Tractor Sizing Finding the right fit?

[pipetrencher]

If you want a backhoe, please disregard my comments. I do things that I want to / enjoy that don't make sense to everyone.

If your driveway is 1,300 SF and not 1,300 feet long, anything will work just fine.

You should get plenty of advice on mowing. My first choice is a rear finish mower. Many prefer a zero-turn or belly mower, and the discussions always include flail mowers. I think the one thing that most would agree on is that it's desirable to have something at least 5 feet wide unless you really enjoy riding mowers. I guess that if I had a wife who wanted to help mow every time and two mowers that totaled 88" it could be doable.

If I didn't have to spend a whack of doe, i'd be a happy camper without a BH. But I just think that in the long run it's the way to go. And yeah I guess I gotta be honest, the kid in me can't wait to dig some trenches

Driveway total area is 1300 sq/ft total, so cool

I actually did want a 0turn, but I just couldn't buck up the extra cash. So I figured along the lines of what you mentioned, 88" of cut for $2,400. Hopefully she can do it all when I'm workin'

Thanks

 

[Diggin It]

Thanks for the specs Diggin,

2097 lbs of Bucket digging force. That is the BH and not the FEL correct? Assuming the BH, would you say if considering a small 12" bucket, that would pretty much tackle my digging needs? (assuming compact soil) Also 4.6 G/M flow. Is this good enough.

I ask these questions because I have read some of the mid size/bigger BH's have double and triple these specs. Is double and triple overkill for my application?

Those of us that have them don't think they're incapable, but we recognize the limitations. I'm new to hydraulic equipment in general, so I take it slow and try to learn what it can and can't do along the way. I wouldn't try to dig a basement, but I've read that others have. It is not a construction equivalent backhoe, but it will do most of what an average homeowner would need to do. I've dug out some pretty good stumps from dry red rock gravel/clay that you can't even begin to get a hand shovel into.

 

[pipetrencher]

With 0% interest from many dealers, and a warranty, buying new can make sense.

It is one reason I am looking at a New Holland. In my case, the LS has a better offering to meet my needs and lower price, but does not offer 0%. Buying it will ding my bank account. Do not discount the LS line up. It offers a lot of tractor at a significant savings over the green and orange lines.

BTW, in my limited experience, both the LS dealers closest to me are much easier to work with. My green and orange dealers can be arrogant SOB's. YOU ARE BUYING THE DEALER too so always bear that in mind.

Good luck

A SCUT can do a lot of work but it will take a bit more time. It is a trade off.

I kinda figured it was only a matter of time before someone posted this. Let's face it, I would love to have a new unit, and getting real support when you really need it is a god sent. But even a new scut with fel and bh without the MM mower will run me 24k. I have a truck and a family vehicle both older models but paid for. I just don't like having payments over and above the mortgage.

Regarding time to do the job...... That's fine, NP time fly's when you're doing stuff like this (unless you do it everyday maybe)

All I can say is, if I were a mechanic I wouldn't even ponder new, but being somewhat of a ****** I do have to consider it, so thanks.

 

[pipetrencher]

Welcome to TBN "pipe". You've always needed a tractor, you just needed the right property.:thumbsup:

Ha ha.......... you bet...

 

[pipetrencher]

I was looking at this

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-ot...or/1422967921?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Only thing that "I" didn't really like off the bat was that the previous owner a landscaper? I just figured that if the O/O was in the seat he may not have been to harsh, but the applications the tractor must have been put through are probably more than a home owner ever would have had to do. And if a worker was in the seat, only god knows what he would have been doing with the thing?

I'm looking at something along these lines because of the comment by "LS mt125 owner". He did a lot with a similar type tractor.

Thoughts?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I was looking at this

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-ot...or/1422967921?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Only thing that "I" didn't really like off the bat was that the previous owner a landscaper? I just figured that if the O/O was in the seat he may not have been to harsh, but the applications the tractor must have been put through are probably more than a home owner ever would have had to do. And if a worker was in the seat, only god knows what he would have been doing with the thing?

I'm looking at something along these lines because of the comment by "LS mt125 owner". He did a lot with a similar type tractor.

Thoughts?

Yes, that is a capable machine. Not too bad of a price. They may be willing to drop even further. Look it over closely, check the fluids, have them let you drive it around and try all the movements of the loader and backhoe. See if they will do a 30 day "bumper to bumper" warranty if you find something wrong.

Like Diggin it said, these are not full size machines, but are quite capable. It just takes a little longer to do some things.

I hope you are able to find something that will "fit" into your budget. That's the tough part. I was very limited in budget, trying to save all my available funds to pay for materials for building a new house. Of course I wanted to get a bigger tractor...we all do... But having a smaller tractor that will do the work, vs. not having one at all, was not even a question. In a couple of years, IF, my needs change, I could sell / trade / keep, Or just get a bigger tractor.... The key word was "if".... Maybe not.

 

[pipetrencher]

Those of us that have them don't think they're incapable, but we recognize the limitations. I'm new to hydraulic equipment in general, so I take it slow and try to learn what it can and can't do along the way. I wouldn't try to dig a basement, but I've read that others have. It is not a construction equivalent backhoe, but it will do most of what an average homeowner would need to do. I've dug out some pretty good stumps from dry red rock gravel/clay that you can't even begin to get a hand shovel into.

Thanks, that's the kind of information I'm talking about. Specs are specs and they are meaningful but what you just mentioned sounds about as much as I would ever need.

So a scut may be on the horizon yet?

Thanks again...

 

[Diggin It]

But even a new scut with fel and bh without the MM mower will run me 24k.

Mine was around $18K with FEL, MMM, BH, 48" Tiller and Subsoiler/Middlebuster. That last two added just under $1700 to the total.

 

[nards444]

15k is going to limit your choices for new unless you go for the small machines like in the 18-19hp range. Think you will be close if you look at LS, TYM, branson, and maybe Mahindra. Anything JD or Kubota is going to be well into the 20s.

As for your ditch, back hoe for tractors cost a lot of money like 5k a lot of money. If it were a one time deal Id rent an excavator or the attachment for the weekend.

 

[dodge man]

I'm also going to steer you away from getting a back hoe, the main reason being cost. It adds about 5k or even a little more to the cost. Rent a trencher for a day and you can get a lot of work done in a short time.

For reference, bought the following about 2 months ago. A JD2025, loader, 60" autoconnect mower, pallet forks and loaded rear tires. As I recall the out the door price was between 20 and 21k. I normally am a cash buyer but there was a $200 incentive to finance it. I don't even have to make a payment until next year but traded in a Kubota BX worth 7k. There seems to be a point when buying used doesn't make sense, looking at lower hour used machines it doesn't cost much more to get new. If you start looking at machines with a 1000 hours the cost goes down.

A SCUT or a CUT? There is no right or wrong answer. I just switched from a SCUT to a CUT. For mowing the smaller lighter tractor is better, for everything else, bigger is better. Good luck in your search.