rubber will probably be dry rotted.

I research online, then come in for a test drive and closing the deal. I suspect there are many more like me. If a dealer does not have a website, I will not even know he exists.

Power has a big impact on ability to run rotary equipment such as mowers and rototillers. But weight determines how much you can pull, unless you do not have enough power to pull even in low gear.

Exactly. However, steel chains actually reduce traction on pavement. They are best at improving traction on ice. Not sure what they do on mud.

That tire has many advantages, but higher traction is not one of them.

That, among other things, is why I ended up buying a Mahindra. It replaced my worn-out Kubota.

The way the tractor broke seems opposite of what would happen with too much weight in the FEL. It would bend upward in the middle.

Not worth $32K in that condition.

Odd. Biodiesel is more expensive than petro diesel.

It may be that the off road pump does not have as much turnover as the normal pump, resulting in more water, etc.

Sounds like the fuel was not dewaxed at the refinery. They are supposed to do that even before hydrocracking.

I would look at Mahindra also. But find out who makes the model you look at. Mahindra makes some of their own tractors and re-brands others.

I use my quick hitch for logging. Since it weighs only about 80#, it is no good for ballast. The 1350# I get in my tires from Rimguard helps a lot. I run it isn 4WD wen logging. My front loader is quite heavy with a 4-way blade, so it never does wheelies.

One thing to keep in mind is that Rimguard does not put additional load on the rear axle, so it will not reduce bearing life. Any ballast attached to the 3-point hitch will increase bearing load and decrease life.

My advice would be to consider getting a tractor and a zero turn mower. I mowed for years with a tractor. It was a crappy way to mow. It took about 3-4 hours to mow 5 acres, with a 5' rear mount finishing mower. And I had to go back with a push mower for the tight spots. My ZTR gets the whole...

Mahindra uses almost all metal. But eventually metal will rust. Not sure if that is better than plastic for non-structural parts. In any case, I chose based on weight, tire size, axle size, etc., not on body materal.

I don't know how Sta-Bil actually works, but it is fully miscible with gasoline and diesel, so it will not form a layer on top. I use it in the fuel for my ZTR, Chainsaw, weed whacker, UTV and tractor, as none of these are used frequently enough to assure fresh fuel turnover. So far, I have not...

I guarantee, if you hit an unseen obstacle in the woods, even at low speed, your foot would jerk away from the clutch pedal. And if the tractor really did start to do a wheelie, at 1 mph with a 50" tire, it would take about 2s to reach 90 degrees, the point of no return. My bet is you would have...

I used a 1974 Ford 4010, I think. It was about 53 Hp, as I recall, and dry weight a bit over 5000#. It had a 3-speed trans and a high and low range. Low range was pretty slow in 1st gear. We added wheel weights to the front, so it was pretty stable. But it was a 2WD tractor, so it was not that...

Actually it does have to do with the transmission. If you have a gear drive, it will not stop unless you push in the clutch. This requires fast action and coordination. With an HST, if your foot goes off the HST pedal, which it will do when you start to flip or rollover, it will stop. So it...

It depends on the use. If the main use is mowing/brush cutting, extra weight just wases fuel moving the tractor around. But for heavy pulling and FEL work, weight is quite important. That is why I chose the Mahindra over the Kubota, though I have had a Kubota in the past. But the Mahindra weighs...

I have used 1/2" cable chokers. I prefer chain chokers, as they are not springy and are easier to rig with grab hooks. They are rather heavy though. I have not broken any designated chain chokers, even though I have exceeded their load rating. I guess they use pretty good chain stock.

Bad assumption on your part. I have used a gear drive tractor for over 30 years. I have never operated it the way you describe. Perhaps that is why I am still alive. But what I am talking about is physics, not operator error.

I have used gear drives tractors in the field. No problem. I am specifically cautioning against their use in the woods, for small logging use. It is true that for PTO efficiency, gear is better. But I can run an 8' dual spindle brush cutter with my 5035, which has a bare engine rating of 49 hp...

It is not about stopping. It is about keeping the tractor from flipping. It takes very little time for a tractor to go 90 degrees, or to flip over if you hit an unseen stump. I am talking times of less than 0.5 seconds. Meanwhile, you are being tossed around in a way that makes it unlikely you...

My FEL is a 4-way and is quite heavy. The bucket weighs about 1000#. But I usually fill it up with firewood for additional front end weight.

