F-NH 1720

[Pilot]

Have a chance to buy a 1720 from a dealer, 2400 hrs., serviced & with new tires & new loader for $10K.

Tractor prices in this are are always high, so I am not asking so much about price as suitability. Almost any tractor in decent shape with a loader goes for $10K.

What I need it for is a long story. We logged last year, too late to burn the slash piles before the winter rains. Covered the piles with plastic late in the summer to keep them dry. Went to burn them this year and they won't burn--the slash is packed so tight that the needles hold water like a sponge & won't let any air thru & they didn't dry out. I have burned many a slash pile & never had this problem, but have run into 2 other guys with the same problem. One of them came to the same conclusion: Take a loader & fluff up the piles to get the needles to drop down to the ground and create some air spaces so the pile can dry out. I've got 42 piles. So I need a tractor like this, capable of pretty good lifitng with the loader just for this project.

What do you know about 1720's? Any particular problems, things to watch out for? The dealer has several of them, trade ins from a nursery. Don't know how they were used, but all have turf tires.

Thanks for your assistance.

 

[gregNH]

I drove one a few days and it was a great tractor but the 9*3 manual is a great disaster
(I need it in first place for mowing) but for loder work i think it will be a problem too.
but the quality was good ( 1000 h and no problems)
btw place check the brakes and the clutch

 

[daTeacha]

Sounds like you might want a grapple more than a bucket loader. Those might be kind of hard to find right now, though, with folks cleaning up the hurricane mess. Have you thought about a piece of used logging equipement, maybe something from a yard? Use it then resell it.

 

[alan40]

I have a 1720 and love it. Leaked a little antifreeze at first but replaced the plug and was ready to go. I use it to haul sap, wood, mow fields and move snow. The loader is great and when full will pick up the end of the tractor. I have the 5 foot bucket and it's not really made to dig with. It will do it but a smaller bucket would be better. It's a great tractor but a grapple would work well in this situation along with added weight on the rear end.
Maybe you could rent one and try it out.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

 

[greyhound788]

what you need is a FEL with forks, not a bucket,,, consider getting an FEL with quick attach setup,,,and use the two forks that would be used to lift pallets to dig into the brush piles and lift them up a bit, thus creating air space to dry out the brush.

 

[John_Mc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( what you need is a FEL with forks, not a bucket,,, consider getting an FEL with quick attach setup,,,and use the two forks that would be used to lift pallets to dig into the brush piles and lift them up a bit, thus creating air space to dry out the brush.
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As an alternative to forks (if you can't find what you want used, or justify the purchase of something new), try putting a toothbar on your bucket. They're cheap... a couple hundred bucks, and they will help you fluff up the pile better than the bucket alone. They don't have the reach of the forks, but they do seem to work well for this kind of application.