New 5075M is at the dealer's!

[Island Farmer]

Hi MartianTractorMan and AKfish,

Thank you guys very much for your replies.

I am getting the Deere Quick Hitch, and look forward to using it with as many implements as possible. I am used to switching attachments frequently on my Bobcat. It has a hydraulic quickcoupler so I just drive up to where I want to drop an attachment, push a button and it drops off, then I drive up to the next attachment and push the button again and I am locked on and ready to work, unless I have to hop out and couple hydraulic lines. It's pretty slick. So I can appreciate the value of the Quick Hitch.

You both have Deere tillers, so I think I am on the right track there. I will endeavor to get the heaviest duty one I can afford. My plan is to always use my box blade on the surface, but with rippers all the way down, as a first pass in questionable soil. I would rather run into rocks with that and deal with them than damage a tiller.

I asked the dealer today about a hydraulic top link. He said that he sometimes sold them, but it was pretty rare. It sure seems like the people on TractorByNet think they are really nice. I will call and talk with him more about them tomorrow. I do trust your experience though.

Also interesting to me, the dealer thought that a land plane would only really be good on a gravel road bed, and not so great on dirt. I don't have any experience with land planes, but I do have a little with back blades, and I know exactly what AKfish is talking about when he says that a less than very experienced operator can screw things up pretty easily. I have some really fine dirt contractor friends who have multiple dozers and excavators. I have seen these guys grade things to perfection -- make it look dead easy, but then I try to do an equivalent job -- and boy oh boy it isn't as easy as it looks. This is not to say that I am an incompetent operator, only that when it comes to really fine grading -- I think it really is something that takes some serious practice.

One last thing that I am thinking about at the moment. AKfish, you have a York rake 6'. I have always wondered about landscape rakes. I grow other things, but whether I want them or not, I forever grow rocks. So, do landscape rakes do any kind of a job of collecting them, once they arrive at the surface? I know that you suggested that I look into rock buckets, and I will if that is really the way to go, but the idea of a rake that is following the surface because of gauge wheels, seems like it could be a dead simple solution, kind of like the land plane does its job without so much operator input. I know that the land plane requires less, but is not completely idiot proof -- really no machine is, that I know of.

Anyway, its getting late for me, and I am beginning to lose clarity. I'm just trying to do my best with this rather extraordinary purchase.

Thanks again guys, I really do appreciate your input.

BTW AKfish, I do promise to get some snapshots when I go back into battle on Friday. Just kidding about the battle, I think, so far, my dealer and I are trying to strike a balance thats fair to all parties involved.

Island Farmer

 

[Island Farmer]

AKfish,

Like I said in my previous post, I am too tired for clarity, so I forgot to tell you that you convinced me to give up on the pto chipper. I really think that I ultimately will be better served by a dedicated chipper. To give you an idea of the quantity of chipping: I burn multiple piles 20 to 30 feet in diameter stacked 10' to 12' high. Sometimes if I have a friend with an excavator on the property, we stack 15' plus high. Let's just say, because of the wind here on the island in the winter, I end up burning a lot of material each year.

Island Farmer

 

[AKfish]

Island Farmer;

That's a whole lotta wood...!! I'd have to believe that warrants a stand-alone machine - or continue to keep your excavator buddies busy!

Using the landplane is best done with "moist" dirt and gravel. Not too wet and not too dry.

I tried to look up the rototiller model your dealer has recommended. Couldn't find it. I did find this listing for the Frontier models. Here: http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/non_current/DSFE43110_RotaryTillerSpec.pdf

The only other listing I found was for the row-crop models... whew!! Very, very big and some serious horsepower!

Yup, I've got a York rake. Has the dual, rear guide wheels. Good implement. Way better than the straight 3pt model. It will rake rocks... but it's not a "clean" operation. It tends to windrow dirt along with the rocks. Of course, then you have to clean up the windrows with a loader and/or muscle powered implements...

