Buying Advice Yet another new guy looking for a compact, subcompact tractor...he thinks.

[Steve1300]

I am one of those guys who dearly love my root grapple. It switch between it and my bucket constantly as they do not do the same thing, and I alternately need them very often. I just don't like the difficulty is attaching the hydraulic hoses all the time. (Anyone know any secrets regarding the "quick disconnects" that are not very quick for me?)

I would buy the grapple all over again. It has saved me a great deal of work and blood loss from picking up briers and such.

 

[dodge man]

Don't get hung up on the size of your property. I often see people on here making recomendations based on property size. Someone might own a 1000 acres and a BX would be big enough. Get the tractor size you need based on your tasks.

My first thought since you are on a tight budget is to get the tractor you need and skip the backhoe. The backhoe is one of the more expensive implements you can get. Same with the snow blower. You already have one on your four wheeler do you need a second one? If you get a B or a small L sized tractor you can add a backhoe later.

 

[tractorshopper]

My grapple is my favorite implement, but it has limitations as does the tractor that's running it. The real answer is it depends on how big of brush/trees you're trying to dig up. I have pushed over and rooted privet quite a bit with mine. It seems my limit is stuff with trunks about 8" or more. Anything less, I don't struggle with. Small Pines, no problem. Certain other trees like sweet gum, probably can only get about 4" stuff because the root system is so strong. A backhoe might be a better option, but on a BX, B, or L, they will all have limitations and a track hoe might be your best bet.

I would disagree with another poster who said that L's would be more stable than B's or BX's. I've had the L and have the BX. The BX is definitely more stable (assuming the reference was to operating on hills).

The L is more capable with larger size trees. I used my loader with tooth bar on my L3800 to remove probably more than 100 trees in sizes around and up to 6-8" (sweet gums included) by pushing them, then digging under the roots and curling and kind of popping the roots free with a strategically placed tooth and working back and forth. Some trees could just be pushed down. I didn't have a grapple, but that would have been the cats meow. Then again, if dealing with any kind of mature tree, you need a large track hoe.

All of these tractors are quite capable, but you need to understand their limitations. If you have a lot of 10" -12" trees, none of these will be the right tool, unless maybe the L with a backhoe. 16" up, you need a large track hoe.

Box blading and stuff like that, any are capable of a lot of work given the proper amount of time.

 

[Bronco82]

In reading other posts, others have said buy it with the initial purchase, as other things may come up and the thought of having one goes on the back burner. It's $7000 option here.

Just went to the Massey dealer, great customer service, but when comparing specs on the gc1720, it seems the only plus it has over the bx25 is weight and 1.9 PTO horse. Capacities are so similar. The next series up in the Massey seems like much more than I would need. I'm now beginning to wonder if the bx would suffice.

Someone else posted the definition of over analyzing and that's completely what I am doing.

 

[Bronco82]

And I would be selling my quad snowblower for probably the same price as a rear mount blower for the tractor.

 

[jeff9366]

I've had the property six years now, and will be here another 20 years.

Two universal tractor truths:

1. Tractors shrink after leaving the dealer's, shortly after being put to work on your land.

2. The number of tasks you will find for your tractor will at least treble from what you have estimated in this thread.

Selling a light tractor to buy a heavier tractor is no big deal. Selling 2 - 8 light implements in order to buy HEAVIER, wider implements to utilize the capabilities of a heavier, more powerful tractor is an expensive PIA.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR​

 

[Bronco82]

Sorry, squirrel brain. The leaving the backhoe out is actually a great idea and I could get a grapple as brush will be a never ending thing and I only need so many things dug where a hoe will be needed. Thank you for that suggestion.

 

[Bronco82]

I got home and mentioned the tractor to the wife. She is on board with getting a bigger tractor minus backhoe. This is good.

 

[Citydude]

Buy enough tractor. Jeff left you with some sound reasoning.

 

[Citydude]

I got home and mentioned the tractor to the wife. She is on board with getting a bigger tractor minus backhoe. This is good.

Nice! Smart wife