Am I gonna miss 30 more horsepower?

[knightrider955]

Well Ive owned my tractor for 3 monthes now. I love it but realized that its a little too big. It way heavy. And I would look like a clown mowing my 2.5 acre lawn with a farm tractor. However its 60 hp and does what ever I want with ease. And the 6 foot loader is nice too. i own 60 acres of woods up north and thought it would be great for cleaning up the woods. But its so heavy that I really cant haul it that far. And if I lighten it up by unloading the tires I was told it would be useless. Ive been looking at Kioti's and Kubota's around the 25 hp range. The size looks perfect for my 3 acres at home and light enough to haul up north. All I want to do is mow, grade my driveway and haul wood and dirt in my bucket. maybe pull a disc for food plots. Am I gonna regret the power loss going to a CUT instead of a farm tractor? Ive never bogged down my current tractor. It rips stumps right out of the ground without breaking a sweat. But it is a older machine and doesnt have glowplugs and Michigan winters get pretty cold. I just dont wanna get a smaller tractor and end up wishing I had more horsepower.

 

[frogfish]

I think you would miss the 60hp up north and enjoy a CUT for the 2.5 acres.

Sounds like you might need one of each

 

[Gary Fowler]

Hey, just keep your 60 hp and get a small CUT or SCUT for your mowing jobs.
I just bought a 72 hp and love it. It looks a little funny with a 6 foot mower, but I am looking for a larger one. I like the safety factor with moving large hay bales and large rocks etch that I get with it and the wider stance than my CUT. THe 45 HP CUT has its place and needs though, so I keep it fueled and ready. Also nice to be able to put one implement on each when you need multiples to do a job, then just swap tractors rather than hook/ unhook.
Now I just need some larger implements.

 

[jake98]

All I want to do is mow, grade my driveway and haul wood and dirt in my bucket. maybe pull a disc for food plots. Am I gonna regret the power loss going to a CUT instead of a farm tractor?

I do that with a 25 horse tractor all the time. 4wd makes a big difference. I wouldn't suggest you try your stump removing method with one tho..

 

[knightrider955]

Hey, just keep your 60 hp and get a small CUT or SCUT for your mowing jobs.
I just bought a 72 hp and love it. It looks a little funny with a 6 foot mower, but I am looking for a larger one. I like the safety factor with moving large hay bales and large rocks etch that I get with it and the wider stance than my CUT. THe 45 HP CUT has its place and needs though, so I keep it fueled and ready. Also nice to be able to put one implement on each when you need multiples to do a job, then just swap tractors rather than hook/ unhook.
Now I just need some larger implements.

I thought about keeping it and buying another smaller one. But I was hoping to sell my bigger one and put that money down on a new one. Maybe I should go up to a 35 hp machine? Im sure it would still be alot lighter than mine.

 

[mwb]

I think a 30 - 40 hp 4x4 would meet your needs. It wouldn't have the weight you need but it would be a much nimbler machine in the woods. If you get an HST tranny I think you would out work the bigger one for the kind of tasks you are doing. This size would be a little generous in size for mowing 2.5 acres but it would probably be the best fit.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

I have the JD 3320 TLB with MMM on 2.2 acres and have been very pleased with overall performance. On one occasion could have used a bit more FEL capacity, otherwise, perfect for my needs.

In terms of more power the 4x20 series provides that and is a bit heavier as well. Some poster have suggested that with the larger tires the additional weight of the 4x20 is distributed over a larger area and so lawn compaction would not be any more of a factor than with the smaller 3x20 series

 

[knightrider955]

I wouldnt mind a heavy CUT with loaded tires. I just dont want one thats 7000 lbs like my tractor. I dont want ruts in my yard.

 

[JoeL4330]

swap your tires for turfs

 

[ovrszd]

I do that with a 25 horse tractor all the time. 4wd makes a big difference. I wouldn't suggest you try your stump removing method with one tho..

Heheheheh.

 

[knightrider955]

swap your tires for turfs

I actually started a thread awhile back about turfs and the majority of people said I would not be happy with them in mud, snow or in the woods. The R1's I got now are murder on the lawn, I have had alot of people tell me to get R4's. If I did get a CUT I would probably go with turfs though. Then maybe have a extra set of R1's

 

[MarkV]

May just be me but a tractor that is small and light enough to finish mow would be lacking on 60 acres of woodland clean-up. Is snow removal part of the tractors job at the residential lot? If not is a dedicated mower an option instead of a new tractor?

MarkV

 

[knightrider955]

May just be me but a tractor that is small and light enough to finish mow would be lacking on 60 acres of woodland clean-up. Is snow removal part of the tractors job at the residential lot? If not is a dedicated mower an option instead of a new tractor?

