Buying Advice I am looking for the "most" stable CUT for my hillside avocado orchard

[Avocado]

PTSG

Thanks for the info on the Antonio Carraro tractors. Some of these look perfect for my situation. Unfortunately their is only one importer in the US making parts and maintenance problematic.

 

[Avocado]

I would think loaded "Turf" tires would help on any tractor on slopes.Lower profile(lower Center of gravity).
Tracked machine are expensive to repair when needed,are slow and not real road worthy.

I agree filled turf tires or R-4s will probably be part of the solution. I had said years ago that I would never use another filled tire because of my experience with my1050. My 1050s tires had been filled with a bentonite clay solution when I received it. The result was 600lb tires, rusted through rims, corroded and plugged valve stems. The clay would semi solidify if the tractor was parked for a time. Upon driving, womp-womp-womp, it took 5 minuets for the tires to go back to round. holes in the tires oozed ( or sprayed) clay everywhere. I guess there are better options for filling tires today.

 

[Avocado]

I think you are looking for a unicorn. I live in avocado country and everyone that I know moves the wood that needs to be chipped to an area where they can safely set up their chipper. I have a B7800 Kubota with loader and it works fine for this. A grapple would be nice but I'm at an age where I'm pretty well done with that sort of work.
Several of the local avocado people are giving up on them because of the water situation etc. and have crews come in and cut down the trees and drag to the chipper. Lots of man power but no one seems to have a better way.

I am looking for a "good" solution, not the "perfect" solution. A "good" replacement for a unicorn is a horse.
It is sad to see so many avocado orchards in San Diego to be taken out due to water cost. I am up north in Santa Barbara county and "so far" water has not been a major issue. People are still planting new orchards up here. Once they start monitoring and charging us for pumping our wells this all may change.

 

[bcp]

I'm starting to see an occasional photo of small, rubber-tracked tractors.

Here's the first one a search found.

Bruce

 

[nybirdman]

There are better options for filling tires;RimGuard(beet juice) or windshield washer fluid.Never heard of using benonite.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You can still have an oopsie on a steep grade with a dozer.

Poor quality video, trouble starts around 1:40

Bulldozer Accident , Operator Destroys Very Bad, Bulldozer Disaster - YouTube

 

[Avocado]

No, I wouldn't take your wheel loader on a slope. But I'd take a Power Trac on a slope all day long. Mowing, brush cutting, FEL, forks, pretty much everything the OP is wanting to do and more. A PT1445, for example, is good for a 30 degree slope and has 1800# of lift.

On slopes, they are better machines than tractors.

These look very interesting. I had not considered a Power Trac. I have read about these but have never actually seen one. They do not appear to have a std 3pt hitch so would not work with my chipper or other implements. The small tires help keep the cg low, but may limit ground clearance. I have looked over some of the Power Trac posts here and it appears that many people are very happy with them. This is more appealing to me than a tracked loader. I may consider a PT in addition to or in place of a CUT. I will have to learn more about these. Thanks!

 

[aczlan]

These look very interesting. I had not considered a Power Trac. I have read about these but have never actually seen one. They do not appear to have a std 3pt hitch so would not work with my chipper or other implements. The small tires help keep the cg low, but may limit ground clearance. I have looked over some of the Power Trac posts here and it appears that many people are very happy with them. This is more appealing to me than a tracked loader. I may consider a PT in addition to or in place of a CUT. I will have to learn more about these. Thanks!

With a PT, you would use an adapter to put the chipper backwards on the loader and power it with a hydraulic motor (like you would putting it on a skidsteer).

Aaron Z

 

[MossRoad]

With a PT, you would use an adapter to put the chipper backwards on the loader and power it with a hydraulic motor (like you would putting it on a skidsteer).

Aaron Z

Exactly. One member here did just that. Put a hydraulic motor where the PTO shaft would be. Of course, there's some calculations required for the right size motor, and how large of a chipper it could run, depending on which model of PT is involved, as there's several sizes, engines, and hydraulic flows and pressures available.

 

[MossRoad]

These look very interesting. I had not considered a Power Trac. I have read about these but have never actually seen one. They do not appear to have a std 3pt hitch so would not work with my chipper or other implements. The small tires help keep the cg low, but may limit ground clearance. I have looked over some of the Power Trac posts here and it appears that many people are very happy with them. This is more appealing to me than a tracked loader. I may consider a PT in addition to or in place of a CUT. I will have to learn more about these. Thanks!

Ground clearance appears to be a non-issue. I've only gotten my little PT425 stuck once in 18 years, when I was traveling down a steep hill, climbed over a log, and there was no ground on the other side. The larger the model, the less likely you'd get stuck.

Anyhow, they are worth a look.