Matching tractors to acreage

[Devildog]

Instead of horse power how about matching a tractor to how many acres you have.

Like the poll of how many acres you own. This one could be what size of tractor do you use for whats listed below. And it not restricted to just kubotas.

0 to 2 acres. What size of tractor
2 to 5 acres.
5 to 10 acers.
10 to 20 acres.

I have a little over 1 acre and have a B7500. Looking to upgrade though because we will be purchasing more land in the future.

 

[Wal]

5 acres rolling woodland, mostly white oak, hickory, and cedar.

B7500HST, LA302 FEL w/toothbar, Bush Hog 4ft. Squealer rotary cutter. Will be building in a year or two /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[rbargeron]

There have been other threads about the linkage between land area and tractor size - but it was pretty inconclusive. There was not much agreement on hp per acre - although more acres usually goes with more power. It comes down to what jobs you want to do and what rate you want to do them at. Not everyone is happy with bigger machinery - there's a lot going on to keep control of. Sometimes it can be more relaxing to take things slower. This is probably why Kubota and the others offer so many models.

 

[GlueGuy]

I'm with Dick on this one. We have 40 acres and use a B7500. I think it makes more sense to match up with the jobs. I am probably at the upper extreme of what can be done with a B7500, as I use it to maintain a 4,300' gravel driveway.

 

[Harv]

James -

As with so many things, there are always more factors to consider. In my own case, for example, I take care of 42 acres with a Kubota L2500DT w/FEL. After my first year I can say that the physical size is about right. I could have gotten by with a B series, as my neighbor does with his 10 acres and a B2150, but many chores would simply take longer. I can pull bigger, wider implements and therefore cover more territory in a shorter time.

As for horsepower, I wish I could have afforded a 30-some hp model. My original goal of a 3010 or even a 3710 was probably right on. This is not just the more-is-better philosophy, but rather a statement about the type of land I'm working. My soil is ornery (resists digging and ripping), and is heavily forested. The extra muscle would make road work, log moving and boulder control that much easier. Anything much larger, like a 4310 for example, would inhibit my ability to maneuver in the woods and around the buildings.

If you will be doing a fair amount of loader work, you might consider how much lift you'd like to have, too. The 882-pound capacity of my LB400-A has come up short a few times on some of my chores, and there is no way I would install a 4-in-1 bucket or maybe even a grapple because of the added weight.

Just a few things to think about.

 

[Thomas]

I for one would like 3010 w/fel,but do to the type of land and trees plus my other picec of land the B7100 w/fel has always got the job done w/ease...sure a couple more passes here and there..but what the heck,for if your not having fun than its work. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gifI would almost think it depends on your projects ahead,for sometime its cheaper to hire out the rough work than put the finish touches on w/the smaller equipment.

 

[TresCrows]

I have seen people tend 20 acres with a Sears or Murray lawnmower, at the other extreme there are tractor hobbiest on this forum who have huge machines and very little acerage. Some people even have two tractors-- /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif -- or a collection of vintage stuff. No, I think the tractor should be sized to the expected work and more importantly the ego. One must be happy with their toys. Ratios, equations, percentages are probably useless.
J

 

[looch]

<font color=blue>One must be happy with their toys</font color=blue>

Words to live by /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

 

[rbargeron]

Back in the '60s when Ariens introduced their walk-behind snowblower, it started out as a 5 hp machine. As time went on, they put gradually bigger engines on - until the 8 hp became the standard engine. An 8 hp blower doesn't slow down when it gets into a load - it's just slightly over-matched to the job. It is easily capable of what it's trying to do.

Tractors are similar - while a smaller one can do a lot, some people find it more satisfying to use one that's a little over-matched to what's being done. And we tend to escalate our operations as we go along - hence the gradual interest in the next rig, no matter what we have now.

 

[Devildog]

Thanks for all the replys everyone. One thing I have learned here is I have enough tractor for the job. Sometimes I just worry Im going to wear this little thing out. 1acre or 10acers it seams this little tractor is going to do ok (I had the approval from the wifey to look at up to a 3010) But thanks to you all I will save a little cash/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I guess I should start looking at what I really need instead of the inflated need.
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Thanks All, Jim