Tractor Sizing I thought I found the right size tractor BUT

[Boone]

On wet marshy ground I can get my B7500 stuck if not careful. On the same ground I've also had a 100 Horse IH/Case stuck and an assortment of others larger than the Kubota through the years.
I use the B7500 to maintain a total of around 5 acres of pastures with out any trouble, through grazing and brush hogging when necessary.

 

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> I think the B7500 is like 20-21 hp??? and that hp rating will run a 4' bush hog and not a 5' </font>

Yeah, that's about right for the HP rating. I have a B7300 - slightly less tractor, but close, and the manual says it can handle a 5' 'hog. I'm not sure I'd want to do that, though, as my 4' can bog down when I'm hitting heavy growth (HST is a real handly thing to have in those cases - just ease up on your forward speed and let the chopper do its work).

My brush hog does a fine job of cutting the pasture. I'd say you probably do want to go with that rather than a RFM (although the RFM might work just fine). Pretty much everyone around here uses a 'hog to maintain pastures (and I've got a neighbor with 14 horses /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif).

 

[cchoate]

I maintain 12 acres with my 7500 including:
- 1 acre pond (30" kk dirt scoop)
- 3 acres of finish mowing (mmm)
- 4 acres of brush hogging (4' kk)
- 400' gravel drive (6' rear blade for snow removal and grading)
- towing a trailer loaded with as much as 2000lbs

I've never goten stuck even around my pond in the swampy area and it's always performed as well as or better than my expectations.
After a year, I rate my machine a 10 out of 10.