Which tractor will fit the bill

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

My siblings and I have 150 acres and we do have a Ford 4630 tractor 2wd at the farm. I do all of my bush hogging with that tractor their. I'm really looking for a 4wd that I can create food plots with and actually make shooting lanes when a pine plantation is thinned. Mostly I will hire a dozer to come in and knock out all of the stumps and then use a tractor to break up the ground. Most of all of my implements are cat 2. We have a 6' disk and I want to get a 6' bush hog brand bush hog. I don't think I will ever run a tiller because of the stumps and rocks.

I really thought about getting a BX at one time but really didn't think I could get much of a bush hog behind it. In all fairness the BX would be used a lot more around my home and my mothers home. You think I could take land that has never seen a plow and turn it up to plant a food plot with a BX tractor. The more I think about it the more it becomes practical to own a BX

You could get a 4ft hog behind a BX, you can plough virgin ground with it but will have clearance issues at times.

I'm not sure if a BX could pull a 6ft disk or not, its prob best to use 4ft implements with a subcompact. I'm not sure if I would go that small on a tractor.

How big are your plots?

For a 6ft hog your looking more into the larger frame size tractors and more around the lower 30s HP.

I would order the tractor with Titan Multi Trac turfs and set the wheels out as wide as possible if your running on hills, unless the ground is really rocky you won't need R4s, you can go R1s if your not running on turf or road. R1W if it's muddy. Turfs are better in the snow, is comparable to R4s in mud, ride smoother and is a wider footprint.

 

[Rmart30]

Hunting club work is usually rough on tractors and bigger is usually better. Its the main usage for mine. Id look for a used L3800 L4600 or MX5100.
Id also recommend a 20' trailer for anything over a L4600. My L4600 with FEL and a 6 ft round back cutter makes for a full trailer. A 20 ft gives room to put the disk on front of trailer and put loader bucket over it with cutter on the 3 pt and center the load properly.


Kubota MX51 tractor, loader and 6ft rotary cutter - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[AStanton]

I also think that an "L" tractor would fit your bill. I don't know if you get a lot of snow your way. If you purchase the tractor, see if you can negotiate a set of rear chains. And if you plan on loading the rear tires, I would recommend foam. With foam, you don't have to maintain an air pressure and you can drive over nails with foamed tires. Just my opinion.

 

[rickyb01]

Trying to learn here. 4570man stated I should not pull a mx5100. I don't understand why I couldnt. My ford FX4 is rated for 9500.lbs. tractor weighs 3800 plus fel weighs 1200 plus a 6' hog that weighs a 1000. That is 6000 plus the trailer (2500 bs) with electric brakes. That's under 9500 or as usual am I missing something. Again I have access to two 3/4 tons that I will use to pull tractor over to Deere lease.

 

[Ken45101]

Truck manufactures advertise what a truck can PULL. That is very different from what a truck can handle safely, especially in an emergency.

Originally I hauled a Kubota M4700 with a half ton Chevy. It was a scary trip. Much better when I upgraded to a 3/4 ton.

As you begin to approach the rated capacity, you will need a weight distributing hitch, sway bars, etc. And of course good brakes on both trailer axles.

Check the specs for any proposed tractor for the size of implements it can handle. Kubota puts that in the first few pages of every operator's manual.

 

[gladehound]

Trying to learn here. 4570man stated I should not pull a mx5100. I don't understand why I couldnt. My ford FX4 is rated for 9500.lbs. tractor weighs 3800 plus fel weighs 1200 plus a 6' hog that weighs a 1000. That is 6000 plus the trailer (2500 bs) with electric brakes. That's under 9500 or as usual am I missing something. Again I have access to two 3/4 tons that I will use to pull tractor over to Deere lease.

