Sanity check - tractor for ~10 acres of use

[Grandad4]

I can't add much new to what has been already posted here... all pretty sound advice regarding your tractor options and your sanity. But I would say this, speaking from my own experience over the past few years...

It sounds like you are taking 20 acres that has kind of gone to seed and trying to bring it into some state of "civilization"... either to live on, use for recreation, etc. Good for you... that's a great project... but you will probably find it's going to take more work than you anticipate. Unless you aren't doing anything else with your life, it will take longer than planned. So if at all possible, get yourself some equipment that has more capability than the minimum, because you are probably going to need it. If you have minimal equipment, the inevitable unexpected things are going to become real obstacles. Best of luck... you've got quite an adventure ahead!

 

[Johndeere3720]

Look at JohnDeere's 3000 series. the 3005 would definatly work but I dont think it is possible to front mount a snow blower. We live on 4 acres so a tractor isnt overkill at all. Check out the 3320-3720. The 3320 and 3520 are available with power reverse and hydro is available on all 3 of them. They would have the capability to pull a plow, move snow, and haul logs out of the woods.

 

[flyingcow]

My 2cents.

40hp-ish 4wheel drive. When I priced out 30 hp vs 40hp, for the few extra dollars I was leaning towards 40hp. same physical size units, usually.

Open cab with a softside or some sort of cab just for winter. My new unit has a factory cab, because of the deal i got on it. Couldn't pass up the unit/price.--

Summer---Open cabs are easier in the woods and just getting around with the cab getting beat all up. The few times I stood up to look at the pallet forks, the factory cab is hard on the head.

Winter---softside would work well. I had an old MF1135, w/cab that i snowblowed with for yrs. No heater, cab was tight, no snow in cab. I was always dressed for the cold, so the lack of heat wasn't a problem. I have a 650ft driveway, plus various area to snowblow, usually took an hour or so.

Maybe have someone rototill the area for garden w/commercial unit. Then buy a nice rear tine tiller troy'bilt style. A big tiller for tractor is only useful at the beginning/end of season. Take the money you want to spend on a tiller and buy a farmi winch for the woods. Very useful and a lot safer/easier in the woods.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Yep, just depends on whether your goals are doing it or having it done. I have done both.

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

Have to agree with this statement, but then some guys prefer to just do the clean up stuff. Nothing wrong either way, just different ways to get to the same destination.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I read Shazbat's post and I had to do a double-take because his situation mirrors mine so closely I thought I'd posted it and then changed my login ID.

21 acres, 1400 foot dirt driveway, mostly wooded, 1/3rd wetland, the rest glacial till (lots of rocks).About a 20 foot vertical range of elevation on the property.
About a mile of trail to hog down once a year. Drive edges need hogging once a year. 1 acre garden. Have to move 5 to 7 cords of firewood each year, plus whatever gets blown down. Lots of stone wall to rebuild and maintain. Orchard restoration, and adding blueberries and grapes (haven't decided whether I want to do a small commercial produce operation, or just keep it as a personal hobby.)

Being young, healthy, strong as a horse, and having plenty of time and patience, and needing the exercise, I don't need or want to contract out the work.

Based on research, I'm shooting for a 30 to 35 hp CUT, backhoe (instead of an auger - too many rocks), tiller, brushhog, FEL, and ft-mount snowblower.

One other point, renting, or especially when contracting out heavy equipment to do major landscape work can bring the EPA down on you; especially if anything you do impacts a waterway, and the fines will absolutely ruin you. Small-scale changes over time with smaller equipment are usually ignored. Talk to your town building inspector, forestor, or road manager before hand and stay out of trouble, or at least have the paperwork that says, "He told me it was okay."

 

[dave1949]

I've partially 'tamed' about 20-30 acres of our lot using my 40 hp NH. I wouldn't want anything smaller. With a larger tractor comes a little more ruggedness maybe. That's important on rough woods ground for durability.

Don't skimp on the mower. Once you clear areas, the only practical way to preserve your efforts is to bush hog them every 1 or 2 years. Mowing along the sides of trails and even on trails that have never been smoothed out is very hard on a mower due to rocks, stumps, dips, humps, etc. Might be worth it to hire a dozer to clean them up and grade the trails initially.

The other thing about trails is that they will want to grow together since the branches always reach for the sunlight. Sometimes I take my FEL bucket and just push all the sapplings along the trail edge back into the woods where I can't mow due to rocks and stumps. This looks ugly for a while, but I'm not about to do it with handheld tools. The upside is it creates great blackberry growth areas beside your trails. Blackberries fruit on two year old canes, and it takes about 2-3 years for them to get started in a new area. Once you have them around, they will perpetually self-seed it seems. You just have to give them sunlight.
Dave.

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks, a 790 (Or 3005) keeps crossing my mind, I'd actually prefer gear since darn near everything I own has a clutch.

Considering you're going to leave a fair amount of that acreage natural, a 790, 870, 970 or 990 would work really nice. A 4300 or 4400 with sync-reverser would do well too.
Quarter acre of lawn...just use a self-propelled walk-behind mower...tractor for all those other tasks.

 

[Varmintmist]

I have a friend that just moved from NH back to PA. He had 20 ac, horse barn, woods, paddocks, driveway to clear snow from and he would do the road when the guy at the end of the road who did trhe plowing didnt get home in time. With a 24 HP New Holland and a 4 foot back blade, carhartts and a hat.

You can clear brush with a 24 hp tractor, it will take a little longer than a 40 hp, but you will only be clearing once. Then you will be using a brush hog to BH a large yard, 4 ft is plenty.

20 ac is a nice amount for a house so you can pee off the back porch, but it doesnt call for a ag sized tractor.

 

[Soundguy]

30-45 hp, 4wd and a loader.. possibly hst tranny. pow steering maybee even

soundguy

 

[Shazbat]

Thanks everyone, hope to do some test-sitting this week.

Also thanks for the tip on the forks Chuck, any area where I can save money is appreciated!

Re-thinking the snowblower, as the drive is packed dirt/gravel and I'd worry about eating gravel with the blower.

Looked at a couple of Cub Cadets yesterday, SC2450 and EX3400, the physical size is appealing on the SC2450 but again, worried about ground clearance in the woods. Anyone make skid plates for these things? =)