Greetings from SE PA

[TheMadOne]

What is your budget?

Cabs and untamed forests are non-mixy things without great care from the operator.

Are you planning on grooming the whole 7 acres or are you just looking to clean up the edges? If you just want to clean up the edges I'd suggest a ratchet rake over spending money on a brush cutter. Just rip out the nasty stuff and either plant what you want or keep it tidy with the lawn mower.

If the grading on your property is really far off, hire out to have it fixed. No 35ish hp tractor will be able to dramatically alter the lay of the land in anything resembling a reasonable timescale. You could do it, I'm sure. But it would take a long time.

For a long driveway, a box blade is pretty much standard. I'd throw in a Ratchet Rake as well(Yes, I know I already recommended getting one, they're really useful in multiple applications). I just graded the hill of my driveway, about 200ft, due to the recent storms. I spent about an hour on the tractor and there are no more ruts.

Some extras are just creature comforts, like cruse control. Some are huge quality of life improvements, like top and tilt. If the model you're looking at doesn't have factory offered TnT, you can usually buy the cylinders aftermarket, just make sure you have enough remotes to power them.

Get either an actual quick hitch or a Pat's Easy Hitch. Dealing with 3pt hookups without something like that can be a royal pain.

Avoid turnbuckle stabilizers if possible, again you can usually get the good pin style ones aftermarket if they're not offered standard on the tractor.

 

[c304]

Right now, time is more important to me than money, but if I can keep it under ~$30K I don't have to tell my wife. She just bought a new Honda Pilot Elite, so now is the best opportunity for me to get by with as little scrutiny as possible.

For the cab, what's the concern, that you can crack the windshield running into a low branch? I just assumed I'd always be backing into the woods, mower first, and never going more than a few feet in at a time. I have no interest in clearing out the forest, just pushing the weeds back so they're maybe 3 feet behind the tree line. Right now, they're 4 feet in front of the trees. I don't intend to turn the area I mow under into lawn, I just want nicer wild plants that attract wildlife, make pretty flowers, etc.. The other thing in my favor is that most of the trees here are 40-50 feet high and there are almost no low branches of any significant size. Just saplings down there for now. So aside from cost (which is a lot for some glass and a roof) it's a matter of how much foul weather (snow removal, hot summer digging) there is vs woods work.

This might be a stupid question, but can you stand on the roof? I assume my first thread is the best time to ask stupid questions.

Ratchet rake is new to me, looks really cool. For small areas looks much easier to work compared to something on a 3pt. How different is it from a clamp-on tooth bar?

I'm getting quotes on grading now. Probably makes sense to have someone come out and do the heaviest work the first time and I'll just do small fixes after that.

Top and tilt is also new to me. Neat. Seems very useful things like blades which otherwise wouldn't use rear hydraulics. Does it go by any other name if it's sold as an option from the factory? I've never seen something like that in a tractor brochure.

Also never heard of the easy hitch thing before either. Thanks for the tip.

 

[AxleHub]

C304, I'm a little confused regarding your primary needs vs your wish list. Can I assume you want a nice lawn and not a farm lawn? If so then a sub compact tractor is going to be much gentler on a lawn than is a compact tractor. If you will be having considerable lawn a diesel tractor with either a pull-behind finish mower or a mid mount mowerdeck will operate at a lower cost than a gas zero turn and give you a very nice cut.

You also talked about getting narrower to reach into spaces between trees to pull out brush etc.. This would be done easier with a SCUT with a narrow grapple that is either 2 feet wide or yet another version which is just over 1 foot wide. Also both of those sized grapples can be used to lift big rock (up to 28 inch diameter rock) or log pieces or branches as well as brush.

. Again I'm still referring to a SCUT which can lift 800 pounds and is only 45 inches wide. With properly sized implements an 800 pound or so payload lift is a considerable amount

You asked why 25 HP when 35 or 45 HP is available. Well a SCUT in tier 4 is a very simple to maintain unit but a 35 or 45 HP unit in tier 4 has more cost and maintenance issues. It all depends on how much physical size you can tolerate to do the activities you desire. Bigger only is better if it doesn't restrict your activities often.

I'd suggest you drive to your local Massey or kubota dealer and test drive a gc1715 and gc1720 in Massey or a bx2680 and bx25d in kubota so you can see maneuvering and handling. I mention both brands because each feels different. I mention 2 models in each because each is with and without a backhoe. You need to see how good the handling is and how gentle they are on your lawn compared to compact sized tractors.

My point is. . . Don't think in terms of "what is the most I can spend". Think in terms of "what is the best I can use on a daily basis".