Ditto. I have had both. I have a mild preference for the treadle pedal, but my Mahindra has a dual pedal design, and I have no problem with it.

While that is true, the top link will never be in compression while lifting an implement or mowing. Only when plowing or possibly discing will this happen.

I have to add my 2 cents worth. I would not recommend EVER using any kind of gear drive tractor for logging, stump pulling, etc., unless it is weighted so heavily in the front that it cannot possibly do a wheelie, especially when pulling a log that if lifted up so the pulling force goes to the...

To my amazement, I found I could pull a 60 foot long, 20" diameter log at the butt end, up a 5-10 degree slope with my Mahindra 5035. I use a quick hitch with a towbar on the lower link end as a dragging device. I use the upper link to get the log off the ground when I can get the tractor close...

I hope to get a logging winch for cases like that someday.

Indeed. That is why I am happy I finally bought a zero turn mower. Extra cost, but it mows the lawn in 1/3 of the time compared to using a tractor with a 3-point mower. That also let me go to a larger tractor (Mahindra 5035HST) with ag tires, that I never use on my lawn. I use it for...

Not quite correct. Any weight carried by the 3-point hitch actually reduces the weight on the front axle. Simple physics; the lever principle.

Mahindra 5035HST. The dealer told me it was 1300# per tire. I specifically asked that. Rimguard is 10.7-11 lb/gallon, so that works out to 120 gallons or so per tire. Rear tire size is 16.9x24. Since that seems a bit much to fit into the tire, I decided to look it up on the Rimguard site. Lo and...

I have loaded rear tires, which adds 1300# per tire. Still not enough to make the tractor behave well in 2WD on hills with no rear attachment. Even with a rear attachment, it sometimes gets stuck in mud or when trying to back up. So, I use 4WD whenever I will be on any slope or in muddy...

It actually takes me several minutes to change out a chain; the bar never seems to sit still wile I try to get everything in the groove and sprocket. Maybe I will get better at it! I am in Ohio, so everything I cut is hardwood. Mostly it is several species of oak, with some hickory, walnut...

A lot of the stuff I buy on Amazon is not available at my local stores. When it is available, usually, but not always, it is about 20% higher at the local stores. And it costs me $0.60/mile to go get it driving my truck, unless I combine several trips. I do buy Stihl chain usually from my local...

I don't think sharpening that often is necessary. I usually do it every 2nd or 3rd fuel fill-up, or when the cutting speed seems to have fallen off about 20%. I don't wait until it smokes or makes sawdust! With the Pferd tool, it takes less than 5 minutes to fully sharpen a 20" RS chain, and it...

To answer the original question of the thread, I highly recommend the Stihl MS500i. It is lighter than any other saw I know of that puts out 6.7 Hp. I find it less fatiguing to use than other saws I have owned. With an RS chain, it should cut around twice as fast as a Stihl MS271. I run a 20"...

Get the Pferd version of that tool. They actually make it for Stihl but sell it for less under their own name. I guess orange plastic is more expensive than blue! (Similar situation with Logrite, who makes the Stihl-branded peaveys, etc.)

I am a little late for this thread, but I have an Intimidator UTV, which is also marketed by Mahindra under their nameplate. I have the "crew" model, which seats 6 people who don't mind being really close! I chose it because it had the heftiest axles and brakes on the market at the time I bought...

I have had lithium ion batteries still work after being idel for a year. They may slowly discharge, but it is very slowly.

I have had a cordless shaver quit on me while shaving, leaving some whiskers pinched in the cutterhead. Ouch!

I have owned both. Kubota is a very reliable brand. However, they are not built as heavy as Mahindra for a given Hp rating. The Mahindra models usually weigh about 20% more, and have larger times, bigger axles, more lift capacity, etc. So, in my opinion, Mahindra is better for utility work. For...

I used to mow with a Kubota 4WD 16 Hp tractor with R1 tires. Turf damage was minimal. Ride was a bit rough. But now I use a ZTR. Much faster mowing, and no need to break out a push lawn mower for tough spots. However, a ZTR has trouble with wet or highly sloped conditions. I have to wait for a...

Somehow I missed that. A lot of the other suggestions in this thread would also destroy the bolt, such as torqueing it until it breaks.

The first time I tried to use mine, the clamp bolts failed under a 1200# load, though they were rated for 4000#. I had the thinh reinforced at a weld shop and have 1.5" bolts now. That sems to work. The original bolts were about 7/16".

