Loader Question:

[ddivinia]

I think a 4320 to 4720 would b a better choice. This will handle a large variety of 6' equipment very well. Then go with the 400CX, 72" hd bucket, 48" rail pallet forks, weighted tires, telescopic draft links, 6' box blade, MX6 rotary cutter and add the rest as you figure it out.



Steve

That is good advice. Even a 4120 with e-hydro.

Tires - R1 or R4s. Depends on how nasty the conditions get.

Landscape rake

With all those trees - consider a Chipper/shredder and a log splitter.

Grapple - and plumb into the rear valve (which is optional). They have a plumbing kit - I have it on my 4520.

Might consider a cab...

D.

 

[NHBronc]

I do similar tasks on my 300 acre wooded land. I am constantly maintaining roads and trails and doing general maintenance. In my opinion, a bucket is generally useless for this type of work. It is great for moving gravel, mulch or loose dirt, but does poorly at digging or scraping. A bucket on a small tractor just isn't the same as a bucket on a dozer. A toothbar helps a little but I don't use mine much. My bucket stays mostly on the floor of my barn collecting dust. But it is handy at times, so get a cheap medium duty bucket w/o a bar for that occasional use. (assuming you have a quick attach on your FEL, which hopefully is skid steer compatible, but that's another topic). What I do recommend is a 48" root grapple (such as a Markham) which is the most useful implement I have. To pick up limbs and debris, to move rocks, logs, up-root trees and brush, or even pick up most anything, it is FAR superior to a bucket for what you describe. It has a "thumb" for clutching whatever you want to pick up, whatever the shape, whereas a bucket just can't clutch things. A grapple bucket is an alternative but doesn't do either task (bucket vs. grapple) as well as each specific implement therefore is a costly compromise. Disadvantages of a grapple are the initial cost (yet doesn't cost much more than a decent bucket) and the extra hydraulic controls necessary. And it helps to have a quick attach style FEL. But it will do so much more that a bucket and will quickly become your favorite implement. A grapple on the front and a box blade on the rear is a combination that will do most every task around your property.

A fork also seems unwise. Unless you are moving pallets, or building materials such as lumber or plywood, you don't need it. A grapple will pick up any thing forks would and clutch it tighter. (except the above mentioned materials). For instance, sometimes when I do need my bucket to move piles of dirt, I will pick it up with my grapple and carry it to where I am working so that I will have both on hand to save a trip to the barn to change implements. The other day I picked up a 20 foot long 500lb. steel pipe with the grapple and transported it to a culvert site. Try that with a bucket!

Check out threads by Islandtractor, the grapple guru on TBN. Hope this helps!

To say forks are "unwise", is funny. Are they dangerous? Will they kill you? They are a simple, strong attachment, that needs no hydrolics. We use ours all the time (mine on my 4200, at work we have a 4600, and a friends construction company uses them with several pieces of equipment.). Even picking up pipe and culverts and not doing any damage. Grapples are nice, but don't bash the fork

 

[orlo]

Friz:

My 2 cents. I have a 3720 a 61" HD bucket with replaceable edge and a 72" grapple.
The non HD buckets are not worth getting unless all your doing is scooping up stuff and not digging.

The 72" bucket will be too big for the 300CX in really heavy stuff. It'll work but the 61" will be better. I can fill my 72" grapple bucket very, very, very heavy. It'll still lift but it seems like a lot.

For the grapple if you will be grabbing 'junk' I'd go 72" I've lifted trees, etc. with mine and even 'dragged' a root ball that was probably 3000lbs with it.

If you were primarly grabbing logs You might go with the smaller 60" one. The weight difference between them isn't much - They are both pretty heavy, I think mine is 650lbs which does take away from the lift capacity.

If you'll be digging the toothbar may be useful.

 

[HCJtractor]

NHBronc, perhaps you did not read what I said. "Unless you move pallets or building materials..." it would be unwise to buy forks initially when other implements will be more useful. Of course forks are great for certain tasks, but does he need them to maintain his acreage? I think not. I have never wished I had a fork, and it would be far down my list of implements I would buy. Feel free to express your opinion, but please refrain from mocking mine.

