Tractors with no FEL

[Cactus]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> To me a tractor without a FEL is like a pickup truck without 4-wheel drive....almost able to do everything you want, but not always! </font> )</font>

To me a bucket that is not a 4 in 1 is like a pickup without 4 wheel drive.

 

[Moon]

Interesting thread. When I first came to TBN, I felt the same, but for a different reason. I wanted to keep costs down. So I asked for thoughts about putting off getting the FEL for a year or two. The responses I got were very similar to the ones you've already gotten. "You'll be sorry" or "You'll wish you had gotten the FEL up front".
I didn't see it, but started the shopping process. I was able to strech my budget more than I intended, and bought the FEL up front. After more than two years of use, I'd have to say the TBN wisdom was right on. It does get in the way at times, but it is so easy to remove, that is not an issue.
A set of pallet forks for it quadruple it's use to me. What a back saver. I can now manuvre my box blade, bush hog etc. right where i want them with the pallet forks. Saves storage space in my pole barn. Since you have trees, you might also want to use it as a water carrier. I've filled the FEL with water and carried it to newly planted trees. (not an original idea, someone here on TBN mentioned it in a post.) It's also handy for back draggin my drive. But it is most useful when I'm bush hoggin my trails. I've pushed over trees, moved logs, crunched huge mutiflora rose so that the bush hog could munch em up. I'm not trying to convince you to get one, just trying to show some of the ways mine has helped me. But .... I'd guess you'd be glad that you bought it a year or two from now.

Rather than get an older 2wd model, I'd still get a newer one that you could possibly add a FEL to later. 4wd should allow you to go a bit smaller so that you can fit between the trees easier. If it were me, I'd want a 5' bush hog minimum ...so maybe I'd thin out a few trees. I had a 2wd 17hp tractor with a 4' bush hog, and for my use, it just was to light for my liking. I now have a 30hp 4wd and can easily handle the 5' bush hog. ....I have to admit, part of my problems with the smaller one was that the 17hp tractor was probably just to small / light to handle the 4 footer.

 

[Yardster]

TBN is very PRO FEL is seems. I can see that in most cases they would be great and a very nice addition to any tractor, but by no means are they a must. We've had a Cub for years without a FEL. We use brooms, rakes, box blades, and snow blowers on it. If you truely don't think you need it, go with your gut and do just that. Like most of the folks have said, you can always add it later, but it will most likely be at a bit higher cost. It all boils down to what you want though.

 

[AndyM]

I don't have a FEL on either tractor, but it was only because of finances (I spent the largest amount of money my wife would let me buy). I've made it work without one with the attachments I have, but it takes slightly longer.

I find all kinds of tasks I could use it for if I had one, especially the other day when I had bags of Quikrete to move around to the back of the house... I can't carry 60 pound bags like I used to! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[LBrown59]

Doing that would be about like getting half a tractor while paying 95 percent of the price.
For 5 or 10 % it just hain't worth it.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( I have managed 30 years without an FEL and my father before me many more years, )</font>

Shoot, I've managed 57 years without a tractor, and my father before me for 69 years. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>
=========
I made it for 26 years .Was 26 when I got my first tractor.

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="red"> Did a lot of things the hard way or not at all before you got it didn't you! </font>

 

[Wannafish]

"Shoot, I've managed 57 years without a tractor, and my father before me for 69 years."

Gee, your father was 12 when you were born ? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DrRod]

Well LBrown, I agree with your math. There is so much capability built into a tractor that doesn't get used unless you have a FEL, a midmount mower or something else out front. In fact, that was the whole reason I started this thread -- like, what am I buying that won't get used. And I now understand that its a lot more than a $500 hydraulic system since the whole unit is built to do more than pull a mower.

But (you knew a "but" was coming) at the moment, I'll live without it. I got my tractor delivered last week and it just fits in the garage. Took me the better part of two days to clean out, rearrange, and otherwise set up the storage space. It might fit with the FEL but little else could get in or out unless the tractor moved first. Also, it has worked great in the fields and a FEL would be in the way out there. I know it comes off easily but its still one more thing to deal with.

Now having said that, I stood there looking at a half-full 55 gallon drum in my garage and thought, "man, a loader would really help me get rid of this." And as the mower scraped the road at the end of the driveway I thought, "man, a loader would slice that bump off the edge of the ditch." And as I tugged at the one door of the garage I thought, "man, a loader would scalp this dirt down so the door opened easier." And as I cleared some big branches out of the field before mowing I thought, "man, a loader would make this go easier." /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

So points well taken. We'll see how it all goes and maybe look into it next year.

Thanks,

Rod

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Well LBrown, I agree with your math. There is so much capability built into a tractor that doesn't get used unless you have a FEL, a midmount mower or something else out front. In fact, that was the whole reason I started this thread -- like, what am I buying that won't get used. And I now understand that its a lot more than a $500 hydraulic system since the whole unit is built to do more than pull a mower.

But (you knew a "but" was coming) at the moment, I'll live without it. I got my tractor delivered last week and it just fits in the garage. Took me the better part of two days to clean out, rearrange, and otherwise set up the storage space. It might fit with the FEL but little else could get in or out unless the tractor moved first. Also, it has worked great in the fields and a FEL would be in the way out there. I know it comes off easily but its still one more thing to deal with.

Now having said that, I stood there looking at a half-full 55 gallon drum in my garage and thought, "man, a loader would really help me get rid of this." And as the mower scraped the road at the end of the driveway I thought, "man, a loader would slice that bump off the edge of the ditch." And as I tugged at the one door of the garage I thought, "man, a loader would scalp this dirt down so the door opened easier." And as I cleared some big branches out of the field before mowing I thought, "man, a loader would make this go easier." /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

So points well taken. We'll see how it all goes and maybe look into it next year.

Thanks,

Rod )</font>
=======
Good post and I hope you luck out and find a fel at a good price when you're ready.