Biggest cheap tractor I can find for the money?

[p0opstlnksal0t]

I generally see these 80's and 90's 25-30hp hp b and L series kubotas in my price range here with 2-3000 hours. They do have fel's but most don't have heated cabs

 

[crazyal]

I don't think you would be happy with that sized tractor for what you would like to do.

 

[4570Man]

I got my 580K for just what you are talking about. It served me well but it was not that old and it wasn't that cheap. But in the grand scheme of things when building a house it really didn't add anything to the price of building since I had it at a moment's notice. When they get older businesses get rid of them because it starts taking plenty of money to keep them running. If you're OK with doing work yourself then you should be fine. Things like hoses get old and will burst, tires dry rot and need replacing.

For example my 580K has a small inline fuel filter along with a large screw on filter and a screw on water separator. The small inline filter was occasionally rubbing on the engine block and it had worn a hole in it. It didn't leak any fuel since it was before the fuel pump and a small hole but it allowed air to get into the fuel line. At first it just made starting when warm hard. But like everything that doesn't get repaired it got worse making it all but impossible to start when warm. Of course it happened while I was busy building the house so time was at a premium. It was a less than $10 fix but it took some time to find. If I had to pay someone it would of meant getting to and from a shop then however long it would have taken the mechanic to find it.

As for a heavy unit on steeper hills, I don't use my 580K on anything slippery. It's a lot of weight and gravity has a way of showing you who's in charge. You only have rear brakes and chains work well on ice but snow can pack up under the chain while trying to brake causing it to skid. While I can get through mud I can't do anything else. I have to use the loader to push my way backward and the backhoe to push myself forward. The extra weight in the fel makes it almost impossible to do. I would stick with 4wd unless you are on mostly flat ground.

I dug up all my stumps and put them in the corner of the property (I have over 40 acres). For you I would recommend grinding over digging. No stumps to deal with afterwards and you can do it with a 35 to 45hp tractor. A CUT will go through the woods much easier than an industrial TLB. Add a logging winch and you'll be surprised just what one will accomplish. My Kubota will easily skid a 2' diameter 50' long red maple log.

What size winch do you have? That's a 8500 pound log according to log weight calculator ( which is generally on the high side). This log was between 7-8k and it was all my 15k winch wanted to get it out of the hole it made when it hit.

 

[crazyal]

I've been borrowing my neighbors Farmi, I think it's rated for 11k lbs with my Kubota. I know it's more winch that I've needed but I've never had anything get planted. Usually I don't use a winch as I have enough trails on my property to get to almost everything. While I do have some maples that are up to 4' in diameter most everything is 2' or less.

 

[jenkinsph]

should i rule out any of the big 2wd units? I'm scared i might not get the traction i need in mud or in the sloping trails of the property especially when the driveway is caked in ice and snow. will the heavy weight and adding chains to a big industrial 2wd unit be sufficient?

Operating equipment in bad weather conditions is costly period. Sure there are times when you have to plow yourself out to the road, but most work that can wait should wait for better conditions. A two wheel drive backhoe with chains should be able to handle the snow as long as you don't stray too far off the roadway. Operating on steep slick or muddy slopes I would not recommend refer you to the first sentence.

 

[gladehound]

When considering your options. keep in mind that weight on drive wheels is what gives the ability to pull a tree down or drag it out of the woods.

2wd: A big 2wd tractor with good tires and appropriate counter weights can do a lot. You just need to adjust where the weight is to match the task at hand.

4WD: Much more convenient as it is not as sensitive to balance but much more expensive since there isn't much used market for 2wd tractors. Your need for 4WD will probably be dictated by how steep your slopes are.

Backhoe: very nice to have an might not be necessary for the initial land clearing. I've found that pulling trees over rather than cutting them is an easy way to get the stump out of the ground. Even large trees can be pulled over by smaller machines with some blocking to multiply force. However, large root balls might be hard to move with a smaller machine (even once they are out of the ground)

Size: I started land clearing with a 4WD 20hp heavy compact (~4,000 pounds). This was frustratingly slow and the hydraulics were pathetic. I moved to 4WD 45hp large frame CUT. This is better but would not be my first choice if I had a lot of land to clear. I'd still want more weight and more hydraulics. The problem is, at this size (45HP) I already feel constrained with maneuverability in the woods. I want something smaller about the same amount of time that I want something bigger. So it is a decent compromise. However, if I wanted to do a lot of land clearing, I think something like a tracked skid steer would be much more efficient due to better maneuverability and stronger hydraulics. The biggest skid steers can do a lot with a heavy set of forks if you know how to use them. Even with my tractor, which is not as strong as a big skid steer, I've never had a stump that I couldn't pry out of the ground (usually in one motion) with a set of forks after knocking or pulling the tree down. Sure beats digging stumps out with a stump bucket or even a backhoe.

Given your budget, I'd go for the strongest hydraulics you can get on something with SSQA, a set of heavy forks and a toothed bucket.

 

[txdon]

I only have 5 acres though so i feel like buying a big tractor like this is ridiculous on the other hand I would hate to buy a small 20hp and its not able to do simple functions like dragging out large trees from the forest. in a few years we plan to start trying to buy up properties around us though.

With only 5 acres now I would hire out a dozer to work a few days to clear out the undergrowth and trees you do not want. Buy a smaller tractor for maintaining the land only.

 

[p0opstlnksal0t]

there is a pretty nice condition Case 580C with loader and PTO/3 Point for sale here for 7900.00 Its a 2wd but it appears to be good condition and I can probably score it for about 5-6k cash.

 

[rScotty]

there is a pretty nice condition Case 580C with loader and PTO/3 Point for sale here for 7900.00 Its a 2wd but it appears to be good condition and I can probably score it for about 5-6k cash.

As we've all said, that Case 580C sounds like a good deal for a loader/3pt tractor. I'd say that it would sound even better if it had the optional gas Continental engine rather than the diesel. But it all depends on your land. Heavy 2wd machines have plenty of traction for doing just about anything on the flat or gently sloping ground. Old 2wd machines don't do very well on slopes. Frankly, the 4wd machines don't do so well on slopes either, but there's a point where 4wd is the only way to go. 4WD is particularly valuable when going DOWN the steeper slopes. That's because between only having brakes on the rear and with the loader trying to lift the rear anyway....you can find yourself sliding out of control down slopes in 2wd.
So if you can get use out of a machine on flat or gentle slopes then by all means go for the Case. Just stay off steep slopes.
If you put new tires on the back you'll be surprised what a help that is.
rScotty

 

[p0opstlnksal0t]

Ive heard some people say they were able to flip the rear wheels out to gain a better offset for running chains. is this possible with a 580C?