Help selecting a tractor for steep brush clearing.

[G-force]

Let me first start off by saying, I have never bought or owned a tractor. I am as green as it gets on the subject.

I have been reading around, and I have searched, but I figured I could start a new thread with some pictures of my specific needs.

We live on 5 acres. I would estimate at least 2-3 acres being sloping fields of brush that gets as tall as 4-5 ft in the spring and summer time. I will probably be clearing these fields 2-3 times a year as well as doing other small tasks around the property. Nothing major.

My concern is that the incline of some of our fields is so steep that a tractor will not be stable or safe traveling on some of the more extreme sloped areas.

Here are a few pictures of my land for reference. I took them today. Believe me when I tell you it is alot steeper than it looks. When it is wet, it is very hard to walk down without slipping. My ATV can even be a little scary going up it. I am an experienced ATV rider, and I would never ride sideways on some of the slopes.

I have been looking at the JD 2320 and 3X20 tractors with HST. Specifically the 2320 with 200x front loader and tow behind rotary cutter. I have found a local deal on this machine with only 35 hours and am really considering pulling the trigger on it. Do you think this machine could handle my tasks?

I appreciate any feedback I can get.

 

[EddieWalker]

Welcome to TBN!! For a first post, it's a good one.

Most tractors have ajustable wheels that you can make wider. When talking to your dealer, find out which tractors has the ability to go the widest on your wheel settings. I've seen the four big names doing some pretty extreme cutting along our highways and right of ways, so I know they are all capable of what you have. Deere, Kubota, Massey and New Holland. The other brands should be able to do it too, but those are the ones I've seen personally.

What are your other objectives with a tractor? Loader? Fence posts? Grading? If it's strictly mowing a few times a year, I might consider one of the pull behind mowers for ATV's. You already know your fourwheeler can handle the slope, so it wouldn't be that big a deal to put it to work pulling a mower. Swisher or DR both make them, though I don't know if one is better then the other. I've thought about getting one, or making something similar for mowing around the edge of my lake due to the steepness and wet conditions.

Eddie

 

[tnbowhunter]

Hi all, first post but a long time lurker.

G-force your land looks similar to mine except mine has more trees.

I recently purchased a Yanmar 2220D for putting in food plots and for general garden work. The Yanny replaced my old Ferguson TO 30. Although the Ferguson is a good old tractor it does not compare to the Yanny on the hills.

Anything that is "scary" on your ATV will certainly be dangerous on your tractor, no matter what size or make it is. I know this from experience as I also have a Polaris 500 Sportsman that will handle the slopes and hills way better than any tractor. The ATV will have very different handling characteristics than a tractor because of the lower center of gravity.

On the first couple of pics that you show I would be very hesitant to use my tractor on. If it were a have to case I guess you could go up and down but absolutley no side hilling. Also remember that any attatchment, FEL, box scrape, disc, mower, etc. will change the handling characteristics of your tractor.

The best advice I can give is to just use common sense but always err on the side of safety. If and when you do buy a tractor go slow and learn as you go. Also, from looking at your pics a 4X4 tractor is a must.

Good luck to ya!!!

 

[rgood]

I'd try 2 horses and an ATV mower.

 

[Whitey]

Welcome!! You will find this website very handy for all types of questions! I agree with EddieWalker a wide wheel base would be safer. Also if it were me I would look for a hydro instead of a gear tractor. I think I would feel more comfortable with a hydro on a hill. I own a gear tractor now and when I operate the clutch on an incline it makes me nervous. Buy used! I did twice! Got two great tractors that I still own today! But do your homework, and don't be a compulsive buyer, there are a lot good deals out there. Check tractorhouse.com

 

[tydp]

That machine (with 4WD) should be fine....You didn't say but I would think it would have a 4 foot cutter which should work well with PTO hp range....good luck.

 

[bota7800]

Looks like nice grass, I'd use the 2 horse method too, except for Laminitis worries in the Spring.

Just plan your hill operations so that you do not have turn on the hill. Up to the top, straight back down or make your turns on the flatter top if possible.

Not to be safety police but use your seatbelt and ROPS on that hill!

 

[G-force]

What is the 2 horse method?

 

[Builder]

Does the tractor you want to buy have R-1 AG tires on it? I'd make sure it hase them so you don't go into an uncontrolled slide even if you're going up & down the slope, forget sideways. Once she starts sliding, it gets ugly.

