iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Small Tractor ??

Started by DonE911, August 24, 2005, 10:59:54 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DonE911

Any one know about small tractors?? 

I'm trying to decide on a size of tractor to buy.  I will use it to maintain the wifes 2 acres horse pasture so a rear finish mower will be needed.  I want a small loader to move sawdust and to clean out the stalls in the horse barn.  I need to fence the property so a post hole digger will be purchased.

The wifey will want to use it alot so HST drive would be good.  I will not be lifting logs with it. I may push some along the ground, but it wont need to lift 1000 lbs.

This would be more of a property maintay'n tractor.

I was considering the kubota BX23 or another tractor along those lines. 

Do you think I am thinking to small?? Remember this is not a timber moving tool. Any one have something like this and have good or bad things to say?

I have a 13 hp Satoh ( mitsubishi ) now but no impliments as the pto is reverse rotation, but the size seems fine for what I think I need.

Patty

We had a John Deere 5300 to handle the little jobs you are referring to. . We put turf tires on it, but the regular bar tires are available too. It was a GREAT little tractor.

Also had a JD 955, but I didn't like it as well as the 5300. I always felt like it was too tipsy. Even though I never tipped it, I always felt I easily could. Personally I think it needed a wider wheel base to stabalize it. Now all tractors that size may be tipsy like the JD 945, however I only have had experience with the JD's.
Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings....
We simply continue to fly ........
on a broomstick.....
We are flexible like that.

beenthere

Brand depends on your best dealer close by.
I have a Deere 4300 in the 32HP range and it is VERY handy for small as well as pretty big jobs. It is the mid size chassis and even handles some logging chores.

Here with forks stacking a pallet of split green oak.




south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

rbjones03

I use a John Deere 790 with 419 loader. It has a 60" bushhog, 60" box blade and a lifting boom for my 3 point hitch. I have no complaints at all. A very solid reliable diesel tractor.
Peterson WPF 8 HI-LO Large Frame

submarinesailor

We used a JD 4100 hydrostat for a long time.  Still have it, but it's up in West Virginia.  Worked great, loved it.  The only reason we got another one is that we needed a bigger tractor to move logs around.  Use a JD 4520 now.

Bruce/subsailor

beenthere

Here is the pic I was looking for, showing the Deere 4300 moving logs to be sawn.



Used (this is 6 years old) these should be around $10k
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

johnjbc

I use a Kubota L48 for most things. The Loader will lift 3K, or pull a 3 bottom plow. My only problems have been with damage from brush and trees >:(.

To cut the grass or pull a trailer of fire wood I have a Toro Wheelhorse 520H

LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

Jim Roy

I bought a BX-23 last fall.  In addition to the included front end loader and back hoe l got a Woods post hole digger  and a Woods scrapper blade with it.  Have since added a three point trailer hitch to pull my log splitter and a trailer (two axle both with electric brakes) to move the tractor over the road.  

I'm doing landscaping on 1.8 acres and clearing snow on a hilly 400 foot drive.  I only have 33 hours on it and have had no problems.  I liked the look of the New Holland TC24 but the BX-23 was quite a bit less expensive.

I was skeptical about the hydro transmission but after just a few hours with the front end loader I wouldn't do without it.

There is a great tractor site at  http://www.tractorbynet.com/


DonE911

Thanks for the info...

I asked a similar question over at tractor by net and the thread got side tracked and never answered my original question. 

Jim that sounds alot like what I was looking at.... would you mind me asking what you paid for your set up?


Murf

Tractors seem to be a lot like boats, once you've owned for a spell you realize that you really want one just a little bit bigger.

They are also real handy things, you'll find yourself using them for things you would never have dreamed of before you had it. This also leads to the inevitable realization that the one you have ain't quite as big as you'd like.

I have the luxury of having a whole mess of them at my disposal, but the one I use the most, and in fact keep at home, is a 40hp Kubota with a full cab & loader. I do darned near everything except wash the truck with it.

I even use it to water the trees in hot dry spells. I just drive into the pond, fill the bucket, drive to the tree and trickle it out on the roots.  ;D

Besides, that way I don't have to get out of the air conditioning.....  :D
If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

Jim Roy

Tractor 15308
PHD 695
Rear blade 495

Also got rear tires filled 140
Skid kit for Rear Blade 160

The dealer's prices for the tractor didn't seem out of line with what I'd seen on other forums so  I didn't shop around and bought locally.  (Above prices include delivery) 


Buzz-sawyer

Murf
YOU are a piece of work brother ;) :D :D :D :D :D
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

Quartlow

Quote from: submarinesailor on August 24, 2005, 01:24:46 PM
JD 4520 now.

