Newbie buying a NEW tractor- UT or CUT, that is the question

[flusher]

4WD, hydrostatic tranny, 60 hp (pto) minimum, low center of gravity and wide wheel track for stability on your hilly, uneven ground.

IMHO your biggest concern should be tractor safety and stability on steep, uneven, snow-covered trails. I'd consider installing a set of rubber tracks on your tractor for work in the woods during winter.

File:New Holland T5060, rubber tracks, snow plow 1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Ontario and no cab--that does not compute.

Good luck and be careful out there.

 

[Deerherd]

Great Pics- Those deer are sure pounding the turnips.
Do you need a snow plow even with a bucket ? Just easier to push the snow with a plow vs push and then dump with the bucket.....

Ag tires or Industrial ?

Ag tires no question, and it's over a 1/2 mile just around that one field and I do over two miles total so a plow is the only way to go. A bucket would take forever.

Those are soybeans they want this time of year, not turnips. Cheers!

 

[ovrszd]

I recommend a Utility class tractor. They are so much more stable and comfortable on uneven terrain.

I do not use a cab tractor because I'm in timber so much. But I don't live as far North as you so you'll hafta figure that one out.

I started with a CUT tractor. I realized early on that I was requiring that tractor perform tasks that were above it's abilities. I sold it and moved up to a Utility class. That better suits me.

My Kubota M9540 runs 22mph down the road so roading it a few miles is no problem. The FEL is a beast and will do work that you'd never think possible. The unit weighs almost 11K lbs. I paid $43.5K for it new with loader, triple hydraulics on the rear, 3rd function hydraulics on the front, radial R1 AG tires. I later added dual speed PTO.

 

[Trillium Farm]

Horridfiber: I think that a CUT/4WD of about 50hp would be ideal for your farm as you need maneuverability and low centre of gravity for your hills and woods. The tractors you mentioned are all in the 75hp much more than you need. OTOH if you are below 60hp the HST cuts in, so it's hatd to say, but I wouldn't go with something too big or bulky

 

[Deerherd]

My take on the cab for the woods is this. Unless you run with your ROPS down, there really is no difference in height of limbs you have to clear to keep them from hitting your tractor. On some tractors the ROPS on a open station is higher than a cab. I can easily walk along my woods trails and trim any limb that would hit my tractor with my "chainsaw on a stick".

Secondly I operate my tractor the majority of the time alone. Cutting trees, skidding logs etc and if something should fall, snap back or whatever I am much more protected in the cab. A limb that might break/crack the glass or dent the roof is much easier to get repaired than losing an eye or worse. It's why I carry extra insurance.

And not for nothing dealing with the mosquitoes, biting black and horse flies and the unseen ground nests of bees and wasps is better with a cab. There is a six week period you can't even enter my woods without losing a quart of blood to the biting flies! It's a non-issue with the cab.

There is only so much time where the weather cooperates that I can get things done and the cab gives me that ability to do it comfortably and safely.

 

[ovrszd]

My take on the cab for the woods is this. Unless you run with your ROPS down, there really is no difference in height of limbs you have to clear to keep them from hitting your tractor. On some tractors the ROPS on a open station is higher than a cab. I can easily walk along my woods trails and trim any limb that would hit my tractor with my "chainsaw on a stick".

Secondly I operate my tractor the majority of the time alone. Cutting trees, skidding logs etc and if something should fall, snap back or whatever I am much more protected in the cab. A limb that might break/crack the glass or dent the roof is much easier to get repaired than losing an eye or worse. It's why I carry extra insurance.

And not for nothing dealing with the mosquitoes, biting black and horse flies and the unseen ground nests of bees and wasps is better with a cab. There is a six week period you can't even enter my woods without losing a quart of blood to the biting flies! It's a non-issue with the cab.

There is only so much time where the weather cooperates that I can get things done and the cab gives me that ability to do it comfortably and safely.

Don't get me wrong, I'm jealous of you cab guys during inclement weather.

Everyone's uses are different. I cannot use a cab in my timber doing the work I expect my tractor to do. Has nothing to do with overall height.

 

[TSO]

First, congrats on your property! 100 acres is a nice size.

Second, I would absolutely agree 100% to get a cab, now. This is my fourth tractor and finally my first cab... I won't go back to open station on my primary tractor!

I work in the woods too, and I will tell you that my cab has probably saved me from losing an eye and probably a few concussions as well. You will learn the dimensions of the cab real quick, and once you figure it out, it's a non issue, especially once you cut out your low hanging limbs that might cause problems.

A 50-60HP HST CUT still definitely handle the work, and I'd prefer HST on hills ... But for your sized property, I'd probably opt instead for a 60-80 HP utility tractor. A few that come to mind, which I'm familiar with, would be:

Massey 4608.
NH T4.75
LS XU5065
Kioti RX6010

The only reason I'm not listing JD or Kubota is that I'm not particularly familiar with their model numbers in this size.

I really like the Massey, but the Kioti and LS will offer the best value.

Good luck. Go sit on a bunch and tell us your opinions of how they feel to you.

 

[TripleR]

Cab/open station; always an interesting take by many people. Health problems made me quit operating open station some years ago and love my cab tractors, but like Richard, there are times, even with limb protectors, a cab just won't work in our woods, so my brother or one of my sons has to bring up one of our open station tractors from another farm and load off into the brush. Yes, it requires some ducking and dodging. We have close to 200 acres in woods and trimming it is just not doable. The brush protectors on my cab can just as easily be added to an open station and another member fabricated some for his FOPS.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/302353-brush-guard-cab-tractor.html?highlight=

Now if I had to have only one tractor, it would be cabbed, but a lot of the stuff I do isn't absolutely necessary.

 

[paulfun9]

My vote is for the Utility tractor with a shuttle or power shuttle based on your description and overall size of the property. Having both a borderline utility machine in HST and a true utility tractor in shuttle not to mention an Industrial unit with a shuttle my experience is the shuttle/power shuttle with at least 60 HP would be what I would be looking for.

 

[ovrszd]

My vote is for the Utility tractor with a shuttle or power shuttle based on your description and overall size of the property. Having both a borderline utility machine in HST and a true utility tractor in shuttle not to mention an Industrial unit with a shuttle my experience is the shuttle/power shuttle with at least 60 HP would be what I would be looking for.

Yep. Will work circles around an HST CUT.