Hello to all, and looking forward to sharing as my experience grows

jonsorensen1 · Oct 26, 2013

Hello everyone. I am VERY new and have A LOT to learn. I am really thankful for the opportunity to interact with a knowledgeable forum like this. I am trying to close on the purchase of 10 acres, then I will be clearing it, building some driveways/roads and some farm buildings, basically starting from scratch and building a small family farm. One of the first things I will be needing is a tractor, and I am looking to figure out which machine will be the best all around solution and present a good value. I know I will have loads of questions. One of the first questions is, I know I will need my tractor to be able to lift 275 gallon totes of liquid fertilizer and soil amendments. One of these weighs about 2,700 lbs. Any help figuring out what machine will handle lifting 2,700 lbs off a truck with forklift attachment?

TripleR · Oct 26, 2013

Welcome to TBN, sure wish I could be more specific, but you are going to need a pretty good size tractor to lift that much, I just did a quick check on the Kubota site and it appears you would need an M8540/60 to lift that much. I would have to check the specifications on other brands via their sites, I just happen to have an M8540.

Hopefully someone with a broader range of experience can be more helpful.

mguitas · Oct 26, 2013

:welcome:to TBN.

rmorey · Oct 26, 2013

:welcome: To TBN!

You could consider a Kioti DK series tractor with a KL 401 loader. It has a lift capacity of 2761 lbs. :thumbsup: You will need a rear ballast to lift that kind of weight.

Don87 · Oct 26, 2013

Welcome to TBN.

jonsorensen1 · Jan 10, 2014

Hello Rick, and thank you for your answer! I looked at that KL401 loader and this is what I saw:
Lift Capacity to Full Height at Pivot Pins 2,761 lbs
Question: If the Tote I need to lift weighs 2,700 lbs, and it is 4' X 4', then, will that loader handle it, given that the 2,761 lbs rating is at the "Pivot Pins", and I am guessing that means right where the forks attach. I am not a physicist, but, I am thinking that if the Tote is 4' X 4' and weighs 2,700 lbs, that the real measuring point for the 2,700 lbs will be 24 inches out from the pivot pins, and I am guessing that the KL401 may not handle 2,700 lbs at 24 inches out from the Pivot Pins? Am I on the right track here? If so, any idea how I can get a good data point on what loader will handle 2,700 lb totes that are 4' X 4' ?