Buying Advice Southern VT Newbie Advice

   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #1  

Bullwinkle123

Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
658
Location
Southern VT
Tractor
Kubota MX5400HST, Z724XKW-3-54
Aging tractor virgin with a lot of need but no experience. Been living on a 180 parcel for 10 years, and I'm just getting too old to do things by hand. I'm also tired of paying other people to use their tractors for what are essentially routine maintenance chores, so here I am, asking these questions.

These are the things I _must_ do with the tractor:
  1. Fill/grade the gravel driveway when it washes out. Guessing it's about 0.1 mile in length (with large turnout), reasonably level. Figuring on FEL and rear blade for this every-couple-of-years task. (You'd think this isn't worth spending on a tractor, but I've spent $11k on this in the last 10 years, and there's almost more to come).
  2. Moving downed trees. A FE grappler seems like the bees knees if I can do a few saw cuts and grab piles of fallen small branches and 4-8 foot trunk pieces and move them to the brush/tree piles, if only so my aging back doesn't have to pick up most of the crap to put it in a cart. Or are these things really just fantasies and not so useful? The youtube videos sure make it look great.
  3. Annual brush-hogging. **** saplings grow quickly. 5 acre field on a slope, not sure what degree of incline or how to measure. It has some steep-ish sections, but doesn't seem to place a burden on the people who've been dealing with it the last 10 years.
  4. Haul brush & weeds and general yard or fallen tree detritus. When I get done with my weed whackers, chain saw, or whatever I'm cleaning up, there's just a lot of stuff to haul, and the nearest place to dump it is at the edge of 5-ish acres of field/yard, sometimes up-hill, which is a hike I'm tired of making with hand carts and aging muscle power.

Based on the above, if I'm thinking correctly, I would want FEL, blade, grappler, and large-ish cart (4x8? 3x6 or something seems small but maybe more practical for hauling my chainsaw and gas cans in the forest).

The following things would be _nice_, but are secondary for one reason or another.
  • Haul logs in from the forest for subsequent cutting/splitting for a wood gasification boiler. I don't have the boiler (won't unless I get a tractor), and I don't really want to invest in a log arch. It's a wishlist situation now. Hauling large log lengths would probably halve the lifting work I need to do. (Younger days I'd move logs with a log arch I built - but my arch isn't ready for a tractor or larger logs).
  • Till field plots for gardening. Unfortunately I'd also need to break hard ground that hasn't been farmed in a long time, so ... two attachments. Probably not worth the cost for me.
  • Mow: I probably have about 1.5 acres of lawn but I'm not planning on using the tractor for mowing. Seems like a real tractor is going to be too heavy, un-maneuverable, and mashing my grass mercilessly. I would rather the tractor was fit for the primary purposes. Between that and all the stone walls a regular mower is probably better, though expensive (most of the guys who mow my yard have some expensive zero turn radius mower).
  • Snow blow the driveway. Leary of this because I don't know how it'll work on my long gravel driveway, and whether tractors are any good for it. My 24" snowblower did great on a tiny paved driveway at my old house, but my VT driveway is a beast. Still, it sure would be nice to stop paying a guy to plow and occasionally bring in earth moving equipment because the plow can't move the snow far enough.
  • Backhoe. The only times I'd want this is when I need to clean existing culverts, dig new ones, and maybe it would help me dig new holes for fruit trees. Worth it? Doesn't seem like it for initial planning.

In general, the driveway environment is a layer of gravel on top of schist. Dig down more than a couple of inches and you're hitting rock, and sometimes it's sticking up through the mid-point of the driveway. The fields and forest can be quite muddy, though hopefully I never have to be out there in mud season. Though with this climate change ... who knows. It's 59 degrees in January and my field is melted today, and the high winds put another tree down just this morning. I usually leave tree clearing (other than the driveway) for better weather.

I'm getting closer to retirement, and seeking a bit of mechanical muscle to help with the things I used to do by hand. My biggest concern about whether getting a tractor is a bad idea is that I had to have back surgery last year (which automatically pushed back my whole purchasing plans a year), and now I wonder if trying to twist to see behind me while, say, grading the driveway, would be too hard. Or are there some tractors with rotating seats that would make this easy? Don't see how, gotta look where you're driving too. Either way, I'm ambulatory and can flex, but my days of wrestling 300 lb. objects are forcibly behind me. I'm also concerned about whether I can even swap a FEL for a grapple on the front, or if the the parts require too much lifting for me to manage. Damned back.

