Kubota for Mowing, Grading and Moving Rocks

[Junguda]

We have 51 acres in Tennessee with a lot of "Up and Down". There's 300 feet of elevation from lowest point to hilltop flats. There are about 7 acres that currently get mowed, 1/2 mile gravel drive to house on hillside. There are another 7 acres that could be mowed if we had roads/trails to them.

My wife, kids and I have been mowing with a deck mower pulled behind a four-wheeler (Now we have broken welds on deck mower, and the four-wheeler is dead).

I need to grade the drive (box scraper), cut swails (sp) for drainage, mow, move rocks/trees and cut new roads into the woods and up hillsides. The potential trails/drives would be narrow, winding (switchbacks) and steep in places. I like the idea of a shorter/lower tractor, with tight turning radius.

I started out with the B's and got talked into looking at the Grand L's, and now the salesman is concerned that I may need an M Series. He keeps saying I don't want to buy too small.

I have a half-ton 4x4 pickup for towing (no goose-neck).

I would appreciate any suggestions or tips on things to consider for this type of work.

Thanks in advance - Dave (Junguda)

 

[FL_Cracker]

We have almost the same setup. I live in BlueRidge, GA and own 52 acres. 250-300' elevation change and I mow 8 acres. I have 2500' of gravel roads and several field trails. I use to have a Kubota 2850 and it was OK for mowing but fell short on power to move dirt, gravel or clear trees. I traded it for a NH LS180 Skid Steer loader and did a lot of my major projects this winter. Now that most of that is done I'm looking to trade that back in and I have my eyes on a L5030 w/FEL and BH90 BH. I too think you want to get as much mussle as you can. Horse Power is it. Stay with the Grand L with HST, it makes life so much easier when mowing and clearing. I will get the Bobcat front plate on the FEL and I already have a grapple I can use on it. I don't want to spend to long mowing grass so I think I will try a Woods RM990 HD finish mower. Nice wide swath and med. cut "H"

As for the 1/2 ton 4x4, you could pull it with that truck but not great. It really takes a 3/4 or 1 ton to get a good feel. Just a little around town moves maybe OK but I wouldn't want to tow it too far. It's not that the 4x4 doesn't have the power but rather the ability to stop and it also doesn't control it to well. Sways around too much.

Hope all this helps.

BTW if it's means anything, my business for the last 25 years has been truck equipment, trailers, trailer hitches etc..... (In Florida)

Good luck. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[frank_f15]

without actually laying my eyeballs on your land i would think the upper end of the L series should do the job, the M will defenitly do it easier but you will never tow that with a 1/2 ton pickup.