Advice on tractor for 7.5 acres - Mowing pasture and general use - L3902? What flail mower?

[jeff9366]

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

• FEL for general use and compost turning. We seem to generate 2-3 cubic yards of yard waste per month (more in the growing season) and no way to turn compost etc.

Kubota MX5400 Attachments​

Kubota LA1065 Loader
Height (to pin):	111.2 inches 282 cm
Clearance, dumped bucket:	85.5 inches 217 cm
Dump reach:	26.1 inches 66 cm
Dump angle:	46°
Reach at ground:	78.1 inches 198 cm
Rollback angle:	42°
Breakout force (at 500mm):	3102 lbs 1407 kg
Lift to full height (at pin):	2275 lbs 1031 kg
Lift to full height (at 500mm):	1691 lbs 767 kg
Bucket width:	72 inches 182 cm

 

[benmc_2000]

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

• FEL for general use and compost turning. We seem to generate 2-3 cubic yards of yard waste per month (more in the growing season) and no way to turn compost etc.

Kubota MX5400 Attachments​

Kubota LA1065 Loader
Height (to pin):	111.2 inches 282 cm
Clearance, dumped bucket:	85.5 inches 217 cm
Dump reach:	26.1 inches 66 cm
Dump angle:	46°
Reach at ground:	78.1 inches 198 cm
Rollback angle:	42°
Breakout force (at 500mm):	3102 lbs 1407 kg
Lift to full height (at pin):	2275 lbs 1031 kg
Lift to full height (at 500mm):	1691 lbs 767 kg
Bucket width:	72 inches 182 cm

Luckily the FEL will be used on flat ground 99% of the time.

 

[rScotty]

I agree with the OP, the Husqvarna gt52xls that he inherited with the property is fine for doing the bulk of the mowing for a season or two. Or at least until he gets a feel for that chore.

For the tractor, nobody never really understands what a good thing a compact tractor is on a small acreage until they have one. I'd concentrate on a good name brand - Kubota is excellent - with a loader and in the 35 to 45 hp range. No cab, 4wd, universal tread, nice loader with extra front hydraulics plus oneset of hydraulic remotes on the back, and a standard 5 foot pull type brush hog mower. All of that will do 90 percent of the jobs, will retain more than 90% of the value, and can be traded or added to after you get a feel for the property.

You don't need to get everything at once. Tractors are univeral platforms. Get any good one and you can always add to it.

If you want to really treat yourself on uneven terrain, consider one of the Kubotas with the optional HST Plus (HST+) auto load-compensating transmissions.
luck,
rScotty

 

[Tractorable]

The Kubota L3560 costs slightly more than the L3902 and is a whole lot more tractor. Something to think about….

 

[rScotty]

Luckily the FEL will be used on flat ground 99% of the time.

That's a very good plan. And even on flat ground keep loads low & one hand ready to drop the FEL arms.
I've been doing this 50 years as a homeowner & an additional half that as a farm kid...and I still manage to get into a pucker situation with the FEL once in a while.
They are worth it though. What's your back worth?

 

[benmc_2000]

The Kubota L3560 costs slightly more than the L3902 and is a whole lot more tractor. Something to think about….

I would love to but budget has already crept up from the 2501. Dont think it will stretch to the L3560, which looks about 4k more.

 

[2manyrocks]

The most economical thing you can do is to carefully assess your needs and buy the tractor that suits those needs once. Your costs increase if you buy too small and later decide to trade up.

A rotary mower will handle most pasture clipping jobs without the expense of a flail mower.

If you have enough limbs to justify a PTO chipper, I'm wondering why a grapple isn't on your list?

 

[rScotty]

I would love to but budget has already crept up from the 2501. Dont think it will stretch to the L3560, which looks about 4k more.

Benmc, I'd say to always put money into the tractor. You can get by with used or lesser attachments, but you need to buy enough tractor.

Two things to think about: one is that larger tractors are intrinsically more stable. And that stability increases rapidly as size goes up. And the other is one that you mentioned: wheel extenders. You may or may not need them on a larger or more deluxe tractor is where you begin to find more built-in ability for increasing the width of the rear wheels. For slopes, I'd recommend the industrial tread tires because they are wider and on wider rims with stronger sidewalls & hence more stable.

The wheel width on the front axle is typically not adjustable for width on compact/utility size 4wd tractors. For adjustable front axles, you have to move up to Ag type tractors and that is not where to go.
rScotty

 

[ericm979]

My property averages about 30% from one corner to the other. There's a lot I don't operate on because it's too steep and too forested. The part I do operate on is less steep but it's still a long ways from flat.

With my second, larger tractor I got industrial tires and spacers for the rear wheels to make the track wider. The wheels and tires are from a slightly smaller model and they lower the tractor an inch or so. Also had the dealer put Rimguard in the tires for extra weight relatively low down. The idea was to lower the center of gravity for the inevitable side hill operation. It's way more stable than my last tractor, but that one was smaller and so not a direct comparison.

The front axle track does not matter much for side hill operation as the front axle has a center pivot. There are stops but if you're reaching the stop you're probably on the way over.

 

[Tractorable]

I would love to but budget has already crept up from the 2501. Dont think it will stretch to the L3560, which looks about 4k more.

Compare the L3560 Limited Edition to the L3902. Last I checked they were within $2K of each other.