namesray
Platinum Member
Get a bigger tractor or keep hat I have?
I am looking for all opinions and some common sense on if I should get a bigger tractor. For the past 8 plus years I have been maintaing 119 acres and running a firewood and mowing business with 2 kubota b series tractors. A b7800 with fel 30 hp and weighs about 3000. And a b3200 with mid mower and bush hog, 32 hp and tractor weighs about 2800lbs.
For the most part the b7800 is used for the firewood end and the b3200 is the main mowing tractor. Saves a lot of switching implements between jobs, especially since I also work another full time job and have to make every minute count.
I am doing over 400 face cord of firewood (I winch/skid tops out of woods, block, split, deliver) bush hogging over 100 acres (commercially) with 5 ft bush hog and mowing between 10 to 15 lawns and small cemetary. (Also have zero turn for lawn mowing 50in simplicity)
To my point, I put over 600 hours between the 2 tractors a year and I am using them almost everyday. My business is making me good money th way it is, but it sems I am workig awful hard with just a little too small of tractors. The b7800 is a little light for skidding logs, and fel is a little light on lifting capacity and height/reach to load my dump truck, which I do a lot. And many times I wish I had a 6 ftbush hog (about 16% faster by my calcs compared to 5 ftr.)
I like being able to go on lawns and wet areas with the lighter b series kubotas, but feel like I am missing the efficiency of some pulling force and pto hp. I know I can't have it all.
the tractors I have in my sights are a kubota L 3800. Or L3901. They fall in the proper weight range (can't go too big as I only have a 7000lb trailer, 5000lb cargo) Also a nortrac (foton) 35xt fits the specs and price range. The kubotas are around 25k to 27k new and as low as 17000 used, but far away. Kubota dealer close by, but only has new tractors. Nortrac, I have researched a lot and I would love to give them a try, but havn't set a demo up yet. No other deales close by.
I like both my b series kubotas I have now and I am very fortunate to have such nice equipmnt, but always thinking that bigger would be better. I would hate to trade one of the b tractors in and the larger one not work as good as I thought, but maybe if I did trade up, I would wished I did it years ago.
Please give opinions and talk some sence to me as I can not make up my mind. Thanks in advance.
I am looking for all opinions and some common sense on if I should get a bigger tractor. For the past 8 plus years I have been maintaing 119 acres and running a firewood and mowing business with 2 kubota b series tractors. A b7800 with fel 30 hp and weighs about 3000. And a b3200 with mid mower and bush hog, 32 hp and tractor weighs about 2800lbs.
For the most part the b7800 is used for the firewood end and the b3200 is the main mowing tractor. Saves a lot of switching implements between jobs, especially since I also work another full time job and have to make every minute count.
I am doing over 400 face cord of firewood (I winch/skid tops out of woods, block, split, deliver) bush hogging over 100 acres (commercially) with 5 ft bush hog and mowing between 10 to 15 lawns and small cemetary. (Also have zero turn for lawn mowing 50in simplicity)
To my point, I put over 600 hours between the 2 tractors a year and I am using them almost everyday. My business is making me good money th way it is, but it sems I am workig awful hard with just a little too small of tractors. The b7800 is a little light for skidding logs, and fel is a little light on lifting capacity and height/reach to load my dump truck, which I do a lot. And many times I wish I had a 6 ftbush hog (about 16% faster by my calcs compared to 5 ftr.)
I like being able to go on lawns and wet areas with the lighter b series kubotas, but feel like I am missing the efficiency of some pulling force and pto hp. I know I can't have it all.
the tractors I have in my sights are a kubota L 3800. Or L3901. They fall in the proper weight range (can't go too big as I only have a 7000lb trailer, 5000lb cargo) Also a nortrac (foton) 35xt fits the specs and price range. The kubotas are around 25k to 27k new and as low as 17000 used, but far away. Kubota dealer close by, but only has new tractors. Nortrac, I have researched a lot and I would love to give them a try, but havn't set a demo up yet. No other deales close by.
I like both my b series kubotas I have now and I am very fortunate to have such nice equipmnt, but always thinking that bigger would be better. I would hate to trade one of the b tractors in and the larger one not work as good as I thought, but maybe if I did trade up, I would wished I did it years ago.
Please give opinions and talk some sence to me as I can not make up my mind. Thanks in advance.