tractor use assumptions

[dhagood]

my wife and i are planning our retirement home. for my wife, retirement is perhaps 5 years away. i've been out of work for a long time, and have pretty much given up at this point. today we put an offer on a 36 acre tract of land in elbert county, colorado. we're pretty much city slickers at this point. we've lived in the denver suburbs for our entire married lives, and i am tired of the bustle, the noise, the traffic, the bad air, and all the other negatives of a major metropolitan area. this is going to be a big change for my wife and i, and we will need to change all manner of things. our vehicles, for instance, as my wife's volvo isn't going to cut it dealing with gravel roads during the spring thaw. i might even have to sell my porsche 911 on the other hand, i'll get to buy a tractor.

i have, based upon a lot of reading here at TBN and talking with tractor owning folks, made some assumptions about what is reasonable for both the tractor and the implements we'll need. the way i figure it, we'll need a box blade to create and maintain the driveway and landscape after the house has been built. we'll need a FEL to handle backfilling, other soil transportation chores, and to assist in snow removal. a boom pole/cherrypicker is necessary to help unload heavy objects and to help lift them high upon occasion. and some sort of scraper blade to handle primary snow removal tasks. in order to do all these things, a tractor of approximately 30 horsepower (for both power and weight) would seem to be the sweet spot. am i very far out of line with these assumptions?

and finally, how much use would i get out of a backhoe? this question is the reason i posted this thread here and not in the buying/pricing/comparisons forum. if a backhoe is essential, that's one thing. if a backhoe is just kinda handy to have around, i can save up backhoe tasks and rent one when i need it?

thoughts?

 

[murphy1244]

my wife and i are planning our retirement home. for my wife, retirement is perhaps 5 years away. i've been out of work for a long time, and have pretty much given up at this point. today we put an offer on a 36 acre tract of land in elbert county, colorado. we're pretty much city slickers at this point. we've lived in the denver suburbs for our entire married lives, and i am tired of the bustle, the noise, the traffic, the bad air, and all the other negatives of a major metropolitan area. this is going to be a big change for my wife and i, and we will need to change all manner of things. our vehicles, for instance, as my wife's volvo isn't going to cut it dealing with gravel roads during the spring thaw. i might even have to sell my porsche 911 on the other hand, i'll get to buy a tractor.

i have, based upon a lot of reading here at TBN and talking with tractor owning folks, made some assumptions about what is reasonable for both the tractor and the implements we'll need. the way i figure it, we'll need a box blade to create and maintain the driveway and landscape after the house has been built. we'll need a FEL to handle backfilling, other soil transportation chores, and to assist in snow removal. a boom pole/cherrypicker is necessary to help unload heavy objects and to help lift them high upon occasion. and some sort of scraper blade to handle primary snow removal tasks. in order to do all these things, a tractor of approximately 30 horsepower (for both power and weight) would seem to be the sweet spot. am i very far out of line with these assumptions?

and finally, how much use would i get out of a backhoe? this question is the reason i posted this thread here and not in the buying/pricing/comparisons forum. if a backhoe is essential, that's one thing. if a backhoe is just kinda handy to have around, i can save up backhoe tasks and rent one when i need it?

thoughts?

Forget the cherry picker and weld hooks to your bucket, Backhoes are fun and run about 8000.00. HP depends on what implements you plan to buy. Have fun looking and find a dealer that you can work with no matter what color.

 

[whistlepig]

I would love to have a backhoe but really can't justify the price. For me a backhoe would be like my post hole digger. When I got all my fence up the post hole digger now just sits in the barn. Same way with a backhoe. I think it depends on a persons needs. Some folks that use them a lot makes the cost well worthwhile. I would never get enough use out of one to make it worthwhile for me.

 

[Qapla]

Unless you are planning on a lot of digging and/or trenching a backhoe is not really needed. Like your said, you can rent one when/if needed.

In addition to the things you mentioned, you may want to think about a brush cutter/ deck mower, a tiller, plow, disk set.

 

[k0ua]

I don't have a backhoe because I would not get much use out of it with the lack of soil depth we have on a lot of the place here, Just too much rock just under the surface. But a lot of folks get a lot of good from their backhoe's and would not be without one.. I use a loader all the time, and a rotary cutter a little. I have hooks welded on to my buckets to lift things with chains. I built a little "shovel" that chains on to my bucket to dig small holes/trenches with the ease of hydraulics It is very usefull.

James K0UA

 

[whistlepig]

By far my quick attach loader is may favorite. My old and achy back thanks me for it every time I use it.

 

[LD1]

As others said, no need for the boom pole.

The BH is questionable. As is the size of the machine. What is the 36 acres like? All open fields? Woods? Old fence rows? Hilly? And what do you plan on doing with the 36 acres? Is there already a house there? Or are you going to build one? etc.

 

[GregbkH]

Backhoes are great for more than just digging and trenching especially if you have some woods and rocks. They are very handy and can help you do a lot of things by yourself.

