Moving and need to buy a new TLB next year.

[buckeyefarmer]

Found you on google maps. I see 2 or 3 cabins on the lake to the west, and a couple on the lake south of you.

Personally I’d go with the kubota, and definitely a cab.

 

[hkbirdman]

If the the prices of mini and midi ex's in Maine are like they are around here, I would look for a full size used TLB with a cab and 4 wheel drive in the 12-20k lb range instead, extend a hoe would be a plus for digging at a distance as well.
Full size TLBs may not be the perfect tool for some jobs but am finding they can be a very good Jack of all master of none. A full size TLB will put a 474 to shame when push comes to shove or you need to lift something heavy or high for that matter. Digging bigger stumps will be much quicker as well.

You would lose the abilities of a 3 point though.

I am probably not in the majority but would be looking for 2 Used machines. the full size TLB and then additionally a used 30-50 hp 4 x 4 tractor with some included implements.

I would agree - buy a full sized used TLB such as Case 580 or equivalent with cab and 4 wheel drive. Try to get one that's not all used up and use it for 5 years for road building, snow plowing, foundation digging, stump removal, etc. and then sell it for what you paid. Then buy a smaller cabbed tractor with implements for all your other needs.

 

[arrow]

You're looking at the wrong equipment for the work you want to do. You'd bust a compact tractor in no time using it as a piece of construction equipment.
That Terex idea someone gave here is a much more viable piece for you.
After you establish your home stead, you can sell it and then buy a compact.

 

[arrow]

dang.. no cab is a deal-breaker

To each his own but I hate being in a cabbed tractor. So constrictive to me.
Ok on an open road or driveway while doing snow but in the woods.... a pain.
Loud too so wear muffs if you get one.

 

[rScotty]

I would agree - buy a full sized used TLB such as Case 580 or equivalent with cab and 4 wheel drive. Try to get one that's not all used up and use it for 5 years for road building, snow plowing, foundation digging, stump removal, etc. and then sell it for what you paid. Then buy a smaller cabbed tractor with implements for all your other needs.

Yes. That's the ticket. We've had a dozen tractors & live in a rugged wild area. I watched the video - looks wonderful. A great adventure!

By now I think you have figured out that a medium size tractor with a loader added to the front and a hoe to the back is NOT the same as a real TLB (Tractor/Loader/Backhoe). You need the real thing. Yes, it costs a lot but it does a lot. It can lift a stump or a tree or roll a boulder. It has a spacious enough cab for you, a friend, plus a small dog. Heat and AC is normal. It isn't a real snow plow, but has enough power and weight to move a surprising amount of snow.

Get a used commercial TLB with a thousand hours and use it for 5 years. The Case 580, New Holland, or Deere 310 are probably the most common ones. A good used one probably won't need anything for the first 5 or ten years that you can't do yourself in the way of fixing and repair - then you can sell it and get a smaller tractor if you want.

And even if you find that perfect TLB, consider hiring a dozer & operator to do the initial road and land clearing. Trying to do everything clearing land with a smaller machince is just a lot of time and no less money. There's a reason for dozers. A dozer with a 4 way blade can shape land in a few days that would take you a year....and you couldn't do it as well.

If I were looking for such a TLB, I'd make the rounds of the maintenance depts at local churches, schools zones, and utility companies - you are looking for places that replace their older TLB type equipment with new ones based on a time/hour schedule & have regular maintenance programs.
Best of Luck, rScotty

 

[ruffdog]

If getting a real TLB is out of the question, maybe hire the work done. The locals will know the ground and local codes and connections to supplies etc. In the long run it might be the faster and cost efficient way.

 

[rScotty]

If getting a real TLB is out of the question, maybe hire the work done. The locals will know the ground and local codes and connections to supplies etc. In the long run it might be the faster and cost efficient way.

Yeah, I agree. It would be the fastest and most cost efficient way.... And then they could get on with all the rest of the project. And buy a smaller less expensive utility tractor with a loader. But shucks, half the fun of working a piece of land like that is in the doing it yourself. Us old guys with machines all know that now, but I can sure remember when I didn't have a clue what I was trying to do. And we got it done anyway....but most of us only have the time and energy to do that once in our too-short lives, and if doing it that way it is best to start very young.

I'm not sure if being older means being wiser, or just being more willing to compromise - I'm trying for both. BTW, my wife watched me work our land with our oldish smallish tractor for years and she is the one who decided we were going to buy a real TLB - yes she really did.
Thanks, hon.

 

[BoylermanCT]

You are in for a great adventure! Following your YouTube channel for updates. Get the most tractor you can afford, you won't regret it. More HP and more weight gets work done faster and safer. Definitely consider renting equipment to get specific jobs done faster. Excavators outclass backhoes by a long shot.

 

[4570Man]

It will take you way to long to preform that work with such a small tractor or any tractor for that matter and you’ll probably destroy it in the process. You need to put some construction equipment on the job.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Make a build thread like woodchuckdad He had someone clear his land, yet he still bought a nice sized excavator to help with the work.

