DazedandConfused
New member
Looking for buying advice. First off, I've read all I can read, maybe too much, and now I want everything from a compact tractor, a toolcat, a compact tracked loader, and everything in between 
Every machine has it's place but I'm looking for an all-in-one, so it will likely be a compact tractor (unless convinced otherwise! Just don't see myself finish mowing what would be left of my lawn with a CTL, unfortunately. I just really like tracked machines...kid in me I guess).
Excusing my crude diagram, I figured this was easier than describing. Here's the homestead:
Total size is 6 acres. The small box between the pole shed and barn is a single car garage, wasn't enough room to type it in
So In addition to the gravel parking area, and 500' gravel driveway, I also have 800' of road (not shown) that drifts really bad, that the county can't seem to get to in a timely fashion, if I want to make it to work, I usually have to plow that myself or take the 4wd truck to work. It's county road so I can't do anything (snow fence or remove tree's) to it, but they don't mind me plowing it.
Anything white and not labeled is finish mowed, the pasture is just cut down once or twice a year to keep it from being a fire hazard (we have no animals, nor do we want any)
Blue is the dugout, nothing real special in the way of maintenance, just plotting it on the map.
The larger area on the left in green spray-paint is dead tree's (from the previous owner having cattle in there, I guess they kill pretty much all tree's in an area from rubbing them or stepping on the roots) so it's an unsightly mess. We are cleaning it up but a tractor would be far more efficient.
Chores required are maintaining the gravel driveway and parking area (turning up gravel, clearing snow, mowing either side) which can be a chore in the winter since there's tree's on either side, you can only plow snow so high and the driveway gets narrower every pass.
Finish mowing, I'd like a 3pt mower, not much to mow around.
Rough cut mowing, only a few times a year but I'd still like to do it myself rather than rent or hire someone
Snowclearing, 5 months a year we average 8+ inches of snow/month, with drifts. Front mounted snowblower/snowplow/boxed snowpusher, open to all but not a fan of using a rear mounted snowblower or blade (I was using a rear mounted 7' blade on the back of the old tractor and going backwards sucks)
Something to clean up all the deadfall, push over/pull out dead standing tree's, (root grapple looks like the tool for the job, I have spent much time in the grapple picture section of this website!)
I'd like a cab with heat and A/C for winter snow and summer mowing, I have no desire for multiple machines (dedicated lawn mower) and realize that will bring compromises but I'm willing to live with it. Since a typical day would see me mowing in the morning, including ditches, then heading into the back to cleanup deadfall, I don't think a belly mount is an option. Land is relatively flat but I have 4 ditches to maintain.
Budget is up to 68k CAD new (since I can finance, that's what my bank says I can spend) or 40-45k CAD used if I use my savings and sale of the other tractor. Again one machine and implements. I'd like to buy new if possible. No preference on brand as long as it's a major one with dealerships in Central Alberta. There's a lotta orange in the area, I think Kubota has a dealer in every town. Renting machinery for cleaning up isn't an option as my time is limited and I like to pick away at stuff, so can't guarantee I'd be able to set aside a weekend with a rented track loader to clean up the deadfall, so the machine I decide on should have the versatility to do that and other jobs, even if not the best machine for the job (I'm talking a small area really, just clean up the deadfall as it happens, right now I'm waiting till they fall over in a windstorm, dragging them with a truck to the burn-pile, then lifting them onto the burn-pile with a bucket, which can get scary as they slide around). It takes a little longer I'll just do it over two weekends, or three. And I don't have to spend 68k, that's just the upper limit (I always see "what's your budget", so there it is).
Previously we were using an older 59hp 2wd open tractor and having the county grader do the driveway when it got really drifted, but they are charging for it now and making everyone sign "not responsible agreement" (ie, if they back into your truck, they are not responsible, can't say I blame them, must have been an incident) so it's time I had a solution for myself. Plus the gear drive transmission was a PITA mowing between buildings so I'd like an HST. We've sold the tractor since we are right in-between seasons (getting cold so grass isn't growing, but the snow hasn't fallen yet, so buying time is now! Anyone who's slid into the ditch plowing snow on a 2wd tractor and had to 'bucket walk' themselves out knows it's time to go 4wd)
That enough info? I think that's all I got.
