opinions please

[merlebo02]

I have recently bought 150 acres that I plan on building a home on and using the rest to piddle .. It has 2 lakes ( 1.8 acre and 4 acre), 75 acres of timber and 75 acres of pasture.. It is completely fenced in and over the past few years has had cows on it.. I plan on having a garden, few fruits trees (pears, peaches, and apples), deer hunting and MAYBE a few cows There is some old cross section fence rows that I plan on removing and cleaning up around the house site.. Now that you have my goals/needs I would like help making a decision on tractor and implements that I will need.. I will mostly use the tractor for bush hogging (probably 10 ft?), moving brush/logs, gardening, driveway maintenance, food plots for hunting, possibly moving around hay if I get cows..


Currently I am leaning to the Kubota M7060 or M6060 with a front end loader/grapple.. What is everyones opinion and thoughts?? Is this enough tractor or to much tractor?

 

[MF283]

7060 would get my vote, i'll take over powered any day than being under powered.

Ronnie

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Wow, sounds like a nice place. Will need lots of power, I'd go with the larger.

 

[4570Man]

It sounds like a pretty good match although smaller would probably work. I might get banned from TBN for even mentioning smaller and tractor in the same sentence. I highly recommend you get a grapple. What is the price difference? Obviously bigger is better.

 

[oosik]

IMHO - the slight difference in power between the 7060 or 6060 should not be the major concern. What are the price differences. Are both tractors open station or cabbed. Both tractors will use the exact same implements. If price is not a concern I would definitely go with the 7060.

However - if buying the 7060 means you will not be able to afford some necessary implement - then it may be worth while to consider the 6060.

I have a similar situation to what you are looking at - 80 acres, forested, two lakes( 5 acre and 18 acre), mile long gravel driveway, home, outbuildings and my 6040 has always been more than enough tractor to complete any job I've started.

 

[TripleR]

We have a similar setup and use an M8540HDC 12/12 pulling a Woods DS1260 10' pull type cutter. We also have a grapple as well as a tree/post puller, box scraper and some other stuff. We have hills and also use to run between farms a lot, so after trying a 79HP, we bumped up in HP. At that time, you couldn't get the 70HP in 12/12, so you should be OK with the M7060, the M6060 is a nice machine, but I much prefer a bit more HP at least for our uses.

I would go with a third function or diverter for the grapple and a minimum of three rear remotes, we only have two on ours. I got three on my last new tractor along with TnT.

The M has a decent seat, but I bought an air ride base recently, just haven't put it in yet; certainly not necessary but nice.

I am obviously a Kubota fan, but always recommend shopping all brands, testing etc., before buying.

Good luck either way you go.

 

[merlebo02]

it is a difference of 63 vs 71 HP.. cost difference is $2000-$2500..I am for sure getting a cab, I have 3 small boys that will be riding in it with me everytime it's turned on I'm sure.. What all implements do you use remote hydraulics for?? I can't think of any implements I will be using that I would need them..

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Got the remotes. You will want a grapple with that much woods.
3rd in front, at least 2 in rear.

 

[TripleR]

Our rotary cutter is a pull type, so we need one for that, but I think it comes with one anyway.

I won't use a tractor without a hydraulic top link.

As I mentioned, I got TnT on my last tractor as I find it great when using a box scraper or blade. Our box scraper is a Land Pride HR3584, so with the TnT and hydraulic scarifiers, all three get used.

For a long time, I kind of scoffed at the need for rear remotes, but with the passage of time am a convert. We used our M8540 for several years using only one set, now I wish we had three. Buying them at the time you buy the tractor rather than having them added is cheaper.

Of course we run into the old need/want conundrum as our uses will differ.

When we bought our M8540 we had to take what was on the lot as our Case CX80 went toes up right at the worst possible time and we couldn't wait to have one ordered or any addition of options. As a result we didn't get all the features we wanted.

I understand the cost consideration, I almost cried when I bought my last new tractor, so all have to figure out what is right for our present needs as well as those in the future as best we can then determine if our bank account can stand it. That's why we still run two of our grapple tractors off the rear remotes instead of third function, don't have weights or cast centers on some etc.

