Could really use some help and advice buying a tractor(s)

[XM16E1]

As someone who knows very little about tractors and heavy equipment, I wish there was a tractors for dummies buying service. Here is the situation:

Live in AK on 50 acres. Always running into situations that make me wish I had a tractor. Land has two gravel pits, about 20 acres cleared and the rest wooded. I have large dirt berms (shooting back stops) that I need to maintain.

Main uses for the tractor would be:

Digging gravel out of the gravel pit (for my own use, not commercial operation or anything)
Loading gravel into trailer or spreading it, etc
Maintaining my road
Mowing brush
Moving heavy things
Possible snow removal but I have a plow for my truck as my primary device for that

I know I would want fork attachments, a grapple, loader bucket, excavator attachment and obviously a mower attachment. I'm the kind of person who can be lazy when it comes to certain tasks and therefore would like the easiest quick detach system possible for changing attachments.

Also wondering if they make a mulcher-style attachment for land clearing that could handle trees 3-4 inches in diameter?

The main dealers in my area are Kubota and John Deere. From my brief internet research, I've had my eye on a Kubota Tractor Loader Backhoe, the M62 model because the backhoe can dig a depth of 14 feet. 14 feet isnt a requirement but it sounds appealing. When I go to the "build my kubota" feature there are a ton of different options, starting with just the TLB or the TLB with valve kits, then progressing further into all kinds of valve kits, types of buckets, couplers, hydraulic thumbs, wheel weights etc. Pretty much have no idea what all that stuff is.

My budget is $100,000 for everything including attachments and I think the M62 would come in well under that. I will likely keep this for at least 20 years and do not want to regret my purchase or wish I bought bigger. Not sure if I would be better off with skid steer and a mini excavator instead? IDK.

Before everyone says "buy used" etc remember that I am in Alaska and used equipment, that is not beat to ****, is very hard to come across. Plus Kubota has 0% financing for 60 months. I'd take them up on that, stick the $$$ in an index fund while the market is still in turmoil, and likely have enough of a return in 6 years time to offset depreciation from buying new.

 

[jeff9366]

XM16E

Live in Alaska on 50 acres, 20 cleared, rest wooded. Always run into situations that make me wish I had a tractor. Land has two gravel pits.

Add your Alaska location to your T-B-N PROFILE so your location shows with every post you make. You will receive more tailored responses relative to unique Alaska conditions.

Main uses for the tractor would be:
Digging gravel out of the gravel pit, loading trailer, maintaining berms. (for my own use, not commercial) ~~Backhoe or Loader.
Spreading gravel, road maintenance ~~Box Blade, Angle/Rear Blade, Land Plane Grading Scraper, or FEL bucket. How long is your road??

Moving heavy things. ~~FEL bucket with chain grab hooks to one ton. (( How heavy? How high? ))
Possible snow removal but I have a plow for my truck as my primary device for that. Truck is good. Warm, dry, good lights.

Mowing brush ~~Rotary Cutter; medium duty 650 pounds, heavy duty 1,000+ pounds.


The main dealers in my area are Kubota and John Deere. From my brief internet research, I've had my eye on a Kubota Tractor Loader Backhoe, the M62 model because the backhoe can dig a depth of 14 feet. 14 feet isnt a requirement but it sounds appealing. Kubota has 0% financing for 60 months.

M62 is a wonderful commercial grade Tractor/Loader/Backhoe (TLB) with a TLB weight of 8,900 pounds, which includes the Loader. So heavy, so large, perhaps impractical for a tractor neophyte -- find one to sit on. Pretty heavy TLB for soft ground. Width will be seven feet. Pretty wide to use in woodland, at least my Florida woodland. Trails in real world would creep to nine feet wide; pretty intrusive trails.

For 50 acres / 20 cleared acres in continental USA recommendations would center on a tractor with 4,000 pounds bare tractor weight.

Perhaps you should focus on Kubota L47 TLB, which weighs 7,200 pounds, including the Loader. As the L47 is based on the Kubota Grand L model, I estimate bare tractor weight of modified chassis as 4,000 pounds plus 1,600 pounds for the Loader plus 1,600 pounds for the Backhoe; total 7,200 pounds (+/-). Width six feet.

VIDEO: Comparing Kubota TLB series tractors(B26, L47, M62) - YouTube

I'm the kind of person who can be lazy when it comes to certain tasks and therefore would like the easiest quick detach system possible for changing attachments.

When you need to remove the Backhoe, to install the Three Point Hitch for mounting mower and road maintenance implements it will require less physical effort with the L47 relative to the M62.

I know I would want fork attachments, a grapple, loader bucket, excavator attachment (?) and obviously a mower attachment. I'm the kind of person who can be lazy when it comes to certain tasks and therefore would like the easiest quick detach system possible for changing attachments.

