Buying Advice Pros and Cons on equipment

   / Pros and Cons on equipment #1  

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
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #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

I ruled out a telehandler from your description and you have a Kubota dealer too. Dickson Farm Sales

What is your budget?
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #3  
What kind of vehicle do you (or will you) have for transporting your tractor?
I'm just wondering what weight you can reasonably move with safety, as that seems to be a primary requirement, and backing into a tractor size from there.
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #4  
What about those fields? Will you raise crops? What kind of crops? How many acres?

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.

Easy work for a Compact or Utility tractor plus Front End Loader and a (Three Point Hitch) Box Blade.


Cleaning out a mass of fallen trees in a creek that has diverted the creek and has it eroding one of our pastures.

Easy work for a Compact or Utility tractor using tractor center drawbar in rear, with a Clevis Grab Hook. Secure fallen trees with chain, attach chain to Clevis Hook, engage tractor LOW range and 4-WD; pull out.


Earthwork (building pad and trenching) for a new shop building and mother-in-law quarters.

Easy work for a Compact or Utility tractor plus Front End Loader and a (Three Point Hitch) Box Blade.
Backhoe or Potato Plow or Sub-soiler plus shovel for trenching.



Clearing snow from the driveway during the once every couple of year storms

Clearing infrequent snow can be done with the FEL and/or a Rear/Angle Blade.


Building a dam across a hollow to build a pond.

This is a much bigger task than you anticipate and requires high skill grading. Contract out pond to a professional who will use a tracked excavator, tractors and laser guided grading equipment.


Cleaning up the interior roads, making them passable to something other than a goat.

Easy work for a Compact or Utility tractor plus Front End Loader with Ratchet Rake attached plus a (Three Point Hitch) Box Blade and an LPGS. (Land Plane Grading Scraper.) You may also want a Rear/Angle Blade, which is also good for snow.


Pulling logs / getting firewood

Easy work for a Compact or Utility tractor using tractor center drawbar in rear, with a Clevis Grab Hook. Secure fallen trees with chain, attach chain to Clevis Hook, engage tractor LOW range and 4-WD; pull out. Cut up tree trunks with chainsaw, move home with FEL; split at home with an electric log splitter.


Digging holes & planting an orchard plus establishing a chestnut grove in one of the fields

Bucket Spade mounted on FEL bucket ($400) or tractor backhoe. ($7,000)
I have two, two-year-old Dunstan Chesnuts here, being watched.


Putting in fencing What kind of fencing? How much fencing?


Digging up stumps Backhoe is best if you are in a hurry. If I had 700 acres to maintain I would let stumps rot out to grade; about three years in warm, humid, Florida.


Digging trenches for a ground coupled heat pump

Backhoe or Potato Plow or Sub-soiler and shovel.

Bush hogging fields and trails.
Bush Hog is a brand of Rotary Cutter. You need either 60" or 72" width Rotary Cutter, perhaps Bush Hog brand.


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.

Fun, but not very versatile. Bulldozers make a big mess as they work.

I think you need a 40-100 horsepower UTILITY TRACTOR with a Category 2, Three Point Hitch. You also need a good size Utility Vehicle with an all terrain, dumping trailer. This is the minimum in motive equipment.

LINKS:
http://www.kubota.com/product/L60/lineup.aspx

Utility Vehicles - RTVSeries | Kubota Tractor Corporation

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonl...45263BDD8/11557/pub2917tractorimplements1.pdf

http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/bae/extension/pubs/documents/farm tractor.pdf
 
Last edited:
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #5  
You have a lifetime of projects listed. :)

The three parcels separated by five miles is something to work around. If I wanted to whip 700 acres into shape and do the things you listed by myself, I would buy a tracked excavator in the 20-30 ton class. I wouldn't buy tired old iron either and it's going to be expensive upfront along with a learning curve. There is also maintenance and repair to consider. A $thousand here and $five thousand there is what you should expect with heavy equipment.

If you plan a sequence of projects at the various parcels where you work for a year or several months at one parcel, then hire a heavy equipment mover to transport the machine to the next parcel, that would keep your transport equipment costs down. You would almost certainly make good use of 10 wheeler dump truck though and that plus a trailer would allow you to move the machine yourself.

The contractors who have heavy equipment charge anywhere from $75 to $175 per hour around here. You may decide it is less hassle and risk to hire the work done to the point that a well-equipped ~75 hp tractor can clean-up, finish and maintain. It all depends on how deep you want to get into heavy equipment. It tends to snowball with fuel tanks on a pickup, heavy tools, learning, etc.
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #7  
Welcome to TBN. Join the fun:thumbsup:

Tractor: something like mine. Mahindra 5525 (55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny 8F/2R, power steering, triple rear hydraulic remotes) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft height, skid steer quick attach). Price new: $19K. All the major tractor manufacturers have similar models that vary in price dealer to dealer. Test drive for sure before you buy.

For rollover safety, I'd add dualies to the rear axle. Spacers and an extra set of rear wheels will add about $2K.

Several of your jobs need commercial construction equipment. My first inclination is to hire this work done. Alternatively you could buy the equipment, finish the jobs and then sell it.

Good luck.
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #8  
Welcome to the forum , and the work you have described will take time , expertise and more then one piece of equipment for sure . I would contract out the bigger jobs and buy a utility tractor of at least 50 HP and and 4wd only .If you buy a 2wd it will be a big mistake considering the type of ground and work you are describing and this is just my opinion as I have gone the 2wd route and deeply regretted it years ago .
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #9  
Check with the DNR about removing trees from the creek. Another name for that situation is "fish habitat". In many places they are putting trees in the creeks and removing them is often illegal.

Also, you're gonna need something much bigger than an 8n.
 
   / Pros and Cons on equipment #10  
8n although cute not much of a tractor
you need 4wd heavy tractor (min 50 HP)
my:2cents:
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2006 International 9400i (A51039)
2006 International...
Small BBQ PIT (A50860)
Small BBQ PIT (A50860)
LOT LOCATIONS (A51219)
LOT LOCATIONS (A51219)
1263 (A50490)
1263 (A50490)
2018 Toro Grounds Master 7200 72in Zero Turn Commercial Mower (A50324)
2018 Toro Grounds...
(2) ROLLS OF HD CHAIN LINK MESH WIRE (A50460)
(2) ROLLS OF HD...
 
Top