Need to buy Tractor - B or L

[Will_C]

If you're not planning on lawn mowing, get the L. I have had a BX and now have a B-the BX's primary job was lawn mowing, and the B is used occasionally with a RFM. If I had no plans for mowing, I'd have an L for my 10 acres.

Will

 

[nebraskasparks]

Re: Need to buy Tractor - B or L Series???

I need to buy a used tractor. Let me start by defining my needs:

• 
  
  1. I have 6 acres - combination of woods & open (field/lawn) - very hilly (western PA)
  2. Will have allot of brush hogging work to do (will want to get allot of what is wooded in to lawn/field)
  3. Will want use an acre for hobby farm use
  4. Will have to maintain gravel driveway approx 300 feet long

Now, the big additional tasks to get my home into shape:

• 
  
  1. Adding an addition to my house -1000 sq. ft, excavation for full basement (9 ft. deep). Thinking about excavating myself (obviously would need backhoe if I decide to do this myself)
  2. Need to pour 2000 sq. slab in front of garage. Allot of box blade digging/grading to do. Also, moving ALOT of material (dirt -48 yds, gravel - 38 tons, etc.)
  3. Will have to add a fence (post hole work)

So, looking to buy a tractor, justifying it's cost on the labor savings of the initial projects. If I do the excavation, the backhoe is a must. Seems like there are alot of B21's out there, and these seem to be most reasonable cost wise. Next it seems that there are a fair amount of L's w/ backhoes. The B21 & L is alot heavier than a B (like a 7610 for instance). However, other than the backhoe, I think that long term a B would better fit my needs. Should I hold out for a B or, would an L be too larger later on. Would the B21 be too much like a construction machine & not enough of a general tractor? If I get a B, is it heavy enough to do excavation work?

Lot of good responses...I go with all the fellows that say it's cheaper to rent (hire) a backhoe for the basement and then deal with the rest as you see fit.

If you're doing a lot of brush/wood work and a lot of maneuvering I would go with the L series HST. I just purchased an L series and have some gentle hill parts on my property and it does great.

I put dry weights on the wheels and it's still not enough weight. Please fill your tires with a fluid before you take delivery... especially with the angles you'll be dealing with as your center of gravity is going to be doing a lot of moving.

If you can afford it...get a grapple for your FEL...unbelievable what you'll be able to do with that when it comes to cleaning a property. Anbo makes a great grapple out of great material.
I purchased a woods brush bull for clearing and it's built like a tank for commercial type purposes. I bought a cheap one before and it didn't take anything over a couple of inches too well.
Also bought the woods phd65 heavy duty post holer. Very well built.

Sounds like you'll be having as much fun as the rest of us!

Enjoy

 

[Jay4200]

Re: Need to buy Tractor - B or L Series???

Adding an addition to my house -1000 sq. ft, excavation for full basement (9 ft. deep). Thinking about excavating myself (obviously would need backhoe if I decide to do this myself)
Need to pour 2000 sq. slab in front of garage. Allot of box blade digging/grading to do. Also, moving ALOT of material (dirt -48 yds, gravel - 38 tons, etc.)
Will have to add a fence (post hole work)

So, looking to buy a tractor, justifying it's cost on the labor savings of the initial projects. If I do the excavation, the backhoe is a must. Seems like there are alot of B21's out there, and these seem to be most reasonable cost wise. Next it seems that there are a fair amount of L's w/ backhoes.

First, forget the cellar hole - no tractor can do it, regardless of what people say. The PO of my tractor (L4200 w/ Woods 9' BH) bought it to dig a cellar hole for an addition, but ultimately gave up and hired someone. He must've put 150 hours on the tractor before giving up though - he was about 1/10th done. The excavator he brought in had it finished in a day and a half. Hire it out.

Everything else you mentioned is cake (and your ALOT isn't a lot), and can be done with the smallest of CUTs. I re-graded and did lots of finish on a recently acquired property this summer, including pulling a zillion boulders with my 'hoe, re-running my well line and power (100' trench 5' deep), building a 100' french drain, re-grading most of the cleared property, and finally bringing in and installing 235 yards of loam and 480 tons of gravel for the grounds, parking areas, and 1100' of driveway. I have a 45HP 'L', but all of that same work could've been done with a 'B' at the expense of just a little time.

From what little I know about the different varions of smaller Kubota models, I think that a B21/26 would probably suit you best, assuming they are OK for normal tractoring stuff, particularly pulling 3pt hitch implements. I've been thinking of one of those small TLBs myself.

JayC

 

[crazyal]

As someone who dug his own cellar hole I can tell you that I wouldn't attempt it with a B unless I had lots of time to burn. Secondly you will not do it with a backhoe for a CUT, just ain't happening. Even if you had all the time in the world the furthest you can move each scoop is a few feet from the tractor. That means you'll dig with the BH a few scoops then you'll turn around and use the FEL to move it out of the way. Plus even if you have a 9' reach on your BH that's at the lowest part of it's arc.

So plan on making a ramp so you can drive into the hole. Unless your ground has only a few rocks you'll most likely still need the BH to loosen the ground in the hole.

Even if you decide the foundation is something that you'll have someone else do I would still think L over B. Unless you need the nimbleness of the B the L will just get the jobs done faster.

 

[MMH]

Re: Need to buy Tractor - B or L Series???

...As far as digging 9' deep for the basement, you don't dig all 9' sitting on the side of the hole, you dig your way down and leave a ramp to drive out...

That's what I was thinking, but, most others responded that I would still be best off hiring out the excavation. How many hours w/ an L to excavate? I figure if I dig the ramp (and the landscape lends itself well to this), I could put the backhoe down many times before turning around to haul away the loosened dirt.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Re: Need to buy Tractor - B or L Series???

That's what I was thinking, but, most others responded that I would still be best off hiring out the excavation. How many hours w/ an L to excavate? I figure if I dig the ramp (and the landscape lends itself well to this), I could put the backhoe down many times before turning around to haul away the loosened dirt.

Even with an L it still wouldn't be worth it. In reality the difference in work capacity between a larger B-series and smaller L series isn't huge, especially in the hands of an experienced operator.

Hire either a 15-ton or larger excavator or a large track loader (953 Cat, etc)to dig the basement. They will literally be done in a matter of hours, and you will be surprised at how inexpensive it is.

 

[montelatici]

Digging a foundation is a bit of a stretch for a BH on even the L. As someone said, you can't put the fill very far away from the tractor and have to move the thing all the time lifting and then resetting the stabilizers, pita.

I have had a B, and replaced it with a BX. The BX does everything the B could do.

The L is a big jump in category plus you can get the always useful 30 HP PTO on most, which gives you access to a lot of equipment. I think the B is limited to the low 20s in PTO HP.