All advice welcome, including "how to" buying advice. I've looked up various "new tractor" places in the Southern VT, NH, and western MA area. Buying used might be good, but I have no idea where to look for it (farming mags, forums, whatever). Of course the attachments I want are a big factor here. I'm guessing I also need a trailer for my truck to haul the tractor and attachments home and/or for service if I can't service it myself, so another expense. All I've got now is clueless wish lists, a bad back, and a sometimes functional checkbook. Maybe I need to find a guy getting rid of all his toys in a used package deal.

Thanks in advance for this request #3,012,998 on newbie tractor advice.
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #2  
You say you're on a 180 parcel. Is that 180 acres? It does not appear you farm it. How many acres do you actually mow? Any compact or subcompact tractor will perform most of the functions you want. I have no idea how a grapple connects or works but most implements are designed with minimal lifting in mind. You can get a front loader with quick disconnects to make changing things easy. You're probably right, though, if you can find some guy selling his "toys" and they're in good condition you're golden. With newer tractors over 25 horsepower the new ones must meet Tier IV emission requirements. I specifically purchased my tractor to avoid that hassle.
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #3  
Hi Bullwinkle,
I am S. VT too and basking in the heat, mud season in full swing on my hill, barely got home:thumbdown: No tractor work, can't wait till it freezes back up.
I have 50 acres that is mostly forested and steep and rough in a lot of it.
With no open fields, I don't farm or do any Ag work but I do a lot of snow plowing, some logging, earthmoving, general tractor lifting and assistance work.
With 180 acres and the jobs you envision doing, I would be looking at 50 hp minimum and if in the cards 60 hp and up.
The M series machines are heavier with bigger frames and they make snow removal easy with a PA snowplow and hauling log loads.
I upgraded from an L 4630 to the M6040 and would never go back as it is an all around more useful machine for my needs.
I bought the pre-Tier IV M locally after lucking out on an online ad. It is a crapshoot.
I don't leave my land so no truck or trailer. Minimal equipment: All SSQA, Bucket, Fork/grapple, snowplow, box blade, ballast box. Thinking about a logging winch.
 
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   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #4  
Hello Bullwinkle and welcome to TBN!

Just to confirm you have a 500' driveway +- and you want to maintain it sounds like 10-20 of the 180 acres?

I would agree with the others, 38-50 HP range, HST, QA bucket, Grapple, Bush hog/Brush hog, rear scraper blade for drive. Then for comfort get a cab - you wont regret it later on.

For attachments the QA bucket is pretty easy, and depending on your driveway, a front QA snow blade with a rear scraper blade should be fine. If you think you need a Snowblower you can decide that later.

Most all of the brands are good and Kioti and Kubota dealers have been around a while and look around at your dealers to figure out the size and model, then check out Craigslist for your area in VT and Western Ma, eastern NY region. I looked briefly and there are some nice machines with 200-400 hours available.

I don't think a trailer to transport the tractor is needed- most dealers pickup/deliver. IF you buy used, then you will need someone to transport and service it unless you plan to do this yourself?

Given your statements about you back etc, I would probably find a low hour used deal with implements or buy a new machine with Grapple, and FEL, then buy used back blade, brush hog, and accessories. As far as hauling stuff you can make a platform for the 3PT Hitch or do what many have done here is mount chainsaw brackets, and gas can holder later on - there's lots of ideas on TBN to assist.

Enjoy the search!
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #5  
I have a 500 ft driveway to maintain and plow snow from. I, too, grew tired of hiring someone to come in a grade it every year or so, and I simply lived with the snow until I got stuck at home a few times.

I am now on my third tractor, all Kubotas. Started with 25 Hp., went to 32 Hp., and just recently went to 47 Hp. I predict that's it, no more needed. I do haul some trees, move loose materials with the bucket, so on.

In your case, I'd suggest you consider hiring someone to do that first tilling in the hardened field. Then, you can maintain it with a smaller tractor and tiller. Unless you are hauling out green, old-growth monster tree trunks, don't need a huge machine unless trying to haul a stack of a half-dozen, then you need a bigger machine.

Reason for my upgrades was snow. I don't have a blower attachment, just use a rear blade. Still we had a few really big snows [25 to 60 inches] which are unusual but do happen. My smaller tractors just eventually got bogged down, snow coming up over the hood, etc. I needed a bit more oomph.

So, probably 30-40 Hp will be fine. You'll find a lot of other things to do with it, saving your back too. I have a set of clamp-on forks for the bucket and use them if I need to unload a large item from the pickup or move around stuff on a pallet, etc.

