Farmwithjunk
Super Member
RoyJackson said:
Say it ain't so Roy! Say it ain't so.....
I'll spend the rest of the day trying to block that visual out of my brain
Advice from tractor gurus
- Thread starter bigsky355
- Start date
- Views: 9114
Say it ain't so Roy! Say it ain't so.....
I'll spend the rest of the day trying to block that visual out of my brain
tpevoto
New member
Bigsky355,
I went through all of this a few years ago. The one piece of advice that I was always given but didn't take was this, "Get more tractor / horsepower than you think you need".
At the time I was going to maintain 4 acres and I was going to have a lot of ground / dirt work to be done in preparation for our new house. I went with the Kubota L2800 HST 4wd, FEL, 5' shredder and 5' BB. This was exactly what I needed for my place and I couldn't have been happier with this machine. The price was right.
I thought a side job or two would be nice to help pay for the tractor. I was fortunate enough to find a couple of jobs that more than made my note. One of those jobs was an 8 acre mowing job, I didn't think it would be that big a deal. I realized about an hour into the job that a bigger tractor would really be nice.
I now have 8 steady mowing jobs and not one of them is as big as your property. I have since gone with the Kubota L4240HST, 4wd, 6' Bushhog and 6'BB, FEL. I got the entire package for around 26000. That's about 10000 more than I paid for my L2800 package.
I apologize for the long winded story, my point is, just make sure you get enough tractor the first time. My wife actually suggested that I get a bigger tractor so I wasn't gone all weekend on these side jobs. I told her a thought that was a great idea. Within, 72 hours of her making that statement my L2800 was sold and my new machine was being prepped at my local Kubota dealer.
18 acres is a lot of seat time, as several of the members have suggested. The change from a 5' mower on my L2800 to the 6' mower on my L4240 has made a big difference. You're definatly want a 6' mower at a minimum. I now take about a third less time than I used to with the 5' mower. I'm sure this can be debated but my dealer said that the hp min for a 6' mower was 40 hp. I'm not sure.
Good luck, again sorry about the long reply. I've been very happy with Kubota. Check with your dealer to see what size mower your can turn with that L3400 HST.
Tpevoto
I went through all of this a few years ago. The one piece of advice that I was always given but didn't take was this, "Get more tractor / horsepower than you think you need".
At the time I was going to maintain 4 acres and I was going to have a lot of ground / dirt work to be done in preparation for our new house. I went with the Kubota L2800 HST 4wd, FEL, 5' shredder and 5' BB. This was exactly what I needed for my place and I couldn't have been happier with this machine. The price was right.
I thought a side job or two would be nice to help pay for the tractor. I was fortunate enough to find a couple of jobs that more than made my note. One of those jobs was an 8 acre mowing job, I didn't think it would be that big a deal. I realized about an hour into the job that a bigger tractor would really be nice.
I now have 8 steady mowing jobs and not one of them is as big as your property. I have since gone with the Kubota L4240HST, 4wd, 6' Bushhog and 6'BB, FEL. I got the entire package for around 26000. That's about 10000 more than I paid for my L2800 package.
I apologize for the long winded story, my point is, just make sure you get enough tractor the first time. My wife actually suggested that I get a bigger tractor so I wasn't gone all weekend on these side jobs. I told her a thought that was a great idea. Within, 72 hours of her making that statement my L2800 was sold and my new machine was being prepped at my local Kubota dealer.
18 acres is a lot of seat time, as several of the members have suggested. The change from a 5' mower on my L2800 to the 6' mower on my L4240 has made a big difference. You're definatly want a 6' mower at a minimum. I now take about a third less time than I used to with the 5' mower. I'm sure this can be debated but my dealer said that the hp min for a 6' mower was 40 hp. I'm not sure.
Good luck, again sorry about the long reply. I've been very happy with Kubota. Check with your dealer to see what size mower your can turn with that L3400 HST.
Tpevoto
machmeter62
Platinum Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 638
"BIG SKY:" I would re-read N80's opinion and take a serious look at the Kubota L4400; in my judgement it is the most capable tractor for 20K or less with a loader, and gives you a lot of options for implements for that Montana environment. It is one tough rugged tractor with Kubotas quality, and the added horsepower won't be wasted!
sandman2234
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2005
- Messages
- 6,666
- Location
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Tractor
- JD2555 and a few Allis Chalmers and now one Kubota
I can't imagine tackling 18 acres with a 30 hp tractor, but then I am almost as bad as Soundguy when it comes to being a horsepower junkie. If the hydrostat, loader, cup holder, etc can be put off, get a bigger tractor and bush hog. A loader can be added later, if need be.
