Adding hydraulics & Remotes

[bildo]

Hello all, I am new to the big tractor game and are looking for a great quality tractor for my property. I am in love with the Kubota M59 but man are they expensive( i would love a 62 or 47 but don't have that kinda money) so I'm wondering how well does everyone think an older 59 would be and what the costs might be to add a hydraulic thumb and some remotes? or would it be smarter to buy a loaded machine for maybe $8-10,000 more? any and all thoughts appreciated.

Background - 41 heavily treed acres...need to cut and clear for a drive, house, general vegetation control. plus i will have to create a culvert pipe project to span about 20 foot creek bed(probably double 48inch HDPE), im 38y/o

Thanks all...ps.the information on this site is awesome(long time reader first time poster)


B

 

[LD1]

I think for what you want to do, the cost for what you get capability wise ain't great. Then once the drive, house, etc are done....what use do you have for the machine?

Without knowing more background, and what future uses you have after the initial hard work is done....you might consider a 2-machine plan. Either a used full sized backhoe...or a mini /midi excavator....and a 40-50hp compact tractor. Sell the big backhoe or excavator once the hard work is done, and take care if property maintenance with the tractor from there on out.

Renting the big equipment is another option if you don't feel comfortable buying used and trying to resell.

But spending a ton of money on a M59 or M62 if you cannot put it to work once the hard stuff is done, don't make much sense to me

 

[bildo]

I think for what you want to do, the cost for what you get capability wise ain't great. Then once the drive, house, etc are done....what use do you have for the machine?

Without knowing more background, and what future uses you have after the initial hard work is done....you might consider a 2-machine plan. Either a used full sized backhoe...or a mini /midi excavator....and a 40-50hp compact tractor. Sell the big backhoe or excavator once the hard work is done, and take care if property maintenance with the tractor from there on out.

Renting the big equipment is another option if you don't feel comfortable buying used and trying to resell.

But spending a ton of money on a M59 or M62 if you cannot put it to work once the hard stuff is done, don't make much sense to me

Yes i have been thinking this as well, but i will be attempting to start a small farm(wood clearing so forth) with my family and with the densely packed woods and the strength and versatility of the machine have me thinking its a good choice. Would you have another recommendation of tractor type? I fear the weekness of a 3point hoe. I've been reading some of your posts about adding remotes and thats where this all kinda started with the less expensive machine. But i would like to be able to move a lot of lumber around and remove the stumps and so on.

 

[newbury]

LD1 nailed it as usual.
In 2009 I had a "need" I thought for an L35/L39 for my first tractor for use down in Mississippi. I "needed" to make ATV trails on several hundred acres we own. I was planning on building a house. It would have been great.
After a lot of reading here I came to the realization that unless you are stuck out in nowhere it's usually better to rent/hire for the "one off" chores.
What are your plans for the next 60 years?
You might be better off with a similar sized tractor w/o the backhoe but $5,000 in attachments.
Are you going to be maintaining a road? Grading? Snow removal?
What about your forest? Is that going to be a source of income or just let it grow?

I'd still love it if some kind person gave me a $50,000 M47, but I spent $12K on a used M4700 with similar capabilities, except for the backhoe.

And with the leftover $$$ have bought a lot of attachments.

 

[bildo]

LD1 nailed it as usual.
In 2009 I had a "need" I thought for an L35/L39 for my first tractor for use down in Mississippi. I "needed" to make ATV trails on several hundred acres we own. I was planning on building a house. It would have been great.
After a lot of reading here I came to the realization that unless you are stuck out in nowhere it's usually better to rent/hire for the "one off" chores.
What are your plans for the next 60 years?
You might be better off with a similar sized tractor w/o the backhoe but $5,000 in attachments.
Are you going to be maintaining a road? Grading? Snow removal?
What about your forest? Is that going to be a source of income or just let it grow?

I'd still love it if some kind person gave me a $50,000 M47, but I spent $12K on a used M4700 with similar capabilities, except for the backhoe.View attachment 489599

And with the leftover $$$ have bought a lot of attachments.

I know exactly what your thinking. I have been in this debate with myself for atleast 1 and a half years. The plans are to maintain everything and if i can create a small source of income from the trees i will. I don't wanna kill myself with excessive work if i can help it. I like the strength of the machine, plus the ability to take the how off and still be able to use the tractor aspect. I don't know anymore. I am at a point of having to save money for the house and everything by doing most things myself. Just looking for all insight.