Every machine has it's place but I'm looking for an all-in-one, so it will likely be a compact tractor (unless convinced otherwise! Just don't see myself finish mowing what would be left of my lawn with a CTL, unfortunately. I just really like tracked machines...kid in me I guess).Excusing my crude diagram, I figured this was easier than describing. Here's the homestead:
Total size is 6 acres. The small box between the pole shed and barn is a single car garage, wasn't enough room to type it in
So In addition to the gravel parking area, and 500' gravel driveway, I also have 800' of road (not shown) that drifts really bad, that the county can't seem to get to in a timely fashion, if I want to make it to work, I usually have to plow that myself or take the 4wd truck to work. It's county road so I can't do anything (snow fence or remove tree's) to it, but they don't mind me plowing it.
Anything white and not labeled is finish mowed, the pasture is just cut down once or twice a year to keep it from being a fire hazard (we have no animals, nor do we want any)
Blue is the dugout, nothing real special in the way of maintenance, just plotting it on the map.
The larger area on the left in green spray-paint is dead tree's (from the previous owner having cattle in there, I guess they kill pretty much all tree's in an area from rubbing them or stepping on the roots) so it's an unsightly mess. We are cleaning it up but a tractor would be far more efficient.
Chores required are maintaining the gravel driveway and parking area (turning up gravel, clearing snow, mowing either side) which can be a chore in the winter since there's tree's on either side, you can only plow snow so high and the driveway gets narrower every pass.
Finish mowing, I'd like a 3pt mower, not much to mow around.
Rough cut mowing, only a few times a year but I'd still like to do it myself rather than rent or hire someone
Snowclearing, 5 months a year we average 8+ inches of snow/month, with drifts. Front mounted snowblower/snowplow/boxed snowpusher, open to all but not a fan of using a rear mounted snowblower or blade (I was using a rear mounted 7' blade on the back of the old tractor and going backwards sucks)
Something to clean up all the deadfall, push over/pull out dead standing tree's, (root grapple looks like the tool for the job, I have spent much time in the grapple picture section of this website!)
I'd like a cab with heat and A/C for winter snow and summer mowing, I have no desire for multiple machines (dedicated lawn mower) and realize that will bring compromises but I'm willing to live with it. Since a typical day would see me mowing in the morning, including ditches, then heading into the back to cleanup deadfall, I don't think a belly mount is an option. Land is relatively flat but I have 4 ditches to maintain.
Budget is up to 68k CAD new (since I can finance, that's what my bank says I can spend) or 40-45k CAD used if I use my savings and sale of the other tractor. Again one machine and implements. I'd like to buy new if possible. No preference on brand as long as it's a major one with dealerships in Central Alberta. There's a lotta orange in the area, I think Kubota has a dealer in every town. Renting machinery for cleaning up isn't an option as my time is limited and I like to pick away at stuff, so can't guarantee I'd be able to set aside a weekend with a rented track loader to clean up the deadfall, so the machine I decide on should have the versatility to do that and other jobs, even if not the best machine for the job (I'm talking a small area really, just clean up the deadfall as it happens, right now I'm waiting till they fall over in a windstorm, dragging them with a truck to the burn-pile, then lifting them onto the burn-pile with a bucket, which can get scary as they slide around). It takes a little longer I'll just do it over two weekends, or three. And I don't have to spend 68k, that's just the upper limit (I always see "what's your budget", so there it is).
Previously we were using an older 59hp 2wd open tractor and having the county grader do the driveway when it got really drifted, but they are charging for it now and making everyone sign "not responsible agreement" (ie, if they back into your truck, they are not responsible, can't say I blame them, must have been an incident) so it's time I had a solution for myself. Plus the gear drive transmission was a PITA mowing between buildings so I'd like an HST. We've sold the tractor since we are right in-between seasons (getting cold so grass isn't growing, but the snow hasn't fallen yet, so buying time is now! Anyone who's slid into the ditch plowing snow on a 2wd tractor and had to 'bucket walk' themselves out knows it's time to go 4wd)
That enough info? I think that's all I got.