I'm retired, too, watching my back. That's another reason why I upgraded to a more powerful machine. I kept finding unexpected uses for the tractor. I even load up the bucket to haul tools, heavy items around the property. Burn a tiny bit of diesel, save my body. Last summer, needed to unload and move a truckload of five-gal buckets of water. Several trips in the tractor, no sweat.
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #6  
A wood gasification boiler is gonna be your needy child. I used to own 100 acres and found skidding more than a quarter of a mile out, got to be tiresome real quick. With a skidder, no problem. Compact tractor, don't wanna. In your case, i would concur with that 36-50 hp tractor. I wouldn't bother with an arch but I would want some type of forwarding trailer if going longer distances. You're gonna need 6-10 cords to heat your place (not knowing how many sq feet). I'd wanna take at least a cord or two out of the woods at any one turn (cycle) so you're gonna need a 4-5000 lb tractor. All the other stuff you want do is ancillary to you getting firewood out so base the tractor on logging. All the other stuff will follow.

Was in Ludlow VT. last week and some of that terrain is pretty hilly. So that may include a logging winch if that also describes your lay of the land.
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #7  
A wood gasification boiler is gonna be your needy child. I used to own 100 acres and found skidding more than a quarter of a mile out, got to be tiresome real quick. With a skidder, no problem. Compact tractor, don't wanna. In your case, i would concur with that 36-50 hp tractor. I wouldn't bother with an arch but I would want some type of forwarding trailer if going longer distances. You're gonna need 6-10 cords to heat your place (not knowing how many sq feet). I'd wanna take at least a cord or two out of the woods at any one turn (cycle) so you're gonna need a 4-5000 lb tractor. All the other stuff you want do is ancillary to you getting firewood out so base the tractor on logging. All the other stuff will follow.

Was in Ludlow VT. last week and some of that terrain is pretty hilly. So that may include a logging winch if that also describes your lay of the land.
I agree with your tractor recommendation
I have heated with wood for 50 years and with a Tarm gasifier for the last 15.
It does need to be fed [like any heat producing device] but it is way more efficient than my woodstoves of yore.
I am just down the road from Ludlow and that winch would help.
 
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   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #8  
I agree with your tractor recommendation
.
I am just down the road from Ludlow and that winch would help.
I like this one as a winch: Norwood Log Skidding Arches & Winches ? SkidWinch, SkidMate, SkidLite & LogHog ? For ATVs & tractors - YouTube

The way to log big property for the home owner when confronted with longer cycles, is with a trailer which would act as a mini forwarder. Put forks or a grapple on your fel and dump stems onto the trailer. I'd get a narrow 10 or 12' dump trailer and bring it with me into the wood attached to the tractor. I'd get all of my firewood in with it in 2 or 3 days. Between the tractor, implements, trailer and gasifier, you're looking at 50-60K but you'll have a lot of fun on this short time we have here on earth.

I would like to pm you with a couple questions on your gasifier if you don't mind.
 
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   / Southern VT Newbie Advice #9  
I like this one as a winch: Norwood Log Skidding Arches & Winches ? SkidWinch, SkidMate, SkidLite & LogHog ? For ATVs & tractors - YouTube

The way to log big property for the home owner when confronted with longer cycles, is with a trailer which would act as a mini forwarder. Put forks or a grapple on your fel and dump stems onto the trailer. I'd get a narrow 10 or 12' dump trailer and bring it with me into the wood attached to the tractor. I'd get all of my firewood in with it in 2 or 3 days. Between the tractor, implements, trailer and gasifier, you're looking at 50-60K but you'll have a lot of fun on this short time we have here on earth.

I would like to pm you with a couple questions on your gasifier if you don't mind.


No problem, ask away.
 
   / Southern VT Newbie Advice
  • Thread Starter
#10  
You say you're on a 180 parcel. Is that 180 acres? It does not appear you farm it. How many acres do you actually mow? Any compact or subcompact tractor will perform most of the functions you want. I have no idea how a grapple connects or works but most implements are designed with minimal lifting in mind. You can get a front loader with quick disconnects to make changing things easy. You're probably right, though, if you can find some guy selling his "toys" and they're in good condition you're golden. With newer tractors over 25 horsepower the new ones must meet Tier IV emission requirements. I specifically purchased my tractor to avoid that hassle.

Most of the acreage is forest that I only harvest for occasional wood and to keep trails clear. The forest actually has a management plan but I leave it to professionals for the big cutting operations.
So what I mostly need to take care of is brush hogging a 5 acre field, maintaining a long driveway, and routine cleanup of the yard/field/trails as trees are constantly falling (even around the edge of the field). Then it's just a matter of whether advice says any of my wishlist items are practical, and whether I'm too old to start tractoring with my bad back, though I'm hoping machines are a solution, not a problem, in this regard.
 
 
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