Best CUT attachment for this kind of earthmoving?

[Grandad4]

Nobody has mentioned that there is another good reason to have a tiller or box blade... they are heavy and help balance the weight of whatever is in the bucket. Compact tractors are front heavy to begin with and having a loader and several hundred pounds of dirt in the bucket, you'll need weight in back for traction and stability.

 

[Jchonline]

4 in 1 weighs too much for the FEL. You end up with almost no lift capacity. Lift capacity 650 lbs max height at bucket edge. 4 in 1 weight 280. You lost almost half right there.

Great advice here. Use box blade or something to penetrate and break up the ground. A 2301 doesnt weigh much so it will be a job for sure. Enjoy!

 

[tallguy104]

4 in 1 weighs too much for the FEL. You end up with almost no lift capacity. Lift capacity 650 lbs max height at bucket edge. 4 in 1 weight 280. You lost almost half right there.

Damn. I didn't think of this when I ordered it. That's a good point. Have I made a massive mistake getting a 4-in-1 for this sized tractor?

 

[Wagtail]

Damn. I didn't think of this when I ordered it. That's a good point. Have I made a massive mistake getting a 4-in-1 for this sized tractor?

Not necessarily... it all depends on what you want/need the implement to do. If all you really want to do with a bucket is scoop up stuff (dirt, gravel, compost, etc...) then a regular bucket is all you'll ever need.

Unlike our North American friends a "Grapple" for a tractor FEL isn't readily available (= $$$!) here in Aus, so when it comes to that function, Aussies tend to opt for the 4-in-1. (Yes, I've got one). I like having it because it does more than one thing so I have options (scoop up stuff, grab medium tree trunks/limbs, back-drag stuff...). More 'bang for the buck' for a single purchased implement versus buying 2 or 3 specific implements.

 

[WranglerX]

Consider no matter what type of FEL bucket you have there is going to be a lot of heavy loads in bucket, you really need to consider a Ballast weight in rear to balance the load in "bucket"...

 

[herefromthere]

Can't speak for how you'll be using your tractor the most, but for all the time I spent pondering the backhoe attachment, I found that the box blade to backhoe use ratio is about 50:1. It's been my most useful attachment by far.

 

[metalbender]

Check out Squatch253 on you tube. He uses an old "tumblebug" rotary scraper along with a small plow to move and level areas. I got hooked on the idea and happened to come upon three of these. Some old pics of road construction in NSW show this implement in action. Just looks sweet.

 

[Rdrcr]

I've got my first ever tractor arriving soon! (Kubota B2301). I've got a FEL and 4 in 1 bucket coming with it, as well as a rotary hoe. No other attachments as yet.
I know FELs aren't bulldozers, and I've read the warnings about not abusing your FEL when earthmoving in this thread. I'm determined to do a bunch of earthmoving with it though, thought I understand I will have to take it slow. I really don't want to prematurely destroy my tractor in the process. So I could use your advice!

One of the major tasks I'll be doing is to re-landscape some grassy fields: I want to slice off some ~2'-4' high spots and use this to fill in some low points. We're talking a high spot which is say 30'x30'...so not just smoothing little lumps and bumps in the field. It is all presently covered in grass too. The soil is a clayey basalt, with occasional stones of varying sizes.

To tackle a job like this, I understand from reading the above thread that it could be done by taking it very slow, a few inches at a time, with a tooth bar attached to the bucket. I haven't bought a tooth bar yet. What I'd really like to know is, should I consider using some other attachment for this kind of work? Am I better to run a middle buster or something like this through it a few times, and then use the loader to shift the loosened soil? Would a box blade be a better investment than a middle buster? Maybe I need both? (I have a gravel driveway to maintain, too). What about a back blade or something else?

Any advice or tips appreciated!

Congratulations on your new tractor!
Great advise here in this thread!

I'm a newbie and I've been working my B2601 very similar to what you will be doing with your B2301. I'd definitely recommend a box blade with ripper teeth. I've used the box blade on my B2601 to successfully move earth and level several sections on my property. However, you'll have to be patient with your progress and you'll have to take it slow, inch by inch. Unfortunately, I'm not that patient and I've bought a larger tractor (L2501) to do this type of work on my property (still keeping the B2601). I'll still have to take it slow with the L2501 but, I should be able to get the work done a little quicker with the additional weight of the tractor. Truth be told, the L2501 still isn't the right tool for the job (D6 Dozer would get it done in a day) but, it'll have to serve me for the time being.

Good luck and post some pics when you can.

Mike

 

[tallguy104]

Ok thank you everyone for the advice.
I have considered the back-hoe, and would love to get one, but they're out of my price range.
I'll definitely be buying a (heavy) box blade with rippers to help with this work. Should function as a good counterbalance to the FEL too.

I'm just trying to decide what width box blade to buy. I understand you are supposed to go at least as wide as the tractor so you can drive within a trench you might cut with it. Looking at the Kubota catalogue it says the B2301 has an "Overall width (min. tread) of 45.3"". I'm getting Industrial tyres. Does this mean it will still be 45.3" wide? So a 4' box blade should be ideal? Or might my machine be wider than that with Industrial tyres?

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
I'd suggest the 54" Box Blade for the B2301 with industrial tires (that's the size I have for my B2601 with 2" spacers and R14 tires). You probably could go larger (definitely smaller) but, you don't want to overpower the tractor and stall-out with a Box full of dirt. A 60" would be max but, that might be too big.

I'm sure some more experienced and wiser souls will respond with their recommendations as well...

Mike