My Industrial Cabin Build

My Industrial Cabin Build

We broke ground on the homesite this weekend. As many of you know, I have been building an orchard in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. 55 acres purchased in last summer 2015. We had 20-25 acres logged, leaving us with an inordinate amount of slash and debris. We have 3 acres of Apple...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[SoGeorgia]

Watched your video. Nice scenery , but that is too much isolation for me. Maintenance of the gravel road before you get to your yet to be installed driveway will be a back breaker. About the only way in or out will be with a snow mobile in the winter. Calls for Medical care will require a long wait. How far away is the closest gas station? Grocery Store? Hardware Store? Shopping Mall? I saw mail boxes but don’t remember seeing them in the last minutes of the video. Will you have mail service?

What about a washing machine. Most important when there is two feet of snow on the ground how are you going to dry clothes, bed linens, etc.

Being off the grid does not mean being isolated and a hermit, it means being without electrical or phone service.

Actually we would be ok with it being a little more isolated. Closest services are 20-30 minutes away. We already have a solution in place for washing/drying clothes.

 

[SoGeorgia]

That is a VERY long road to get out in the Winter. If your neighbors arent plowing their part of it, you will have to do it all. The easiest way (but unfortunately the most expensive) is a front snow blower on a tractor with Mid PTO. There is no way I would recommend a rear 3PT for that long of a road. You will be at the chiropractor all Spring trying to get the neck straightened back out!


Looks like a nice property, congrats. Now the fun begins.

The un-maintained part is about a mile. I do have neighbors that also keep it up as well.

 

[SoGeorgia]

Watched the video. Very pretty area.
Where does the roads go past your land? Any other houses nearby?

They go on and on really. We met our closest neighbor about a half-mile farther in. There are several cabins/camps.

 

[Carl_NH]

Beautiful spot and land for sure - thanks for posting the video. You have a lot on your plate for the coming year(s)!

As others have said, buy enough tractor - a full sized TLB like the JD 310/Case 580 etc. to start, it will push snow and clear land etc. are more cost effective and will do more of what you need. You can clear land with these but it's slow tedious work vs an excavator,

Then install enough solar up front - like 7-10KW array with batteries then ground mount since you have space, so you can easily clear off the snow after a storm to keep things running vs covered in snow for a day or more. Adding panels later is OK too, providing you have the wire and inverter large enough at the beginning.

Speak with a few locals and ask who do you "go to" or recommend for things like clearing land, septic system, stone/gravel, cement work etc. People are very helpful in general and you get to know who's who in the neighborhood. In the rural communities there tends to be fewer options for specific contractors due to demand.

 

[Mud2Money]

I would either buy a TLB or farm the job out to get cleared. I just priced a dozer and a excavator to dig a pond. Trucking and rental cost were $8500 just for a week. Another $1500 in fuel at least and if you don’t have a lot of experience running larger equipment you will waste a lot of valuable time and money.

 

[crashz]

I agree with the others. You need a full size TLB. I'd budget about $25K to get a decent used machine that won't always be broke down.

If it were me, I'd hire the clearing part and driveway construction. This gets the heavy, labor intensive parts out of the way and you on the land quicker. If you walk the land (now) with the contractor, stake it and have it cleared this winter, you should be able to hit the ground in the spring and start home construction. I don't think you will want to go through winter in an RV. Plus, it gives you time to get your house in GA packed and sold. If you sell early, stay in the RV down there. Many people think that winter work can be done with just a bit more effort. Sometimes it can be true. Other times its nearly impossible.

 

[Jchonline]

How is OP going to clear snow with a TLB? Sure you can use the bucket but that gets old quick on a mile stretch in Maine. The roads are too narrow to easily pile up that much snow.

I am still going with rental for land clearing then tractor to maintain everything.

 

[SoGeorgia]

How is OP going to clear snow with a TLB? Sure you can use the bucket but that gets old quick on a mile stretch in Maine. The roads are too narrow to easily pile up that much snow.

I am still going with rental for land clearing then tractor to maintain everything.

Snow plow or snow blower, not the bucket.

 

[Jchonline]

Snow plow or snow blower, not the bucket.

You arent getting a snow blower on a full size TLB. You are also going to have a hard time finding one with SSQA that would take a plow. You would likely need to plumb 3rd function, as this is not common on a full size machine.

On a tractor backhoe, you arent going to get much done. We are talking 6000lbs vs 16000lbs (full TLB). No comparison. Weight = work.

I don't call tractors with a backhoe TLBs. It confuses people about their capabilities. A true TLB is either the Kubota B26, L47, M62 (or previous models) or a full size machine (Deere 310L, etc). There is no comparison between tractor backhoes and real TLBs.

That said, of course you can do this job with a tractor backhoe. It just may take you 20 times as long. That is fully up to you. If you have a timeline you can share it might help.

 

[Williy]

Going full solar power something to
think about????

Personalty for solar the cost of 12 volt
refrigerators is very high IMHO the small
2 door or single door refrigerators cost
less than $250 and you can also get a
small freezer for under $400. The small
refrigerators you can put them on a counter
or shelf and can see every thing in it no
bending over. These small units are easy
to fix or you can toss them and purchase
new and not break the bank on getting a
new one as you can probably get 4 small
ones for the price of a 12 volt one same
size

willy