daltonhawk
New member
I’m looking to make my first tractor purchase and I could use a little advice. We have 10 acres which is about half trees, half garden and field, somewhat hilly. Here’s what I’m looking to do with the tractor:
-loading logs on the sawmill
-moving cut beams, lumber stacks etc.
-running a woodchipper (bought a used bearcat 70554 already, requires 25HP PTO
-maintaining 0.25mile driveway, needs grading and some more gravel
-construction projects
-Cutting 2 acre field that’s too rough for lawn mower.
-Skidding logs
-moving firewood
-moving woodchips, mulch, compost etc.
I started thinking that for all the loader work I should look for something with HST but looking at used tractors there’s really nothing that makes sense, all the used HST tractors are almost as much a new and many of them have very weak loaders that won’t pickup much of a log. Then I started looking at a new Kioti CK3510H which has a respectable 1800Lb loader capacity and noticed the same dealer also has a LS MT235E HST with an LL3302 loader rated for 2150Lbs. Next I started looking at the Branson 3015H which has a 2200Lb loader capacity. I probably would have bought the Branson already but nobody near me has one in stock which sent me back to looking at used again and I noticed a low hour MF 135 with an MF 34 loader that’s rated for a whopping 5000Lbs and also a MF 235 with a big loader nearby.
So I’m wondering if one of these old Massy Ferguson machines would be good for my situation or if the 2WD and clutch would be too irritating with all the loader/forklift work I’d like to do (plus no quick attach.) I also don’t have time for another project so whatever I buy needs to spend a lot more time working than being worked on. The compact tractors might get a little tippy with long logs on them but I don’t need to lift them very high so worst cast I’d probably just bump one end of the log against the ground right?
I’d like to spend about 10K cash or 25K financed so I can keep more money in the bank for some building projects. What machine makes the most sense for my situation?
-loading logs on the sawmill
-moving cut beams, lumber stacks etc.
-running a woodchipper (bought a used bearcat 70554 already, requires 25HP PTO
-maintaining 0.25mile driveway, needs grading and some more gravel
-construction projects
-Cutting 2 acre field that’s too rough for lawn mower.
-Skidding logs
-moving firewood
-moving woodchips, mulch, compost etc.
I started thinking that for all the loader work I should look for something with HST but looking at used tractors there’s really nothing that makes sense, all the used HST tractors are almost as much a new and many of them have very weak loaders that won’t pickup much of a log. Then I started looking at a new Kioti CK3510H which has a respectable 1800Lb loader capacity and noticed the same dealer also has a LS MT235E HST with an LL3302 loader rated for 2150Lbs. Next I started looking at the Branson 3015H which has a 2200Lb loader capacity. I probably would have bought the Branson already but nobody near me has one in stock which sent me back to looking at used again and I noticed a low hour MF 135 with an MF 34 loader that’s rated for a whopping 5000Lbs and also a MF 235 with a big loader nearby.
So I’m wondering if one of these old Massy Ferguson machines would be good for my situation or if the 2WD and clutch would be too irritating with all the loader/forklift work I’d like to do (plus no quick attach.) I also don’t have time for another project so whatever I buy needs to spend a lot more time working than being worked on. The compact tractors might get a little tippy with long logs on them but I don’t need to lift them very high so worst cast I’d probably just bump one end of the log against the ground right?
I’d like to spend about 10K cash or 25K financed so I can keep more money in the bank for some building projects. What machine makes the most sense for my situation?