Compact sub compact?

[jjeff]

I wonder who would try to mow a hill horizontally? Grew up on a hill, so of course I'd build my cabin on one lol. Remember when my dad got a new self propelled lawn boy a long time ago I unsuccessfully tried to make a sulky for it mind you decades before the Internet and people posted YouTube creations. fortunately for my behind I didn't damage the mower to much only my pride. Can't say the same at my attempt to attach my dad's old echo leaf blower to a plastic snow sled over 35 years later when the weather changes my behind still gets soar lol.

 

[WM75Guy]

I wanted to add a small tractor to the fleet to do some mowing in rougher areas of the yard, dirt work around the buildings, and mulch the flowerbeds. I lucked out and found a new 2023 NH 25S with loader and MMM at the NH dealer for $14,900 last year. They even took my 20 y/o Kubota F2560 in on trade. It is based on the LS MT125 model with a Yanmar 25HP engine. It has done everything i have asked of it.

 

[jjeff]

Not trying to get the cart before the horse but pretty much narrowed down my choice to a new 21 hp tym manufactured sub compact with loaded r14 tires probably the small tires won't offer much in terms of weight but having difficulties finding two potential attachments a manual angle 5 or 6 foot xb qa snow plow, all I've seen are hydraulic angle ones, admittedly they are nice, but I've devised a plowing system where I only have to get off equipment or atv and change angle on plow once or twice at most probably kick myself for not splurging and getting third function, also a 3pt log splitter with PTO pump you couple to the rear PTO shaft. Not plug into tractors hydraulic system, like all I've viewed.
Thanks

 

[arrow]

Not trying to get the cart before the horse but pretty much narrowed down my choice to a new 21 hp tym manufactured sub compact with loaded r14 tires probably the small tires won't offer much in terms of weight but having difficulties finding two potential attachments a manual angle 5 or 6 foot xb qa snow plow, all I've seen are hydraulic angle ones, admittedly they are nice, but I've devised a plowing system where I only have to get off equipment or atv and change angle on plow once or twice at most probably kick myself for not splurging and getting third function, also a 3pt log splitter with PTO pump you couple to the rear PTO shaft. Not plug into tractors hydraulic system, like all I've viewed.
Thanks

Couple three things
Don’t know where you are as to the type of snow you get, but any consideration for a 6’ blade on a scut is overkill in my estimation.
We have a manual blade for our scuts but the thing is about 52”.
Secondly, they do make pit log splitters but you’d probably have to search larger outlets such as Northern products, Timberwolf and Titan industries. I doubt the local stores would carry such.
All you’d need there is a pto pump with a reservoir that you’d attach a cradle or 3 pt splitter to. That’s if you can’t snag the entire splitter combo.
If you have electrical service, they make electric splitters that will do good size rounds but that depends on the wood available to you and how much wood you’re going to produce.
I would not want one of those for much over a couple cords nor if it had a steady diet of 18” rounds.
Electrics are also slow. You’d want one over 12 tons.

 

[WinterDeere]

Not trying to get the cart before the horse but pretty much narrowed down my choice to a new 21 hp tym manufactured sub compact with loaded r14 tires probably the small tires won't offer much in terms of weight but having difficulties finding two potential attachments a manual angle 5 or 6 foot xb qa snow plow, all I've seen are hydraulic angle ones, admittedly they are nice, but I've devised a plowing system where I only have to get off equipment or atv and change angle on plow once or twice at most probably kick myself for not splurging and getting third function, also a 3pt log splitter with PTO pump you couple to the rear PTO shaft. Not plug into tractors hydraulic system, like all I've viewed.
Thanks

I'm glad you found a way to avoid the hydraulic angle, I must adjust the angle on my plow 50 times or more in each plowing session, as I keep it angled running up the drive and then turn it straight to push across the parking lot. I even adjust the angle on the fly when carving out in front of the garage doors from the side. Whatever works.

But I'd not put a 6 foot plow on any tractor weighing much less than 5000#, or 5 ft. on anything much under 3500#, when accounting for all tire loading and ballast. Last time I tried running even 48" on a sub-compact, I had constant traction problems, and had to have a buddy stand on the rear implement just to be able to push snow. Those little tractors have plenty of torque, thanks to gearing, but they just don't have sufficient traction to push a plow of any size thru heavy snow.

I'm basing this on "east coast snow", of course, but I thought Michigan got much of the same, often heavy and icy... not only the light and fluffy powder like those folks out in Wyoming are used to seeing.

As to log splitters, have you looked at just buying a PTO-driven hydraulic pump? What are the cylinder and valve sizes of the splitters you're looking at? Figure about 1 second of full stroke time (24" down + 24" back) per GPM of pump, on a 4" cylinder.

