Tree Farmer Steve
I recently bought a 15 acre Fir Tree farm with intent of pulling 1 acre for a home in the future. My property has been logged repeatedly so there are a lot of old, rotten and rotting logs scattered that I need to move. I'm looking for a compact tractor that can move logs as well as road creation/maintenance, snow removal, field mowing, material moving and general land maintenance.
Firs are BIG in my PNW experience. Is your land all flat or do you have hills?
Your can tow pretty large tree trunk sections behind a moderate weight tractor but they get dirty, which will dull a saw chain in less than one minute. To tow, you use chains between the tree section and the tractor's rear/center drawbar or a cross drawbar mounted on the Three Point Hitch. If all you need to do is move and burn, a moderate weight tractor may suffice.
You can transport log sections above ground using Three Point Hitch mounted Pallet Forks. Three Point Hitch always has more lift capacity than FEL but loads can only be lifted around 12" high. The angle of attack of forks is adjustable with Three Point Hitch Top Link. Rotted, disintegrating logs may not be sufficiently supported by two forks.
If you want to carry clean log sections utilizing the FEL you need a good sized tractor, at least 4,000 pounds, bare tractor. Tractor FELs (Front End Loaders) have a lift capacity proportional to tractor weight. Generally there is one FEL sized to each tractor model; sometimes a second FEL with one increment greater lift capacity as a second option. A 4,000 pound tractor (bare weight) will have a lift capacity of 1,750 pounds to 2,300 pounds.
However, you do not want to use a tractor FEL at max on a regular basis or reliability will suffer. I keep my everyday FEL loads are 66% of max, so real life lifting capacity is 1,150 pounds to 1,500 pounds. To me, this would be reasonable for lifting/transporting Fir sections over flat ground.
Tractors have small front wheels and large rear wheels. Non-symmetrical wheels front to back are one factor producing power in Three Point Hitch tasks, such as plowing soil and towing loads. However, these non-symmetrical wheels also make tractors unstable. Instability increases with loads on the FEL. Instability increases on sloped ground. You never want to experience a tractor rollover.
In order to carry 1,150 pound to 1,500 pound loads with the FEL you will need COUNTERBALANCE mounted on the Three Point Hitch of around 800 pounds to keep the rear wheels in contact with the ground. In order to carry a max lift of 1,750 pounds to 2,300 pounds, you will need 1,000 pounds to 1,200 pounds mounted on the Three Point Hitch. COUNTERBALANCE weight mounted on the Three Point Hitch is cantilevered behind the rear axle. Three Point Hitch COUNTERBALANCE relieves stress on the
front axle,
front axle bearings,
front tires and power steering.
So, your next step should be to calculate
weight of potential FEL loads you may wish to move.
I originally planned to purchase a Kubota L2501 but I am concerned about the HP and weight of the tractor not being adequate for the size of logs and old fallen trees I need to move. I thought moving up to the L3901 may be the better choice but I don't know if the additional HP will make that much difference. Am I wrong?
Tractor horsepower is much less important than tractor weight.
L2501 has a bare tractor weight of 2,600 pounds. LA525 loader has a lift capacity of 1,150 max, around 800 pounds for everyday loads. This is a really nice tractor for residential use. It will fit in an average garage with ROPS folded.
Three Point Hitch lift max capacity of
L2501 is around 1,700 pounds, everyday work capacity 1,300 pounds, less weight of the Pallet Forks. (A little more everyday lift on the 3-Pt. because it is less subject to stress and carries loads low-to-the-ground.)
3-PT PALLET FORKS:
three point hitch pallet forks - Google Search
A very nice tractor, marginal for moving heavy tree sections
safely. Just enough for road maintenance, snow removal, field mowing (five foot rotary cutter) material moving and general land maintenance on fifteen acres.
4,000 pound tractors in Kubota's lineup are the MX series and
L4060/
L4760/
L5060 and
L6060 'Grand L' series, all utilizing a single, heavy, tractor chassis.
https://www.kubotausa.com/products/tractors/economy-utility/mx
I also saw an LS (RX)4140 that had 8 hours and was on sale at a price point less than a new L3901. I don't know much about the LS machines as most of my research was comparing Kubota to JD. Clearly the LS is much larger, heavier and more powerful but I'm concerned about quality and reliability.
LS XR4140:
XR414H-4HP | LS Tractor
XR4140 is right at 4,000 pounds, bare tractor, the weight you need to operate safely.
Korean tractors are a fast growing segment of the tractor category, off a small base. LS and Kioti are the leading Korean tractor brands. LS is a well regarded tractor brand on this site.
How close is the LS dealer to your property?
All new tractors have some bugs which need to be worked out. So you probably want to purchase from a dealer reasonably close to your land.
Tractor reliability is a function of the prudence and experience of the tractor operator, operationally and relative to maintenance.
I am complete novice to compact tractors. I have operated equipment but not used a compact tractor in a residential type environment.
Operating tractors on sloping ground requires a slightly different tractor setup and great caution on the part of the operator.
>Heavy tractors are more stable than light tractors. Heavy tractors have wider wheel/tire stance and larger wheels/tires.
>"Loading"/filling/ballasting the rear tires 3/4 full with liquid lowers the center of gravity of the tractor, increasing stability.
>Set the rear wheels as wide as possible when wheels installed on chassis.
>Four wheel drive is essential on slopes, otherwise braking is inadequate.
Every tractor brand offers equipment in the 2,500 to 3,000 pound category.
Every tractor brand offers equipment in the 3,500 to 4,500 pound category.
MORE:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...386705-kubota-l3560-tractor-la805-loader.html
. The place was neglected for years before we bought it with standing dead and dead falls and overgrown small growth ponderosa that needs thinning. 