 

[Barely Smokin']

Friz,

My pallet forks are one of my most-used attachments. It makes moving material around so much easier. Right now I've got paving bricks, stone, firewood, lumber, scrap, 4x8 sheets, 5 gal buckets of used hydro oil, old batteries, etc. all palletized. I even built some 42 x 42 x 36" metal cubes that I use for gang boxes with my tools and other loose items that I can stack three high if I want. I palletize all my other attachments so I can move them around easily if I need to, plus it keeps them off the ground.

I constantly use my pallet forks for brush removal. I just pile up branches or whole trees, being careful to keep them somewhat aligned, and then ease into them with the forks. 42" forks will pick up a ton of brush, and I usually leave very little brush on the ground, just using the forks. Maybe some other members may enlighten me, as I don't own a grapple, but it seems a grapple would only improve my ability to "tug" on a load, pick up a load while pitched downhill, or stabilize the load. I don't see it meaningfully adding capacity. Personally, I don't perceive a need for one, for what I do.

One thing that would concern my regarding a grapple is, in fact, having a long load so securely fastened to the FEL, especially on a hill, sideways. If your property is pretty flat, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Consider 4WD and a box blade. I don't think 42" vs 48" forks would make too much difference.

 

[orlo]

Friz:

I agree on the forks. I have a set and don't use it for brush since I have the grapple but they are handy as he##. I use them to load other implements on my trailer (When I want to move just an implement to another site), Move heavy items around, and even just move heavy implements around in the barn. They also are (don't try this at home) great when used with a pallet as a work platform if somebody lifts you up. I also intend to use them to move snow machines around easily, etc.

Regarding a side load on the grapple that is true. If you get a 20 foot tree or limb in it and it's not balanced correctly or you are on a slope it can be tricky but Ballast is all that much more important and keep the load low.

One thing I've never got around to is I bought some loader quick adapter hooks and pins (For welding on to things) and bought a cheap harbor freight quick hitch. My intent was to weld some steel onto the quick hitch then weld the hooks and pins onto the steel so I could latch on a 3pt quick hitch onto the loader. This would allow me to move 3pt attachments very easily and would even be useful for some light implements like a small landscape rake. Maybe this summer I'll get around to it.

The grapple is expensive, but if you use it a lot (I use mine quite a bit) it's great to use.
For cleanup I'll even chainsaw a tree in bits while in the grapple (on the ends only) being careful to even out the cuts side to side. No dirt in the chain.

 

[FRIZ]

Thank you all for the education.

Regards,
FRIZ

 

[ddivinia]

Friz,

My pallet forks are one of my most-used attachments. It makes moving material around so much easier. Right now I've got paving bricks, stone, firewood, lumber, scrap, 4x8 sheets, 5 gal buckets of used hydro oil, old batteries, etc. all palletized. I even built some 42 x 42 x 36" metal cubes that I use for gang boxes with my tools and other loose items that I can stack three high if I want. I palletize all my other attachments so I can move them around easily if I need to, plus it keeps them off the ground.

I constantly use my pallet forks for brush removal. I just pile up branches or whole trees, being careful to keep them somewhat aligned, and then ease into them with the forks. 42" forks will pick up a ton of brush, and I usually leave very little brush on the ground, just using the forks. Maybe some other members may enlighten me, as I don't own a grapple, but it seems a grapple would only improve my ability to "tug" on a load, pick up a load while pitched downhill, or stabilize the load. I don't see it meaningfully adding capacity. Personally, I don't perceive a need for one, for what I do.

One thing that would concern my regarding a grapple is, in fact, having a long load so securely fastened to the FEL, especially on a hill, sideways. If your property is pretty flat, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Consider 4WD and a box blade. I don't think 42" vs 48" forks would make too much difference.

48" pallets are the standard in shipping, etc. They also give you a little more reach if you are trying to pull a pallet out of a truck, etc.

You are exactly right on the grapple. You will find out rather quickly if you have it balanced. One thing you must know the location of and know how to use it is "float mode" on the front end loader. I have had it get squirrelly on me and I kick it into float which drops it - reposition and try again.

All this brings up - if I was buying all new equipment today - I would go skid loader attachment. GRapple buckets, forks, etc - standard stuff with skid steers and they can be way cheaper and sometime a lot better built.

D.

 

[BarryinMN]

The #2 universal pallet most widely used is 42"x48" 4-way. Short forks might make the load less stable & higher risk of sliding off.

 

[ddivinia]

The #2 universal pallet most widely used is 42"x48" 4-way. Short forks might make the load less stable & higher risk of sliding off.

Exactly - get 48" forks.

D.