Longer and heavier with stronger components is always more stable when it comes to a tow vehicle. However, I see no reason why you couldn't tow what you describe with your 1/2 ton until you eventually go to a bigger truck. I tow a 9,500 pound trailer/tractor with a jeep grand Cherokee. Yes, it is over my tow rating. Yes, there are potential liability issues but it's only 7 miles on country roads. No, I'm not breaking any laws in PA because I'm under 16,500 and under my GVWR and GAWRs, and for full disclosure I am looking for a bigger truck. If you're just towing locally (not 80mph down the highway like some contractors do) and balance the load properly it's very doable. Just keep in mind that there could be extra weight that you're not counting (filled tires?) and make sure you're within your hitch, GVWR, GAWRs, and GCWR as well as your trailer's ratings and you should be fine for what you describe.

Also It might depend on the configuration of your 1/2 ton if you can stay within your weight ratings. Some 1/2 tons have as little as 900 pounds of payload capacity and some are 3,000+ A 1/2 ton isn't a 1/2 ton isn't a 1/2 ton. On the low end of payload they are like a sedan. ON the high end they are in the middle of the 3/4 ton range. And towing often is more about payload capacity than rated pulling capacity. Payload is what allows you to get proper tongue weight and proper balance on the combination. But like others said, a good weigh distributing hitch can do wonders. My jeep sways less with my 27 foot travel trailer than some of the 3/4 tons I see running down the road with no weight distribution system (all of which are outside the manufacturers ratings for weight carrying on the hitch except maybe the new Fords)

 

[rickyb01]

I went by the dealership today and I really liked the L4701. I thought I wanted the L3901 but looking at those two side by side the L4701 seemed like the correct choice. Dealer wants 26500 plus tax for 4701 hst. I can buy a used L4600 with 250 hrs for 21000 and no tax and its a shuttle shift and no warranty. What do you guys think? Zero interest and a warranty or save 7000 and get SS and no warranty. Never had a hst so wouldn't miss it but f I buy new at is what I'm getting. Thanks Ricky

 

[AStanton]

The difference in tractor prices means the warranty is worth $5,500. You didn't say how many hours were on the used tractor. If the hours are close to 1,000 and it wasn't serviced at the dealer, I would forget it.

 

[bookmyer]

I went by the dealership today and I really liked the L4701. I thought I wanted the L3901 but looking at those two side by side the L4701 seemed like the correct choice. Dealer wants 26500 plus tax for 4701 hst. I can buy a used L4600 with 250 hrs for 21000 and no tax and its a shuttle shift and no warranty. What do you guys think? Zero interest and a warranty or save 7000 and get SS and no warranty. Never had a hst so wouldn't miss it but f I buy new at is what I'm getting. Thanks Ricky

I'd go with the new one personally. You mentioned that most of your implements are Cat 2. The L4701 is Cat 1.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I went by the dealership today and I really liked the L4701. I thought I wanted the L3901 but looking at those two side by side the L4701 seemed like the correct choice. Dealer wants 26500 plus tax for 4701 hst. I can buy a used L4600 with 250 hrs for 21000 and no tax and its a shuttle shift and no warranty. What do you guys think? Zero interest and a warranty or save 7000 and get SS and no warranty. Never had a hst so wouldn't miss it but f I buy new at is what I'm getting. Thanks Ricky

Once I switched from gear to HST trans, I never went back. Considering the maneuvering I do on the uneven ground I maintain, a HST trans alone is worth the extra $7000. Adding the new tractor warranty makes it a no brainer IMO.

As Bookmyer mentioned, The L4701 has a cat 1 hitch. You may have to replace the cat 2 hitch pins with cat 1 on your implements. If so, you'll then have to use cat 2 bushings on the implements with your other tractors if they have a cat 2 hitch.

You'll get a lot of opinions here but in the end, it's your money and you are the one who will work the machine. If you are used to a gear (SS) trans and don't have to do a lot of maneuvering, maybe you can do without the HST. IMO, $21K isn't a bad price for a L4600 with 250 hrs providing the machine is in good shape and has been well cared for. Check the maintenance history if you can.

Be aware you will still have the cat 1 / cat 2 issue with the L4700. You have to get up in the 50 HP range on the L series or go for a MX to get a cat 2 hitch.