True. Most tractors do not have front brakes. That makes it useful to operate in FWD when lifting a heavy object with the loader. In FWD, the front axle is lined to the rear through the transmission, so applying the rear brakes also stops the front wheels.

Not only that, but if you lift large objects high without rolling the bucket downward to keep it level, the large objects can roll down the loader frame, right into you! Think round bales, for example.

I am rather surprised no one suggested a simple nut breaker. If you can get to the nut, and have a nut breaker of the right size, it works every time. Example...

That is why I bought a Mahindra. No DEF system to worry about.

No magic math. It is a simple lever formula. The torque or moment is equal to the weight times its center of gravity distance from the fulcrum, which is the front axle. The CG must include the loader assembly as well as the lifted load. The counter torque is the weight of the rest of the tractor...

Amsoil full synthetic oils beat all others in terms of oxidation resistance, volatility, lower friction and wear and overall longevity. I would never use anything else unless the engine leaked like a sieve. No, I do not work for Amsoil. But I have seen many comparative test reports by...

A few tips from my own experience with a tree farm in Ohio. 1) 4WD is pretty essential working in the woods 2) Get a hydrostatic transmission (HST). A gear drive can flip over when hitting an obstacle, faster than you can react by depressing a clutch pedal. Also, if a branch hits you in the...

I have used Sta-Bil with 10% ethanol fuel for my chain saws for a couple of decades now. No fuel-related problems. Best not to go more than a year in storage for the mix, though. They claim 2 years.

Glad my Mahindra 5035HST has no computer.

You forgot the built-in toilet and microwave.

I am amazed that some have never had a click pin fall out. I run into some heavy brush, including stick and saplings, and even zip ties over the click pons are not foolproof. I use double butted bolts instead of pins for my main lift arms on the bush hog now (8', dual spindle) and that works. I...

I do a lot of work in the woods. I have a Mahindra 5035HST, 4wd. It is nominally 50 Hp, and weighs about 11000 lb when I have it set up for bushhogging, about 10,000 when I have it set up for logging. I would not have a gear drive in the woods. Too much danger of flipping on an unseen stump or...

Number of cylinders does not determine power or torque. Total displacement is closer to determining it, but a low displacement engine can put out more power by running at higher rpm. Look at race car engines! Naval ships often have few cylinders but huge displacement at low rpm. I was on a...

If I had the money, I would have a custom-built cab with a forestry package to protect it from limbs. Yes, I do go into the woods. we have a tree farm consisting of big hardwoods. I do tire of getting whacked on the back of my neck with branches the ROPS has caught. I had a belly guard made to...

I have a 50 Hp Mahindra, 4WD HST. Its base weight is about 1400 lb more than the comparable Kubota model, and it has larger axles and tires and greater loader and 3-point lift capacity. I have had it for 6 years now, with few problems-just a collapsed rubber fuel line and a wheel that came off...

I had a Kubota B7100 for about 30 years. I finally figured out that a tractor is not a very good mower. I now have a zero turn mower (BadBoy), which mows much better. I also got a much bigger tractor for heavy work in the woods: a Mahindra 50 Hp 4WD HST model. Having a ZTR and a tractor will...

I just cannot worry about this. The best long-term climate data we have suggests that temperature change drives CO2 change, not the other way around. And we are actually at a below average CO2 content relative to long-term norms. It reached 15000 ppm when the dinosaurs were on the earth. while...

This might be a dumb question, but where is it? The Mahindra manual says it is on the right hand side of the rear housing, but the illustration does not look like anything I see there. They also refer to unscrewing 4 bolts on a cover plate, but no bolts are visible in the photo. I am doe for the...

I was inspired by seeing all of these ideas. I ended up using composite decking board for mine, attaching it to a Mahindra ML-130 loader on a 5035 tractor. I used a dado blade to hollow out the inside of the sheath to 1/2" total

I thought of the plastic barrel approach, but their bottoms are rather flat. Heating them to change the shape is an iffy proposition. But I found out that used olive and pickle barrels have a more rounded bottom, so I plan to try one of those. They look like this:

You asked for pix, so here are some. I just got it yesterday. One note: at over 10,000 lb as equipped, it doesn't climb even gentle slopes in high range!

Many forums have discussed the transmissions available: gear, shuttle or hydrostatic. One point that I have not seen mentioned is safety. With any gear drive tractor, if you get into a situation where the tractor is apt to flip over or roll over, you must rapidly find the clutch and disengage it...