Help needed...

[couchsachraga]

Greetings...
I'm hoping some of you have also gone through a similar search, as my brain is going numb from trying to find a tractor that meets what I'm looking for.

I do a bit of grapple work for clearing land, as well as moving wood on to my band saw mill, loading a 1 ton dump (4wd), keeping a few old fields open for myself and neighbors, snowplowing, and such.

I've determined the following criteria so far:
-45-55 engine hp
-detatchable loader (at some point I may need to go over to a front mounted snowblower, as if the town stops maintaining the road (as they have been threatening to do) I may have a mile long driveway that is narrow with a steep side and a cliff side...that varies which side it's on.
-cab
-capable of a frame mounted backhoe (I have a separate old Dynahoe right now, but when my heavy work is done I will likely sell it and put the proceeds into a hoe for my CUT, as it will suit my needs at that point fine and be one less vehicle to maintain)
-HST (I have shuttle shift now, and like it, but HST seems to be a better fit for me really, esp. if there is a "cruise control" on the machine for open field mowing and such.

I've looked heavily at Deere (more than I'd like to spend, and the frame hoe won't work with their cabs (3720 and 4320 were the machines I specifically looked at), and Kioti (I will be testing a DK45sc and DK45se HST (no cab, but I want to try out the HST) in a few weeks. The latter with cab would seem to be a good fit (or the DK55, if it's short enough with HST and cab (8' under my barn)), but I have not seen a time estimate when Kioti will have a cab out for those units.

I'd like to stick to one of the established brands for good parts support. I have an old US spec Yanmar now, which is a GREAT machine, but no cab, and a bit underpowered (33hp) for my needs these days. I can get parts for it through some great folks I've found on this very board, but not everything is available.

Any other models to consider, that meet the above criteria? I haven't been able to figure out if the IH / New Holland route has a possibility or not from their site...they (IH) are my other "local" dealer.


Thank you in response for any thoughts / opinions!
Couchsachraga

 

[MarkV]

Sounds to me like you are in the right horsepower range for what you need to do. Most of the manufactures make some nice cab tractors in that size but where you will run into a problem is getting a backhoe for a cab tractor. I can’t recall any of the brands that offer a factory hoe with a cab. There was some talk recently that some of the after market hoes were being built with extensions to the frame so they would fit with a cab. The hoe compatibility may narrow the search of brands so that would be my first question.

MarkV

 

[Timber]

I am surprised you are considering parting with a Dynaho. I know they are a Behemoth but they are so indestructible but still very popular. The fact that they are so difficult to move makes them hard to sell. My Dad has one he would never part with mostly because he knows it so well. They are very easy to work on and maintain as well as find parts for. If I possessed a runner I would never get rid of it.Most parts are interchangeable with Ford 800 series trucks. Just a thought. I love the old Dinosaurs (Dynahoe) no machine was ever given a more fitting name

 

[couchsachraga]

Re: Dynahoe....I know...I essentially have two at the moment I'm in the mountains in a heavily wooded area, with swamps where the rocks aren't.... To say I get stuck occasionlly is putting it mildly . I wish I had a 490 (4wd) or 190-4 vs the 190 series III (I also have a B). They ARE great machines, with far greater digging and lifting capacities than any newer hoes...and you are right, they are easy to work on...but once I get my big projects out of the way my uses for a hoe will go down significantly, and a lot of the uses for one will be on woods roads that i can't get on now with Daisy (the Dynahoe...I find that endlessly amusing ).


On the cab tractor backhoe issue, yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to figure out...what brands actually have this set up as a possibility.
Couchsachraga

 

[Timber]

I completely understand about the wt, thank god they can pull themselves out. I would never trash any tractor brand. It is usually a matter of personal choice. I am a Kubota guy though. Of the big 3 kubota is probably the cheapest to feature ratio. Some of the Grey markets are turning out some pretty nice rigs too. I would look at the M series. The M 70 sure is a nice rig but it might be bigger than your looking for. The 50 sounds more in line with what you ask