Mini, narrow tractor recommendations

[SLOWR805]

Hi all,

Can you please recommend tractor models / years options for my homeowner application:

- maintenance of 5ft-wide trails (width ideally 4-4.5ft) if uncommon, how about a 5ft wide tractor with narrow wheels?
- all trails on a North-facing slope in an oak woodland (4x4 or tracked)
- top & tilt compatible box scraper or ideally a 5-way blade
- ideally PTO and front bucket
- economical purchase price (used OK)

Another option: Has anyone tried these mods for quads?: The Essentials Package | Wild Hare Manufacturing, Inc.

Thanks in advance

 

[jeff9366]

From your post above, I presume you are new to tractors.

Can you recommend tractor models / years options for my homeowner application?

1) What size is your total property?
2) How much of your property is tractor accessible?
3) What is your approximate tractor purchase budget?


- maintenance of 5ft-wide trails (width ideally 4-4.5ft) if uncommon, how about a 5ft wide tractor with narrow wheels?
- all trails on a North-facing slope in an oak woodland (4x4 or tracked)

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread, sometimes adjustable, is a critical factor increasing compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. Rear axle is the tractor component on which rear wheels/tires mount. A 6" to 10" wider rear axle substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

When considering a tractor purchase bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width third, rear wheel/tire ballast fourth.


- top & tilt compatible box scraper or ideally a 5-way blade

Top & Tilt is related to the tractor Three Point Hitch (TPH), specifically hydraulic power adjustment applied to the tractor's TPH Top Link and TPH Lifting Rods.
Top & Tilt works through the TPH, effecting implements indirectly, whether a Box Blade, a Rear/Angle blade, or some other implement.

- ideally PTO and front bucket

Every Three Point Hitch equipped tractor has a PTO.

90% of new compact tractors are sold with optional front end loaders (FEL). Therefore, most used compact tractors will have a FEL.

 

[jeff9366]

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor capability is more closely correlated to tractor weight than any other single (1) specification.

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

 

[SLOWR805]

From your post above, I presume you are new to tractors.

Yes

1) What size is your total property?

7 acres

2) How much of your property is tractor accessible?

90% if headed downhill.
25% if headed uphill.
10% if headed sideways on a traditional tractor or 50% with a tracked bobcat.
10% is trails created with a Struck 400 trail dozer (within a few degrees of level, except at switchbacks)

3) What is your approximate tractor purchase budget?

Probably around $10k. Willing to do repairs /Mx for reduced entry price.

Thank you so much, Jeff and community. Much appreciated!

 

[jeff9366]

Hi all,

Can you please recommend tractor models / years options for my homeowner application on seven (7) acres?

2) How much of your property is tractor accessible?

90% if headed downhill.
25% if headed uphill.


A 4-WD tractor with a bare tractor weight of 2,600 to 2,900 pounds, with <26-horsepower to avoid post 2012 moderately complex Tier IV emission controls. As a tractor newbie you should consider adding 4" to 6" wheel spacers to the rear wheels, to increase tractor stability and to make it possible to add tire chains. You cannot enjoy a tractor if you are dead.

Every tractor producer makes a tractor model(s) with a bare tractor weight of 2,600 to 2,900 pounds. There are a zillion available in the used market.

CREDIT: 'FELIXEDO'​

It has been touched on a couple of times, but not directly as a buying factor. Every major make has a machine that will do the job(s) you want. Check out your nearby dealers. Go with a dealer you have confidence in. A great machine with no support nearby is a hassle to repair and maintain. And a good machine can't make a lousy dealer into a good one.


Start with the nearest dealer and work out.

Transporting a tractor for service is expensive and inconvenient, whether you trailer it or the dealer trailers it.

 

[DJ54]

What you are describing sounds like an orchard/vineyard model tractor. Most of the major brands make those models. A neighboring apple orchard has 3 different brands, a John Deere, New Holland, and the newest, a Kubota tracked model. All I'd guess are in the 70- 90 hp range. With many orchards going to the high intensity 10' row spacing with trees planted 3' - 4' on center manufacturers have answered the call for narrower machinery. Really strange to follow one down the road when they tram from one orchard to the other, and seeing a tractor that size, that narrow. I spoke to one of the owners about them, and how they liked them. He likes them all, but said the New Holland seemed to be more topsy than the Deere, but really loved the tracked Kubota with a lower center of gravity. Apparently, their go to tractor as it's the one I see the most now travelling between the orchards at spraying time.

