Hello all, long time lurker, first time poster here.
Need some help choosing a tractor. I'm pretty set on a Kubota, my father has had one for 30 years with no issues, there is a great local dealer nearby, and I like the color orange. Purchased a fixer upper last year at this time and while I was concentrating on finishing the inside first, I've been reading everything I could about the B vs BX.
Some background: Last fall I had about 25 oak and maple trees taken down, some 3+ feet across, others 12" or so. The largest trees were ground down, but there are about eight 12-16" wide stumps in certain areas where I will be building a garage or changing the topography a bit, so I left them with 4 foot high stumps so they can be removed. The area I'm working in is strewn with rocks, some are small boulders that the PO used to decorate with, others are in the ground. For the most part I wouldn't think any are larger than say 2 x 3 feet but of course who knows until I start digging. The total lot is about 2 acres, but only 1 acre will be finished when it is all said and done (I like the woods and privacy). Its on a slight slope, about maybe 1' of rise over 10 feet.
So the goal is to remove the rocks and stumps, grade the property, move some topsoil in and plant grass, move the rocks to make a border to keep the leaves under the trees, and changing the existing swale to be a bit further from the house with better drainage to the sides. At the same time, I'd like to build up an area where the future garage will go so the swale runs behind. I could hire it out, but the labor cost would pay for several years of payments on the tractor, plus I would like one anyway for snow removal, projects around the house, gardening, etc.
I originally wanted a B3200, but with FEL and BH77 its much more than I wanted to spend, and it is probably overkill, so I've narrowed it down between a BX25 and a B2620/FEL/BH65.
So I guess I have the following questions:
How much more real world ability does the the LA504 FEL and BH65 backhoe have over the BX25's? Is it enough to justify the additional cost and/or be the difference between needing to bring in an excavator? Sure wouldn't like to 'sell' the tractor to my wife and then need to hire in/rent a larger piece of equipment.
Also, what would be your recommendation for grading the land afterwards. I really do not know much about it, but it seems like people use box blades? So I would use the FEL/BH to rough it in and then the box blade to finish? Does that favor the larger tractor? On the BX25 I would need to purchase the 3pt hitch as well correct?
Thanks for any insight you might have
Need some help choosing a tractor. I'm pretty set on a Kubota, my father has had one for 30 years with no issues, there is a great local dealer nearby, and I like the color orange. Purchased a fixer upper last year at this time and while I was concentrating on finishing the inside first, I've been reading everything I could about the B vs BX.
Some background: Last fall I had about 25 oak and maple trees taken down, some 3+ feet across, others 12" or so. The largest trees were ground down, but there are about eight 12-16" wide stumps in certain areas where I will be building a garage or changing the topography a bit, so I left them with 4 foot high stumps so they can be removed. The area I'm working in is strewn with rocks, some are small boulders that the PO used to decorate with, others are in the ground. For the most part I wouldn't think any are larger than say 2 x 3 feet but of course who knows until I start digging. The total lot is about 2 acres, but only 1 acre will be finished when it is all said and done (I like the woods and privacy). Its on a slight slope, about maybe 1' of rise over 10 feet.
So the goal is to remove the rocks and stumps, grade the property, move some topsoil in and plant grass, move the rocks to make a border to keep the leaves under the trees, and changing the existing swale to be a bit further from the house with better drainage to the sides. At the same time, I'd like to build up an area where the future garage will go so the swale runs behind. I could hire it out, but the labor cost would pay for several years of payments on the tractor, plus I would like one anyway for snow removal, projects around the house, gardening, etc.
I originally wanted a B3200, but with FEL and BH77 its much more than I wanted to spend, and it is probably overkill, so I've narrowed it down between a BX25 and a B2620/FEL/BH65.
So I guess I have the following questions:
How much more real world ability does the the LA504 FEL and BH65 backhoe have over the BX25's? Is it enough to justify the additional cost and/or be the difference between needing to bring in an excavator? Sure wouldn't like to 'sell' the tractor to my wife and then need to hire in/rent a larger piece of equipment.
Also, what would be your recommendation for grading the land afterwards. I really do not know much about it, but it seems like people use box blades? So I would use the FEL/BH to rough it in and then the box blade to finish? Does that favor the larger tractor? On the BX25 I would need to purchase the 3pt hitch as well correct?
Thanks for any insight you might have