Tractor Sizing Have a half mile of gravel road to repair and maintain

[newby in tenn]

One, a half mile is a helluva lot longer than 300 feet, more like 2600 feet and two, using a small tractor and small implements.... they will have a very short lifespan, tractor and implements. I disagree, very true. It's not a drive, it's a road with 12" DEEP ruts.

you could do it with a shovel if you had a lifetime... Myself, I have other, more obligating things to do, than sitting on a tractor in the dust.

Thanks for your voice of experience. I now have to juggle hiring it done; buying an older tractor with more hp or a newer but smaller tractor and spend more time doing the work.

 

[newby in tenn]

I have maintained my half mile with a bx 2200 for 15 years. Real workhorse and you could pick one up for five or six thousand. You will always need it for maintenance in the future. I have a belly mower and 6 foot rear blade, and FEL.

Have you had to deal with deep ruts and potholes

 

[newby in tenn]

Hire/rent a large tractor to fix the driveway.

Buy a smaller tractor to maintain the driveway and do all the rest.

Bruce

Sounds like a good solution. Thanks for the help

 

[newby in tenn]

I have more power than the R4 Industrial tires can put to the ground. If my tires start to slip, I stop loading up the box blade. Might be a different story with Ag tires, but I don't know.

...and yea, it's about $300 to rent a tractor for the day, any rental yard should have one.

Thanks for the help. Your suggestion is sounding like the way to go.

 

[tommu56]

No tractor needed girder drag will work to some extent

One Man Road Crew - YouTube

 

[teg]

Thanks for the help. Your suggestion is sounding like the way to go.

The cost of the tractor is only the tip of the iceberg... Implements (even use) add up, maintenance and fuel... then comes tractor extras that are worth the money, Top and Tilt hydraulics for the 3ph, a grapple, and even more hydraulics... It's a slippery (but well worth it) slide.

Seems the more money you put in to a tractor, the more work you can get out of the tractor. I couldn't go back to a bare bones tractor. I would get the smallest, cheapest tractor and roll any savings into TnT for the 3ph a grapple and implements.

If you look at used and you should to get a feeling for cost, you'll see tractors hold their value pretty well. They are pretty expensive for the amount of use some of these will get. I only put on 60 hours a year, but it will last me for the rest of my life.

Don't rush it, you might find a great used tractor... you'll learn more as you tractor shop.

 

[arrow]

One, a half mile is a helluva lot longer than 300 feet, more like 2600 feet and two, using a small tractor and small implements.... they will have a very short lifespan, tractor and implements. I disagree, very true. It's not a drive, it's a road with 12" DEEP ruts.

you could do it with a shovel if you had a lifetime... Myself, I have other, more obligating things to do, than sitting on a tractor in the dust.

Read the post above yours. My example was an average. If you don't believe it or not of the patience that's one thing but to refute the efficacy of a smaller tractor for this type of work is incorrect. I logged with skidders. Does that negate the aspect of bringing stems home with a 28 hp tractor that weighs 10,000 lbs less at least than the smallest skidder? I think not according to my wood stack. Drive maintenance is not about production or else all of us home owners with tractors would not be happy with anything less than a 100 hp machine.

 

[newby in tenn]

What a wealth of information. Thanks. The driveway is in a mobile home park and sees a fair amount of traffic. Some of it is two lane and part is one lane - about half and half. I am retired but I can't spend all my time there plus I have developed back pain that slows me down. Current income barely covers the mortgage and expenses. I would be getting the tractor money from a 401k account. Being the newby that I am I had hoped I could get something for 6k max. Road maintenance is all that I have to have the tractor for.

 

[5030]

Read the post above yours. My example was an average. If you don't believe it or not of the patience that's one thing but to refute the efficacy of a smaller tractor for this type of work is incorrect. I logged with skidders. Does that negate the aspect of bringing stems home with a 28 hp tractor that weighs 10,000 lbs less at least than the smallest skidder? I think not according to my wood stack. Drive maintenance is not about production or else all of us home owners with tractors would not be happy with anything less than a 100 hp machine.

I did. He didn't say anything about foot deep ruts. I can 'maintain' my private road / drive at the farm with my zero turn lawnmower pulling a tine harrow... and I do and it gets heavy trucks using it for grain and fertilizer deliveries all the time.... but rutted, NO. If I'm gonna box blade anything, I want a stout tractor with some power and real draft control, not position control like little tractors have. You people out east have some strange notions about doing things.... Myself, I want to get it done and go do something enjoyable and thats not sitting in a tractor seat. tractors for me are work, not toys. My toys go bang.

When I was younger and heated with wood, I skidded 'stems' with a Farmall A. Whether it was safe or right, who knows. I'm way past heating with wood and I'm not going back..

 

[newby in tenn]

Thanks for your help. I don't mean to start a fight. I can see both perspectives. 5030 has resources to have a high powered tractor and needs it to accomplish all he has to do And you choose not to spend the money for the larger machine and taking the extra time/challenge and accept that there may be higher maintenance costs.