Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie)

   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #41  
I'm going to look at this another way. I personally would want to have and maintain the 2.5 miles of road in tip top condition. I would not even consider maintaining that much road with either of the tractors you have mentioned as my main use machine.:eek: Not that they could not do it, but would simply take much longer than with a larger heavier machine.

Even just the next frame size up for me would be the minimum. I understand that it may be harder to do some of the other things that you want to do in more restricted spaces, or even impossible. But using the implements that make the overall maintenance of the road easier simply don't go hand in hand with 2.5 miles of road and a smaller machine IMO.

Only guessing here, sort of what any of us are doing without having been there. But for that much road, you need the right implements for different processes that may need to be done to have and keep the road well maintained.

Here are some examples. These same type of implements can be sized for the mentioned tractors and of course larger machines :thumbsup:

A 7' land plane grading scraper. (LPGS) The heavier the better.

A hydraulic actuated rear blade.

A box blade with hydraulic actuated rippers or a ROBB at the minimum.

You can get these implements to fit properly behind the smaller tractors and at least you have the right implements, but it will take much much longer to do the same road maintenance. Now if you are going to be hauling the equipment back and forth for a year or two, then by all means go with the smaller stuff to start with. It makes transporting much easier and less costly.

Another tip, load all 4 tires of anything that you get. You are going to need all the weight that you can get and every pound helps.

Just my :2cents:. Good luck with this whole process. :thumbsup:
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #42  
the best machine for making and maintaining atv and SxS trails is a tracked skid steerer- that is what all of the ORV parks here use. No one uses tractors for that.

For road maintenance you need a big heavy tractor capable of pulling a 7 foot blade with TNT, not a compact tractor like a 25hp one
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie)
  • Thread Starter
#43  
Thanks!

Definitely a standard front bucket with SSQA on the FEL along with the grapple. I took that as a given, but def. worth saying explicitly.

After watching YouTube videos, I sorta took grapple as a general purpose implement for collecting and loading brush, smallish rocks, logs (not good for chopped wood though), which since a lot of the work with ATV trails will be clearing out brush <2" in diameter, and bigger trees will drop limbs after winter (ice storms...) in particular seemed like a good idea. I had to look up what a rock bucket is after rScotty's message, but at first glance seemed like a sorta specialized hybrid of FEL std bucket and grapple. Interesting idea on the SSQA forks rather than grapple, but think given what I need to do, the grasping ability - and attendant plumbing - will be very helpful.

Also interesting idea re straight blade w end caps vs box blade; stored for further consideration after I have a few hours in the tractor seat to consider it better.

Point taken re multiple tractors. If it happens, it happens. (The past 20 years I've done lots of work with computers....if you asked me 25 years ago, I would never have thought I'd ever end up with more than one, but life sneaks up on you. Maybe same will happen with tractors...) Actually, though she's rather bemused about the whole thing right now, I rather suspect my wife will soon quite enjoy using *my* tractor and we'll get a 2nd one in part for marital bliss :) Or maybe that's when I get an excavator....

Editing to add: see some more replies above me; will respond to tomorrow. It's becoming clear the "right" answer is different depending on whether the priority is regular access road maintenance or the ATV trials and general purpose mucking around. Good food for thought, also/esp. which of the two I'm more prepared to outsource to contractors/rented equipment, with little dabbling from me here and there, versus which one I want to regularly do myself and only get in help for big stuff once in a while.
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #45  
If i was running an excavating company, then a TLB might be my choice (in addition to excavators) As a homeowner, a "real" backhoe works fine, especially if you have other needs for the tractor. They all have a place and a cost point, that's why they sell them.

I AM a "homeowner" and have a "real" (TLB) backhoe.
Bought it used 33 years ago.
Am VERY happy that all those years ago I did not buy less!
Refurbished the Ford 3 years ago.
Looks like new now.
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #46  
Thanks!

Definitely a standard front bucket with SSQA on the FEL along with the grapple. I took that as a given, but def. worth saying explicitly.

