Which size tractor--help, please

[Notforhire]

I was thinking something such as this 8' dual spindle brush cutter/mower on an MX. RCF3696 Series Rotary Cutters | Land Pride

RCF3696 specs
3-Point mount = 1,750 lbs (793.8 kg) Semi-mount = 1,915 lbs (868.6 kg) Pull-type = 2,090 lbs (948.0 kg)

That's fairly light for a 3 point mount. Still, I'm surprised that A MX would pick it up and if it did it wouldn't be like the tail wagging the dog.
I was unable to find any recommendations from Kubota.
They are published in the OM. Maybe someone with a MX manual will look it up.

I've been wrong many times, but that seems like a lot of mower to put behind such a light tractor IMO.

Sometimes just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[airbiscuit]

You have two needs that conflict with each other. The trails that the Kubota barely fits down and mowing 60 acres. Like already pointed out I壇 let someone else keep mowing the 60 acres for you. I壇 look at a B series or a L series if you want Kubota depending on what will fit down your trails. I壇 also skip the turf tires and go with R4(industrial) tires.

I agree about having someone else mow the 60 acres and then a 40hp CUT would serve your needs (6' implements).

If you want to mow the 609 acres, it might be cheaper to go bigger than you think. My neighbor has a 95hp Kubota, and it is a very nice tractor (8'+ attachments). They are more nimble and cheaper than you would think used.

 

[Milo]

That's fairly light for a 3 point mount. Still, I'm surprised that A MX would pick it up and if it did it wouldn't be like the tail wagging the dog.
I was unable to find any recommendations from Kubota.
They are published in the OM. Maybe someone with a MX manual will look it up.

I believe it's on Kubota's site as a LP "matched implement" for MX so they recommend it. I don't know much about RC's but I assume this RC being a pull type so more like towing a trailer. Anyway it was just a thought.

 

[jeff9366]

Let me check out time to cut 60 acres on above 96" operating width Rotary Cutter.......

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

96" x 4 mph = 3.49 acres per hour. 60 acres / 3.49 = 17 + hours in a perfect world, with no breaks.

Probably 22 hours with three lunch breaks and three fuel/maintenance breaks.

 

[CoyPatton]

Please help me size my new tractor!

I am a noob, alas, but have greatly enjoyed learning from you all over the past months reading your very interesting posts and advice to others.

We have 165 acres in Western Massachusetts, just under the Appalachian Trail, shared by three families. About 50 acres of meadows, 15 acres of scrub/border land, 60 acres of forest, 10 acres for houses, 30 acres runs up the mountain to the Trail and is too steep for a tractor.

The house lawns get cut with a Cheetah.

For the last 25 years, the walking trails (3 miles around the meadows, 8-9 feet wide, which get cut with a finish mower once a week during growing season) and forest trails (2 miles, 6-8 feet wide, bush hogged a few times a year) have been maintained by a caretaker with a 1995 Kubota L2350 pulling a 5 foot bush hog and a bush hog finish mower. The 60 acres of meadows have been cut by local farmers with their big tractors--but we envision taking back care of those in a few years and just bush hogging them 1-2 time a year, as currently happens with scrub/border land.

I don't expect a ton of FEL work, but in addition to the mowing above, would expect applications to be:

Moving stones (not too huge)
Maintain 1/4 mile of gravel driveway, every two or three years
Moving piles of brush
Moving downed trees from lawns and from walking trails
Regrading grass and dirt trails to deal with impaction, erosion, wet areas, etc
Possibly plowing drives in winter, but the snow amount is dropping fast as things warm

As things warm, the precipitation is picking up and the trees are growing mossier and the soil is damp more often. The L2350 has turf tires and I think I would stick with those. (The L2350 has been great, but in retrospect was probably too small this whole time.)

I would like to buy one tractor that can last the next 30 years. I don't have much experience driving or operating one, but as I move closer to retirement I hope to take that over.

On the one hand, I'd like it not to tear up or compact the trails too bad given how things can be more damp here now, and I'd like it to work in the forest trails (through which the Kubota L2350 just fits with a 5 foot bush hog).

On the other hand, I only want to buy one tractor and to have it be sufficiently powered and not to have any regrets.

I expect we'll probably get a Kubota again.

What size do you think I should get?

Thank you so much.

It seems to me you answered your question! If you have areas that you plan to work that the L2350 and 5’ rotary cutter barely fit through, there is your physical size limits. Find these physical dimensions and then shop for tractors within this size range. I expect that you will be able to find a near 30 hp tractor (it may 28 instead of 30 or whatever).

As needs vary, you may need to look at more than 1 tractor to do all your functions. For example a larger tractor with a larger mower for your meadow would fit better, but this may well not work at all for your need in a trail.

As for buying a tractor that will meet your needs in 30 years—I wish I could tell you what would have happened to me today 30 years ago. That said, buying reliable equipment with good service (parts and support) available, by doing maintenance and repairs when needed and limiting who is allowed to use it (most of us that have been around equipment, have seen that individual that thinks a tractor is a bulldozer or tank) are the best means of having equipment last a long time. Of course usage plays a huge part in that.