I did a job where I mowed a 10 acre field with a Ford 1100 4x4 (13hp) with a 4' bush hog. It took forever and there weren't any trees or bushes to dodge, just open flat ground. Can it be done, yes. Can it be done a better way, yes!
David from jax
I did a job where I mowed a 10 acre field with a Ford 1100 4x4 (13hp) with a 4' bush hog. It took forever and there weren't any trees or bushes to dodge, just open flat ground. Can it be done, yes. Can it be done a better way, yes!
David from jax
daTeacha
Veteran Member
My first question is where are you in Montana? I drove through there from Billings to Big Sky and down into Yellowstone and then out through Miles City this summer -- there is a lot of variety in the terrain and plant communities.
For most of us east of the big river, grass is a whole different thing than out in the arid plains. We can raise a cow on a lot less space than out in your area just because the grass is so much thicker and faster growing. Take the locations of the advice givers into consideration as you work through this decision.
Secondly, are you on flat ground, slanted ground, or the side of a mountain? Terrain matters, too. Steeper ground means more hp to pull implements up the hills, stability issues, and so on.
Third -- what altitude are you? The hotel in Big Sky is at 7500 feet and there were lots of homes up the mountain from there. Altitude will sap horsepower, and the higher you are the faster it will go away. Your dealers and your buddy are much more familiar with your area's conditions than those of us here in ethernet-land. Listen to them carefully.
Regarding the gear vs. hst issue, I would go gear unless you plan to mow flat ground a lot or need to use the precision maneuvering you can get from hst. I have hst now, had gear in the previous tractor. The gear seems to pull harder, but the hst allows me to move the bucket an inch or less with accuracy. The cruise control feature is handy if you mow a lot, but mine only gets used for the novelty effect and then only for a few minutes.
I have a Case DX29, basically the lower hp version of the 33. Mine has the mid PTO only because it came with the tractor as it sat on the lot. We looked into taking it off since I was concerned about hanging the shaft on a branch running around in my woods, but finally decided to leave it on since it's pretty substantial and protected. Based on that experience with manuals and such, a dealer should be able to add a mid-PTO to that machine, but check with them to be sure if it's an important issue.
To finish up -- presuming your land is typical Western sparse and thin vegation, is not on the side of a mountain, and is somewhere below 7000 feet, I think the 33 is the way to go. If you are higher, steeper, or have thicker growth than most of what I saw out there from Big Sky to Miles City, you might want something bigger.
For most of us east of the big river, grass is a whole different thing than out in the arid plains. We can raise a cow on a lot less space than out in your area just because the grass is so much thicker and faster growing. Take the locations of the advice givers into consideration as you work through this decision.
Secondly, are you on flat ground, slanted ground, or the side of a mountain? Terrain matters, too. Steeper ground means more hp to pull implements up the hills, stability issues, and so on.
Third -- what altitude are you? The hotel in Big Sky is at 7500 feet and there were lots of homes up the mountain from there. Altitude will sap horsepower, and the higher you are the faster it will go away. Your dealers and your buddy are much more familiar with your area's conditions than those of us here in ethernet-land. Listen to them carefully.
Regarding the gear vs. hst issue, I would go gear unless you plan to mow flat ground a lot or need to use the precision maneuvering you can get from hst. I have hst now, had gear in the previous tractor. The gear seems to pull harder, but the hst allows me to move the bucket an inch or less with accuracy. The cruise control feature is handy if you mow a lot, but mine only gets used for the novelty effect and then only for a few minutes.
I have a Case DX29, basically the lower hp version of the 33. Mine has the mid PTO only because it came with the tractor as it sat on the lot. We looked into taking it off since I was concerned about hanging the shaft on a branch running around in my woods, but finally decided to leave it on since it's pretty substantial and protected. Based on that experience with manuals and such, a dealer should be able to add a mid-PTO to that machine, but check with them to be sure if it's an important issue.
To finish up -- presuming your land is typical Western sparse and thin vegation, is not on the side of a mountain, and is somewhere below 7000 feet, I think the 33 is the way to go. If you are higher, steeper, or have thicker growth than most of what I saw out there from Big Sky to Miles City, you might want something bigger.
BarryinMN
Platinum Member
I've been watching this thread for awhile. Lots of good advise as always. How about a longer term plan?
I might suggest thinking outside the box a little more and spending a lot less: get a machine that will mow the field quickly, strength to lift stuff: dirt, machinery, fallen trees, whatever - with less drama - wheel spin, tipping forward, etc.