Now the grapples I talked of. . . Neither Massey or kubota sell the ones I'm talking about. They come from a u.s. company that makes implements and accessory items specifically for sub compact tractors. . . Using less weight but stronger design and materials.

My point is . . . take all the opinion TBN offers . . . But don't let us posters design or determine what you "should have" . . . Only you can properly determine that.

Jmho

AxleHub

 

[IH3444]

Frame Size, Frame Size, Frame Size. Mid PTO to drive front mount snowblower for 2500ft gravel drive. Hp may not be as important as having a good size frame tractor.
Under 25hp excludes you from all the added emission hardware.
CK261 Compact Tractor | Kioti Tractors

 

[WVH1977]

When I started out with my tractor all I had was a grader box and FEL. I cleared piles of brush with the grader box with the scarifiers. I had a tooth bar on the bucket and also used that for digging small shrubs and reaching in for brush and ripping it out. I also did tons of grading with the grader box. You can do a lot of work with just those two implements, chainsaw and a good rope and chain.

It is always nice to have every implement you need when starting out, but it is very expensive. I now have three different style buckets, bush hog, landscape rake, cultivator and tiller. It took me ten years to acquire all the extras. My point is just look for a good tractor with FEL and start from there. You can build up the implements as you go.

If I were looking for a tractor for what you are describing doing I would go with at least a 40 HP. They are not huge by any means and not small either and have good power and size for what you want to do. It might look big at the dealers lot, but like I have stated before once you get it on your property and start using it, it will not seem as big anymore. You will never regret having too much HP.

Even with all the equipment I own now, I still have to get off the tractor from time to time and do some manual labor. Just take your time, enjoy your new property and have fun searching for your tractor.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Right now, time is more important to me than money, but if I can keep it under ~$30K I don't have to tell my wife. She just bought a new Honda Pilot Elite, so now is the best opportunity for me to get by with as little scrutiny as possible.

For the cab, what's the concern, that you can crack the windshield running into a low branch? I just assumed I'd always be backing into the woods, mower first, and never going more than a few feet in at a time. I have no interest in clearing out the forest, just pushing the weeds back so they're maybe 3 feet behind the tree line. Right now, they're 4 feet in front of the trees. I don't intend to turn the area I mow under into lawn, I just want nicer wild plants that attract wildlife, make pretty flowers, etc.. The other thing in my favor is that most of the trees here are 40-50 feet high and there are almost no low branches of any significant size. Just saplings down there for now. So aside from cost (which is a lot for some glass and a roof) it's a matter of how much foul weather (snow removal, hot summer digging) there is vs woods work.

This might be a stupid question, but can you stand on the roof? I assume my first thread is the best time to ask stupid questions.

Ratchet rake is new to me, looks really cool. For small areas looks much easier to work compared to something on a 3pt. How different is it from a clamp-on tooth bar?

I'm getting quotes on grading now. Probably makes sense to have someone come out and do the heaviest work the first time and I'll just do small fixes after that.

Top and tilt is also new to me. Neat. Seems very useful things like blades which otherwise wouldn't use rear hydraulics. Does it go by any other name if it's sold as an option from the factory? I've never seen something like that in a tractor brochure.

Also never heard of the easy hitch thing before either. Thanks for the tip.

Glad to help if you are still running in circles on this.

 

[c304]

Update: Found out I like having someone else mow my lawn. So I'm not going to need a mower until my sons are old enough to do it.

Found a deal on a used Kubota L45. $32K with 900 hours. Messick's says they can get me the 3 point kit for ~$500.

It's from a rental yard, so I have no idea where those 900 hours went to, but on the other hand, the L45 is supposed to be engineered for that type of work. Also, I suspect the rental yard kept up on the maintenance. I like the idea of the HST+ transmission and if I have no intention of mowing my lawn with it, it seems like the perfect size. With the FOPS roof, a soft cab is also an easy option for snow blower work.

I'm going to check it out today or tomorrow. Is there anything I should look out for when I'm there? I'm not thrilled about buying a used tractor just because I know I'm a novice at this, but I don't think I can get a 45HP with backhoe for this price otherwise. There's lots of Kubota equipment around here, too, so I feel a little better about being able to get someone out to fix whatever issues I generate, compared to a LS or Kioti.

 

[c304]

Update: Rented the L45, loved it, especially the HST+. Found out it didn't fit in my garage, so sprung for a used M59 with 650 hours. Figured if I needed to put up a separate pole barn, might as well get the bigger one. My only concern now is finding a good place to get it serviced and have some remotes added so I can run a grapple and offset flail mower. Looking forward to helping the neigbors with the spring cleanup.

 

[Grandad4]

Well, you surely don't mess around! A very nice machine and there can't be much it won't be able to do on or to your six acres. Congratulations!