Which Tractor

Nuxi · Feb 29, 2004

I have never needed to own a tractor before but my wife got this really good deal on a horse, LOL...... and I thought they were just expensive to feed. So one of the major expenses is a tractor and all I know is what I have learned in one day at the local dealers.
I have 3 acres of grass and a 400ft gravel driveway. I am planning to build a 60 ft indoor riding arena with 3 stalls etc. added to one end and storage on the other. I travel a lot so my wife will have to use the tractor often. I am willng to spend extra money to decrease our time spent mowing the grass but don't like the idea of also buying a zero turn. I think a tractor could be very useful when cleaning stalls, leveling the arena, digging post holes, grading the driveway etc.
Two of the dealers think a sub compact like the JD 2210 or the 23 HP Kuboda is big enough and easier to get into tight spots but the NewHolland/Kuboda dealer thinks the larger TC30 is the right one. Is a TC30 strong enough to level a 250' by 2 ft' high top soil burm.
Thanks

Bird · Feb 29, 2004

( Is a TC30 strong enough to level a 250' by 2 ft' high top soil burm. )

How wide is it? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Almost any tractor can do that; but the bigger the tractor, the faster it'll get done. A box blade would probably be what I'd use. If you're going to use a tractor inside the barn, stalls, etc., then of course you'll need to consider the overall size of the tractor (height, width, and length) compared to the size of the doors and stalls. Can you get in and out, have room to turn, maneuver, etc.

And welcome to the forum.

Nuxi · Feb 29, 2004

Thank you Bird, There are 2 of them about 10 ft wide that look like a swail a farmer made before the house was built. They are right where the barn will most likley go. The reason why I ask is it didn't seem like too big a deal to me but the JD guy said a compact tractor will not dig into compacted dirt or penetrate a compacted dirt pile with the FEL.

Henro · Feb 29, 2004

but the JD guy said a compact tractor will not dig into compacted dirt or penetrate a compacted dirt pile with the FEL. 

Nuxi,

You will be surprised what you can do with a compact that has a box blade on the back and a toothbar on the loader!

Search the archives for toothbar and then for boxblade and you will find a lot of info (and reports of accomplishments) posted by happy users. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

DK35vince · Feb 29, 2004

If you can drive over them with a tiller or boxblade with the rippers down and break the soil loose before loading it out would help.

Bird · Feb 29, 2004

( guy said a compact tractor will not dig into compacted dirt or penetrate a compacted dirt pile with the FEL )

And he was right; it would take forever. But there are two easy solutions: (1) like Henro said, get a toothbar for the loader bucket if you're wanting to dig into it, pick it up in the bucket and take it somewhere (a toothbar will be well worth the money anyway, in my opinion), and (2) get a boxblade it you're wanting to drag it, smooth it, or level it. The boxblade will have scarifiers, or ripper teeth, that can be lowered to dig in the ground and break it up. The box blade will be the easiest and fastest method I know of for a compact tractor especially if get the hydraulic Top 'N Tilt for the tractor (another rather expensive but very worthwhile investment in my opinion).

And while you can certainly do it with a tractor the size of the TC30, it will definitely take some time, especially if you're unfamiliar with that kind of work with a tractor. An estimate of time would be nothing more than a wild guess, but I'd say to expect at least two or three days for a 250' x 10' x 2' berm, and quite possibly up to a week, depending on your experience, how far you spread it, etc.

My brother and I got a few days experience with a much higher pile (left by a dozer that enlarged a pond for my brother), with me operating the tractor, using both box blade and loader with toothbar, loading it onto a Kawasaki Mule and him hauling and dumping. Takes time, but actually rather enjoyable kind of work for us.

DavesTractor · Feb 29, 2004

Nuxi,

As others have said, you can smooth the berm with a small tractor, but it will take a while. Of course spending time on a tractor is a good thing, so I don't see that as a negative.

I would buy the tractor for what you will use it for most in the next 10 years, not the one big project that you have. A small dozer would knock down those berms in real short order and that would certainly cost less (renting or hiring) than spending the extra to upgrade from a sub-compact or a small compact to a mid-size compact tractor.

Unless you are like Henro and can buy a tractor for every need (I like guys like that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) then I would suggest something along the size of a Mahindra 2015, Kioti CK20, and the equivalents in the other lines. I am biased toward the Mitsubishi built Mahindra because I sell them, but there are a lot of great models available now. An important factor would be the local dealer support. Kubota, John Deere, and New Holland have great dealer support most everywhere, so that can be an advantage.

Charlie_in_TX · Feb 29, 2004

Look at the JD 2210 and 4010, Kub 2230, MF 2300, Kioti CK20H, Mahindra 2015 all with FEL and MMM. While you are shopping the makes, also shop the dealers. Find one where you get along with the salesmen. Meet the mechanics. Look at there shops. Do the mechanics look professional, not a snot nosed 18yr old kid, unsupervised? Is the shop reasonable clean (remember dirty tractors are always in there)? Are the tool put up except for there current work?

When you narrow down the brand you want, do it by both tractor and dealer. A good dealer can make a bad tractor good. A bad dealer can make a good tractor bad.

My personal preference ran toward the tractors with larger front tires. That is the 4010, CK20H and 2015. The smaller the tires the smoother the ground needs to be.

frank_f15 · Feb 29, 2004

well if cost and physical size are not a problem then get the 30hp, but i would think that a 23 to 25 hp tractor with fel and TOOTHBAR will do what u want. and would probably be my choice.

RobertN · Feb 29, 2004

Maybe the smaller tractor would be best for general use, especially if you have to manuever in stalls and around the barn(interestingly, that is how the very first Bobcat, back in the '50's, came to be invented). Anyways... Most of your work coulbe be done with the compact/sub-compact.

For your swale, you might rent a big tractor for a day, and do that big work. Then use the smaller tractor you buy for cleanup and your normal chores. You could rent a BIG tractor for a day or two, or pay a local tractor operator to do it for you.

When I got my Kubota, I was pretty sure from studying up that it could do 95+% of the work I need around our 5 acres. For the remaining 0.1-5%, I figured I could rent or hire in a big tractor to do the work. I did not want a big tractor, for the size or additional $$$. This has worked out well for me.