Tractor Shopping

[Kevin1967]

I just have to chuckle to myself when I read about guys who don't do a little research on little tractors and dozers. The design of the spindly arms on a small tractor are meant for moving loose material. The arms on a skid steer rest against the frame when pushing or digging. I've seen the videos of guys digging ponds with tractors, beating the equipment to crap. Hire out the heavy work and use the tractor for maintaining. Post a pic of the intended operation to give a perspective.

From the responses I have been getting, I figured I would go and snap some pics with my cell today. Plus, its not pouring rain today!

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Was looking at this for stumps if I need it. Extreme HD Stump Bucket Tree Scoop | V2

Yeah, those are interesting. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably buy that instead of the bucket spade I bought. My bucket spade doesn't clamp to my bucket because of the bolt-on edge, and it's unwieldy on my pallet forks, though it gets the job done for digging holes for trees, which is all I use it for so far. The stump bucket looks a lot more interesting for getting into the ground with the FEL.

 

[Cranblue]

No, I wont be cutting fields. If anything just small gardens. I am leaning to building boxes and putting up chicken wire to keep the deer out.

I dont think I will be hauling whole trees. More likely just picking them up cutting them with a chainsaw and loading them into my ranger to be taken and split.

The trees I have down are probably in the 4"-8" range, I have two really big ones down, roots and all from tornado. I have a guy coming over with heavy equipment to take care of that.

There is a very large pile of trash left by timber company where my property was logged several years before I bought the place. I would like the grapple to get into those and clean them up and burn them. also had some trees blow across a public road that have been cut and just pushed back into my property out of the road.

The steepest of my property is behind my house and I am getting quotes to have that cleared by a professional to open up my mountain views. Even at this location it is mostly seedlings, with a few small trees broken from ice storm or down.

I have a 90acre farm in KY, where I have a bigger tractor. I plant and bush hog move trees and stuff there, and its rolling. I don't think I can maneuver that tractor in these woods.

Thanks for the advice.

Yes as you have figured out bigger is not always better !! Smaller tractor cut trees into smaller pieces I use pallet forks to haul trees and branches. BH very debatable on forum I have BH 92 on L4701 very impressed with its performance on my 20 acres 100s of tree stumps dug out.I spent over 25 years running Excavators and full size BH JD 410 was the last one I ran my Kubota pound for pound is excellent for home -property owner.I’ve rented excavator when I burned my trees up Ex 85 Bob cat with thumb did not want to use tractor on very large pile getting to close to heat my personal preference.I have a neighbor who does food plots mowing of trails he went with Kubota 3901 for narrowness it tight places and he’s been happy with size.If one takes there time and knows limits of there machine the job will get done and operator and machine stay intact.Good luck with new tractor purchase Kioti or Branson should serve you well keep us posted when you pull trigger.

 

[kenmbz]

Even little tractors can pull big stumps, just takes some time!

Though I only have 6 acres and would certainly recommend something much larger for your size land.
A lady near me has thirty acres and the same tractor, but she contracts out the bigger work.
And no, this is no where near the biggest stump I have removed, but this one took three tries over a few days and I cut up a bit to move it around.

 

[Kevin1967]

Yes as you have figured out bigger is not always better !! Smaller tractor cut trees into smaller pieces I use pallet forks to haul trees and branches. BH very debatable on forum I have BH 92 on L4701 very impressed with its performance on my 20 acres 100s of tree stumps dug out.I spent over 25 years running Excavators and full size BH JD 410 was the last one I ran my Kubota pound for pound is excellent for home -property owner.I’ve rented excavator when I burned my trees up Ex 85 Bob cat with thumb did not want to use tractor on very large pile getting to close to heat my personal preference.I have a neighbor who does food plots mowing of trails he went with Kubota 3901 for narrowness it tight places and he’s been happy with size.If one takes there time and knows limits of there machine the job will get done and operator and machine stay intact.Good luck with new tractor purchase Kioti or Branson should serve you well keep us posted when you pull trigger.

Thanks for sharing. Impressive resume. Yeah, if I wanted I could just drive up and get my bigger tractor. Would save me $25K. Plus, my wife wants a smaller tractor to help me out.
I have watched lots of videos and have read this and other forums and I am convinced a 25hp tractor could get the jobs done. I just dont have any experience with smaller tractors and there are so many manufacturers. I had never even heard of TYM, Branson, Yanmar, LS, Fendi until I started looking. My observation is that it really doesn't matter which one of these I go with. The engines are Yanmar or Mitsubishi, all from South Korea. Weight, hydraulics and customer service are whats important in this class of tractor.

 

[JM7500]

I will be getting a new Branson on Monday from Midstate Turf and Tractor in Springfield, TN. Lance is great to work with and will make what ever package you want. He is not the closest dealer. The Kioti dealer in Murfressboro is 40 miles from me. They seem pretty good too. I agree with the other posters, get a heavier tractor. HP isn't as much of a factor. The Bransons are heavy tractors.

 

[fried1765]

45 acres is about 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile, how far do you plan to move all these trees? It will take you about 10 minutes do drive across your land traveling on trails with a load and realistically you only want to carry about half the FEL capacity for safety and longevity of your equipment (at least that's my rule of thumb).

As already mentioned this is not the tool you want to dig a pond with.

"45 acres is about 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile"
Yah really think so?

 

[Rdrcr]

I will be getting a new Branson on Monday from Midstate Turf and Tractor in Springfield, TN. Lance is great to work with and will make what ever package you want. He is not the closest dealer. The Kioti dealer in Murfressboro is 40 miles from me. They seem pretty good too. I agree with the other posters, get a heavier tractor. HP isn't as much of a factor. The Bransons are heavy tractors.

Congratulations!

Mike

 

[Kevin1967]

I will be getting a new Branson on Monday from Midstate Turf and Tractor in Springfield, TN. Lance is great to work with and will make what ever package you want. He is not the closest dealer. The Kioti dealer in Murfressboro is 40 miles from me. They seem pretty good too. I agree with the other posters, get a heavier tractor. HP isn't as much of a factor. The Bransons are heavy tractors.

Yep, thats what I am looking at. Went to a Branson dealer today in Cookeville.

 

[Kevin1967]

I just have to chuckle to myself when I read about guys who don't do a little research on little tractors and dozers. The design of the spindly arms on a small tractor are meant for moving loose material. The arms on a skid steer rest against the frame when pushing or digging. I've seen the videos of guys digging ponds with tractors, beating the equipment to crap. Hire out the heavy work and use the tractor for maintaining. Post a pic of the intended operation to give a perspective.