Min tractor size for repairing long gravel driveway with potholes?

[paulfun9]

While I appreciate the advice. I'm curious how you would quantify what the threshold of having enough tractor is.

Do you perhaps know of any videos or stories of a subcompact failing at the snow blowing or box blade tasks? I'm ok with a bit of a struggle.. it's only the flat out failure that i would spend money to avoid.

It’s not so much a point of failing but rather the learning curve many have gone threw.
Many I know have watched thier small tractor after years of pushing it to complete larger tasks show excessive wear, they start to realize that 3 hours to complete a task that others complete in 1 creates more maint cost/ time. They also grow and start taking on more and sometimes harder to accomplish tasks and many times find the limits of thier time verses the job at hand as well as the machines limitations to the new job.

 

[JWR]

Kubota LX2610SU - Same hp - a lot more capability than a BX

Airbiscuit -- that is a great Youtube find -- super educational w/r to Kubotas in that size range.

 

[4570Man]

My 34HP Massey 1250 used ~30 gallons over 16-20 hours to mow my field. My 45HP Kioti uses 12 gallons to mow the same area in about half the time. Smaller doesn't always translate to more economical.

Bigger is almost always more fuel efficient to do the same amount of work.

 

[jyoutz]

Thus far i've seen enough videos of 25hp subcompacts getting the job done successfully that the next rational stage in the process is to learn when/how/why a 25hp scut would be insufficient. The general feedback thus far seems to be buy oversized so you don't regret it, but that's a rather wasteful approach in my eyes. I'd much rather discuss, debate, and logically reason though the data to determine the most optimized result.

I'll still be continuing to research before making a purchase, but i was hoping the forum approach would help to offer some real life data and insight that I wasn't able to glean from watching youtube.

Does anyone happen to have any real life experience with trying to use a subCompact to do their box blade work? The companies seem to make plenty of these smaller tractors as well as the smaller 4' box blades to go with them. Surely someone out there is using them?

When you’re using tractors, weight and width (for stability) are far more important than HP. A SCUT is great to mowing, but lacks in the weight and stability categories.

 

[oosik]

I say my driveway is gravel because it's NOT asphalt or concrete. Actually it's a mix of gravel, sand, silt and volcanic ash. Mother Natures mix for concrete. It's a mile long.

It "hardens up" after the spring wet season. The heaviest rear blade I could reasonably use on the Ford 1700 would not cut it. Bounce along behind the tractor creating sparks. If that's what you like.

I upgraded to the Kubota M6040 and it will pull a very heavy rear blade. It WILL cut into the hardened driveway.

When I repair the potholes - I use either my roll-over-box blade or land plane grading scraper. Both have shanks. Drop the shanks - skerf up the potholes - level them off.

JMHO - but the material that comprises the top layer of a driveway will have a lot to do with what can be used to maintain and repair.

 

[nrosario]

Thus far i've seen enough videos of 25hp subcompacts getting the job done successfully that the next rational stage in the process is to learn when/how/why a 25hp scut would be insufficient. The general feedback thus far seems to be buy oversized so you don't regret it, but that's a rather wasteful approach in my eyes. I'd much rather discuss, debate, and logically reason though the data to determine the most optimized result.

I'll still be continuing to research before making a purchase, but i was hoping the forum approach would help to offer some real life data and insight that I wasn't able to glean from watching youtube.

Does anyone happen to have any real life experience with trying to use a subCompact to do their box blade work? The companies seem to make plenty of these smaller tractors as well as the smaller 4' box blades to go with them. Surely someone out there is using them?

You know videos can be edited...
All youtubers "I have seen" have a combination of big + small tractors, or do like GP Outdoors who upgraded his B2601 to an lx2610. And I'm sure he will end up with a grand L at some point.

Wish you the best.
Have fun with whatever machine you end up buying, and once again, welcome this great community.