 

[Notforhire]

I believe it's on Kubota's site as a LP "matched implement" for MX so they recommend it. I don't know much about RC's but I assume this RC being a pull type so more like towing a trailer. Anyway it was just a thought.

I suspect that Kubota knows more about the capabilities of it's tractors than I do.

I personally would consider mowing that acreage with an eight footer.

If the MX would fit in the small trails the OP could use his 5 footer there. I've owned a tow behind and it was fine unless I had a bunch of stuff to mow around.

A friend of mine has an eighty five acre farm, most of it being pasture. He has been mowing it with an eight footer for the past 7 or 8 years. Before that he had a six footer and a sickle bar that worked for at least 40 yrs, I'd guess.
Not ideal, but the work got done.

The OP may want to look into Milo's idea. He may prefer spending 22 hours mowing, rather than owning two tractors or hiring it out.

 

[jjp8182]

Just my thinking, but if it's accessible acres with decent grass quality it might be worth checking into leasing it out for hay production and having lease money come in, rather than money paid for mowing (or larger equipment) going out.

Granted I also don't understand the need/desire to keep it mowed/cleared as meadows either as 50 acres (whether a singular area or multiple smaller ones) of land isn't a trivial amount of land to maintain without it also being a source of income/resources - or serving some other purpose to make it worth keeping in it's current state (though that may just be me).

So on that note, it might be worth thinking through what the grand plan is for the property is as a whole going forward - and what it may require since (as has already been pointed out) mowing large a large number of acres, and driving through tight forested areas have some conflicting considerations. Doing that may provide better insight and understanding on what type of tractor (or other piece of equipment) you'll actually need for the next 30 years rather than what you think you need for right now.

Also for what it's worth, the larger Grand L's (along with the smaller utility tractors - e.g. M7060 or M4) should also be able to pull/use a 12' to 15' folding/batwing rotary cutter: Product Search | Land Pride ...and still be relatively able to work in tighter wooded areas. The M4's and M7060's are ~7ft wide and the larger M5's are about 8ft wide, with the Grand L's being about 6-7ft wide (my L3560 is ~70 inches wide as currently configured). The other things to keep in mind is that while the price of the larger tractors are higher the capability per dollar value is generally better, and while the cost of the machine is paid over 5-7 years the value/utility should last 30+years.

Anyway just my :2cents:

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I would go to the Kubota Dealer and test drive:

L3901 $28,111 w/ SSQA Loader & R14 Tires
Grand L4060 $34,197 w/ SSQA Loader & R4 Tires

My neighbor has a L3901 and it is quite capable, but seems narrow to me. If you have hills, it would make me uneasy. The grand L4060 is wider, heavier, larger tires, and has much nicer creature comforts. Theoretically, they are similar tractors (horsepower) but the closer you look, the more pronounced the differences seem.

This would be a good starting point to just get a "feel" for things.

In my recent comparisons on the Kubota site I priced these configurations:

MX5400 (HST)
53.8/46.5 (HP/PTO)
3734 (weight)
69.7” (minimum width)
LA1065A Loader
L2235A (72”) Bucket
$35,725

L4060HST
40.0/32.5 (HP/PTO)
3759 (weight)
66.5” (minimum width)
LA805 Loader
L2235A (72”) Bucket
$34,197

The 5400 provides a lot more power and a bit more width the 4060 for a ~1500 price upgrade. Just another data point. You're probably going to want 6' implements with it, so maybe not a good fit for your 5' paths. Better for that mowing though.

 

[3gunr]

I have and use 5, 6 and 7 ft rotary cutters on our 360 acrehunting tract. much of our field areas have been turned into wetlands or have become overgrown with ceders but i still cut 20 or so acres ayr. i cant imagine mowing 60 acres with a 5 ft cutter. 2 yrs ago i got my first hst tractor with the 6 ft cutter and was amazed at how much faster it was over the 5 ftand shuttle shift. i think most on here are right in going at least 35 to 40 hp.

 

[hawksson]

i had 5 compact tractors 23 to 55 hp. kubota and deere. they suited my needs but all were rear wheel drive... the one with a front loader, worked but i could tell that 4wd would surely make the fel more competent. then storm michael hit. 100s of trees on the ground. i would cut and use a chain to drag part or all of the tree, then use the loader to push the tree trunk/limbs onto a burn pile. i was on and off the tractor multiple times for each trip. then i learned about a grapple. with that many acres and trails you will need a grapple... and 4wd and power steering and a tractor with a little weight to it.

may i suggest a 50 hp tractor, with ps and 4wd and a fel and a grapple... enjoy the process. (i bought a kubota mx 5200. and it has been great..) the unbranded grapple has needed repair by welder 4 times.. that is partly my fault for not being careful with stress i put on it, but partly poor design.