 

[LD1]

The 50-60k pricetag for a new...or gently used m59/62 is my concern.

If you can afford it, and thats what you want, by all means go for it.

But I see nice used industrial machines like case 580's, Deere 310's, etc with 3k-4k hours for half that or less. And they are way more capable/robust. And could likely put several hundred hours on it doing the major work, and sell it for the same as you paid.

Then look at some nice 40-60hp loader tractors and spend the difference on attachments.

 

[budepps3760]

A suggestion. I own 85 acres that was very heavily forested. Also plan on building a house there. We had timber cut and as a result they cut my roads since they themselves had to have access to the areas to cut. In essence you have someone else make your roads for you. then have someone come in and push up your stumps and clear your home site. Have the gravel company come in dumping your loads of gravel and then spread it out with your tractor. You go in and flag the route that you want the loggers to haul out the timber. The logger has basically paid you to build your road at that point.

 

[LD1]

That's a good outside-the-box thinking as long as there is enough harvestable timber:thumbsup:

 

[bdhsfz6]

Re: My Thoughts

I started building my house on 25 mostly wooded acres back in 1979 when I was 33. I was faced with many of the same tasks you are dealing with now. I also wrestled with the idea of buying a larger tractor to do most of the work myself. I quickly discovered that no single machine can do it all. In the end, I put the money in the house, rented machinery and contracted out the larger tasks.The seat time I didn't put in on a tractor, I was able to use to make money and build sweat equity in the house. I did buy a small Kubota B7100HST with FEL and BH to do some of the smaller jobs however. It still amazes me what I did with that little machine.

Now, 37 years and four Kubota's, later, i've worked my way up to an MX5800HST. Along the way, I modified the machines, added equipment, remotes etc. as needed. I found the bigger machine has its benefits but also some negatives. I maintain 20+ acres of rough wooded terrain and I find the larger tractor to be more difficult to maneuver in cramped areas. In my case, a cab is out of the question. The roads I originally cut could easily be navigated by the B and small L series tractors but required enlarging to accommodate the MX. Now it seems I have more acreage devoted to roads than trees.

My advice is to start small and work your way up as the need arises. Buying, selling, maintaining and operating larger, older machinery takes time and money that IMO is best put into the house.

 

[bildo]

Re: My Thoughts

I started building my house on 25 mostly wooded acres back in 1979 when I was 33. I was faced with many of the same tasks you are dealing with now. I also wrestled with the idea of buying a larger tractor to do most of the work myself. I quickly discovered that no single machine can do it all. In the end, I put the money in the house, rented machinery and contracted out the larger tasks.The seat time I didn't put in on a tractor, I was able to use to make money and build sweat equity in the house. I did buy a small Kubota B7100HST with FEL and BH to do some of the smaller jobs however. It still amazes me what I did with that little machine.

Now, 37 years and four Kubota's, later, i've worked my way up to an MX5800HST. Along the way, I modified the machines, added equipment, remotes etc. as needed. I found the bigger machine has its benefits but also some negatives. I maintain 20+ acres of rough wooded terrain and I find the larger tractor to be more difficult to maneuver in cramped areas. In my case, a cab is out of the question. The roads I originally cut could easily be navigated by the B and small L series tractors but required enlarging to accommodate the MX. Now it seems I have more acreage devoted to roads than trees.

My advice is to start small and work your way up as the need arises. Buying, selling, maintaining and operating larger, older machinery takes time and money that IMO is best put into the house.

yes i've been thinking long and hard about everything everyone is mentioning. plus everything else in my head. I wish i just won the lottery and solved all of my problems.

 

[mike69440]

I think for what you want to do, the cost for what you get capability wise ain't great. Then once the drive, house, etc are done....what use do you have for the machine?

Without knowing more background, and what future uses you have after the initial hard work is done....you might consider a 2-machine plan. Either a used full sized backhoe...or a mini /midi excavator....and a 40-50hp compact tractor. Sell the big backhoe or excavator once the hard work is done, and take care if property maintenance with the tractor from there on out.

Renting the big equipment is another option if you don't feel comfortable buying used and trying to resell.

