Buying Advice Opinions on 4wd compact tractor

[dex3361]

The property is rocky clay with many 1-4 foot semi-buried boulders. I would be gathering rocks to build retaining walls on site.
If I get a quick-attach, I have a 72 inch Virnig grapple with 2 inch rock teeth available to me. It does weigh about 1200 lbs. so that wold cut my lift capacity in half. If I get a backhoe attachment, I would dig up the big rocks and what I could not lift I would push. Would filling the rear tires be a good idea, or does it suck power and hinder braking?

Load the rear tires, it makes a huge difference.Also plan on using rear ballast. Ballast on the rear lessens weight off of the front axle. Fluid in the rear tires doesn't remove weight from the front axle but lowers the center of gravity and makes the tractor less tippy sideways. Weight in the right places is good.

 

[jenkinsph]

A safer method for moving rocks is to fabricate a sled - maybe 4X4 with 6'' sides. Nudge the rock onto the sled and then pull with tractor. If done right, this is significantly safer.
Mike

This is very good advice.:thumbsup:
You can move a very large rock this way with limited stress or damage to the tractor. If you will need to move alot of these boulders take the time to build a sled that will last.

 

[doall]

that sure is some pretty land Randall

 

[nebraskasparks]

Hey HHR...sounds like you've got some glacier field retreat to deal with!
Lots of good advice coming from all over the country.

First concern - lots of rock work meaning lots of stress on the front end. I busted a front axle on my old ford using my FEL a lot. Jubilee wasn't designed for an FEL...was designed to pull a plow.
Whatever tractor you buy should have a solid front axle and FEL that can take lots of weight. Sounds like that the size of the land isn't the issue here but how much weight you have to move and it sounds like a lot.

Second - everyone is telling you to put weight on the rear tires (foam/weights) AND a rear implement - in your case extremely important. Life insurance matter of fact.
Dex3361 said - Load the rear tires, it makes a huge difference.Also plan on using rear ballast. Ballast on the rear lessens weight off of the front axle. Fluid in the rear tires doesn't remove weight from the front axle but lowers the center of gravity and makes the tractor less tippy sideways. Weight in the right places is good.

Third - Grapple is definitely going to help you unearth the rocks.

Fourth - Originally Posted by MikeInEburg View
A safer method for moving rocks is to fabricate a sled - maybe 4X4 with 6'' sides. Nudge the rock onto the sled and then pull with tractor. If done right, this is significantly safer.
Mike
I like the idea of a sled to move rocks. This will protect your investment so you can keep moving rocks over the long term. Carrying that weight all the time with an FEL will be putting lots of pressure/stress on hydraulic seals, axle, tires etc.

Fifth - these new tractors today are like ants that can pick up amazing amounts of weight or mass compared to their size. I would take pictures of the front end of the tractors you're considering and compare axle size and structure of the FEL.

 

[SPYDERLK]

For doing repetitive rock moving on hilly terrain I would favor a 3pt lift platform/dumpbox, etc. That way you have best stability and robust carry capacity. Maybe even load the FEL bucket a little to offset the extreme rear bias.
larry

 

[dex3361]

that sure is some pretty land Randall

Thanks, I do like living in WV and it is beautiful about now with the trees in fall colors.. I don't feel normal if I am not in the hills.

 

[whodat526]

to much rear ballast will hurt u all the stress form the loader has to go some where

 

[shadawick]

What ever you end up with look closely at the FEL mounting. Are the front mounts tied together and extend to a rear mount. I busted the bellhousing on my Ford 1910 4x4 with a Woods loader and small grapple. Still haven't figured out what I did to cause it, but am looking at a mess to try and fix right now, "IF," I can find another bellhousing! Bottom line stay safe!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

If you have a lot of rocks-boulders that you need to move, the safest machine IMO would be a tracked loader as in an older CAT, John Deere or Case. 4n1 bucket or grapple. These machines can deal with your situation safe and easy. In my opinion, none of the tractors that have been talked about are up to the job for any length of time, a few times maybe, but not hundreds or thousands of loads. I have a 12k and 16k pound rubber tired machines and I would not even consider moving 3' dia. boulders on a regular basis with either one of them. But then maybe that is just me.

Good luck with your research and decision.

 

[flusher]

If I did my calculations correctly, you are looking at moving rocks with an individual volume of about 4.5 cubic feet. Granite is 2691 #/cuft, so these boulders would be about six tons each (sandstone would be about 5 tons and even pumice would be nearly a ton and a half)! You might be able to drag them, but I don't know of any CUTs that will pick them up, even with the 3ph (unless you have a field of pumice boulders). If you have very rough (or soft!) ground, dragging could be a challenge, too.

Even if you could pick up a rock that heavy, carrying it up and down hills could be a serious risk with a conventional tractor.

BOB
Mass, Weight, Density or Specific Gravity of Bulk Materials

Nope. Density of granite is 166 lb/cubic ft.