Tires -- turf & R4

[jimg]

Hi,
I've been lurking for the past few wks and decided to decloak as I've gotten about as far as I can on old postings. I'm in the later stages of a tractor purchase and could use some 'live' input.

First, Im only looking at small chassis tractors as the intended tasks don't warrant more and my lawn & drain field certainly would appreciate the lesser weight. Ive looked over the various colors and I think blue is the one Im going with as it meets the need and is most cost effective.

So...heres what Im planning:
1) reclaiming some rather wild land (pulling rocks, stumping
pulling roots)

2) fixing rock walls

3) landscaping

4) trenching to bury utilities and for foundations for small
outbuildings

5) lawn mowing

6) snowblowing

7) moving hay around on occassion and maybe mowing

8) rototilling my garden...and enlarging it

In future I planned to weld up a log splitter for the 3pt hitch and run the hydraulics off the PTO. I thought I might also look into a PTO driven generator too. Those projects are the future though.

At this point Im unsure of which tires might work the best. Some say R4 are the way to go and others say theyll ruin your lawn. Not that Im a fanatic about perfection but I really dont want to snuff out the few weeds that pass for a lawn. On the other end Im sure turf tires won't run all that well in the snow or woods. Utility has to be a 4 season deal. I wondered if chains might be the ticket but Ive no experience and cant find anyone who seems to use their machine in this way. Will chains eat the turf tires? How would you handle this compromise? Your experiences and input would be most welcome.

The other question is the backhoe. Im wondering if its up to stumping and rock pulling. I figured Id have to go slow but will the constant heavy use be too much out of spec for it? That is, was it engineered with this in mind? My question isnt about ability to lift or dig but about ability to stay together and in good repair.

While I could (and certainly will) put these questions to my salesman its nice to hear from someone(s) who have no dog in the fight.

My final question concerns my drain field. Will the driving over it do damage? Im fairly sure the turf tires wont but still thought Id ask. Ive heard theyre rather expensive to replace.

That said Im greatly looking forward to getting this tractor. For the past 10 yrs Ive done my nearly 2ac lawn and 1/2+mi snow blowing with walk behind machines. Whatever will I do w/ all the extra time?? Ill check back if I cant figure out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Thanx jimg

 

[Bird]

What size (which model) New Holland do you have in mind?

 

[jimg]

Hmmmm...my initial reply didnt seem to show up...try #2.

The TC24. Its the top end of the small chassis class. jimg

 

[John_Mc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The TC24. Its the top end of the small chassis class. jimg )</font>

That would put you into a NH 756C back hoe, if you chose to go with a NH backhoe. It's a solid backhoe. Will dig a two foot flat bottom 6 feet deep (4' 8" to an 8 foot flat bottom) so if you need to bury your lines below the frost line, it will get you there.

When you say "moving hay around and maybe mowing" I hope you are not considering lifting 1000# round bales with this unit. It's a bit on the small side to handle something like that. You also probably do not have the HP to run the agricultural haying equipment, but if you are truly just mowing it you should be OK. It will handle either a 4 or 5 foot rotary mower (aka "Brush Hog").

The 12LA loader that NH makes for this tractor is a great unit. You'll be happy with it. I would recommend investing in a toothbar for the loader if you are going to be digging up many rocks (not many of those in NH, huh?) it makes a world of difference.

John Mc

John Mc

 

[Bird]

I suppose it depends to some extent on how deep your drain fields are buried, but in my opinion, you're not likely to hurt it with a TC24D. There will probably always be debates about which tires are best, but to me it sounds as if the R4s would be your best choice. The turf tires would be best for mowing and R1 would be best for the other, and the R4 is the best compromise in my personal opinion. I assume you're talking about the little square bales of hay because I doubt you'll be able to move the round bales with a tractor that small (although I have rolled some around with a FEL on a small tractor when I couldn't pick them up). I haven't owned a backhoe, but if you read the numerous accounts on this forum, I think the concensus is that it will hold together just fine if you just take it slow and easy and you can do what you want to do. With the work you've listed, you obviously intend to get a front end loader and a tiller and a mower (mid-mount or rear 3-point mower? Some prefer one; some prefer the other and there's been a lot of discussion here about that. Each has its advantages and disadvantages). I don't play in the snow in my part of the country, but lots of our members do; some use chains, some don't; some use the front end loader and a rear blade, some use a blower. Whichever way you go, I'll bet you like it better than what you've been using. Good luck with your shopping.

 

[jimg]

Thanx for the info on the hoe. Was just concerned it wasnt up to the very rigorous task of digging rocks and stumps. Wasnt planning to dig them w/ the loader though. I thought the hoe would do a better job of it.

As for the hay no one I know does rolls....just sq bales. I was thinking along the lines of mowing (w/ a bar mower) and moving wagons loaded w/ hay. Nothing so ambitious as running a conditioner or baler. Actually was thinking about a flail mower as a do all and just changing the knives to hammers for rough work.

As for rocks we seem to have a few. jimg

 

[jimg]

Thanx for the input on the tires, chains and drain field. Nope wasnt planning to mess w/ rolls. They arent that popular up here w/ small operators. Most are square bails. The mowing part was w/ a bar mower.

As for attachments wasnt planning to buy a tiller. Ill borrow that from a friend. Im planning to use a pull behind mower as I can back it in to make a more complete job. Not many obsticles to drive around so it should be OK. Its also less expensive and easier to mount/dismount than a midmount. I decided on a blower b/c it gets the snow well out of the way so theres no need to knock the burms down midwinter. Theres also that problem of figuring out where to push it when theres no more room. jimg