moving dirt

[Richard]

<font color=blue>Aw, what the heck. Buy it, use it, and then sell it.</font color=blue>

Totally agree with you. Had work to do around house/farm other. Wife would NOT let me get a tractor ANYTHING, then she almost insisted I go ahead and buy this 90 hp Industrial Behemouth Loader/Backhoe affectionately known as Brutus!!
/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif Goal is to buy, use then sell. She just last night made mention that even if we "lose" $5,000 on the sell of it, we more than made up for it with the work we got done.
AND..it was always there on demand ready for work. NO renting then having to deal with delivery or weather.

 

[wasabi]

Hey MossRoad, Would you mind commenting on how well your PT handles a load of heavier dirt, snow or gravel while under way? (I assume you have a "larger" bucket) Any idea what load yours is rated for...and do you have weights or liquid filled tires? Thx, Sabi

 

[rdricks]

My wife was the same way - not too excited about getting a tractor. I let it sit for a while, and she kept coming up with other items we could do if we had one. By last weekend she was telling everyone we were "getting a tractor". So who am I to let her down? Put the order in on Monday.

 

[MossRoad]

I have both a 5 cubic foot bucket with teeth and the larger 10 cubic foot light material bucket. It handles it very well. Two weeks ago I made about 50 trips across the outfield of a softball diamond moving old sod rolls that had been cut last year to enlarge the infield. I was using the small bucket with teeth(add $100.00 for teeth, well worth it). I had it floored in both directions, full and empty. The top speed is rated at 8MPH. It was very comfortable. The loader is rated for 800 pounds. It will definately lift that much safely. I do not have any fluids in my turf tires, as I want to keep the machine light for its main purpose, which will be mowing my lawn.

Anyway, back to the original topic, I think that this tractor, or just about any well thought out tractor, is a tremendous asset for a homeowner. And the more versatile the better. The more you can do with it in the least amount of time will give you more time to spend doing something that you enjoy, which in our cases is finding things to do on tractors /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif.

 

[frank_f15]

IN my case i use the fel very much, moving dirt, moving snow, pushing back brush, moving blown doen tress, so for me a tractor with out a fel is not a tractor.if u are absolutly sure u won't need the fell again then don't buy it, but it is amazing the things u can find to do with it.if in doubt, get the fel. if u do get don't expect yours will ever be used like this/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Wow. Thanks for all the comments. You guys are like a 12 step support group for tractor junkies!

Hello, everybody, my name is Mark and I'm a a a a tractor junkie and I don't even own a tractor yet.

OK, I'm gonna try and figger out a way to afford a FEL on a bx2200 or b7500. Next question: How long does it take to put the FEL on and take it off? Is there a quick disconnect kit?

mark

 

[rmcess]

Welcome to the Board!
I have had my BX2200 for a little over a month now, I took the front loader off one time just to see how to do it. With looking at the manual and taking it off it was about 5 minutes.
I put it back on the next day (just seemed naked without it) and that too was a very simple one man operation in under 5 minutes. I plan to take it off for mowing but since it can go on the same time as the mower I'll probably have them both on at times.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Your friend is right. You're nuts. Or maybe you just haven't priced out the alternatives.

If all you need is a mower then a ZTR-type mower will probably be quicker and do a better job than a small tractor with MMM. And cost less.

I agree that paying an excavator $500, or maybe even $200-$300 to rent a machine so you can play in the dirt, should get the dirt work done quickly and cheaply.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, since you have your heart set on a BX, I'll bow out with this... On my Power Trac PT425 it take me 15 seconds to take off my FEL and put it back on again. Is that fast enough for you? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[TresCrows]

No your friend is a nut, you are sane! I would get the BX with FEL. The BX is a superb mower for a two acre plot. The FEL snaps on and off in a ---snap!!!!!!--and so does the MMM. I do dirt work with the MMM removed and mow with the FEL removed.
Basically you want us to justify to you why we bought tractors and why you should also--because we wanted them and because you do too--that is why. You will find many uses for the FEL and if in the end it just sits in the garage you can sell it easily I am sure. The BX will be the envy of your neighborhood, quiet, smooth, powerful and capable, manuverable. Your property will continue to need maintenance and etc for many years providing plenty of opportunities to give the BX a workout.
Yeah, some people look at me funny when they find I have a tractor but you know, they live in a neighborhood with quarter acre or less lots and they simply cannot conceive of the work required on 5 or six acres much less 10 or so. I think they are the nuts for living in latter day cliff dwellings.
I think you can keep the BX busy and if you have to hire someone to set out your basic layout so what!!!! Also, I think you may be underestimating the costs of hiring it out, you could easily spend thousands moving dirt around. I am putting in a well, I have a 2410 and a BX, I do not have a trencher (4,000 dollars new). I will need to run lines, pipe, wires etc, I am going to either rent a trencher or hire it done--does this make my tractors a bad investment---not to me--they get plenty of exercise.
J