beep chirp whirr
New member
Hello! I've been lurking on TBN and other sites on and off for the psat few months, as I've been trying to decide how to approach the equipment I need to maintain my land. I can run myself (and have - a major "feature" of my decision process involves 'analysis paralysis') in circles over and over, or I can try and break out and solicit outside feedback. Well, here I am. I'm asking all you fine folks for your thoughts and opinions, to see how you would approach my situation.
I'm looking after two different lots; I've got a 2 acre lot myself (0.3 acres of grass at up to 15% grade; 1.5 acres of forest at up to a 22% grade, although the steepest trail is only 19% in parts) and I have a 3 acre lot that I help maintain as well (0.55 acres of grass; ~0.25 acres of light trees and grass; ~2 acres of forest; only significant grade is the gravel driveway at about a 9% grade).
What am I trying to accomplish?
At a minimum:
- lawn care for at least the first lot (mowing, annual aeration, etc)
- snow removal at least the first lot, but ideally both (just the fel+bucket, or snowthrower?)
- rehab then maintain existing paths through both forests (rotary cutter?)
It would be great if:
- help with forest maintenance/logging - trees die, the ability to lift/move trunks, haul wood, chip small branches, etc - thinking a lot about a grapple and a 3 point hitch chipper, for example
- move mulch/dirt/rock/firewood/x/y/z from drop point (typically driveway) to where needed (hello, fel)
- handle regrading of the gravel driveway in the second lot
- handle graveling additional section(s) as needed
- blaze new paths through forest
- pick up the occasional light pallet and move it
- lift/move/redistribute earth to terrace a new section on the hill in the first lot
How do I do it today?
- push mower
- aging, failing riding lawn mower
- no snow removal equipment yet (just moved back to the state of my birth; didn't need it for the past decade)
- no chipping today, burning brush, but would prefer to get more than that out of it (mulched tree stuff for forest paths, etc)
- hauling everything around by hand in a wheelbarrow
- shovels, rakes, etc - a bunch of human power
Sure, I can repair or replace the rider, source a snowthrower, and continue as is... but I'm wondering if there isn't a case for 'work smarter, not harder' here with a tractor and the appropriate implements.
So I've been debating tractors - subcompacts in particular, although I'll confess to having peeked at the compacts as well. I've been trying to figure out how to right size (or if it's even appropriate or is overkill) for what I'd like to accomplish. I'm also somewhat concerned about the grades present (in the first property, mainly - attaching a topo map of both), about the ability of a mmm vs some sort of 3point finish mower to handle same; the need for a snowthrower as opposed to just using the bucket (or a snow bucket, or a blade) on the fel.
I've been leaning more towards the Kubota stuff (the BX2380, or the B2301 maybe?) but I've looked at the LS MT125 and just started taking a peek at the NH WM25S... at least until I start thinking in the other direction and just repair/replacing the rider and sourcing a snowthrower.
So, now, I ask for your thoughts. How would you approach the work here?
I'm looking after two different lots; I've got a 2 acre lot myself (0.3 acres of grass at up to 15% grade; 1.5 acres of forest at up to a 22% grade, although the steepest trail is only 19% in parts) and I have a 3 acre lot that I help maintain as well (0.55 acres of grass; ~0.25 acres of light trees and grass; ~2 acres of forest; only significant grade is the gravel driveway at about a 9% grade).
What am I trying to accomplish?
At a minimum:
- lawn care for at least the first lot (mowing, annual aeration, etc)
- snow removal at least the first lot, but ideally both (just the fel+bucket, or snowthrower?)
- rehab then maintain existing paths through both forests (rotary cutter?)
It would be great if:
- help with forest maintenance/logging - trees die, the ability to lift/move trunks, haul wood, chip small branches, etc - thinking a lot about a grapple and a 3 point hitch chipper, for example
- move mulch/dirt/rock/firewood/x/y/z from drop point (typically driveway) to where needed (hello, fel)
- handle regrading of the gravel driveway in the second lot
- handle graveling additional section(s) as needed
- blaze new paths through forest
- pick up the occasional light pallet and move it
- lift/move/redistribute earth to terrace a new section on the hill in the first lot
How do I do it today?
- push mower
- aging, failing riding lawn mower
- no snow removal equipment yet (just moved back to the state of my birth; didn't need it for the past decade)
- no chipping today, burning brush, but would prefer to get more than that out of it (mulched tree stuff for forest paths, etc)
- hauling everything around by hand in a wheelbarrow
- shovels, rakes, etc - a bunch of human power
Sure, I can repair or replace the rider, source a snowthrower, and continue as is... but I'm wondering if there isn't a case for 'work smarter, not harder' here with a tractor and the appropriate implements.
So I've been debating tractors - subcompacts in particular, although I'll confess to having peeked at the compacts as well. I've been trying to figure out how to right size (or if it's even appropriate or is overkill) for what I'd like to accomplish. I'm also somewhat concerned about the grades present (in the first property, mainly - attaching a topo map of both), about the ability of a mmm vs some sort of 3point finish mower to handle same; the need for a snowthrower as opposed to just using the bucket (or a snow bucket, or a blade) on the fel.
I've been leaning more towards the Kubota stuff (the BX2380, or the B2301 maybe?) but I've looked at the LS MT125 and just started taking a peek at the NH WM25S... at least until I start thinking in the other direction and just repair/replacing the rider and sourcing a snowthrower.
So, now, I ask for your thoughts. How would you approach the work here?