Here's a few listed on TractorHouse under specialty tractors. https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...an/?Category=300127&State=MICHIGAN&City=SODUS Being you're located in California I have to guess there are a few good used models around dealerships. They are around, you just need to do a search for that particular style tractor. In the listing above, you'll see the one Kubota wheeled model for $12,500, with 71 hp, and 3100+ hrs. that's pretty close to your budget in mind. Should have a lot of life left with that many hours, unless they had a lot of problems with it, or just upgrading.

 

[skramer360]

70-90hp tractor for a 7 acre plot seems like way overkill to me. I would think a pre tier4 tractor in the 30hp range or a newer subcompact in the 24hp range would be much more suited to his acreage.

 

[etpm]

I have about 10 acres with a bunch of trails made with a Struck mini dozer. My property is pretty hilly with lots of trees. My tractor is a Yanmar YM2310 and is an excellent machine. I have used it on my trails to remove wood using the FEL. Doing this it gets stuck often. Even though my tractor is an excellent machine it is not 4WD and this, along with too little weight in the rear, is why it it keeps getting stuck. Loading up the bucket makes the rear end light and so the tractor loses traction. The tractor is set up now to be as wide as possible, which is 5 feet. Before setting it up this way it was about 10 inches more narrow and felt tippy. At 5 feet wide it is much less tippy feeling. I am going to put liquid in the rear tires for extra traction. My tractor is 42 years old and is still an excellent machine. Yanmar has a good reputation for making good tractors and I love mine. But if I was buying a tractor today I would only consider one with 4WD. I only paid $2500.00 for my tractor so I'm not complaining. I just didn't know when I bought my tractor how useful 4WD is. My tractor has 23 HP available at the PTO and this is plenty. The upshot is that if I was shopping for a tractor today with a $10,000 budget I would look for the heaviest 4WD tractor with an FEL I could find that is the approximate size as my YM2310. I wouldn't worry about the horsepower. I would also only consider tractors that have a reputation for being reliable and for which parts are available. My tractor size is considered a CUT, a Compact Utility Tractor. So it may help you in your search to tell folks you are looking for a tractor in the CUT size range.
Eric

 

[leonz]

Yes

7 acres

90% if headed downhill.
25% if headed uphill.
10% if headed sideways on a traditional tractor or 50% with a tracked bobcat.
10% is trails created with a Struck 400 trail dozer (within a few degrees of level, except at switchbacks)

Probably around $10k. Willing to do repairs /Mx for reduced entry price.

Thank you so much, Jeff and community. Much appreciated!

Based on what you have provided to us and "what you think you should have" you cannot
safely use a used sub-compact tractor.

A used sub compact mule like the BX1860 or a 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler will cost you as much as
a base model BCS 853 2 wheel tractor.

You should invest in a BCS model 853 2 wheel tractor with the Agrizeta FST metal tracks and a BCS
ride on dump cart, stone burrier, front weights and a BCS 32" flail mower to start with.

The Agrizeta FST tracks can be widened to increase the stability of the 853 2 wheel tractor on hills.

You can always purchase wheel weights and axle extensions to widen the BCS 853 2 wheel tractor.

If your worried about maintaining a trail a 32 inch BSC flail mower will do that for you and a stone burrier
like the one pictured below will flatten it for you.
You do not require a six way blade to go along with it.

You need the metal cleatrac FST treads pictured below for traction and the front weight kit to reduce any chance of sliding as
the rubber tracks will cause it to slide on you.

 

[MTGreen]

I wonder if you would be better served with a skid steer with an adjustable box grader

 

[Vigo327]

I think in terms of operator safety a mini-dozer like a Struck, or perhaps a Steiner type tractor would be the safest to operate on steep slopes, but both of those have the issue of they won't pick anything up very high unless you buy/build uncommon loader attachments or something oddball on the 3pt.

I have a small skid steer and several small Kubotas and again in terms of operator safety the skid steer all day, but.. depends what OP needs a PTO for? Plenty of small skid steers will be able to power hydraulic attachments but the skid steer itself and all the attachments are massively more expensive than the tractor/3pt/pto stuff, almost totally outside the 10k budget except in very fringe cases.

At the end of the day i can take my Kubota B6100 basically anywhere a 4 wheeler can go (just slower!), and do tractor stuff when i get there. It's definitely in the budget, has a loader, 3pt, pto, 4wd, etc etc so there are absolutely some viable answers out there, it's just a question of making sure i/we understand the situation correctly.

So my questions are: How high do you need to lift anything, and what do you plan to power with the PTO?