But spending a ton of money on a M59 or M62 if you cannot put it to work once the hard stuff is done, don't make much sense to me

Good advice. I often wonder why I still have my excavator. Still really handy, but after the heavy work is done, it sees little use. For the hard stuff, a M59 can do it but it will be working hard.

Still I have no regrets buying my L39. I think I would have ruined an ordinary Ag. tractor doing stuff like this.
+2000 Hours 11 years old, stronger than ever.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/246050-fun-rocks-dirt-photos.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/89163-busy-wife-weekend.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/324502-breezy-ridge-farm-2014-project.html?highlight=

 

[rScotty]

Yes i have been thinking this as well, but i will be attempting to start a small farm(wood clearing so forth) with my family and with the densely packed woods and the strength and versatility of the machine have me thinking its a good choice. Would you have another recommendation of tractor type? I fear the weekness of a 3point hoe. I've been reading some of your posts about adding remotes and thats where this all kinda started with the less expensive machine. But i would like to be able to move a lot of lumber around and remove the stumps and so on.

Hello Bildo, we've got a similar amount of rough land. Lots of rocks and trees and things to do before building a homestead. I used a 3 point hoe and Ag loader on a big JD farm tractor for years. It worked, but other than for roads & ditching, that type of combo it wasn't as useful as I had hoped....and was sometimes a bit dangerous. Then - at my wife's insistance - we got an M59 with a thumb. What a huge world of difference! All HST and fingertip controls. Powerful. No more dangerous 3pt hoe ops. We kept the old JD for it's cat II 3 pt ability, but now with the M59 we could do all kinds of construction work like stacking big boulders for a rock wall, move logs and anything heavy, plant trees, dig a well, and instead of narrow shallow ditches we could dig a real stream channel quickly enough to just do it instead of wondering if it was possible. On the other end, the loader bucket carries a huge load and will lift almost two tons! It's now 8 years later and we would buy the same machine over again....absolutely.

BTW, a couple of years back we had a 500 year flood followed by a brutal winter. That led to a unique opportunity to add a full size JD310SG TLB - WITH A CAB! to our fleet and so we did. This full size TLB has even more strength and speed than the M59 of course, but to my surprise it only sees about 10% of the use unless it's snowing outside (that heated cab). The reason is that even though the JD310 is a bigger beast, the M59 is a big enough machine for most any kind of serious TLB work - and the M59 is just a little more handy, accurate, and convenient to use.

Ten years later, a lot of the rough construction is done and we are a bit older. The M59 is still handy for moving heavy things and for maintaining the property. It's more than paid for itself and still worth most of what it cost - including machine maintenance. Retrospectively it was a good purchase and surprisingly after all these years it is still a fairly decent investment. But we've gotten older too, and saving wear on our older bodies is increasingly important - so if lifting, placing, and smoothing is a lot of what the M59 does from here on out then that's just fine. We'd keep it for that alone.

And if you can't make the TLB happen, at least know that any kind of tractor sure does help get the work done. Some machines are better, but all are good. Farm style 4wd tractors with add-on Loaders and their 3 pt. Backhoes do have unique dangers and downsides, but again...the truth is that all it takes is common sense for both to be very useful. (must disconnect the draft control !!)
If that's what the budget dictates then that's wonderful too. What I'm trying to say is that there are machines specifically built and balanced for construction - and Kubota's TLB line is very, very good. Worth the price if you can spring for it. All over TBN, we constantly see people writing good things about the whole line.
Be well,
rScotty

 

[Baby Grand]

Bildo,

Interesting pickle you're in and one I faced, though on a smaller scale - only 11 acres here. You're about to commit a sizeable bit of available resources to what sounds like a series of large projects that could span a long, long time. What I'd recommend is to draw up a plan/list for yourself and then figure out what's most important to get done first, second, third, etc. Then figure out what you need to get your top 5 or 10 done and go from there. The gang here will be more than happy to help with that part. Lots of experience to draw from and a wide range of specific circumstances to consider when reading the responses.