Also wondering if they make a mulcher-style attachment for land clearing that could handle trees 3-4 inches in diameter?
YES. VIDEO: compact tractor mulcher - YouTube

When I go to the "build my kubota" feature there are a ton of different options, starting with just the TLB or the TLB with valve kits, then progressing further into all kinds of valve kits, types of buckets, couplers, hydraulic thumbs, wheel weights etc. Pretty much have no idea what all that stuff is.

Best to discuss these issue with your Kubota dealer who will be familiar with unique Alaska conditions. Take careful notes during dealer discussion. Ask questions here.
Most who purchase L47/M62 are interested in reducing skilled labor operating costs in a limited number of construction tasks. For you, time is probably not of the essence, nor are your applications specialized.

Backhoe weight substitutes for wheel weights.

My budget is $100,000 for everything including attachments and I think the M62 would come in well under that. I am impressed.

I will likely keep this for at least 20 years and do not want to regret my purchase or wish I bought bigger.
You only have twenty cleared acres. TLBs have fixed four-post ROPS/FOPS. You need a very, very tall barn door to store inside.

Not sure if I would be better off with skid steer and a mini excavator instead? TLB is the best choice.

IMPLEMENTS: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media...aa214276e14dacb/pub2917tractorimplements1.pdf

Implements mount on the TPH. Attachments mount on the Loader or are accessories to implements.

 

[dodge man]

I’ll answer a couple of questions.

A thumb. It gives the back hoe bucket something to grab against. Handy for picking things up, like rocks, logs etc. The hydraulic part lets it be out of the way until you need it and then it swings in to grab things.

Rear remotes and third function. Spare hydraulics so to speak. On the rear some things need hydraulics. A rear blade is an example. I have a manual blade, I can only raise it or lower it on the tractor with the 3 point. Everything else is manual, I have to get off the tractor to do it. With hydraulics you can angle the blade and raise or lower one side so you could crown a road. The third function is extra hydraulics on the loader. The could run a grapple. The grapple goes on instead of a bucket and is kind of a giant set of jaws. The third function opens and closes the jaws, usually a button on the loader joy stick.

The Kubota you are looking at is a construction grade piece of equipment. It’s very versatile. You also have a generous budget. Would something else be better? Tough call, there isn’t always a correct answer but you will get a lot of free advice here.

 

[ericm979]

> Also wondering if they make a mulcher-style attachment for land clearing that could handle trees 3-4 inches in diameter?

They do. The forestry mulchers for tractors are expensive and you'll have to mow in reverse. Baumalight makes a mulcher and a super heavy duty rotary cutter ("brush hog") type thing that is made for cutting brush and small trees down. The prices I found a while back were from $7k to $12k depending on type and size. You can look at their web site for capacities.

Skid steers have much higher hydraulic flow than tractors. They can power a hydraulic mulcher instead of the PTO driven ones for tractors. Since it's on the front you can mow forwards. This is what pros use for land clearing. Used high capacity mulcher heads are in the $40k and up range.

A less expensive option for a tractor would be a flail mower with hammer flails. They are limited to smaller branches and won't chew up trees unless they're very small and can easily be pushed over.

Youtube is useful for videos of equipment in action, attaching and detaching backhoes, etc.

 

[nards444]

If it were me and I had this budget this is what I would do. I would spend the money and buy two machines. first machine would be a skid steer, that will dandle dirt berms and gravel pit better than a tractor. Just got done final cleaning up my new house build, after about 3 hours in the tractor called a buddy and got his skid steer over here. Obviously with that budget the tractor you can buy probably do things better than my smaller tractor. In my experience tractors are great at a lot of things but arent awesome in everything, and dirt moving is one of those.

If it were me I would find a slightly used skidsteer and then buy a brand new tractor. probably can come under 100k doing that

 

[finn1]

Look into a CTL or skid steer. These are construction rated machines much more suitable to moving gravel and fork work than thes small, light duty tractors.

 

[4570Man]

Look into a CTL or skid steer. These are construction rated machines much more suitable to moving gravel and fork work than thes small, light duty tractors.

An M62 is far from a light duty tractor. It’s got a yard bucket on the front and will easily move the amount of dirt he’s wanting to move. I’d way rather use an M62 vs skid steer. A CTL is a different beast.

 

[mcfarmall]

I priced out the 3PH Baumalite Brush Fire forestry mulcher 2 years ago and it was over $25k....YIKES!

 

[thompsonmax]

Hi everyone. I am also going to buy a tractor. So as I understood a CTL is a good one? Thanks.

 

[jeff9366]

CTL is not a tractor. CTL = Compact Track Loader = Skid Steer with TRACKS instead of wheels. CTL = Big $$$.




The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Neophyte tractor operators are often intimidated by instability of tractors with small front wheels and large rear wheels, therefore frequently purchase tractors too light, too small for long term satisfaction. ((Tractors seem to shrink after about twenty hours of operating experience.))

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after seven years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors and qualified to perform their own maintenance.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​