I'll admit that I've never used a rock bucket... but the idea of a front mounted implement that you can use the loader to "raise and shake" the dirt and make piles or load the rocks into a truck, trailer, etc. seems like a good idea to me! The other attachment that offers a way to deal with rocks (not large rocks) is a Harley rake. Bobcat makes a front mounted Harley as well. Check the WorkPro models for skid-steers out.

Maybe some other's here on TBN with rock bucket experience will chime in with their experience.

Late here, too. Losing my train wreck of thought.

AKfish

 

[Zebrafive]

My PTO chipper is rated for 6", but I only chip up to 3" anything bigger is firewood. I have not found a need for hydraulic feed. It pulls almost as fast one guy can feed it.

 

[Island Farmer]

My PTO chipper is rated for 6", but I only chip up to 3" anything bigger is firewood. I have not found a need for hydraulic feed. It pulls almost as fast one guy can feed it.

Zebrafive,

Thanks for the reply. Like I wrote to AKfish, he has pretty well convinced me to look for a dedicated unit. I have a very large quantity of wood each year. I use all I can, and then give it away to friends. The thing is, what I don't like are rotting piles. Sometimes, summer ends and I miss my oportunity to burn some of my piles and then they start to rot. At that point I end up with more work dealing with the rotting pile. If I had good chips, I could definitely put them to better use.

What kind of pto chipper do you have? And, if you have a few minutes, would you elaborate a little about your experience with it?

Thanks!

Island Farmer

 

[Island Farmer]

Island Farmer;

That's a whole lotta wood...!! I'd have to believe that warrants a stand-alone machine - or continue to keep your excavator buddies busy!

Using the landplane is best done with "moist" dirt and gravel. Not too wet and not too dry.

I tried to look up the rototiller model your dealer has recommended. Couldn't find it. I did find this listing for the Frontier models. Here: http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/non_current/DSFE43110_RotaryTillerSpec.pdf

The only other listing I found was for the row-crop models... whew!! Very, very big and some serious horsepower!

Yup, I've got a York rake. Has the dual, rear guide wheels. Good implement. Way better than the straight 3pt model. It will rake rocks... but it's not a "clean" operation. It tends to windrow dirt along with the rocks. Of course, then you have to clean up the windrows with a loader and/or muscle powered implements...

I'll admit that I've never used a rock bucket... but the idea of a front mounted implement that you can use the loader to "raise and shake" the dirt and make piles or load the rocks into a truck, trailer, etc. seems like a good idea to me! The other attachment that offers a way to deal with rocks (not large rocks) is a Harley rake. Bobcat makes a front mounted Harley as well. Check the WorkPro models for skid-steers out.

Maybe some other's here on TBN with rock bucket experience will chime in with their experience.

Late here, too. Losing my train wreck of thought.

AKfish

AKfish,

Thanks again for all the good advice.

I am still very interested in the land plane, I don't know if I should get the Frontier 1208, or another brand that might be a bit longer.

I am thinking that maybe I should just get a Frontier RT1270 like yours. The dealer says that it is very nice to have one that is the same width as your tire tracks; but one foot narrower doesn't seem like a very big issue. It would save, maybe $1500, which sounds good to me.

From what you describe of the York Rake, I think I am going to wait on that purchase.

I have definitely read about Bobcat's Harley Rake. It looks like a great tool, but it is pretty expensive, and I am trying to use the Bobcat as judiciously as possible, desperately trying to hold on to what little hearing I have left. Thats why I'm trying to setup the 5085M to handle as many tasks as possible. There is no question that the A300 will do things the tractor never will, and for those I will use it.

Do you have the hydraulic top and side links? Also, can they be left on the tractor for all of the implements?

Thanks a lot,

Island Farmer

 

[Martian]

Do you have the hydraulic top and side links? Also, can they be left on the tractor for all of the implements?

