Buying Advice First Tractor Purchase - L4600 Need feedback

[yellowdog00]

Hello,
I'm looking to make my first tractor purchase later next month and am beginning to get quotes from local dealers. Some background:
Location: NW Illinois in Mississippi bottom ground near Quad Cities, Silver maple and reed canary grass primarily(can be wet)

Acreage: 66 acres I own and adjoining 110 owned by hunting partner

Primary uses: Planting and disking of small food plots, mowing and spraying, maintenance of small wetland levees and ditches, grading roads, and brush clearing; mostly just playing in the woods and open grasslands.

My experience: This will be my first tractor. Have some experience with tractors w/FELs through different work experiences earlier in my life though not recently. Currently using ATVs with ATV implements now.

Tractor I am looking at with options:
L4600, HST and FWD
FEL 764 w/quick coupler, 72" Sq back bucket and bucket level indicator
R-1 Ag Tires
1 Rear Hydraulic Remote(I am thinking I may get a wheeled disk at some point or have some need for rear hydraulics)
Beet Juice in rear tires
Hooks and 2" Receiver welded to bucket(I've seen a pic of someone on forum who did this and really liked)

Initial Implements I'm considering buying:
Land Pride RCF2760 Rotary Cutter with slip clutch and chain guards(60" hd mower)
Land Pride DH25 Disc Harrow with notched blades and scrapers(Thinking initially about the 72" one)

Other implements I should be considering????
Box Blade(would appreciate anyone's recommendation on what model to purchase?)
Others????

I would appreciate any input as to options I'm considering as well as other options I should be considering or am missing. This forum has been a great help in getting me to this point. Thank you!
Mike

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Mike, depending on how much road maintenance you will be doing may make a big difference with what implements you would be best off with to maintain those roads. I also suggest that you get at least 2 if not 3 rear remotes. Get at least one of them with the float function, I would get 2 of the 3 with the float function myself.

Here are some implements that I would be considering, you don't have to have them all, but each one does a specific task better than the others.

A good rear blade.

A box blade

A land plane grading scraper

And a landscape rake

Everything attachments has all of these implements also and would be a good alternative.

 

[HEC]

Go to Everything Attachments website and get an idea of what each attachment can do for you by watching their videos . I would be sure and ask your dealer you buy from to load your rear tires , they will in some cases do it for free in order to make a sale . You can usually get a pretty good discount on any attachments you buy at the time of a tractor purchase also . I see you are buying a heavy duty R. C. so I would guess you will mowing down some heavy underbrush etc. . Look at a rachet rake on the rachet rake website as they are relatively cheap and can do some good work clearing up areas , they have a video also .

Good Luck

 

[big bubba]

might also check price dif on an mx5100 hst has a few more guts than 4600 does the 4600 have extendable rear arms for attaching convenience? that alone makes a world of difference if you're swapping out implements a lot. may also look at hyd upper link, another reason for more rear remotes....

 

[C4Ranch]

Agree with big bubba.

Does the l4600 have extendable lift arms on the 3pt and pin adjusting stabilizer bars? I had a B that had turnbuckles and no extensions for lift arms and it was a lot more difficult to hook up implements.

If you can afford, get at least 2 rear remotes and be sure to get with float.

Check out the mx, you might get more plus a bigger loader. I would have gotten the mx but found mine used.

 

[newbury]

You can get a clamp on receiver which then can be removed.
Look into a toothbar, Pirahna or ratchet rake one of them is a must have
Get pallet forks, either QA or clamp on

Ditto on the 2 rears.

 

[YardBikeBob]

It's your money but the L4600 would seem overkill. L3800 HST offers 30 PTOhp; sweet spot for 6' implements. I don't know anything about discing, however.

And you might step down to the RCF20 series rotary cutter. How many 3" saplings you really going to mow over? And I would definitely step up to a 72" cutter. The RCF2072 is 745 pounds -- plenty hanging off the back. You're looking at 1,000 pound cutters. That's a lot of weight way back there!

Mississippi bottom land? As in mostly flat, sometimes spongy? Loaded tires might sink more than you'd like. Of course, the L4600 barely weighs 3,200 pounds so maybe you're on the right track. And I wonder if Ag tires might be better in bottom land (I have R4's and they're fine down here in the rocks.)

Quick-attach bucket is really recommended. Chain hooks on bucket are handy. Specify hooks for 5/16" chain. 3/8" is unnecessarily heavy. Use 3: 1 centered and the others at loader arms. I reinforced the loader lip with angle iron and welded the hooks to it.

I've never seen the need for a receiver off the bucket however I do use the rear draw bar.

An awful lot of people get by with just a box blade for road grading -- including me. I have a 6' Woods. Main selling point is that it is a 750lb box blade. Good, strong product but my dealings with the company were unimpressive. Shop around.

I use a 42" pallet fork attachment (and chains) as a poor man's grapple (from Titan). Satisfactory for moving piles of brush. If I did it again I'd buy the 48".

What does "maintenance of small wetland levees and ditches" entail?

Definitely try to find a tier-3 motor if there are any left.

I have 2 rear remotes that I haven't touched. But I sure would like a top'n tilt for the box blade some day.

I went through a very similar decision process last September. In the end I got more tractor, more warranty, and saved over $3K going with LS. The extras I really like are the telescoping 3pt links & suspension seat. And, of course, blue is more manly.

Bob

 

[big bubba]

w/that much acreage and diversity of work, i couldn't imagine going smaller than 4600. is it hilly? aside from hp, having slightly larger tires & frame (for me anyway) can make a big difference for stability, fel work, & soil engagement implements. compare spec differences on K's official site plus you'll get good info in this forum too .....i'll chime out. hey good luck

 

[yellowdog00]

I really appreciate all the comments. I love this forum!

You've got me thinking about a second remote. I think I will start a second thread to discuss this as I have a lot of questions about this as I'm not familiar with all the ins and outs of rear hydraulics, float and all the potential uses.

Our ground is primarily all flat and it floods periodically. Property borders a small river whose mouth into Mississippi is about a mile. We flood when Mississippi backs up or when river floods from rain above us. My nightmare will be getting rig stuck and being prepared to have the means to recover it.
There will be lots of times I will just have to stay out of bottom.

I'm adding pallet forks, root rake and box blade to my list.

The dirt work I'm envisioning include repairing small levees with dirt and rock, putting in some culverts for access across some ditches. We can only get trucks with rock into property so far, so I see hauling rock in a bucket into property bucket by bucket at a few places we need to armor plate. I know it will be slow but I've got the time.

Watching the box blade video, I'm seeing where I could construct some small shallow wetlands by tilting the blade. Never thought of that.

As for size of implements, I'm leaning towards heavier duty ones that don't max out the tractor's capacity. May take me longer but thinking they will be less likely to break and will have plenty of power for the job. Reed
Canary grass is a dense tall grass that can be a bear to mow. Thinking I will have an easier time getting across ditches and navigating through woods with narrower implements.

I initially was looking at a smaller Grand L 3560 with a cab for the convenience of AC and heat. For the cost, I've decided to go with a little more Hp for my first tractor and no cab and spend the extra $ on implements. The cab will be on my next tractor.:laughing:
Mike

 

[big bubba]

"I've decided to go with a little more Hp for my first tractor and no cab and spend the extra $ on implements. The cab will be on my next tractor"

smart move imho, esp being that far south. anytime you decide to go bigger & HD equip, you won't regret it highly recommend 2nd remote, what kind i'll leave for the experts.