Food Plot Prep...Need more hp!

[UPPLOTTER]

I own a small, part-time food plot installation business located in the UP of Michigan. I've made it three years with out buying a tractor, but now I need to take the leap or never buy one, I've borrowed a 50 hp tractor, and used my ATV for everything up untill now. My needs are simple as I see them but I'd love some advice from folks who know. I need to push dirt around, load bulk lime, pull a pto driven lime spreader that holds 1,500lbs. and weights 400lbs (pull a ton). I also need to till, brushog, disc, level/drag, cultipack, and then lift all these implements onto a trailer to get the heck outta there quickly.

Price is always a concern, and this is not going to get much use in the winter except around home...What can you tell me about Tractors and the hp/models I'd want to consider. Local buddies and such have mentioned Kubotas L4400 as "something to conisder". Thanks in advance from the new guy!

 

[N80]

I've got an L4400 and I do all the stuff you are talking about with it and it has performed extremely well for those types of jobs. I've never pulled a lime spreader but what you describe is well within the capacity of the L4400.

I think what you get in the L4400, the gear drive at least, is lots of horsepower for the dollar, a simple easy to maintain machine, fair-to-good hydraulic capacity, toughness (in my 4 year experience) all in a fairly small, light package.

What you do not get is any fancy features, although an HST is available for more money. I find the hydraulic capacity to be adequate for all my needs but it is not fantastic. There is no cab and no cab option. It is 45hp which is really nice in a machine that size. Moving up to 50 hp usually involves a significantly larger machine more in the utility class than CUT class. The L4400 sort of stradles the fence between CUT and UT.

If I had it all to do again, I might move up to the M5040. But when I purchased my tractor I had a firmly set budget and the L4400 was the most powerful machine I could buy with that money. It has not let me down in any way and I think wanting an M5040 has more to do with that irrational bigger-better-faster-more mentality that we men get into sometimes as I've never really needed more tractor than the L4400.

Mine is 4 years old and it has had no problems that I did not inflict upon it.

 

[tbenn7362]

HI,

I use a jd 3020 for exactly the same purposes. I made a combo disk/stine with a stell bar attached with chains for leveling. this saves alot of space. the 3020 should pull the lime spreader. the loader should be adequate. i have never figured out how to get all the equipment on one trailer. Normally i like to cut and spray a couple of weeks before working and planting. I also made a 3pt mount for my atv spreader so that i can use it to plant with on the tractor.

 

[Carykong]

you need a flat bed 3/4 ton or 1 ton pick up to carry and trailer all your gear. otherwise you will need a big trailer to carry all your attachments. how many hrs a year to you dedicate to this work?

 

[flusher]

I own a small, part-time food plot installation business located in the UP of Michigan. I've made it three years with out buying a tractor, but now I need to take the leap or never buy one, I've borrowed a 50 hp tractor, and used my ATV for everything up untill now. My needs are simple as I see them but I'd love some advice from folks who know. I need to push dirt around, load bulk lime, pull a pto driven lime spreader that holds 1,500lbs. and weights 400lbs (pull a ton). I also need to till, brushog, disc, level/drag, cultipack, and then lift all these implements onto a trailer to get the heck outta there quickly.

Price is always a concern, and this is not going to get much use in the winter except around home...What can you tell me about Tractors and the hp/models I'd want to consider. Local buddies and such have mentioned Kubotas L4400 as "something to conisder". Thanks in advance from the new guy!

So, you have a lime spreader, brush hog, disc, drag, cultipacker and some type of tillage equipment (plow? rototiller?) and you need a tractor with an FEL to push dirt around.

That Bota L4400 is nice. My next door neighbor has one and it's a sweet machine.

My new tractor is a 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 10.5 ft lift height, 2950 lb lift capability). Cost me about $17.5K last year.

With the FEL and hydroinflated rear tires, the 5525 weighs in around 6000 lb. The equivalent L4400 setup probably weighs around 5000 lb. You didn't mention details about your towing rig so I don't know what weight limits you're facing.

If your budget is tight, I'd check out used tractors in the 45-55 hp range. Since you use the tractor for business, I'd stick with a 4-5 year old tractor with 500 hours or fewer on the engine clock. An older tractor might have reliability issues.

However, if you're handy with a wrench, you could go with a much older tractor, save a bundle on up-front cost, and do the major maintenance during your off-season. The fellow who sold me his hay baler uses a mid-1970s Ford 4000 (52 hp pto) for his mowing business. These go for $5-6K.

 

[UPPLOTTER]

all good points, Thanks for the replies. So, now I have more questions...
Flusher...the 5525 is 2WD, That limits me how? Kong, excellent point weekends April thru August only. Tbenn7362, 2 trailers I think is the minumum (I need to get into rough tight places also). I hope I've thought this through well enough to say that I'm interesed in the UT tractor for now, because I'd like to purchase something like the JD110 TLB down the road for more of the clearing work, etc. This purchase will allow me to get the job done, while it creates $'s for more equip as it (or might) grows. Does this make sense to you all?

 

[N80]

all good points, Thanks for the replies. So, now I have more questions...
Flusher...the 5525 is 2WD, That limits me how?

4WD has certain benefits in certain situations. The obvious one is improved traction. And just like anything else, there are lots of variables. For instance, can a heavier 54 hp 2wd tractor like the 5525 pull better than a lighter 45 hp 4wd like the L4400. Probably. Maybe. I don't know the answer to that question but there will be lots of opinions.

I think a better way to gauge the question is to compare apples to apples. And I can say with no question that a 4wd L4400 will dramatically out pull a 2wd L4400 of similar ballast and set up. The difference is huge when pulling a disk or plow or pushing into a pile with the FEL.

But, there are other issues that can make 4wd valuable. 4wd is definitely an advantage on hilly terrain. Traction and steering are two obvious areas but maybe the most significant is braking. In a 2wd tractor, all the breaking is in the rear wheels. In a 4wd tractor, the braking is transmitted through the driveline into the front wheels. This provides better control under breaking when descending hills.

I think 4wd also enhances resale value but it also significantly increases your front end expense, so that might be a wash.

Finally, think about your towing needs and capabilities. If a lighter tractor with 4wd gets you close to the traction of a heavier 2wd than you can get the traction you need with less towing capability. In other words, I can pull my L4400 4wd with loader and an implement with an '03 F150. But if it where any heavier at all, I'd need something in the F250 or comparable range, thereby increasing expenses. Also, with a CUT, you can get more on the trailer physically than with a physically larger UT. If you have plenty of trailer space and towing capacity then these are obviously not an issue.

 

[UPPLOTTER]

Thanks N80, that's the best bit of info I've been passed yet. I prefer to keep things small and moblie...so you're point about the smaller 4WD is right on track.

 

[flusher]

Thanks N80, that's the best bit of info I've been passed yet. I prefer to keep things small and moblie...so you're point about the smaller 4WD is right on track.

N80 gave you the good skinny on 4WD.

I chose the 5525 based on my planned use (tilling, discing and baling a flat hayfield) and on price. I previously owned a 4WD tractor (a 2005 Kubota B7510HST) and I found 4WD nice for FEL work, but not absolutely necessary for anything I was doing or planning to do.

Your situation very likely differs from mine. So if the puts and takes point your to 4WD, go for it.

 

[teeravis1]

Always good to see another yooper on TBN. This is definitely the place to ask questions and receive good opinions/answers. Good luck with your decision.