After watching YouTube videos, I sorta took grapple as a general purpose implement for collecting and loading brush, smallish rocks, logs (not good for chopped wood though), which since a lot of the work with ATV trails will be clearing out brush <2" in diameter, and bigger trees will drop limbs after winter (ice storms...) in particular seemed like a good idea. I had to look up what a rock bucket is after rScotty's message, but at first glance seemed like a sorta specialized hybrid of FEL std bucket and grapple. Interesting idea on the SSQA forks rather than grapple, but think given what I need to do, the grasping ability - and attendant plumbing - will be very helpful.

Also interesting idea re straight blade w end caps vs box blade; stored for further consideration after I have a few hours in the tractor seat to consider it better.

Point taken re multiple tractors. If it happens, it happens. (The past 20 years I've done lots of work with computers....if you asked me 25 years ago, I would never have thought I'd ever end up with more than one, but life sneaks up on you. Maybe same will happen with tractors...) Actually, though she's rather bemused about the whole thing right now, I rather suspect my wife will soon quite enjoy using *my* tractor and we'll get a 2nd one in part for marital bliss :) Or maybe that's when I get an excavator....

Editing to add: see some more replies above me; will respond to tomorrow. It's becoming clear the "right" answer is different depending on whether the priority is regular access road maintenance or the ATV trials and general purpose mucking around. Good food for thought, also/esp. which of the two I'm more prepared to outsource to contractors/rented equipment, with little dabbling from me here and there, versus which one I want to regularly do myself and only get in help for big stuff once in a while.

Road maintenance takes a surprisingly big heavy machine in order to end up with a smooth surface instead of just deepening the washboards. Making a halfway smooth road - especially one with a crown and drainage - is one of the most difficult and specialized of of all tractor tasks and especially hard to do with most pulled implements. If all you want is a path through the woods for a battered 4wd pickup truck , a tractor or dozer can make the initial path, but a decent road needs building by something with a large blade mounted either midline or on the front. And that blade needs to be sharp and heavy. AND it needs to be adjustable for angle, TILT, and offset. Yep, that's either a road grader or a dozer..... and I'd recommend you hire one to have that work done....at least the first few times.

Everyone on TBN will recommend that a loader have SSQA and a set of front remotes. It has become the standard. So get your loader with SSQA and front remotes if you can. It opens up a whole world of options including all the types of grapples and skid steer rental specialty attachements. But don't make it a deal-breaker on otherwise the right machine because both SSQA and front remote hydraulics can be added later - but do get a price on doing so. Generally you can add SSQA for about $500 and front hydraulic controls and outlets for about twice that.

The only advantage to a rock bucket and grapple instead of a standard front bucket and grapple is that with the rock bucket I can push forward with the tines an inch or so beneath the surface and still leave the dirt behind when picking up the trash. That's necessary here on our land, but may not make any difference to you. If you have SSQA you can try out each method and only takes a few minutes to swap them out.

If you are at all handy, remember that you can buy simple bolt-on hydraulic grapples that will attach to any bucket that you end up with.

Box blades for the rear are inexpensive, most people have one laying around. You can't hurt a box blade....at least I've never heard of anyone doing so. They are the most rugged implement going and you can pile weight on them to offset a full loader or just to do more work. All of which means that everyone has a box blade or two - and every box blade ever built still works just fine. They are basic, inexpensive, and tend to come with used tractors. Most every dealer will offer to throw one in.... A used box blade is about a $250 bonus around here. I think we've got three of them laying out in the implement row behind the barn. And they are universal; you can always borrow one.

Good back blades are a different story. All of them have adjustable angle, but the better ones have finer adjustment on that angle adjustment, as well as having adjustable tilt and adjustable offset. Those adjustments can be manual or hydraulic. Either will work, but hydraulic sure is nice. Of course hydraulics can also be added later to any of the better blades or tractors. The better back blades will also have options for removeable or folding end caps as well as having some form of trailing wheels or skids to help it follow the ground without so much digging in. Ours is a "Big Rhino" brand and we use it more for snow than for dirt.
BTW, using any towed implement requires driving forward while looking backwards. Combined with cold and bouncing around, that can be real tough on your back.....

