Best Attachments to start with?

[BLSXJ]

Thanks for all the input.
My plan at this point cosidering Cost vs benifit
1) watch the classifieds for attachments!
2) Build a "trailer mover" that will double as a log drag and weight holder (i have 150lbs of suitcase weights for the lawn tractor that need a home for the summer)
3) covert my driveway drag to a 3 point connection. it does a good job smoothing the gravel.
4) SSQA and pallet forks and possibly a stump bucket

After that I'll start looking harder at rear blades, chippers, and snow blowers (in that order)

 

[airbiscuit]

A trailer mover like this ...
OMNI Combo Imatch with Integrated Weight rack - OMNI Mfg LLC

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Glad to see pallet forks on the list, I never realized how much I could use them till I got them lol, be sure to get the standard/heavy duty ones and not the light duty, from what I see the light duty forks slide on a solid rail where the standard forks lock, on top of being heavier built

 

[DieselBound]

My main implement was my rotary cutter. I later picked up a box blade and a rear grader blade; these came as a package deal- I was after the box blade. I think I used the grader blade once, maybe twice.

The best bang for the buck was my tooth bar. I didn't get one for the first couple of years. I wish that I'd had it right from the start. Makes for prodding, snagging and pushing things around a whole lot easier, not to mention using it to rip ground (a bit) and to cut into the ground to allow for easier scooping. I had (and still have) a lot of wood debris. A flat edge on the bucket doesn't work very well to deal with this kind of stuff. Now that I have a grapple, which required a bigger tractor (my Kioti), it'll be even easier to deal with stuff like this.

Also have a set of 3pt pallet forks. These don't work very well on the 3pt, but I have gotten a fair amount of use out of them by chaining them to my loader bucket (via center grab hook- good call by the person saying to get grab hooks on the bucket- many will shriek at the "safety" issues- ignore them and just use common sense while you are productive). I now have SSQA pallet forks for the Kioti; this is because I now have a very defined and important need for pallet forks (firewood handling/storage stuff).

 

[N80]

Here is what I have in order of the frequency of use:

6' rotary cutter
6' box blade
7' disk
7' landscape rake
300# capacity spreader
2 bottom plow

I have the rotary cutter because that is the primary reason I have a tractor. However, in terms of versatility I find the box blade to be indispensable. It stays of the back of my tractor if for nothing other than a counterweight.

Get a reasonably sturdy one. My tractor is 45 hp and could probably damage a flimsy one that snagged a rock or stump. Mine is a Bush Hog brand and is pretty beefy. The extra weight helps it engage and function better as a counter weight. My only complaint is that its teeth don't extend as far down as I'd like them to.

 

[powerscol]

I second the getting of the SSQA for the front and rent. That way you know what fits and you can get some great deals out of a rental fleet if you shop and check paperwork. It will also give you the opportunity to check out features you may want, such as a set of rear remotes - 2 sets are better - the the world opens up on what you can do.

 

[BLSXJ]

Well, its been over a year since this thread died... But I figured it might be worth a quick update.

The 1st attachment I bought was a 6ft rear scraper blade, that pivots at both the tractor and blade end. I bought old, heavy and cheap. I had to replace all the pivot pins, and 3 point pins... but all in all I got it for a fair price and its 1st use fixed a major drainage issue that would wash out my drive way. I haven't used it for snow removal, but an excellent start to turning the tractor into a versatile machine.

Attachment #2 is a home built trailer mover for the 3 point hitch. I built it myself and incorporated a 2" receiver, grab hooks for chain, two loops for rope or hooks, a rack for suitcase weights and a goose neck trailer ball. All in all... this is what normally lives on the back of the tractor. Every tractor owner should have one.

Attachment #3 was the SSQA adapter and a set of pallet forks. Wow.... the pallet foks have been great for picking rocks out of the ground, moving basically anything that doesn't go in the tractor bucket. the SSQA conversion of the tractor was a 30 minute job... the SSQA plate onto my existing bucket was a full day of grinding.... but probably still worth converting versus buying a new bucket.

Attachment #4 just arrived a month ago... a 72" snowblower. I've only used it twice.. but I like it so far.... way faster and easier then the lawn tractor contraption I've used before.

So that's where I'm at. Come spring I will likely be searching for a wood chipper.

Cheers, hopefully this helps someone down the road

 

[airbiscuit]

Please post a pic of your trailer mover

 

[TerryR]

Attachment #2 is a home built trailer mover for the 3 point hitch. I built it myself and incorporated a 2" receiver, grab hooks for chain, two loops for rope or hooks, a rack for suitcase weights and a goose neck trailer ball. All in all... this is what normally lives on the back of the tractor. Every tractor owner should have one.

Wouldn't one have to have a trailer before that's useful?

 

[TnAndy]

Please post a pic of your trailer mover

Here is mine. Nice thing about a 2" receiver is you can use it for lots of other stuff besides moving trailers. Here, for example is my custom field fence 'un-roller'.....

and potato hiller:

You can come up with lots of uses for it.