 

[Hay Dude]

Post #81 -- the horse was dead 20 posts ago but I'll contribute to draggin it out some more I guess...
Mo1 and I could go off in separate room somewhere and talk for hours I'm sure. I never said the big old 2WDs were useless.
1) Pound for pound you cannot pull as much with a 2WD as you can with a 4wd. Period. The physics is obvious. No you cannot fairly compare a 12,000lb 2wd with a 4000lb compact, etc. for pulling. If you need more pulling power, buy a heavier 4WD which does not need to be as heavy as the 2WD to pull the same load. Sure, if the OP wants to he can go buy an old 2WD tractor over 12,000 lbs and probably do most of his work. He will regret it. Picture him putting chains on the rear of the poor old thing at the first big snow storm and then finding out he can only steer with wheel brakes. Meanwhile no FEL and no cab (though I guess the OP does not care about a cab.)
2) I'm 78. The tractor I drove at age 12 (and still drive once in a while for special jobs) was a 2WD MH Pacer. Yes, I broke the front verticle wheel support/axle off it hitting a ditch. No,I have never broken any of the front axles or related parts on a John Deere 4800, Massey Ferguson 2660, 3 Kubota B2150s and a BX2200 I owned -- all 4WD. I have gotten stuck with every single one of them in 2WD mode and had to shift to 4WD to get out of the often trivial jam.
3) The turning radius on the bevel gear FWD machines (e.g. JD, Kubota, Massey, New Holland, etc. all have them) is just as good as the 2WD models. Only the larger tractors (larger than this OP wants by far) use U-joints at the front wheels which limit turning radius.
4) So far I've never had a leaking front axle seal on any of the 6 4WD tractors in 3 brands that I've had.
5) Loaders can be made to fit a horse I suppose. The Amish can do things that amaze me. But the truth is the older 2WD large tractors suffer from lack of available loaders. The OP probably does not wish to go into fabrication shops to try to get some non-standard loader to work. The OP would be flat crazy not to get a machine with a good standard FEL.
6) Mo1 and I agree on one thing: a BX is too small for what we know of this man's needs.

A 12,000lb 2WD tractor would be in the 150HP range.
I have (2) 125HP 4WD tractors and they only weigh ~11,000lbs with loaders!
I think a 12,000lb 2WD tractor is in the category of “extreme overkill” my friend.
After running tractors for the last 35 years, I could tell by his description he was going to need an older 50HP 4wd to handle the long driveway with a wider box blade and enjoy a heat/AC cab. Older Kubotas are reliable, sip fuel and affordable.

Like many of us here have found out, we largely outgrow tractors pretty quickly.

 

[LD48750]

Another vote for the cut.
I run out of traction even with my 4x4 ford 1510 cut.
Pulling a blade/box full of dirt UP your drive from where nature puts it after weather can & does stop the tractor & dig holes (that have to be filled).
Dealing with my 1/4 mile drive I have NEVER wished I had a tractor the size of my wifes riding mower.
I have wished I had MORE tractor many times working the drive & woods around here.

The first 15 years or so I did just fine with a 2wd 2N ford and a snowplow on a pick up.
I also wish I had a FEL many times but... I don't so. like you I manage with what I have. Boom pole, winch, & borrowed stuff from neighbors.

Good Luck with whatever you choose & be sure to let us know.

BTW... the only time I run out of HP is running the PTO.
A 5' brush hog in 5' high swamp grass NEEDS HP & a slow ground speed.
Both of which the 2N didn't have.

 

[Hay Dude]

An existing, long, hard packed stone driveway would be virtually impossible to box blade with a subcut and actually pretty tough for a 4000lb 50HP, too.
Now if all you are doing is dragging fresh stone into low spots, that’s pretty easy.
I just spread 4 tri-axle loads of asphalt screenings with my 135HP and loader with ease. However, when I was asked by my customer to back-drag their existing pothole strewn stone driveway with the loader, I knew it would be hard. Those old stone driveways are tough to level if they are driven over for years.

 

[fried1765]

Another vote for the cut.
I run out of traction even with my 4x4 ford 1510 cut.
Pulling a blade/box full of dirt UP your drive from where nature puts it after weather can & does stop the tractor & dig holes (that have to be filled).
Dealing with my 1/4 mile drive I have NEVER wished I had a tractor the size of my wifes riding mower.
I have wished I had MORE tractor many times working the drive & woods around here.

The first 15 years or so I did just fine with a 2wd 2N ford and a snowplow on a pick up.
I also wish I had a FEL many times but... I don't so. like you I manage with what I have. Boom pole, winch, & borrowed stuff from neighbors.

Good Luck with whatever you choose & be sure to let us know.

The OP wants to buy a SCUT, and facts put forward here on TBN are seemingly unimportant.
He needs to buy two (or maybe even 3) tractors!
First, a tiny one called a SCUT, and then the following year a CUT (40 HP?)
He needs to experiment with tractor buying to gain understanding of his needs.
It is his money!
He does not want to accept solid advice!