Little tractors make great power wheel barrows. I've found that some rural wives just love their tractors and others would just rather do the chores by hand - I've heard several say they think the noise, grease, and smell just aren't worth putting up with and they would rather do chores by hand & enjoy them.
I can see both ways. My wife thinks that tractors can be great fun - for me - and she is glad we have them, but honestly she rarely uses a tractor even though she knows how. She's one of those who prefer to do chores by hand. Maybe it's an exercise and quiet time thing.

Good luck on the excavator! As good as my wife is with supporting our tractors, she draws the line at an excavator - though she doesn't mind hiring one when we need it.
rScotty
 

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   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #47  
Wow, Houska, several hundred acres? And a 4 km road? Man, you scored big time! And speaking of Canadian Shield, where exactly are you compared to Algonquin Park? (We have 25 acres on the lake just south of Algonquin Park, near the West End.). And we have a Kubota, and are very happy with both dealers that are in between Toronto where we live and the property.

And I’m not so sure about all this discussion about heavy duty road building equipment. Didn’t you say the previous owner had maintained it well, and so don’t you just need some maintenance work? I suppose it depends on how many rocks you have just beneath the surface. I maintain my half kilometer road with just a box blade behind my Kubota BX 25.
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie)
  • Thread Starter
#48  
Wow, Houska, several hundred acres? And a 4 km road? Man, you scored big time! And speaking of Canadian Shield, where exactly are you compared to Algonquin Park? (We have 25 acres on the lake just south of Algonquin Park, near the West End.). And we have a Kubota, and are very happy with both dealers that are in between Toronto where we live and the property.

And I’m not so sure about all this discussion about heavy duty road building equipment. Didn’t you say the previous owner had maintained it well, and so don’t you just need some maintenance work? I suppose it depends on how many rocks you have just beneath the surface. I maintain my half kilometer road with just a box blade behind my Kubota BX 25.
:wave: across Algonquin Park to you! We're between Perth and Sharbot Lake, E of Algonquin 90 mins from Ottawa.
Have closest Kubota dealer on the way home in Perth, another in Ottawa, a Branson dealer also on the way home in Almonte/Carleton Place, and (tbc) Kioti in Athens, a slight detour to the southeast.
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie)
  • Thread Starter
#49  
Well, I've started reaching out to dealers and they're keen to give quotes even before I visit to put butt in seat. (Sometimes even before I really tell them what I'm looking for... :) )

Nearest is Branson. Listens and is thoughtful while listening. Has a 4225H in stock he seems motivated to sell, offers 4225H+BL200 loader+B860 backhoe for a decent but not super price.

Next nearest is Kubota. Listens and is thoughtful in followup. First pushed me towards MX4800, but then quoted L4060+loader+BH92 hoe instead, not sure whether because he decided his initial advice was wrong or because we wants to sell a L4060 more(?). I was surprised his quote is about the same as the Branson (not 100% apples-to-apples comparison, but close enough), at today's Cdn/US exchange rates about 16% below the Kubota USA online list price calculator (there isn't a Cdn equivalent I think).

(LS dealer is away until next week. Kioti dealer unimpressive, decided 5 mins into the conversation a CK2510H was the machine for me 'cause that's what he sells the most, and my concerns on weight and 19 HP PTO were brushed aside, telling me I'd never need more that that anyway...)

I'm rather surprised to be being quoted Branson at about the same as $ as Kubota L! I thought from what I had read Branson would be significantly less expensive. The specs on the 4225H are a bit better, but still. Reactions?
 
   / Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie) #50  
Maybe Canadian prices? Maybe Kubota's expensive in my area. My 3725H was cheaper than the quotes I got for L3301/3901, let alone an L60 series. The Kubota quotes were list price, which seems typical here.

I like my Branson but based on features I'd get an L60 if it's the same price. Some people may be concerned about the electronics and regen on the Kubota.
 

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