Thanks a lot,

Island Farmer

You can leave the top and side links on all the time.

 

[AKfish]

Do you have the hydraulic top and side links? Also, can they be left on the tractor for all of the implements?

Island Farmer;

I don't have TnT on the 5075M. Have it on the 110TLB. The Frontier RB2308 has hydraulic offset and angle. I don't use the tilt function on the rear blade with the 5075M enough to warrant another hydraulic cylinder. However, the blade has a multiple position arm that can be pinned to several different tilt angles if needed.

When I work the driveway and parking areas - I use the 110 and the JD45 rear blade. Every couple of year's I'll have 10 yards of 3/4" minus hauled that I use to fill-in low areas and top dress the remainder. The TnT works real well even with the Quick hitch and the rear blade.

90% of the time, I use the hydraulic top link. Varies how aggressive the cutting edge digs. Either with the rake, the rear blade, etc. Don't use the side-link cylinder all that much.

You can get a Cat II hydraulic top link for your 5085M from a number of different sources. Need to measure the extended-retracted length of the OEM top link and buy a cylinder that closely approximates that stroke distance.

As MTM indicated; you can leave the hydraulic top and side (if you decide to get it) on for other implements all the time.

AKfish

 

[Zebrafive]

Zebrafive,

Thanks for the reply. Like I wrote to AKfish, he has pretty well convinced me to look for a dedicated unit. I have a very large quantity of wood each year. I use all I can, and then give it away to friends. The thing is, what I don't like are rotting piles. Sometimes, summer ends and I miss my oportunity to burn some of my piles and then they start to rot. At that point I end up with more work dealing with the rotting pile. If I had good chips, I could definitely put them to better use.

What kind of pto chipper do you have? And, if you have a few minutes, would you elaborate a little about your experience with it?

Thanks!

Island Farmer

I have a Wallenstein BX62. Very simple machine, large flywheel with four cutters mounted on bearings front and rear.

I found I have to engage the PTO at an idle or the shear bolt shears ( I have hydraulic clutch, no way to feather it in) Only once has the bolt sheared while chipping. The shear bolt is 10mm and all I had was 3/8, so I am using a little smaller than factory bolt.

The first thing I chipped was a freshly dropped cherry tree. The still green leaves clogged the chute a couple tiimes. I learned to chip once the leaves died and were gone.

When you chip brush a lot of the twigs just go thru unchipped. If you chip 3/4" and up you get nice chips.

I also had problems with grape vines winding around the shaft. I don't send them thru anymore.

It will chip faster than I can feed it.

 

[Island Farmer]

14.9R-24 and 18.4R-34 Firestones. I pretty much had to change em cause of the Frey's lift capacity but I also HATED the Goodyear/Titan Dyna Torques that came on it. I had the dealer swap em from a 6330.
You can now get 13.6R-24 and 16.9R-30 Michelins which is a great combo.

Tom

Hello Tom (Caledon Hills) and anyone else who'd like to comment,

I still have time to swap the tires on my new 5085M. I work outside on my farm in the Pacific Northwest year round. In the winter I try to do all I can not to create more ruts and compaction than I have to. So, I have been thinking about your comments about how you moved up to the larger Firestones, every since you posted your comment about it.

Could you explain why you didn't like the Goodyear/Titan Dyna Torque's that you originally had. I assume they were the same 12.4R24 and 18.4R30 radials that came on my tractor. My dealer says that he believes that putting anything larger than 13.6R24 on the front will rub on the frame and reduce turning radius. Is that an accurate assumption on his part?

Also, If I understand the last part of your post, you suggested that now that the new Michelin Omnibibs are available, the 13.6R24 and 16.9R30 would be a simpler solution, maybe not requiring the wheel swap. I think, in that case though, you would end up with a smaller footprint in the rear.

By the way, that Frey FEL sure looks good! I am wondering how my JD H260 will compare.

Thanks in advance for any comments you might have.

Island Farmer