Personally, I never really saw the advantage of a 3-point splitter on the scale you'd be shopping, but that's been debated here many times. So much cheaper to just put those hours on a little crappy 7hp B&S or Honda gasser, than racking up countless idle hours on your tractor, and that keeps your tractor free to use as a log lift, or for fetching and hauling.

 

[jjeff]

Go thru less than two face cords a winter and that's if I'm up there a lot in the winter try and make wood once a year in spring or early summer rotate two separate stacks stored in garage to season each one for over a year at a time. Have an older cheap 25 ton splitter up north kind of a pain to transport, currently cutting and splitting at my dad's over a hundred miles away using maples cut down that were blocking his satellite service, lol. I use a smaller electric splitter down state splitting hardwood for fire place ambiance fires, occasionally split softer evergreens for outdoor camp fires at times it's difficult splitting hardwood with underpowered electric splitter and I usually have to cut rounds smaller to split. Anyways my wood stove primary source of heat, up north can take 20 inch logs, may go with Heavier duty electric but I'd rather utilize tractors PTO to split I usually transport splitter to felled tree instead of transporting cut rounds to splitter and subsequent electric outlet I'll need. Utilize either a sxs or 4 wheele with a cheap garden trailer transporting split wood. If that cheap consumer grade kohler motor on 25 ton splitter blows up or becomes increasingly unreliable may transfer hydraulic components to a homemade 3 point splitter to run off tractor pto However don't care for doing many projects up there anymore. A lot has to do with usually making a hundred plus mile roundtrip looking for something I need or think I do.

 

[jjeff]

Good point, I'll probably look for a smaller manually rotated snow blade 5 foot or less provided at angle it runs past tires a little bit. I'm reminded of trying to run a underpowered self contained snow blower using a 4wheeler. One of many problems I found with it was the size of piece of equipment I was trying to utilize to attach blower to especially using it on that grade of driveway.

 

[WinterDeere]

I had a 42" or 48" snowblower on my little Cub Cadet 123, and it was awesome. I had a larger 64" snowblower on my Deere 855 MFWD (23 hp -> 19 @ PTO), and it was also great. Much fewer traction/weight problems when pushing a snowblower, versus a plow, assuming you have the horsepower to spin the augers.

The only reason I sold the 64" snowblower is that the 6 ft. plow on my 3033r is faster in all but the deepest of snows. We do get the occasional 24" - 36" storm, when the snowblower might be better, but we average only 1 or 2 of those storms per decade, the vast majority of our snows are 12" or less.

If you want to push a 5 foot plow with a SCUT, then weight is going to be your friend. Filled tires on all four corners + ballast box + front suitcase weights, if they don't get in the way of the plow. You'll have plenty of power in low gear, but traction is going to be an issue.

Also, I've always run turf tires, and find they work very well for plowing snow on asphalt. It seems the guys running Ag tires have many more traction problems when plowing on asphalt. Of course, this may be reversed if tires are running on top of snow or on gravel.

As to log splitter, I'd just pick up the latest Huskee/Speeco/TSC 22-ton unit with a 7hp gasser engine, as they're probably cheaper than any 3-point splitter on the market, and leave it at the cabin. You're right that hauling them sucks, with those crappy little 45 mph tires, they really need to be placed on a trailer for hauling on the highway. Unless the market has changed in the last 10 years, I'll bet you can buy a new 22-ton splitter from any big-box store cheaper than any 3-point splitter, and it's going to be both faster and more convenient.

 

[check]

The JD1 series you can buy the backhoe separately. For the BX series, you may see backhoes for sale, but unless you find a buyer who has great fab skills, the only market for one of the backhoes is someone who should already have one. The 2 digit BX models were/are all sold as TLB’s and the 4 digit models don’t have the subframe or hydraulics to support a backhoe. The loader will be the same, but the model sticker will be 1-off to indicate a TLB (LA343 vs LA344; note that I don’t remember exact numbers, but you get the idea). The TLB’s will not have 3pt arms included, but are available for purchase. All other attachments should fit TLB or tractor.

So if you are looking at a BX and already have a backhoe, I would recommend a 4 digit model, not a 2 digit.

I agree. My Kubota BX25 came with the backhoe and a VERY sturdy frame. Very tough.

 

[jjeff]

I'll definitely keep my eyes open, occasionally I do see used rather inexpensive three point splitters on cl. Some homemade with PTO pump. I piggy back my splitter on my smaller ramp trailer when I move it any distance can also fit a 4wheeler or Honda pioneer on it also just have to run the tongue up on the ATVs rack. When my wife bought that splitter as a gift for me almost 10 yrs ago she towed it 70 miles with my new 3/4 ton truck lol.