Prospective purchase for the mountains.

[IndyJay]

I also enjoyed the article: "Chapter 6 Road Construction Techniques".

Here's another option for you and your land. This is the one that I recommend to friends with new property and little tractor experience...

1. Most important: Simply hire a skilled operator with a bulldozer to rebuild your existing roads. He will do more for less money than you can even imagine. He may even make you a few new roads. It's what bulldozers do, and they do it remarkably reasonably. Slopes don't bother a good operator.

2. Then after the bulldozer leaves you will have gained a few years which you can spend maintaining rather than creating and can simply go with whatever tractor you like best. Your world of usable tractors just expanded tremendously because most all will work. Larger and older will be fine. Get a nice FEL and a tractor you feel comfortable using. Most people with 40 acres or more end up with a tractor plus a dedicated mowing machine.

You will need one special rear implement for the tractor, so be prepared to spend real money for a heavy back blade with adjustments for angle, tilt, and offset - and also get the optional shoes and endcaps, That back blade will cost in the region of $2500 for a six footer, but it will maintain a dirt road nicely AFTER the bulldozer makes the road. Rhino and perhaps Land Pride and a few others make that sort of blade.

Unfortunately, you cannot make the road initially even with that nice back blade behind the tractor because the tractor will be pulling it, whereas the bulldozer pushes it.
No FEL has the same versatility as a bulldozer blade - That's because FEL buckets don't have tilt and angle capability independent of the tractor. And even if they did have that capability and a front blade instead of a bucket (which few do) then tractors simply do not have the traction to push a front blade like that.... something that a bulldozer does with ease.
rScotty

Good advice on the bulldozer. I had spent a lot of time clearing trails for horseback riding using a chainsaw and brush hog. Made slow but steady progress over a few years. I finally hired a dozer operator who did more in 10 hours than I did in several years, and did a much better job. He was able to grade everything so that it was safe for my tractor to maintain. A quick pass or two with the box scraper and the trails were clean and smooth with no "punji sticks" to worry about. Now I just mow them a couple times a year.

 

[sea2summit]

This expands my reasoning.
View attachment 704818

I like these HP tied to acreage charts. They make me giggle.

Seriously, probably a good idea for a first time buyer to look at so they can narrow their research but beyond that I think it quickly looses its utility because there are so many other variables. The primary uses of the tractor far outweigh the number of acres the tractor is used on.

 

[sea2summit]

IOver the years I have realized that although traditional FEL 4wd tractors with 3 point attachments are great for a one thing does all ok type machine they don't do anything very efficiently.

I've got to disagree. I think they do what they were designed to do very efficiently. But you are correct about them doing everything else "ok".

 

[JimmyTig]

Hey all,

Last year, we purchased 105 acres in the mountains of Western North Carolina that are mostly wooded with about 6 acres of meadows in hollows and plenty of overgrown old logging roads that we'd like to reclaim. The prior owners quit maintaining everything a few years ago except for the lawn around the house and the driveway.

The main driveway is about a 3/4 mile and is useable for now. The other trails and meadows are overgrown and need a lot of work to get back to usable condition. In addition to cleanup, there seems to always be something on the property that needs done (trees, brush, etc).

Our original intent was to hire out local professionals to support the maintenance, but it is clearly cost prohibitive considering the ongoing work required. I'm capable of learning, but an I am admitted "city slicker" with no experience with tractors.

I'm looking for advice!

I tried local dealers with experience in the area, however nothing is in stock. I've found a 2038r in North Florida for what I consider an acceptable deal in these current times. However, the advice from dealer seems limited to their experience in tropical temps and flat ground use. For example: I was told that extra ballast isn't required except for filling up the tires with water (only water). Wheel spacers are not beneficial. I'm not knocking them, because they know their stuff.. just not familiar with the terrain of another area.

So I'm seeking out some advice and support from the forums. My first and major concern is safety with regards to tipping/rolling the tractor in the mountains.

