Out of the norm question

[Hay Dude]

I totally agree with this post. Ag tires will actually be safer as they get more traction ALL YEAR round. If you are careful.....you won't make mush of a mess.... Also. I used to pul a 2-wheel wagon everywhere...hills included, with 250 bales of hay. That is 250x50 lbs/bale ==>12,500 lbs on the drawbar.....no problem. My 45hp Yanmar weighs 3600 lbs and I would use it today to move around something like your lift. I have regretted putting TURF tires on the Yanmar ever since I bought it...so go with Ag tires.

This point cannot be over emphasized. One can also learn how to drive R-1s as to not tear up delicate areas.
A smaller, less expensive, lower horsepower tractor on R1’s will outpull a larger more expensive tractor on R-4s.
Tires are an often overlooked asset when factoring/discussing pure tractor drawbar power.

An example: My neighbor was clearing trees and chipping them. His tree company contractor got his truck and chipper stuck in soft leaf litter. There was a Ford 4wd backhoe on site with R4 industrial tires. They tried pulling the chipper truck out with the backhoe with no success. I had at the time, my smallest tractor at my house, a Kubota M7040 on R-1 AG tires. About 1/2 the weight of the backhoe. I went over with a chain and easily walked the chipper truck out.
The guy with the backhoe, an older more experienced guy commented “nothing like those R1 paddles to pull through mud”.

 

[Tawtone]

I have a JLG 350.
Use a Kubota BX2230 with tool bar and 2” ball
Turf tires and can position lift anywhere needed without cutting up yard.

 

[ptsg]

This point cannot be over emphasized. One can also learn how to drive R-1s as to not tear up delicate areas.
A smaller, less expensive, lower horsepower tractor on R1’s will outpull a larger more expensive tractor on R-4s.
Tires are an often overlooked asset when factoring/discussing pure tractor drawbar power.

An example: My neighbor was clearing trees and chipping them. His tree company contractor got his truck and chipper stuck in soft leaf litter. There was a Ford 4wd backhoe on site with R4 industrial tires. They tried pulling the chipper truck out with the backhoe with no success. I had at the time, my smallest tractor at my house, a Kubota M7040 on R-1 AG tires. About 1/2 the weight of the backhoe. I went over with a chain and easily walked the chipper truck out.
The guy with the backhoe, an older more experienced guy commented “nothing like those R1 paddles to pull through mud”.

Exactly. And all of that without even getting into R1 Radials. Those are indeed game changers.

I have to drive over my lawn every once in a while and I can easily drive over it with my tractors with R1 and don't cause any damage whatsoever.

 

[LD1]

If the lift is 5000 lbs, I’d want a 5000 pound tractor. You could use a lighter tractor but that really comes down to whether the ground is soft enough that your R1 or R4 tires are digging in and can stop you ( while making track prints), otherwise it’s “ do you have enough weight to make enough ground contact friction for the tractor to stop you. That friction varies greatly season to season, after rain, etc.
Also, how much tongue weight the man lift has will make a huge braking difference with a smaller tractor. It can help or hurt. More is better.

Lots of farmers pull grain carts 3x or 4x tractor weights.

Heck, even pickups going 65-70 down the road can have tow ratings 3x or 4x vehicle weight.

I couldnt imagine a farmer needing a TractorData.com Big Bud 16V-747 tractor information to pull a 1300-1500 bushell grain cart

 

[ning]

I used to rent stuff on friday afternoon to get a break, usually only 1 or 2 day charge, made sense to me, both ways.

I tried to rent a trencher for the weekend a while back. At the last minute i asked when they would they bill my credit card etc etc. They said, we will bill you Monday, after we total the Hours!

What? I told them the reason I rented it was to use it maybe 14-16 hours a day saturday and sunday.

I did not rent their trencher, actually found a guy to do it pretty cheaply, 2600 ft for 2in water pipe.

I can never remember to ask enough questions.

My local yard charges by the day, but weekend is one day... subject to an equipment chronometer 8hr per "day" (= 8hr included for the weekend). Go over that and you pay more. Makes sense to me.

This works fine for me because it means I can actually take breaks (during which the chrono isn't running) or many times you're prepping or clearing for the next stage.

 

[grsthegreat]

love those big buds. i lived outside big sandy montana in the 1980's, and big buds were made up by havre montana. those things were massive.

 

[MESSMAKER]

NiftyLift has a self propelled option. Don't know if you can add it on. Nifty Traction Drive - Safe, Powered Trailer Mount Positioning System


How about an electric trailer dolly. Parkit360° Electric Trailer Dolly | Mover for Boats + RV Trailers

That looks interesting.

 

[Manup]

That looks interesting.

Thank you for the input. I've looked at both. My existing lift is a towable, so I'll stick with it. The self propelled unit would be nice but is out of my budget. Conversations with the Parkit Company were interesting. They don't have any representation in the Midwest. If the lift didn't work on the lawn they agreed to drop the restocking but I'd have to pay the return shipping ~$300. It sounded like they would want 500 lb tongue weight to make sure their unit had traction to the turf.