Buying Advice Cab or no cab?

[RjCorazza]

With the stated loader and grapple work, as long as you have no aspirations to lift large logs, I think you are looking in the right tractor size range. Kioti makes a good machine, and I wouldn't worry too much about the dealer being 1.5 hours away. It is unlikely to need anything more than routine maintenance for many hours.
If you plan on the dealer doing the routine maintenance, then yes, 1.5 hours away will get ridiculously expensive.

On my last 2 Kubota tractors and 2500 hours, I have only had to get it to the dealer once. Not warranty - I snapped off the mount where the lower 3 point arm connects to the case... 100% operator error.
Happy tractor shopping!

 

[mo1]

Most of the work you said you are going to be doing is cutting trails and lifting objects, have you thought about a skid loader instead of a tractor? They sit lower, are more maneuverable, and you can get an air-conditioned cab for one, and it's better protected than a tractor cab. A hydraulic brush cutter that goes on the loader would make quick work of whatever trails you want to make. The only downside is such a setup costs a lot more than a 25 HP compact tractor does.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm curious what kind of clean up work you actually plan to do? Are you thinking about a tractor mounted brush cutter like this? MP348 Tractor Brush Mulcher - Reliable Mulching Attachment

 

[Rich_Z]

Most of the work you said you are going to be doing is cutting trails and lifting objects, have you thought about a skid loader instead of a tractor? They sit lower, are more maneuverable, and you can get an air-conditioned cab for one, and it's better protected than a tractor cab. A hydraulic brush cutter that goes on the loader would make quick work of whatever trails you want to make. The only downside is such a setup costs a lot more than a 25 HP compact tractor does.

Well, cost is always a consideration. Haven't given more than a cursory glance at a skid loader, so no idea what sort of price bracket they would be in. How much would I use something like that? Beats me. But I would feel a whole lot worse about having a $50K lawn ornament than a $30K lawn ornament once I got the trails cut.

 

[Rich_Z]

I'm curious what kind of clean up work you actually plan to do? Are you thinking about a tractor mounted brush cutter like this? MP348 Tractor Brush Mulcher - Reliable Mulching Attachment

Well mostly cutting walking paths through the trees on our property. And there are piles of debris from past manual cleanups to push the woodline back from the house that I would like to move further back as that line has extended further outwards over time. Such piles become refuges for rats, and I would rather have them as far away from the house as possible. Of course something that I could use to reduce such piles to wood chips instead of moving the piles would be ideal.

I actually did watch videos of flail mowers or mulchers much like what you have linked to. Seem like a great idea for trail cutting. Sure do wish I could have something like that on the front of the tractor rather than the rear, however. Driving backwards for any length of time will be a killer on my neck. But honestly, this is something on my list of things to learn more about....

 

[2manyrocks]

The brush mulcher I linked to is an actual brush mulcher. The cutting heads are shaped for that purpose and are different than the cutting heads on flail mowers. However, a brush mulcher is more expensive than a flail mower, and I suspect it's harder on the tractor if you attempt to mulch too much at once.

For the price of a brush mulcher, you could probably hire someone with a mulcher/skid loader to clean up the areas that bother you, and from there perhaps you could maintain it with a regular tractor and rotary cutter.

Generally speaking, there don't seem to be many front mounted tractor cutters in the USA except for some large, high dollar tractors.

The most affordable front mounted brush cutter machine in the US I know of is the Power Trac, but they don't offer any cabs and all of their sales are made from their HQ in Virginia. It would probably be a better woods machine than most normal tractors because of the short turning radius. It is also unique in that the front cutter is hydraulically powered. Power Trac

 

[mo1]

I actually did watch videos of flail mowers or mulchers much like what you have linked to. Seem like a great idea for trail cutting. Sure do wish I could have something like that on the front of the tractor rather than the rear, however. Driving backwards for any length of time will be a killer on my neck. But honestly, this is something on my list of things to learn more about....

That is why I recommended a skid loader, a brush cutter on one of them mounts to the loader arms and sits right out in front of you. You could mount a skid loader front brush cutter to a compact or smaller utility tractor's loader as well, but a skid loader makes a whole lot more hydraulic flow than a smaller tractor does. You would need to use a PTO-powered self-contained hydraulic pump setup in order to use a hydraulically-driven brush cutter on a smaller tractor.

Last I looked a reasonable skid loader and a front-mounted brush cutter will be north of $50k though.

 

[steve tym]

Cabs are great.
Cabs are a little more difficult to get in and out of.
Cabs reduce visibility.
I love my air conditioned cab.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Cabs are a little more difficult to get in and out of.
Cabs reduce visibility.

Neither one is even comparable to a skid steer, I think.
If mine didn't have the remote quick tach lock it'd be gone by now.

The one extra step to get in and out of the M6040 (with a cab) isn't that much more work than the single step on the L3800. And when it's 75-80 degrees out, the A/C is priceless.

 

[RustyA]

My 60th birthday present was a New Holland Boomer 40 cab and loader. After 40 years of open station tractors it is a dream to operate. Quieter, great visibility front and rear. Made for New Holland by LS. Everything that was optional on many other brands was standard on the Boomer. Front and rear work lights, mid-pto, suspension seat, rear wiper/washer, adjustable draft links, cruise control. It's the perfect size for me for snow removal, road grading, using pallet forks for lifting, running a brush cutter. Take a look at NH and LS...great machine.