First tractor advice

[850stealth]

Hello, I'm looking at getting a smaller tractor for around my property and maybe a few odd jobs around the county. I looked at deere, tym and kioti, the best price and best dealer is tym by far. I'm looking at the no cab TYM 264 with FEL, hla snow pusher, grapple, box blade and landscape rake. Tires will be filled and rear remotes. I'm worried about slopes and uneven ground the most before buying. I do some firewood on my property and I'd like to use the tractor to get back in there with my log trailer and pull the trailer back out. Not real heavy, a few trees at a time, I've been using my 4 wheeler with no issues. I'm wondering about driving up slopes and what is usually to much. I would need to level out my small road I made. My 4 wheeler has no issue but there are times when one or 2 wheels are off the ground because of ruts or just holes. I like the look of the tractor but am always worried about it being underpowered. I dont want anything bigger because of storage and price. I love the grapple but also wonder about the tractor being to small for it. It would be used for a couple logs and for brush, rocks etc. Any help or ideas/experience with these would be great.

 

[Jchonline]

Tractors are unforgiving on uneven ground. See if you can get the dealer to install spacers to widen the wheels and therefore lower your overall center of gravity. You need to be very careful.

How much property do you have? The 264 if is a SCUT, and really meant for only a few acres.

As far as brand, provided you have good dealer support and features to match TYM should be good. I personally didnt like the HST as compared to Kubota, Massey, Deere. That said if it works for you then great!

 

[850stealth]

I have over 60 acres but I know I wont be able to use it for all of it. Just to make a few trails and smooth out what's there. Most of it is heavily wooded and alot of it is steep so I know I cant go there, not even with the 4 wheeler.

 

[jeff9366]

stealth

I'm looking for a small tractor for my property and maybe a few odd jobs around the county. I'm looking at the TYM 264 with FEL.

TYM 264 is a subcompact tractor weighing 1,880 pounds bare tractor. Very small wheels provide just 8" of ground clearance. You will high-center on rough ground and crossing tree limbs on the ground. Wheels are secondary gearing. Subcompact wheels are small providing minimal tractive power. Subcompact tractors have only a two (2) range HST transmission. Subcompact tractors are usually recommended for three acres maximum, primarily for lawn mowing, secondarily for light landscaping tasks, basically wheelbarrow tasks. TYM 264 would be capable of very few commercial jobs.

Tires will be filled and rear remotes.

Filling tiny rear tires on a subcompact tractor adds only around 120 pounds which will do nothing for traction.
Forget rear remotes.

Consider TYM354, 3,065 pound bare weight tractor with a three (3) speed HST transmission.

I am worried about TYM264 being underpowered. I love the grapple but also wonder about the tractor being too light for it. It would be used for a couple logs and for brush, rocks etc.

Lifting loads with the FEL, then trying to move the tractor and load is the primary cause of tractor rollovers.
Slopes, ruts, tree debris and animal burrows add to tractor rollover danger.

Consider TYM354, 3,065 pound bare weight tractor with a three (3) speed HST transmission.

I do some firewood on my property. I'd like to use the tractor to get in and out with my log trailer. I'm wondering about driving up slopes and what is too much. I need to level out my small road I made. My 4 wheeler has no issue but there are times when one or 2 wheels are off the ground because of ruts or just holes.

Your ATV probably has larger wheels/tires than a subcompact tractor.
Going up unladen will be very slow, but possible. The greater danger is coming down. Tractors have rear brakes only. Not real good down hill braking, less good with a laden log trailer pushing the tractor. Trailer will be prone to jackknife.

I dont want anything bigger because of storage and price.


Five reasons owner/operators trade up from Subcompact Tractors:
More tractor weight.
More FEL lift capacity.
Greater ground clearance
Three-range (3) HST (Lower LOW, Higher, HIGH) rather than two-range (2) HST.
Larger wheels and tires yield more tractive power pulling ground contact implements and logs, pushing a loader bucket into dirt and pushing snow. Larger wheels and tires permit heavier tractors to bridge holes, ruts and tree debris with less operator perturbation.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is generally greater than depreciation on a tractor.

When considering a tractor purchase, bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second and (narrowly) rear wheel ballast third.

 

[850stealth]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'd love a larger tractor and have looked at them, it's something I will need to trailer as well. I'd like to be able to use one for a bit to see if it will do what I want. Making a small trail in the woods can be done with an excavator I have access to. Going up hill with weight only and going down only with an empty trailer. The 4 wheeler has done it no problem but it does have more power and much more wheel speed if required (Polaris 850xp) . I guess I have some thinking to do. If it is really to small for a bit of snow clearing and some yard work I wont get one at all. The getting trees out of the woods isnt a forestry operation, just personal use wood but I still want it to be done with ease.

 

[jeff9366]

SAFETY should be your priority, not EASE.

98% of neophyte tractor operators are astounded how unstable tractors are.

Instability comes from small front wheels and large rear wheels.

Great tractor pulling power comes from small front wheels and large rear wheels.



Subcompact tractors are perfect for yard work on one or two acres.

 

[850stealth]

Safety is important, that's why I'm wondering about this before buying. I dont want it to be a waste of money or a waste of time. The smaller tym 254 is what I saw first and it is way to small, same HP as the 264 though. The 264 has a larger frame and larger tires and more capacity. Back to research I guess.

 

[850stealth]

The extreme unstable nature of tractors is what worries me. I've talked to many different people too. Some have said they mow steep hills sideways and have no problems and others say they wont touch side hills. I see one of these guys all the time mowing in his ditch. His is a 25-30hp kubota and it looks way to steep for me to even think about it but he does it all the time, I'm not sure of the angle but its alot. Everyone is different I guess when it comes to nerves.

 

[Diggin It]

People have complained about not having access between and around trees with some of the bigger tractors, so you have to consider that too.

 

[jeff9366]

Going up hill with weight only and going down only with an empty trailer.

T264 combination of small wheels and two range HST will make going up hill with a timber laden subcompact tractor a very slow operation.

If hill is steep tractor and load may stall out entirely.

Neither of us know your actual slopes nor your actual tractor + trailer + load weight.

 

[850stealth]

I would guess at about 15 to 20 degree hill to climb. Trailer just an old bunk boat trailer. I dont have weights.

 

[850stealth]

I replied to fast by mistake. I'm actually at the dealer now looking. Lots of nicer big stuff but way out of my price range. Hauling wood out is not the main job of this tractor. Just something that would be nice to do as well as the other stuff. It's small enough to trailer as well. Maybe I'll keep looking or wait another year or 2

 

[cholland]

I'm not familiar with TYM, but I suspect you should be looking a little larger. Around 35 hp maybe.
I have a Kioti 3510, with the 3 range HST. It seems about perfect for 98% of what I need it for. Firewood, mowing, loader work and some tilling on 20 acres. I have one steep hill, the road has a switchback and the last bit is close to 18-20% grade. It does okay in mid range with no load, need to be in low range if pulling anything over 600 lbs. 4x4 necessary. Side slopes are sketchy. It doesn't take much to start sliding with a tip over soon after that.
I filled my rear tires with water, it doesn't really freeze here. That added about 460 lbs total. Definitely makes it feel more stable but I still wouldn't push it on much of a side slope. All it takes it a hole big enough for a tire to drop into or a rock the size of a softball and you are going over.

 

[rpm5101]

Going between trees and being able to navigate your property is definitely something to consider. My dad bought a commercial grade mower and couldn't get to half of the lawn because the deck just wouldn't fit.