This is a TnT on a smaller version of our HR3584: Kubota Top-n-Tilt Kit with Land Pride HR2572 Box Scraper - YouTube

 

[2ndhalf]

First, Welcome to TBN. Second, I'm Jealous! sounds like a hunter/fisherman paradise. That is a lot of land and I would go with a large tractor. Nothing less than 70hp. My FIL has a 70HP IH and it seems about the right size for what you describe. Also would get a Cab.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like you are in a good HP range. Power is something that you will always appreciate and want more of as you become more familiar with the tractor and projects on your land. The hardest thing to plan for is everything you never thought of, and I guarantee you, that in ten years from now you will look back at your list and laugh.

4 wheel drive is a must. Removable front bucket is a must. I would think that for the long term, working in all weather conditions and fighting bugs, a cab is also a must.

I'm not a fan of a ten foot mower. It's too wide and flat. A batwing is much nicer for conforming to the ground with that added reach outside the wheels. If you are already in that HP range, it makes a lot more sense to go for the 15 foot mower now.

Kubota is probably one of the top brands out there. They are also very proud of their reputation and charge you accordingly. If I was out shopping for a 80 hp 4x4 cab tractor right now, I would not limit myself to any particular brand. I would go to every dealer in my area, and also every source of used tractors. Kick the tires, sit in the seat, and look for a deal.

I'm still hesitant on Tier 4 smog for tractors and would prefer to have something before that came out. If I could find a low hour tractor that met all my other needs, I would go used before buying new. There are those on here who have said they don't see the problem, and there are those who talk about what happens when dealing with Tier 4 issues. Either way, you need to know what it is and what to expect if buying new.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Just a thought about your kids: can you geat a buddy seat for a M7060? Might be nice to have?

 

[TripleR]

Kubota does not offer a buddy/instructor seat, but a couple of M60 Series owners have added them. I believe you can get one from K&M.

The M60 Series cab is wider than the M40 and we could not fit one in our M8540.

 

[aarolar]

Personally I think the M6060 will do what you want. Even with 4WD your going to loose traction before you run out of hp and the M7060 doesn't weight much more at all. However the price difference would be the determining factor if the bigger tractor is only a little more then of course go that route.

 

[TripleR]

Something I forgot, you might want to consider getting bigger than standard size tires, check the thread from foremanEtexas, he did this on his second M7040, I got M9540 tires on my M8540 as the dealer specified them on all his M8540 because they were so popular.

 

[MF283]

I agree with the batwing if you have a lot of uneven ground, my place is relatively flat & the 10'r works great on it.
I ran a MF 283 for several years on my 35 acres, enough power to do anything wanted, it was on the larger side of what i needed, sold it & got a 5303 Deere, seems about right, i'm thinking i want 4WD now being i'm doing more loader work, 2WD lacks in that department.
I like the smaller frame for getting around my wooded part on the place, did have to cut some trails around the fence rows, now that i have a Gator, i rarely take the tractor unless i need to remove a fallen tree or something.

Ronnie

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would check out other brands before settling for the Kubota. I love the amenities on my LS P 7010 like 3 sets of rear remotes, quiet cab with HVAC, radio and a really nice seat (not air ride though). Lots of other add ons that are all standard. Check out the LS brand if you have a dealer within reasonable distance to you. The P series starts at 70 HP (engine) up to 90+. Check them out at Lstractorusa.com
I got my LS P7010C with FEL and cab way back in 2010 for $35,000 which was about what a 40-50 HP tractor with cab was selling for at other dealers. I don't know if they are still selling them at that great a discount or not, but they are really well built tractors. You can also check out the LS forum right here on TBN.

 

[xring100]

Both seem to be a good fit. Id lean towads the 7060 4wd as it has a limitied slip differential. Versus the unlimited slip (open) differetal in the 6060. Ive found this to be useful especially when backing up in soft conditions with a full load on the loader