1. My inclinometer has 13 degrees vertical as the max of our main roads on the property and that's just the driveways. I'm very concerned about tipping the tractor and wanting to configure it in the safest way for the mountains.

2. I was going to start with box blade, forks and bush-hog, (and ballast) and wait until determining if I need other equipment. Looking for input on if the standard frontier implements BB2060, RC2060 is adequate.

3. What comparative models would you recommend from Kubota, Massey etc..

4. What advice would you give to someone who is using their equipment higher in the mountains? I would probably use a Zero turn for the lawn grass. Tractor is truly for utility.



Thanks everyone!

Seems to me you would be better served with a compact track loader than a wheeled tractor. Sounds like you can use a bush hog attachment, excavating bucket, rake, and possibly an auger for post hole digging. I have a Cat 289C to push around logs, stumps, etc. Check the used rental market and see what they can offer.

 

[airbiscuit]

I like these HP tied to acreage charts. They make me giggle.

Seriously, probably a good idea for a first time buyer to look at so they can narrow their research but beyond that I think it quickly looses its utility because there are so many other variables. The primary uses of the tractor far outweigh the number of acres the tractor is used on.

The point of that chart is to get newbies to consider factors other than HP, like frame size, weight and tire diameter = TRACTION and ground clearance. It also says YMMV

 

[Pleease]

I just bought a PowerTrac, specifically because I have very little flat ground.
Built in USA, very versatile
They excel in areas that traditional tractors cannot operate safely, and they are priced very competitively.

I'd never heard of PowerTrac, but your note made me look, as I mow (etc.) on what I consider pretty steep ground with my Kubota BX subcompact, and the potential for rolling is always on my mind to some degree.

Which type/model did you get, and how is it working for you so far?

 

[Egon]

The point of that chart is to get newbies to consider factors other than HP, like frame size, weight and tire diameter = TRACTION and ground clearance. It also says YMMV
View attachment 704937

Darned, I only had 16 HP for 68 acres. Lots of rocks, big trees, [pine spruce,oak, maple, beach and so on. Lots of 20 degree slopes with about six acres of farmable land. Just a bucket and backblade to work with. Moved a lot of dirt, rocks felled trees and made trails. Made out okay. Now I got a 24HP with backhoe and figure its just the perfect size. Musta missed something somewhere??

 

[airbiscuit]

Yep. I did a lot of work with my 15hp Shibaura. Liked my 24hp John Deere better. Liked my 34hp New Holland even better. Really like my 40 hp large frame New Holland. Just makes things easier. I'm not saying my chart is an absolute, just pointing out there is more to tractor capability than just hp. YMMV

I see lots of CUTs traded back in for a larger CUT. If you don't think there is a difference in capability with frame size, you're just spinning your wheels.

 

[Egon]

Yep. I did a lot of work with my 15hp Shibaura. Liked my 24hp John Deere better. Liked my 34hp New Holland even better. Really like my 40 hp large frame New Holland. Just makes things easier. I'm not saying my chart is an absolute, just pointing out there is more to tractor capability than just hp. YMMV

I see lots of CUTs traded back in for a larger CUT. If you don't think there is a difference in capability with frame size, you're just spinning your wheels.

Never argued with capability based on frame size. Just mentioned what will be adequate for the use involved!

For frame size and weight maybe the larger Cats (D10 or so) should be on the recommended list. Lots of capability there.

 

[airbiscuit]

You'll notice that I said
"About $30k would get you a Kubota LX3310 before rebates. it's comparable to the John Deere 2038R. Either is smaller than I would like, but it could manage your tasks (rough cut mowing saplings, box blade and rear blade road/trail maintenance, grapple work). It would be fine for your first tractor."

Budget or personal preference can impact our decisions. If I were in the OPs situation, I would prefer something larger, but having a CUT of any size is a good thing.