Age old question; which tractor for steep hills

[RunningSpring]

Thanks for the replies. With Ven-trac out of the picture (I was leaning away from it anyways) I'm now considering Antonio Carraro vs Power Trac vs conventional tractor with options to increase stability (wider wheel width, filled tires, dual wheels, etc).
The width/turning of the tractor is something to think about in terms of duals as I'd like to be able to mow through my small (but growing) orchard

I guess my next steps will be
1) Going to the local tractor dealership to ask what there preferred set up for hills is
2) Calling Power Trac to get a shipping estimate
3) Arranging for a demo of an AC unit at my house (the representative had offered this before). I'll probably wait until the weather softens for this last one

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the replies. With Ven-trac out of the picture (I was leaning away from it anyways) I'm now considering Antonio Carraro vs Power Trac vs conventional tractor with options to increase stability (wider wheel width, filled tires, dual wheels, etc).
The width/turning of the tractor is something to think about in terms of duals as I'd like to be able to mow through my small (but growing) orchard

I guess my next steps will be
1) Going to the local tractor dealership to ask what there preferred set up for hills is
2) Calling Power Trac to get a shipping estimate
3) Arranging for a demo of an AC unit at my house (the representative had offered this before). I'll probably wait until the weather softens for this last one

That would be great if you could operate it with the attachments you are considering on you own property in your conditions. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

One more note about Power Trac shipping. If you go that route, get as many or all of the attachments you want/need at the same time. Shipping of individual attachments starts to get :confused2: expensive.

 

[jeff9366]

I guess my next steps will be:

2) Calling Power Trac to get a shipping estimate.

u-ship will probably provide cheaper shipping than Power Trac.

LINK: uShip | Car Shipping, Furniture Delivery, and More | Shipping Made Easy

 

[jpm]

Have you considered a tracted vehicle?

 

[Komrade]

For mowing, zero turn should be cheaper. Can get it tracked. Loaded tires tractor for rest.

 

[ericm979]

Aren't zero turns unstable on side slopes? They're more expensive than regular riding mowers/lawn tractors and are only good for mowing lawns.
In any case, in California I read "There are about 5 acres around the house that I would like to keep mown for aesthetic and fire protection reasons" as brush hogging not lawn mowing. Since we don't get rain for 6 or months in summer, green lawn only happens where you water regularly. Water is precious in many parts of the state so multi acre lawns are not common.

 

[aczlan]

Aren't zero turns unstable on side slopes? They're more expensive than regular riding mowers/lawn tractors and are only good for mowing lawns.
In any case, in California I read "There are about 5 acres around the house that I would like to keep mown for aesthetic and fire protection reasons" as brush hogging not lawn mowing. Since we don't get rain for 6 or months in summer, green lawn only happens where you water regularly. Water is precious in many parts of the state so multi acre lawns are not common.

The ones that I have run were low enough that they would slide sideways long before they flipped, we had them on some intresting slopes though and never had an issue.

Aaron Z

 

[Gee Ray]

u-ship will probably provide cheaper shipping than Power Trac.

LINK: uShip | Car Shipping, Furniture Delivery, and More | Shipping Made Easy

I would never use U-ship. The people that are hauling on there can not be hauling legal. The money that they charge to move things does not cover the cost of fuel and insurance. Would you handover $20,000 cash to a perfect stranger. That is what you are doing if you hire an unauthorized hauler. What will happen if they have an accident and total your brand new tractor? Regular every day insurance will not cover the cargo if damaged in an accident. What happens if you hire a U-Shipper and he sells your new tractor in the middle of nowhere? He can easily forge or fake his way onto U-Ship. These people are avoiding the government regulations that are a pain to deal with but are in place to try to keep the roads safe and keep your things that you are shipping safe. And yes I know that the government is not great at this but it is the best system there is in place.

 

[MossRoad]

The ones that I have run were low enough that they would slide sideways long before they flipped, we had them on some intresting slopes though and never had an issue.

Aaron Z

We've had several deaths here over the years with zero turns on hills. They didn't roll over on the hill. They slid down hills, then over walls, into water, etc... and that's when they flipped over pinning the operator.