Bruce/subsailor


Thats not a tractor thats a tank  :D We only get the 45 out here for heavy tillage work  And I thought I was overkilling things buy using a 2940 JD with a loader on it

Don
I don't think yo ucan go wrong with the Kubota. We had a slew of them when I worked in the rental industry and they never gave us any trouble, Varied sizes from around around 20 to 60 HP all with hydro tranny's
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

Rockn H

I don't know about the new Kubota's but the older small yard tractors had a reverse rotation on the pto.  Have they changed on the newer ones?

We were looking at one of the Bx's the other day.  It had an enclosed cab with A/C and a belly mower.  Orange and A/C-can't go wrong there. 8)

ScottAR

There's a new 4520.  About 48hp as I remember... 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Quartlow

Quote from: ScottAR on August 24, 2005, 07:34:55 PM
There's a new 4520.  About 48hp as I remember... 
53 to be exact now that I look, my bad he said 4520 I figured it was an old beast like the one in the shed 120 HP and 15,000 pounds
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

Don_Papenburg

The Green and Yellow have been around for a long time And the 4000 serises is made in Ga.   The money stays in the    U.S. to help the economy. 5000 and up are made in Iowa  I think. I have a 7710 with 740 loader for my chore tractor.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Engineer

I'll place another vote for the small Deeres'.  Mine is a 4100 HST with about 355 hours on it, I bought it used two years ago for $11k with a bucket and a set of forks.   It's been great for moving small logs around, moving piles of firewood, dirt and most everything associated with building a house and landscaping.    I'm getting a landscape rake and a bush hog for it this fall so I can clean up some more of my property.

Murf

Buzz, I just think of it as 'multi-tasking' .........

The tractor gets clean while the trees get watered !!!  8)

If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

OneWithWood

Tractors are like chainsaws.  There are a couple of very good and reputable companies that manufacture very good equipment.  The deciding factor for me is the local dealers.  Who will be around when I need them and who has the most helpful service employees.

I bought a compact John Deere 670 with loader, belly mower and grader blade some 15 years (or more) ago.  I have since added a winch, grader box, yard box and surface leveler to the implement list.  This little 18hp machine has done way more than I expected and it keeps on ticking.  Yes, there are times when I wish it had more hp at the pto and was bigger.  But then I've got a JD 450 crawler with logging forks and a timber winch for the big jobs. ;)  If it finally succumbs to the daily abuse it gets I will replace it with a 30hp compact tractor.  Probably a John Deere because I get good service.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

DonE911

Thanks for all your imput so far.  Seems everyone has a machine that they like.

My local dealer ( only one for about 40 miles ) carries JD,NH, and Kubota.  They are very nice and willing to spend time with you. I don't know about the service department, but I'm sure it's fine.

I went and looked around the yard and asked a few questions.  I like the look of the NH small machine, not sure of the model number, but the "posted" price is alot more than the kubota BX and the JD was more than the NH.  Actually the Kubota B series was closer in price and clearly a larger machine.  I like to buy good products, but I hate to pay for name recognition.

I guess it doesn't matter which one I like best, I'll get whichever the wife likes best unless I have a very strong case.  >:(

whitepe

my byline says it all..  I have a John Deere 4310 that I use
for log moving / lumber moving. I had a JD790 that I felt was
too small. It had enough horsepower but didn't weigh enough.

blue by day, orange by night and green in between

Scott

 Personally I'm a NH guy but a heck of a lot of people run kubota around here and I certainly wouldn't have a problem with buying one. Anything over 25 HP seems like an overkill for 2 acres of land. We have a Massey Ferguson 1040 tractor that I personally don't like. It's really top heavy and it always feels like its going to tip over even on a very light side hill.
    Can anyone out there recomend a good stable woods tractor in the 40 to 60 HP range? I know tractors aren't as stable as skidders but I'd like to have the loader and 3 point hitch. I was thinking of a NH TN or maybe a Kubota M series, a locking front diff would be a huge bonus. Thanks

tnlogger

scott a friend of mine runs a Heston 4wd with a loader and a farmi winch on it i've seen him work hollows that i wouldn't touch with a skidder  :o but then he's never turnded it over so it must work  :D
gene

Scott

 Tn, where does he get parts from?

Thank You Sponsors!