 

[ssgp2]

Things to consider. Dealership fairly close to you for parts/maint. and support. Go with proven manufacturer history, i.e. name brand tractor/equipment- J.D., Kubota, Yanmar (who makes /made most compact J.D.) etc. Now, that being said, there is a new player in the game that I would definitely take a close look at. Specifications | Summit Tractors.
When going to a dealer, if the first thing they ask is "how much property do you own?" instead of "what do you need it to do?" or "what do you want to do with it?", they are more interested in how much money they can hope to get out of you. You were very specific in what you needed, so, I would guess you need a sub-compact in the 15-25 H.P. range with rear remote hydraulics. I would also suggest liquid tire weight, such as Rim Guard - The Original Liquid Tire Ballast. Whatever you get, read the operators manual paying close attention to the safety warnings and youtube has a boatload of tractor safety stuff. Good luck and welcome to the tractor world.

 

[California]

ETPM above spoke up for Yanmar and I agree. My two, at 40 years old, owned 20 and 12 years respectively, neither has ever seen a dealer that I know of. They were designed to be owner-maintained like the Ford 8N in its day, anyone who could change a fan belt could fix most anything you might do to it. I've repaired a few owner-abuse issues mostly caused by prior owner neglect but nothing reflecting on the inherent quality.

My little Yanmar-USA 18 hp YM186D is on 15 inch wheels, not tall and top-heavy, and I have the wheels set as wide as they will go then wheel weights external to that. It doesn't feel tippy in my apple orchard that is steep in places.

YM1500 was the Japan-market equivalent and is more common here now since a lot of them were imported used. Both have PowerShift, shift gears while moving, which is a lot better than full stop for every gear change.

At 2,000 lbs this is lighter than ideal for trail building, but its a great compromise if cost is an issue. I paid $3,500 for it in 2009 including loader and the blade in the first photo. The small Yanmars might meet your need if you're not in a hurry.

Be sure to add a ROPS for the rollover risk you have there.

 

[Vigo327]

I forgot to comment on the 4wheeler stuff.

If you spend a bunch of time and money adding weight and locking up the suspension on a 4wheeler to make it a tractor, you are basically ruining it as a 4 wheeler. That could be ok if both the 4 wheeler and the modifications were cheap.. but there's no way you end up with less money in that setup than something like my Kubotas, or the Yanmars above, and it's not going to be better at anything either. Once you lock up the suspension it won't even be better at going fast! Might be easier to get on and off of.. maybe..

So i'm against it, at least as a 5k+ over the counter bolt-on option. If someone wanted to spend 1 or 2 grand homebrewing a loader and 3pt onto a 4 wheeler i'd say cool project, more power to you. But for the 5-15k 'all in' you're going to be at with the quad, the loader, and the 3pt you could just buy a purpose built tractor that doesn't suck at being a tractor, and if you already had the quad now you get to keep it doing what it's good at!

I say 'suck at being a tractor' because that loader looks dinky to me even compared to my Kubota B219 which is essentially a Johnson 25 garden tractor loader repurposed for a Kubota, nearly as light as they get. The 3pt is probably fine for light stuff like a cultivator or rake but i'd be worried about it at even 300 lbs. It might pick it up, but at what cost (long term to the quad and all the bracketry). No PTO. Plus most quads are belt-driven, which CAN be fine but is also prone to 'operator error' in terms of relying on rpm for centrifugal clutch action. Unless the quad has a very low low range there would be a lot of times that 'moving slowly' while pulling something = slipping the belt while pulling something, and that's a ticking clock. With a tractor low range you generally spin the tires or stall the engine but nothing in between is in any danger. These 40 year old Kubota and Yanmar mini-tractors are going to outlive us, but a quad put to tractor use would probably become a repair headache in a fairly short timespan.

 

[California]

Yeah I should have included the small Kubotas along with Yanmar. And there were similar mini-tractors from other brands - Ford/Shibaura etc. Cheap now that they are older than many of the owners, and designed to be owner-maintained (so long as there is still a source for mailorder parts). But going beyond Kubota and Yanmar, both excellent quality, be sure to determine if there is a user group supporting them. Some are unsupportable orphans.

And beware of the China cheap tractors, some failed long before the expected lifetime. One dealer of used Yanmars that he inspected and bought in Japan, said he spent less on setup and warranty repairs on these used Yanmars that had already experienced a generation of use in Japan, compared to the Chinese Jinma tractors he sold new. He quit selling Jinma.