Thinking about buying a new tractor

b0508 · Feb 6, 2017

jeff9366 said:
Dealers will tell you a medium duty Rotary Cutter will cut 2" trees. That is true but the Rotary Cutter will not last long.
I recommend cutting anything 1-3/4" and larger with a chain saw or much safer 20V or 40V reciprocating saw. Trim of all branches and run over with the Rotary Cutter. Bundle 1-3/4" and larger trunks and pull to a burn pile.

There are heavy duty Rotary Cutters but it does not sound like you have enough land to justify the expense of a HD R/C and a heavy, powerful enough tractor to power a HD R/C.

I recommend a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment for pulling out brush, NOT TREES, by the roots.
VIDEO: ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube
Ratchet Rake will also open land for a small garden.

I have a cat 2, 6 ft rotary cutter already. I will check out that ratchet rake.

nybirdman · Feb 6, 2017

also would not drive a tractor straight through a mess like that and try to run a cutter behind. Whoever advised that is lacking in experience or has access to free repairs when something breaks.
Really!I have a medium duty mower but wouldn't try to cut 1-1/2-2" stuff with it.I have about 700 hours brush-hogging driving forward,havn't broke yet.You have to use a little common sense,I hand cut the big stuff.You can't back into brush with a rear pto driven bush-hog.If you are real serious ,armor up your underside (your tractors).

kthompson · Feb 6, 2017

I have driven over more stuff with rough cut mower than wanted to but do so carefully and have never had an issue. Would I drive over a 2 inch tree, no. But there is simple solution your current Massey should handle, get a four foot rotary "ditch mower" such as a Hardee or a flair mower that extends past the tractor rear wheel. Some of those will easy handle a 2 to 3 inch tree depending on the type of tree and your speed. (Not oak trees.) Might can find good used but watch for they can be abused but here many smaller ones parked as they have gone to bigger tractors and bigger cutters for side work. Hardee is built I think, in Loris SC address, which is about 15 miles from Myrtle Beach. They do not sell direct. I am not talking about a boom mower, they cost a good bit more. Just do a search on ditch bank or such cutters.

jeff9366 · Feb 6, 2017

b0508 said:
I have a cat 2, 6 ft rotary cutter already. I will check out that ratchet rake.

Tractor Supply Co. stocks the narrowest width Ratchet Rake.

The two wider width Ratchet Rakes can be ordered from the TBN Store, button at the top of this page.

bspeedy · Feb 7, 2017

b0508 said:
I am in Fountain Inn not that far from you. I just figure it will be 10 acres if you add the trails up. With the mini ex was you running a cutter head on it?
Yeah I dont even like driving my old massey over things like that.
I have not had any luck with hiring someone with a loader.. I can rent one for month cheaper then they want for doing the job. Nobody wants to do anything anymore. They think since you have land you have money to burn.

No cutter head on my mini-ex, but that is in the long range plan. I just drive the ex into the woods and start picking trees out by the roots and placing them off to the side of the trail as I go. Looks a mess at first, but after running a brush hog through and maybe a rake and box blade, it really makes nice trails. You can do the same with a tractor backhoe, but it may take a bit longer. Mini ex is just so easy to re-position and has such good reach and power. I've made all my trails myself with TLB or mini ex. Haven't measured in a while, but I have approximately 1.5 miles of trails.

I agree that the guys around here see land and think $$$$. There is a Kubota L35 TLB on craigslist in Boiling Springs for 16K. Looks ok. Might be the ticket for your goals and budget.

Xfaxman · Feb 7, 2017

If you get a new tractor, also get a tree puller that fits front or rear: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/318149-tree-puller-pleased-my-new.html#post3845905

b0508 · Feb 7, 2017

bspeedy said:
No cutter head on my mini-ex, but that is in the long range plan. I just drive the ex into the woods and start picking trees out by the roots and placing them off to the side of the trail as I go. Looks a mess at first, but after running a brush hog through and maybe a rake and box blade, it really makes nice trails. You can do the same with a tractor backhoe, but it may take a bit longer. Mini ex is just so easy to re-position and has such good reach and power. I've made all my trails myself with TLB or mini ex. Haven't measured in a while, but I have approximately 1.5 miles of trails.

I agree that the guys around here see land and think $$$$. There is a Kubota L35 TLB on craigslist in Boiling Springs for 16K. Looks ok. Might be the ticket for your goals and budget.

Yeah I saw that one... I might go look at it.. I think also a mini ex with a thumb would work well.

bspeedy · Feb 7, 2017

b0508 said:
Yeah I saw that one... I might go look at it.. I think also a mini ex with a thumb would work well.

Only problems I see with the mini ex:
1: It's a one trick pony unless you buy pricey attachments.
2. Travel speed is painfully slow. It's 20 minutes from one corner of my property to the barn on the mini. Probably 7 minutes on the tractor.

But the mini excavator is a digging machine.