I'd also suggest a hydrostatic tranny for really good control.

Common sense would say don't even cut when the ground is damp.

 

[DmansPadge]

What is the 2 horse method?

I think the guys are just saying if you had horses you wouldn't have to mow it and that in turn would make it safer! The 2 goat method would also work!

 

[CurlyDave]

I would be thinking about getting a few goats. And maybe a donkey to protect them from predators.

 

[RFB]

Just based upon those photos, I would not be reluctant to brush hog them with a tractor, along as the caveats a few others provided are followed.

Dry conditions.

Wheels set at widest position and filled.

R1 ag tires

Up and down with no side-hill operations and turn around at top or bottom flat areas.

If FEL equipped, bucket kept low to ground as front balance/ballast going forward uphill. If no FEL, some front-end weights.

Those slopes do not look too steep to accomplish the brush clearance you mentioned. Walk the intended area first to check for potential problem areas.
Up and down hill is not too problematic as long as you go slow and carefully. As your experience level grows, you will develop more a a feel for what you are doing.

As far as the tractors selected, look at the intended growth and determine maximum stem/trunk diameter and match that to the rotary cutter, then let the cutter's HP requirements determine your tractor HP needs.

Also, as others have mentioned, HST and 4wd.

 

[jdpotter]

See this previous post.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/jd-owning-operating/111266-new-mowing-brush-hogging-steep.html

 

[G-force]

I might consider one of the pull behind mowers for ATV's. You already know your fourwheeler can handle the slope, so it wouldn't be that big a deal to put it to work pulling a mower. Swisher or DR both make them, though I don't know if one is better then the other.

That was an option we had considered ,but I was not sure if dragging a 500lb tow behind mower would cause the ATV to want to roll backwards of wheelie up in the front and loose traction on a steep incline.

Does anyone here have experience with using these types of tow behind mowers with an ATV on steep hills?

 

[machmeter62]

I would also look at the '08 Kubota L3240 with the new hi-tec HST, that has a lot of special features; if that tractor is withiin your budget?

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Yuchai dozer. It has a 3-point hitch with PTO that you can attach a rotary mower to. There's one on Ebay right now for under 11K.

 

[RFB]

ATV's are problematic on uphill steep grades. (I am not referring to race or sport type riding.) for utility work, it is imperative that you keep the majority of the weight on the forward half of the vehicle.

Another downside is the fatigue factor. There is no power-steering, you will be muscling the machine. I seeded about 10 steep acres with a Polaris Sportsman 600 because I did not want to outlay for a 3 pt spreader. Never again.

A tractor will brush hog your hills with little difficulty as long as you do it according to sound principles. Steep means up and down, not across. Slow and careful with a properly set-up (wheels spread and weighted, 4wd, R1's, etc) tractor will do it.

 

[bota7800]

What is the 2 horse method?

Uh... grazing

 

[EastTexFrank]

That looks a lot like my pasture. I used to mow it with a B2400 with 4' rotary mower. It has 4WD, HST, R4's and I always put the FEL on when I mow it. I always mow up and down and I have flat spots at the top and bottom to turn around. When I first started mowing it, it was pretty scary but less so now that I know the terrain so well but the occasional hole or big ant hill will still get your attention. I cut it at the end of last year with the new L4740 and that was completely different than with the B2400. Again, I had the FEL on with the grapple and a 6' bush hog behind. The L4740 has HST and R4's too. I did cut it once with a JD 820 gear tractor with a 5' mower and it was scary because I had so much less control. I occasionally get a guy to cut it for me who mows for a living and he runs across the slopes without giving it a thought. I admit that he's a better man than I am. The thing is that you need the weight on the front of the tractor and take it slow because if things do start to go wrong they can get real bad in a hurry. There are specialty mowers out there where you can run at up to 40 degree across slopes but they are pretty much limited to doing just that one thing and I have no idea of the cost. Might be worthwhile researching though.

 

[Gittyup]

Other suggested models to consider: JD x700 series, Tym T273, Kioti CK20, Power Trac, Antonio Carraro, or other orchard tractor. The x700s could probably cut across most of those hills, and would be very hard to turn over. Though, it is not capable of all that a CUT tractor would do, for mowing it would be safer. The AC would be primo for this kind of situation. Your other chores besides mowing might dictate different choices.