FEL and 4WD - How necessary?

[mthornton]

Hey guys, still on the search for my first tractor and have a question. How important are the FEL and 4x4 on a tractor? I will be using the tractor for bushhogging and maintaining small roads on 40 acres of hunting property and for some landscaping type work around the house(~1 1/4 acres). I would also like to expand the road system on the hunting property(ie. make new roads through timber). Can most of this work be done without a FEL? I would prefer to have the FEL, but I am buying used and haven't had much luck finding a tractor with 4wd and FEL that fits my budget(<$10,000). I have however found some nice tractors, often with attachments that are well within the budget. Are there implement for the TPH that can be used for clearing roads, moving downed timber, etc.

Remember, I am a newbie at the whole tractor thing. Thanks for your help.

Mark

 

[dragoneggs]

Well Mark... welcome! Personally I don't see how anyone can get along without an FEL if you truly want to do some significant landscaping. Differing opinions will come for sure on 4x4 need but for me on sloped hills, I am pretty sure it has already been a lifesaver.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think 4wd makes a small tractor a true utility tractor...

My Grandparents farmed all of their lives and never had a 4wd... the had a dairy farm.

Most use tractors for Utility... a little bit of everything... just something to keep in mind.

 

[jeff9366]

Contemporary compact tractors are light relative to their horsepower. You need four wheel drive.

A 3-Pt. Dirt Scoop will do some of what an FEL will do. Some.

Most implement manufacturers offer a Dirt Scoop within their line.

You need four wheel drive to fill a Dirt Scoop.

SCOOP LINKS:

SCOOP | A&B Eagleline Farm Equipment

http://www.kingkutter.com/store.aspx?id=154

 

[JasG]

Around here 2wd tractors have become a rare site in any size, same with backhoes. One your see what a difference it makes, if you can afford it, its worth it. If you get a loader you will never see it's full usage unless you have 4wd.

Kind of like automatic trans in trucks, never used to see them.

 

[RBA50]

Can most of this work be done without a FEL? Mark

CAN the work be done without a FEL? Sure. It CAN be done without a tractor too. Just takes a lot of back breaking labor and time. Before there were tractors there were horses, before that, manpower.

Seriously though, a FEL makes hundreds of jobs easier, and with a small tractor, 4wd makes the FEL work better. Traction is likely to be the limiting factor in how much you can move with your tractor. Small tractors are relatively light, and light tractors have less traction than heavy ones (generally).

Keep looking, I see 4wd tractors with FEL's on Craigslist for around your budget number all the time. Also, you might want to check out the 0% financing on new tractors, and either use your cash as down payment, or to buy attachments, etc. (I always assume if someone has a budget number they plan to pay cash, otherwise it's the monthly payment amount that becomes the deciding factor in how much you can spend.)

 

[mthornton]

Thanks for the replies. I think you probably just validated what I was thinking. Looks like I will just have to keep looking and maybe trade newer/nicer for a little older but with the FEL and 4wd.

 

[mthornton]

I have looked at the new ones and really liked the Mahindra and MF that I looked at but twith a FEL they are nearly double the 10K I'd like to spend. I might be able to put some money down and finance the rest at 0%. Don't know why I hadn't thought of that.

 

[pinetree10]

I bought my first tractor early this year. I wasn't going to purchase a loader because I didn't think I would use it. Thank God my friends talked me into it because I've used it HEAVILY over the past eight months. As far as the FWD, the process of using the FEL is frequently impossible without using FWD because the back wheels just spin. I'm no veteran tractor operator compared to many of the guys on this site, but I recommend including both options because they make the work so much easier and more efficient. It's well worth the money in my opinion.

 

[PHPaul]

I bought my '88 JD750 with a front blade rather than a loader.

Some years later, I came across a deal on a loader for it and swapped over. No comparison whatever. The loader is the most generally useful attachment I've ever owned. It's not just a fancy power shovel, it's also a hoist, a grader, a tool lugger, a snow mover and with a subframe mine is also a snow plow, fork lift and grapple.

As long as I have tractors, I'll have a loader.

My advice: Spend the money now, or you'll just wind up spending it later.

Same deal with 4WD. Wouldn't be without it on a CUT.