too big?

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I don't know why you can't dig a pond with a tractor.. I believe you can. Provided you have dirt to dig in, and have plenty of time and diesel fuel.

Making a pond - YouTube

Digging a pond with a Compact Tractor - Kioti CK20s - YouTube

john deere 2305 pond building - YouTube

Sure you can. But how long will it take versus hiring a dozer to do it in a few days? And what will you do when you've got it dug a few feet deep and then it rains. Now you've got a mudhole until it dries out again. And then you get to go bog around in it trying to dig some more before it rains again.

I hired a dozer to dig mine. A few days later I had an approx one acre pond that was about 14 feet deep. A couple of weeks later it came a 7.5" rain and filled it completely up, and in fact overflowed around the backside of the dam. (7.5" in 12 hours will do that.) I stocked it with catfish, bluegill, perch and minnows, and I go feed them every couple of days.

If I had tried to dig it with my tractor, I'd STILL be out there bogging around. And I'd have a partially dug mudhole to deal with.

 

[k0ua]

Sure you can. But how long will it take versus hiring a dozer to do it in a few days? And what will you do when you've got it dug a few feet deep and then it rains. Now you've got a mudhole until it dries out again. And then you get to go bog around in it trying to dig some more before it rains again.

I hired a dozer to dig mine. A few days later I had an approx one acre pond that was about 14 feet deep. A couple of weeks later it came a 7.5" rain and filled it completely up, and in fact overflowed around the backside of the dam. (7.5" in 12 hours will do that.) I stocked it with catfish, bluegill, perch and minnows, and I go feed them every couple of days.

If I had tried to dig it with my tractor, I'd STILL be out there bogging around. And I'd have a partially dug mudhole to deal with.

You make excellent points!.. There is a difference in can and should! I guess you could do your digging in August! and pray for NO rain.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You guys are funny. :laughing: You are of the mind set that it rains every where. Trust me, IT DOES NOT. This guy is in Washington, but we don't know where. We hope for rain EVERY SINGLE DAY where I am.

 

[k0ua]

You guys are funny. :laughing: You are of the mind set that it rains every where. Trust me, IT DOES NOT. This guy is in Washington, but we don't know where. We hope for rain EVERY SINGLE DAY where I am.

Wasn't there some song lyrics that said ♫ "it never rains in southern California!" ♫

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Wasn't there some song lyrics that said ♫ "it never rains in southern California!" ♫

Yes there was-is, and unfortunately it seems to have moved north a bit, so the water that we use to import from northern California is in very short supply.

 

[mikespeed6]

To clarify on where, I'm in south east Washington and the pond will be small probably 40x50' and only a few feet deep for koi. The dirt feels very soft and spongy however I have not done any digging yet. It's way softer than the clay I'm used to. Time is not a concern and diesel is cheap.....

 

[Gary Fowler]

To clarify on where, I'm in south east Washington and the pond will be small probably 40x50' and only a few feet deep for koi. The dirt feels very soft and spongy however I have not done any digging yet. It's way softer than the clay I'm used to. Time is not a concern and diesel is cheap.....

I dug one that size with my LS in 2 days (actually one day was started at 4 PM right after I got the LS off the delivery truck) using the FEL and box blade with scarifiers to loosen up the very hard dirt. It took all summer, winter and finally filled up about March when we finally got enough rain to start the springs flowing again. It was only about half full from run off and then the springs started flowing and filled it to overflowing in 2 days.

 

[Gary Fowler]

As far as being too big, I would not offer advice on that. I have 11 acres and have a 70 HP with FEL and a 26 HP TLB and wouldn't be without either of them. Just recently I felled a couple of dead oaks that even my 70 HP had trouble dragging off even after I de-limbed it and cut it down as much as possible (it was leaning across a creek so that is how I had to put it) and now way to cut it any smaller. Any smaller tractor and it would still be across the creek.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Given enough time, any tractor can dig a pond. This fellow dung one with a Kioti CK20.

