Buying advice - 14 Acre Property - Subcompact or full size/

[jeff9366]

I found myself toying with the idea of a cab. I think an open station may be more suitable for myself as I find I am stepping on and off the machine regularly

An open station tractor will have a somewhat lower center-of-gravity. A cab on a 4,000 bare weight tractor weighs around 700 pounds, all above the rear axle height.

When buying new, consider that tractor cab weight is equal to liquid filled tire weight, with cab weight mostly over the rear wheels. On hills, tractor cab or liquid filled rear tires. Probably not both.

You have not expressed an intention of farming. I tractor only when the weather is nice, in Florida most of the time. In summer when it gets hot, I start tractoring at 6:00 AM and finish for the day by 12:00 Noon.

45-horsepower to 50-horsepower should be adequate on hills and powering your planned implements.
- This is what I assumed, although some of the larger flail mulchers I have been looking require 50hp minimum. I also assumed (possibly wrongly?) that a post rammer may require a bigger sized tractor.

4,000 pound bare weight tractors are usually available with up to 60-horsepower.

FEL lift capacity on 4,000 pound bare weight tractors is usually around 2,000 pounds.

Full pallets of construction material may exceed 2,000 pounds.

In the USA new compact tractors are ordered with HST transmissions about 90% of the time.



Try -REPLY WITH QUOTE- button.

 

[buickanddeere]

What is your idea of Large? I think a zero turn will be on the buy list when the house gets built but for now one machine is enough.

The gorse weed started off as 3 acres of dense bush - in some places 4 metres high. We have sprayed / flail mulched it enough to the point were we are maintaining regrowth. Hopefully a couple more years of spraying and no more. The neighbours regularly burn their gorse in piles which I think may contribute to our problem (regrowth from seeding when burnt off)

Have they sprayed with "Brush Kill ". Most trash vegetation gets the hint after a dose of that stuff.

 

[buickanddeere]

One of these with ballast will pull a 4 series hydrostat around like a toy and for less money . 5E Series (45-75 hp) Utility Tractors | 555E | John Deere CA

 

[Colorado91]

Have they sprayed with "Brush Kill ". Most trash vegetation gets the hint after a dose of that stuff.

Yes, We periodically spray with brush killer - once dead we use the slasher to get rid of the plants.

 

[Colorado91]

An open station tractor will have a somewhat lower center-of-gravity. A cab on a 4,000 bare weight tractor weighs around 700 pounds, all above the rear axle height.

When buying new, consider that tractor cab weight is equal to liquid filled tire weight, with cab weight mostly over the rear wheels. On hills, tractor cab or liquid filled rear tires. Probably not both.

You have not expressed an intention of farming. I tractor only when the weather is nice, in Florida most of the time. In summer when it gets hot, I start tractoring at 6:00 AM and finish for the day by 12:00 Noon.



4,000 pound bare weight tractors are usually available with up to 60-horsepower.

FEL lift capacity on 4,000 pound bare weight tractors is usually around 2,000 pounds.

Full pallets of construction material may exceed 2,000 pounds.

In the USA new compact tractors are ordered with HST transmissions about 90% of the time.



Try -REPLY WITH QUOTE- button.

Will the weight of a large flail mower or post rammer on the rear of a smaller tractor be ok for hills?

Farming wise - we run a few cattle and we plan to have an orchard but unfortunately that is all we have time for currently

 

[buickanddeere]

When it comes time to pull a load or carry a rotary cutter. Nobody ever regretted having the larger and heavier tractor.