Add a grapple and you can clean up a lot of brush, stack logs etc.

 

[ATP]

Very Cool Pics...

 

[TripleR]

Someone once wrote am excellent post to a question like this and only wish I had saved it.

When choosing a tractor, HP is only one of the many things to consider, a Kubota B3200 and L3240 are both the same HP, but not even close in features or capabilities. You need to look at weights, specs on FEL, 3PH, hydraulic flow, stability, transmission type and so on. What is needed or adequate is going to depend, as LD1 pointed out, tasks and terrain. No one can give really good, comprehensive advice without more information or at least I can't. Even then, it may need some adjustment with changing conditions. Getting your property to a point you want then maintaining it at that level is a tough balancing act.

Years ago my brother, father and I had projects going on or in the planning stages, so my dad bought a used back hoe that my brother fixed up. It has now sat in the shed for years and we now rent. For us, the money saved well exceeded money spent, so it was a good decision. Some place a high value on having one immediately available and some don't. We can have one delivered to one of our farms or go pick one up in a day or so and not have to worry about storage and have that money invested in equipment we use frequently or even better another tractor.

I am a proponent of renting for special needs. I once thought a tracked skid loader would be a great addition as we stored one for a friend for several months. We quickly ran out of things to do with it and it just sat around. We rented one for a little over a week this summer for about $1100; don't know when or if we will ever need another; same thing with a mini excavator.

For anyone new to tractors, I recommend renting one of about the size you think you will need and try it out for a weekend to get a baseline for future comparison while shopping. Many people are often intimidated by a tractor the size they need and with use, a tractor "shrinks". I once rejected a tractor suggested by my wife because I told her it was too big. Heck, I've been operating tractors for close to sixty years from 25 HP up, I "know stuff".:laughing: Well it was kind of embarrassing when it turned out to be one of our best buys.

I am sure I have overlooked something, but someone will be along to fill in the blanks.

Good luck.

 

[Buppies]

The terrain of your land is a big determining factor as to what size tractor you will need. The steeper the land the wider the tractor for stability. I personally own a backhoe in business so did not need one on tractor. Have owned several different ones and have settled on a 5240 Kubota hst-3. Trying different ones out on your land is a good way to know what feels right. Don't be fooled by size if it looks to big on the dealers lot it will not on your property. HST is a lot like driving a car and works well for moving dirt grading mulching etc. TripleR is an invaluable source of information and always offers honest opinions. Good luck in your search

 

[BeezFun]

I rented 3 tractors and borrowed 2from neighbors before buying. Two of rentals had backhoes (B21 and L35). I would have bought wrong tractor without that experience.

 

[woodlandfarms]

So you say you are going to build a house, correct. For the most part if you plan correctly you will not need a huge tractor or BH. In the process of building there will be a bunch of heavy equipment around. As delivery and return are part of the deal, especially out on 40 acres in the sticks, take advantage of having the bulldozer around and do those future dreams. While it takes some of the fun away of opening up your property, it reduces the wear and tear. Also, with 40 acres the work is never done so don't think that if you have a Bulldozer knock out some trails and open up some of the property you aren't going to need a tractor.

As for the direct quesiton. I use my BH but for my machine it wasn't 8K. If it had been I would have passed. In the end I get much more done with a post hole digger.

 

[tractchores]

The bh is a great tool. I have one, its not my most used implement, but itll pay for itself over the years ill own it. Sme jobs for it include: cleaning drainage ditches, stacking logs, moving rocks, building stone walls, ballast, trenching, ditches, stump removal, tree removal, scraping small areas and lots more. If you get the right one removal is 5 mins and i often switch between that and a 3 pt implement several times in acday depending on the job.

 

[Deere Dude]

my wife and i are planning our retirement home. for my wife, retirement is perhaps 5 years away. i've been out of work for a long time, and have pretty much given up at this point. today we put an offer on a 36 acre tract of land in elbert county, colorado. we're pretty much city slickers at this point. we've lived in the denver suburbs for our entire married lives, and i am tired of the bustle, the noise, the traffic, the bad air, and all the other negatives of a major metropolitan area. this is going to be a big change for my wife and i, and we will need to change all manner of things. our vehicles, for instance, as my wife's volvo isn't going to cut it dealing with gravel roads during the spring thaw. i might even have to sell my porsche 911 on the other hand, i'll get to buy a tractor.

i have, based upon a lot of reading here at TBN and talking with tractor owning folks, made some assumptions about what is reasonable for both the tractor and the implements we'll need. the way i figure it, we'll need a box blade to create and maintain the driveway and landscape after the house has been built. we'll need a FEL to handle backfilling, other soil transportation chores, and to assist in snow removal. a boom pole/cherrypicker is necessary to help unload heavy objects and to help lift them high upon occasion. and some sort of scraper blade to handle primary snow removal tasks. in order to do all these things, a tractor of approximately 30 horsepower (for both power and weight) would seem to be the sweet spot. am i very far out of line with these assumptions?

and finally, how much use would i get out of a backhoe? this question is the reason i posted this thread here and not in the buying/pricing/comparisons forum. if a backhoe is essential, that's one thing. if a backhoe is just kinda handy to have around, i can save up backhoe tasks and rent one when i need it?

thoughts?