 

[Cherokee140]

I agree any machine can do anything given the time and desire to do it.

But many here would say there is no such thing as too big.

 

[k0ua]

Given enough time, any tractor can dig a pond. This fellow dung one with a Kioti CK20.

Eric he is one of our active members (TSO) and if you get a chance you might read and correct what you typed.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I agree any machine can do anything given the time and desire to do it.

But many here would say there is no such thing as too big.

There is a class of people with nothing to do and all day to do it, in which a smaller tractor would allow them to knock out what they want to accomplish (eventually), save some money, and keep them busy. Like this guy who swore off his 500hp cars to drift a 100 hp beater like a pro.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Eric he is one of our active members (TSO) and if you get a chance you might read and correct what you typed.

I thought it was TSO, since the YouTube channel is TSO. =)

 

[TSO]

I'm glad that video still gets attention and helps folks ...

 

[xring100]

For me the question would be are any of these really big enough. I also own 10 acres and For me that answer was not even close. I wanted lift capacity and traction. I settled with 85 hp and it suits me well. Is it to much tractor yeah probably 30% of the time. But for me a 30-40 hp would be to small 80-90% of the time. Eventually i will end of with a ~50 HP Cabed CUT to compliment the bigger tractor. That said Lots of people with similar sized lots can get buy with the horsepower range your looking at and be happy all day long. I'm also the type who picks up a MS290 and or a husky 455 rancher and makes one cut and determines that i don't have the patience to work with so little power. I need more power and better power/weight.

Of the models your looking at the MF1736 is hands down the winner in my mind. But may I ask why your comparing Apples to Oranges and a Lime The Massey is a premium CUT while the kubota and deere models you've chosen to look at are the econo boxes. A fair comparison would be to look at a L3560 or the john deere 3039R or The Massey Econo box 1739E to the L3800 and the JD3038E this would level set the playing field

 

[MtnViewRanch]

For me the question would be are any of these really big enough. I also own 10 acres and For me that answer was not even close. I wanted lift capacity and traction. I settled with 85 hp and it suits me well. Is it to much tractor yeah probably 30% of the time. But for me a 30-40 hp would be to small 80-90% of the time. Eventually i will end of with a ~50 HP Cabed CUT to compliment the bigger tractor. That said Lots of people with similar sized lots can get buy with the horsepower range your looking at and be happy all day long. I'm also the type who picks up a MS290 and or a husky 455 rancher and makes one cut and determines that i don't have the patience to work with so little power. I need more power and better power/weight.


Of the models your looking at the MF1736 is hands down the winner in my mind. But may I ask why your comparing Apples to Oranges and a Lime The Massey is a premium CUT while the kubota and deere models you've chosen to look at are the econo boxes. A fair comparison would be to look at a L3560 or the john deere 3039R or The Massey Econo box 1739E to the L3800 and the JD3038E this would level set the playing field
May i ask why your trying to Compare apples and

Maybe because that is what his different dealers carry? :confused3: I know that my local JD dealer says that the 3032e and the 3038e are his biggest sellers. Well, that might be because that is about all they bring in besides mowers. :mur: I'm sure that they have their reasons though.

 

[94BULLITT]

You would wear a tractor out here trying to dig a pond. The ground is rally hard!

 

[TomSeller]

I bought a L3800DT two years ago knowing I really needed a slightly larger tractor. Price was too good to pass at 15K w/fel. Figured I run it a couple years then trade up. But have decided it's a keeper and isn't going anywhere. Very impressed with the power, traction & nimbleness. I'll get a larger one at some point, but will keep the 3800...

There you go. The more tractors the better. Bought 11, sold 0.

 

[xring100]

Maybe because that is what his different dealers carry? :confused3: I know that my local JD dealer says that the 3032e and the 3038e are his biggest sellers. Well, that might be because that is about all they bring in besides mowers. :mur: I'm sure that they have their reasons though.

I guess when your trying to compete with kioti, mahindra, Branson LS. Etc for price they might have to. The bigger dealers around here carry premium models also.