To get a better basis for SATBANAC the Self Appointed TBN Advisory Committee, a little background would be very helpful.
Specifically:
What's your time horizon on the primary tasks that you need to get done? Are you committed to moving in to a house on this property by a definite date? I found that unless The Plant Manager was involved in these determinations, all of my plans were subject to revision & demotion, as she had (and continues to have) a surprising degree of influence on actual outcomes, regardless of what I tell everyone else.
What's your landform like? Hilly, flat, mixed? This will influence your need for considering a machines slope capabilities.
What's your soil like? Deep loam? Shallow topsoil on bedrock? Glacial till with lots of boulders? Sandy or clay? Well drained? Swampy? These conditions will point to size, weight and traction requirements and limitations that your should consider before selecting equipment.
What's your tolerance & aptitude for dealing with mechanical issues & delays?
What are your woods like? Mature hardwoods, softwoods or a mix? Secondary growth?
Are you a DIY personality or are you comfortable hiring out tasks that are beyond the scope of your schedule or equipment budget?
This list could go on and on and I apologizes for maybe yamming on too much already & not being very specific about answering your immediate questions, directly. You've got a lot to sort out and it sounds like you're interested in the project and you're old enough to consider your options and young enough to bring some muscle & energy to the task. It's not a bad spot to be in, by a long shot!
-Jim



advis

 

[bildo]

Hello Bildo, we've got a similar amount of rough land. Lots of rocks and trees and things to do before building a homestead. I used a 3 point hoe and Ag loader on a big JD farm tractor for years. It worked, but other than for roads & ditching, that type of combo it wasn't as useful as I had hoped....and was sometimes a bit dangerous. Then - at my wife's insistance - we got an M59 with a thumb. What a huge world of difference! All HST and fingertip controls. Powerful. No more dangerous 3pt hoe ops. We kept the old JD for it's cat II 3 pt ability, but now with the M59 we could do all kinds of construction work like stacking big boulders for a rock wall, move logs and anything heavy, plant trees, dig a well, and instead of narrow shallow ditches we could dig a real stream channel quickly enough to just do it instead of wondering if it was possible. On the other end, the loader bucket carries a huge load and will lift almost two tons! It's now 8 years later and we would buy the same machine over again....absolutely.

BTW, a couple of years back we had a 500 year flood followed by a brutal winter. That led to a unique opportunity to add a full size JD310SG TLB - WITH A CAB! to our fleet and so we did. This full size TLB has even more strength and speed than the M59 of course, but to my surprise it only sees about 10% of the use unless it's snowing outside (that heated cab). The reason is that even though the JD310 is a bigger beast, the M59 is a big enough machine for most any kind of serious TLB work - and the M59 is just a little more handy, accurate, and convenient to use.

Ten years later, a lot of the rough construction is done and we are a bit older. The M59 is still handy for moving heavy things and for maintaining the property. It's more than paid for itself and still worth most of what it cost - including machine maintenance. Retrospectively it was a good purchase and surprisingly after all these years it is still a fairly decent investment. But we've gotten older too, and saving wear on our older bodies is increasingly important - so if lifting, placing, and smoothing is a lot of what the M59 does from here on out then that's just fine. We'd keep it for that alone.

And if you can't make the TLB happen, at least know that any kind of tractor sure does help get the work done. Some machines are better, but all are good. Farm style 4wd tractors with add-on Loaders and their 3 pt. Backhoes do have unique dangers and downsides, but again...the truth is that all it takes is common sense for both to be very useful. (must disconnect the draft control !!)
If that's what the budget dictates then that's wonderful too. What I'm trying to say is that there are machines specifically built and balanced for construction - and Kubota's TLB line is very, very good. Worth the price if you can spring for it. All over TBN, we constantly see people writing good things about the whole line.
Be well,
rScotty

This is pretty good information. Just like all of it thus far. I think at this point i might go for a cheaper skid steer and then down the road upgrade to the TLB. Now to start this whole pain over with finding an affordable Skid that is of quality.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[bildo]

Good advice. I often wonder why I still have my excavator. Still really handy, but after the heavy work is done, it sees little use. For the hard stuff, a M59 can do it but it will be working hard.

Still I have no regrets buying my L39. I think I would have ruined an ordinary Ag. tractor doing stuff like this.
+2000 Hours 11 years old, stronger than ever.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/246050-fun-rocks-dirt-photos.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/89163-busy-wife-weekend.html?highlight=

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/324502-breezy-ridge-farm-2014-project.html?highlight=

This is impressive work. Glad you shared. I just wish these machines were more realistically affordable.