What about a set of quick attach forks. They are super handy to have.

 

[radioman]

gee-- this is a tough question to answer to a city slicker as you call yourselves. You mentioned gravel drive and you live in CO. Ok- this means lots of snow there, but how long is this driveway to the new home? the length of drive and if i tshort and straight on a flat land you will need less hp/smaller size. add hills and curves, you going up in HP and size. too many unknowns here. You say you want a BH but dont know if you can justify it? How much work are you planning to do yourself? Do you know how much work is involved? Do you have the time to do the work? quite often for someone with no experience is cheaper to hire the work to be done. I have a really small tractor with BH and its easy to take on and off, but over 30 acres in CO? I think its a bad choice- go bigger. Do you have woods? stumps/rocks to remove? etc.
I think we need to ask you more questions before telling you what you need.

 

[RobertBrown]

Doesn't sound like money or room is a consideration, so if you think you need one make it part of the package. As long as it's not real proprietary you could sell it if it starts to get in the way. They do take up a lot of room, but if you have lots of room you probably won't regret owning one. You will find uses for backhoe.
Don't you think you might want to get a mower for that machine? Are you going to have a lawn of any kind? How about a rotary cutter?

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have much more money than necessary tied up in tractors mostly because I wanted a big one for digging and hauling large loads and a cab for those hot days so I got a LS P7010C. I had first bought a greymarket Yanmar 4220D with FEL and it did a lot of work but it was awkward to get on and off as it was designed for smaller framed Japanese and small bucket didnt haul a lot of material so that is when I bought the LS. That worked out OK and then I found a good deal on a B26 Kubota TLB and have really gotten lots of work out of the back hoe. I put 140 hours on the little tractor in less than 4 months but now the work has slowed down. For me it was worth it to have the dedicated backhoe. I have since sold my Yanmar so I still have 2 tractors. The Kubota does all the small stuff and is pretty hefty for such a small tractor. I have dug rocks, stumps, ditches, buried animals (dead of course) dug up scrub brush and moved cut down brush. I think the backhoe has paid for itself already compared to renting. I havent priced one this size but would think it would be $65 or more per hour so at that rate I have used about $9100 worth of back hoe which is more than an add on hoe to a tractor would cost, so mine is justified to me at least. You may not need that much work and a rental might fit your situation better. I just wish I would have bought the TLB a few years earlier.
My suggestion is dont get too large of a tractor. My LS (70HP) while great for large task of digging and rock hauling, is too large to get into small areas and trees have to be trimmed to 12 feet high to avoid hitting them with the cab. The B26 gets more use now because of its smaller foot print and more maneuverability.

 

[newbury]

Backhoes are a waste of money and I'm glad I wasted the money. Some of the most fun I've had on my tractor is with the backhoe, and I've only got a small one.

30 hp sounds small for your needs. I'd recommend 40hp at least, 4WD, w/ extra remotes.

 

[dhagood]

thanks for all the responses. there have been multiple replies that ask for more information about the property itself and what we plan to do with it. i'll do my best to describe what we are trying to purchase and what we plan to do with it.

the property we have put an offer on is a roughly triangular plot of land bounded on two sides by gravel county roads. the land itself is gently rolling hills with a couple of dry washes and some trees on the eastern boundary. the land is completely undeveloped: no driveway, no fences, no buildings, and no infrastructure (power, septic, and well). power is available across the county road on the north side of the property. the well drillers i have spoken with estimate we'll need a steel-cased well approximately 800 foot in depth. we will have to add all infrastructure and then build a house. the trees appear to be ponderosa pine and one old cottonwood that i'm not sure is still alive. the ground cover is colorado range grass with some scrub oak in one area and some cactus scattered about.

as far as what we would do with the property we don't really have any solid plans. i have no immediate plans for fences other than a gate across the driveway i'll have to create and a small area for dogs. we'll have a small garden. i expect to tussle with prairie dogs at some point although i don't see any signs of them now. the driveway will be on the order of 300 feet long.

the tractor will be used to create and maintain the driveway, minor excavation and backfilling during construction, keeping the grass cut (i forgot the brush hog when i was describing the implements i'd thought i'd need), and handling snow removal.

Doesn't sound like money or room is a consideration,

room is not really a problem but money definitely is. we've saved quite a bit over the years but have no particular desire to deplete our savings anymore than necessary. over the years i've noted that once you say you own a porsche everybody assumes you're rich. my 911 is an 1984 targa that i bought used in 94 and maintain myself. i love the car and it is long since paid for, but 10 miles of gravel road is not something that older vehicle enjoy. plus, it'll get dirty