John deere Tractor 3020
Take the bulk of the budget & build a shed to hide it, or add a small skid steer, they are hydrostatic, faster & more precise, (you can see the entire front tool edge) stronger loader for the HP, and have the landscaping universe of attachments available.
Then buy a diesel lawnmower to maintain the landscaping. Same fuel as the others & without a roll bar gets up to and under that landscaping as it grows.
The benefit is you still own your weekends, downside is a little more maintenance. Each machine probably runs less than 100 hours/yr.
There is a theraputic benefit to bouncing around a field strapped to a tractor mowing. Question is how much therapy do you need?
I might suggest thinking outside the box a little more and spending a lot less: get a machine that will mow the field quickly, strength to lift stuff: dirt, machinery, fallen trees, whatever - with less drama - wheel spin, tipping forward, etc.
John deere Tractor 3020
Take the bulk of the budget & build a shed to hide it, or add a small skid steer, they are hydrostatic, faster & more precise, (you can see the entire front tool edge) stronger loader for the HP, and have the landscaping universe of attachments available.
Then buy a diesel lawnmower to maintain the landscaping. Same fuel as the others & without a roll bar gets up to and under that landscaping as it grows.
The benefit is you still own your weekends, downside is a little more maintenance. Each machine probably runs less than 100 hours/yr.
There is a theraputic benefit to bouncing around a field strapped to a tractor mowing. Question is how much therapy do you need?
SkunkWerX
Platinum Member
There is a lot of very good advice on tractor size and features here in this thread, so I don't need to add to it, I agree with Roy, N80, and the rest, bigger will be better.
Instead, let's look at OverAll cost.
All of us get sticker shock. But your overall cost goes well beyond the day it's delivered/picked-up.
Adding fuel to the larger is better crowd, are operating costs.
A smaller machine will run much longer to get that mowing done, which can add to fuel costs and most certainly to maintenance intervals. Take into consideration things like oil changes being done more often on the smaller machine, due to the greater run-time per week. All those costs add up over time, the longer span of time you consider, the greater the case can be made for the larger mower driven by the larger tractor.
So, besides the sticker price, also consider operating costs. Every year you run the larger beast versus the smaller beast, your savings grow due to less hours, fewer oil changes, and less overall run-time.
there is also your personal hourly worth. We all enjoy tractoring around, but, there is a point where there is not enough sunlight to get all the tasks accomplished without going bigger. First it will just be the mowing, then it will be something else, and something on top of that, and before you know it you will wonder why you don't have the time to get everything done. Time is Money.
My suggestion is to consider 3 things:
-Your initial cost.
-The first two years of service and fuel.
-Total time per month for various size cutters/tractor combinations.
What may seem affordable and look like a good deal on the sticker, may end up working you a lot of extra hours, or costing you enough operating money and time to actually afford the larger machine in the first place.
Another reason to go bigger rather than smaller. (Within reason).
Instead, let's look at OverAll cost.
All of us get sticker shock. But your overall cost goes well beyond the day it's delivered/picked-up.
Adding fuel to the larger is better crowd, are operating costs.
A smaller machine will run much longer to get that mowing done, which can add to fuel costs and most certainly to maintenance intervals. Take into consideration things like oil changes being done more often on the smaller machine, due to the greater run-time per week. All those costs add up over time, the longer span of time you consider, the greater the case can be made for the larger mower driven by the larger tractor.
So, besides the sticker price, also consider operating costs. Every year you run the larger beast versus the smaller beast, your savings grow due to less hours, fewer oil changes, and less overall run-time.
there is also your personal hourly worth. We all enjoy tractoring around, but, there is a point where there is not enough sunlight to get all the tasks accomplished without going bigger. First it will just be the mowing, then it will be something else, and something on top of that, and before you know it you will wonder why you don't have the time to get everything done. Time is Money.
My suggestion is to consider 3 things:
-Your initial cost.
-The first two years of service and fuel.
-Total time per month for various size cutters/tractor combinations.
What may seem affordable and look like a good deal on the sticker, may end up working you a lot of extra hours, or costing you enough operating money and time to actually afford the larger machine in the first place.
Another reason to go bigger rather than smaller. (Within reason).
tpevoto
New member
That's some very sound advice Skunk. Time is money and the way you brake that down makes a lot of sense.
tpevoto
tpevoto
tpevoto said:
Tpevoto,
When I was first starting to look into all of this I was thinking 4 foot mower- now I am up to 6 feet!!!!!!!! You guys are good... real good. I will have to do some research on the Kubota lines. Is that accurate- 40 hp for a 6 foot mower? Is that pto hp?
Thanks
Chris
