Shblack
Member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2013
- Messages
- 27
- Location
- Tennessee ridge, tn
- Tractor
- Komatsu WB140-2N, Takeuchi TL230-2
Have been following this forum for some time, you all seem like a real helpful group, so here goes my first post:
End of last year I retired from a career in the high technology / aerospace world in southern California. Next spring we will be relocating to a place we purchased in mid-state Tennessee several years ago, very much a leave the left coast and go back to the land move. As we prepare for the move I have been considering what the optimum equipment solution would be for our new place. About the new place:
It's a total of about 700 acres, mostly wood land, a few overgrown fields
Land is in 3 tracts, separated by about 5 miles of county road
Some of the woodland has been logged and needs some clean up / control of invasive species
Several streams flow through the property
Terrain is mostly rolling
Driveway is about 1 mile long, gravel. Most is county maintained, but is pretty low priority when a big storm comes through (snow and downed trees can stay there for a while)
Tasks I see doing:
Fixing the driveway where the creek and driveway tend to coexist - probably need to dig out the driveway and get concrete poured
Cleaning out a mass of fallen trees in a creek that has diverted the creek and has it eroding one of our pastures
Earthwork (building pad and trenching) for a new shop building and mother-in-law quarters
Clearing snow from the driveway during the once every couple of year storms
Building a dam across a hollow to build a pond
Cleaning up the interior roads and making them passable to something other than a goat
Pulling logs / getting firewood
Digging holes & planting an orchard plus establishing a chestnut grove in one of the fields
Putting in fencing
Digging up stumps
Digging trenches for a ground coupled heat pump
Bush hogging fields and trails
First I looked into a small dozer, seemed like a good fit for the road related activities, but not a good fit for trenching and hole digging. Additionally, I would need means to transport it between tracts. Finally, I know absolutely nothing about the care and feeding of a tracked vehicle.
Next I considered a compact excavator, it is a good fit for trenching and hole digging, but didn't seem like a good fit for road work
So where I am currently headed is in the direction of a tractor / loader / backhoe for the dirt work and a lighter tractor (like a ford 8N, or alternatively get a ATV tow behind mower) for the mowing task. I am thinking that 4WD would be good, given the rough terrain and the hassle of getting stuck in some remote hollow. Rollover protection is a must, I would like to survive to become an experienced operator.
So what should I be thinking about in going down this path? Nearest town is Dickson, Tn, they have New Holland and Case dealers, there are others further away. This purchase is 7 months off, but would like figure out a path forward and start sniffing around for whats on the market.
Steve
End of last year I retired from a career in the high technology / aerospace world in southern California. Next spring we will be relocating to a place we purchased in mid-state Tennessee several years ago, very much a leave the left coast and go back to the land move. As we prepare for the move I have been considering what the optimum equipment solution would be for our new place. About the new place:
It's a total of about 700 acres, mostly wood land, a few overgrown fields
Land is in 3 tracts, separated by about 5 miles of county road
Some of the woodland has been logged and needs some clean up / control of invasive species
Several streams flow through the property
Terrain is mostly rolling
Driveway is about 1 mile long, gravel. Most is county maintained, but is pretty low priority when a big storm comes through (snow and downed trees can stay there for a while)
Tasks I see doing:
Fixing the driveway where the creek and driveway tend to coexist - probably need to dig out the driveway and get concrete poured
Cleaning out a mass of fallen trees in a creek that has diverted the creek and has it eroding one of our pastures
Earthwork (building pad and trenching) for a new shop building and mother-in-law quarters
Clearing snow from the driveway during the once every couple of year storms
Building a dam across a hollow to build a pond
Cleaning up the interior roads and making them passable to something other than a goat
Pulling logs / getting firewood
Digging holes & planting an orchard plus establishing a chestnut grove in one of the fields
Putting in fencing
Digging up stumps
Digging trenches for a ground coupled heat pump
Bush hogging fields and trails
First I looked into a small dozer, seemed like a good fit for the road related activities, but not a good fit for trenching and hole digging. Additionally, I would need means to transport it between tracts. Finally, I know absolutely nothing about the care and feeding of a tracked vehicle.
Next I considered a compact excavator, it is a good fit for trenching and hole digging, but didn't seem like a good fit for road work
So where I am currently headed is in the direction of a tractor / loader / backhoe for the dirt work and a lighter tractor (like a ford 8N, or alternatively get a ATV tow behind mower) for the mowing task. I am thinking that 4WD would be good, given the rough terrain and the hassle of getting stuck in some remote hollow. Rollover protection is a must, I would like to survive to become an experienced operator.
So what should I be thinking about in going down this path? Nearest town is Dickson, Tn, they have New Holland and Case dealers, there are others further away. This purchase is 7 months off, but would like figure out a path forward and start sniffing around for whats on the market.
Steve