MarkV

Actually I wouldnt mind getting a PTO snowblower for my residential drive. I actually have a nice garden tractor that does a good job mowing. I just figured why have a finish mower for the tractor. Maybe I should just leave the big tractor up north all the time and then just buy a smaller CUT with a loader for my house. I dont do any real serious work at the house. I just thought one tractor fits all would be handy.

 

[ovrszd]

Actually I wouldnt mind getting a PTO snowblower for my residential drive. I actually have a nice garden tractor that does a good job mowing. I just figured why have a finish mower for the tractor. Maybe I should just leave the big tractor up north all the time and then just buy a smaller CUT with a loader for my house. I dont do any real serious work at the house. I just thought one tractor fits all would be handy.

Nothing beats two tractors if you can afford it. My JD2210 handles all the "lawn" chores, snow removal and light hauling. My L4400 with FEL handles all the big jobs. Sounds good 'til you realize I've got $29,000 tied up.

 

[Grandad4]

Maybe I should just leave the big tractor up north all the time and then just buy a smaller CUT with a loader for my house.

I'm thinking that's going to be the most workable solution, if you can swing it financially. It's going to be a big headache transporting one tractor over such distances, and whatever you save by owning one tractor is offset by the cost of the equipment needed to transport it back and forth. And, what if you need multiple attachments at one place or the other? Say, a boxblade and a disc. Are you going to have them at both locations or are you hauling them all over the place, too?

As another poster said, your needs at the two properties are different, and having one, compromise rig that you haul around will give you grey hair (assuming you don't already have it ).

Do you have a secure place to store your big tractor at your other property?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a old Ford 861 which is about 45HP and a Jinma 284 which is about 25HP. The Jinma is heavy, 5,200# with loader, weights, and loaded tires but it will out work the 861 in most applications, especially pulling anything. Its 4x4 and has R1's so it bites good.

You really need to look at your needs. The old Ford you have is pretty stout and good for abuse type work while a CUT is going to do about any task you want as long as it has some weight and good tires. Most of the new ones are so light I can not see how they can get anything done other than pull a wagon in a parade.

Chris

 

[knightrider955]

Nothing beats two tractors if you can afford it. My JD2210 handles all the "lawn" chores, snow removal and light hauling. My L4400 with FEL handles all the big jobs. Sounds good 'til you realize I've got $29,000 tied up.

Well as far as cost goes. I traded a quad for my tractor. I had 2400 into the quad. I got my LONG 560 with FEL, fresh engine overhaul with paperwork, 6 ft backblade and 3 pt 10inch auger. So I think I came out ok. At the time I was looking for a CUT. Ended up with the Long. I was thinking bigger was better. But bigger meant more room taken up in the garage, more fuel usage, and so heavy its ridiculous. I do like the hand lever operated PTO though. And Im not afraid to put a dent or scratch in it. Perfect for the woods.

 

[rjkobbeman]

And if I lighten it up by unloading the tires I was told it would be useless.

I would at least try it first. It isn't going to be useless. It would still be bigger and heavier than a smaller tractor, right?

 

[knightrider955]

I'm thinking that's going to be the most workable solution, if you can swing it financially. It's going to be a big headache transporting one tractor over such distances, and whatever you save by owning one tractor is offset by the cost of the equipment needed to transport it back and forth. And, what if you need multiple attachments at one place or the other? Say, a boxblade and a disc. Are you going to have them at both locations or are you hauling them all over the place, too?

As another poster said, your needs at the two properties are different, and having one, compromise rig that you haul around will give you grey hair (assuming you don't already have it ).

Do you have a secure place to store your big tractor at your other property?

I didnt even think about hauling attachments around. Thats a good point. My property up north has a pole barn and my mother inlaw lives there all year round so security wouldnt be a issue. I think maybe keeping the big tractor up north and buy a CUT for my house might be a better way to go. Now what to get for down here? Should I buy new or are used? If a new one isnt much more than one thats say 5 yrs old, then I'll buy new.

 

[k0ua]

L3400 or L3700Su or something like that will fill your bill perfectly, will probably outwork you big old 2wd tractor, and still not tear up your yard. I remember many years ago, going from a full size tractor Long 2360 to the New Holland TC33DA. Got more loader work done faster with the much smaller tractor, could push more, due to the 4wd and mowed like a dream. way faster to mow with a 5 foot finish mower with a nimble Hydro tractor than the 6 foot finish mower on the old gear grinder. Sure the Long would lift more in the bucket, quite a bit more actually, but I could move so much faster, in the end I got more work done in a given time. the only thing you are going to lose is the ability rip up stumps like you used to. and lift really heavy things. But I have never regretted trading in the big 2wd for a smaller 4wd tractor. just my thoughts, Your Mileage May Vary
James K0UA