First Time CUT/sCUT Implement help? [For Landscaping]

[Bassicfun]

FIRST POST ON TBN!!

Looking at a BX2660 (first tractor, minus the 1970s 18hp V-Twin Sears/Craftsman mower etc)...

Here is my thought for my use (and any economical suggestions are welcome!)... I have just over 5 acres, lots of rolling hills, all will be either mowed (probably ~3 acres) or brush hogged (back ~2 acres). This was old farm land (from years and years back). We just built a house and finished it in October, this winter nothing was done (minus 4' snowblower on the Sears tractor worked like a champ!) to the yard or ~400' curved/hilled gravel driveway...

Spring is here and what I have noticed is that the land is filled with large mounds of ant hills (haha) in the back few acres, the entire land has many small (6' tall, 2" around) saplings and similar sized thorn bushes that have grown over years and years. The front hill (that the house sits up on) is the home to our septic system, which is a step tile format down the front of the hill, as they ran the tiles and buried them, there was little/no thought into how much it would settle. Therefore, there are ruts for these tiles guessing about 6-8 of them, probably 150' each around the front of the hill. Also the ground around the house has settled, and has a bit of negative grade to the house (luckily up on the hill most of it still runs far away from the house). I do not know if we will EVER spend the money on grass seed, but I would like to be able to mow at least a smooth yard, clean up the front (old fence posts, small trees, ditch to lay tile & fill in), so we can mow to the road side w/o an exposed ditch.. I am unsure so far on snow removal, of using the FEL, or a blade (I do enjoy my snowblower now).. or getting a rear PTO driven snowblower for the BX.

Aside from that, here is my thoughts on what we will do, and please question/scrutinize as you see fit! BX2660 with FEL and (probably) 60" MMM... And to keep starting impliment costs in line, I'm thinking of a box scraper with scarifiers (to losen the decent top soil, some clay underneath), also use to do some basic smoothing, and then a landscape rake to remove the MULTITUDE of rocks throughout the yard. The driveway was very well done, with canvas underneath (to keep mud/dirt from seeping through the rocks) great base of 1s & 2s done 2x while the huge trucks were dropping off equipment and material, and 2 coatings of 304 w/ a good amount of limestone dust. The driveway has been great so far, no vegetation, most of it staying put, I could see a gentle 'leveling' now and then, or wait to do an actual top coat of smaller rock.

Can anyone share some thoughts on that? I do not want to end up with a ton of impliements (I guess I already neglected to mention a 42-48" used brush hog for the back few acres). I am trying to keep costs in line, as we are all aware of the economic issues (especially for myself in the middle of the finance world, and wife working for a real estate company) and a bleak outlook in the short term (~year or so).

Thanks for any comments/thoughts

 

[shakin]

i think you have it all figured out, you seem to have done your homework. the boxscraper will turn out to be a very useful tool, pulling roots and such. does bota have front mount snowblowers? not sure if i'd be comfortable doing my drive by the time i was done i probably wouldnt be able to turn my head.

 

[Bassicfun]

EVERYONE likes pictures right!?!

Here's a few...
Looking up the driveway (still under construction) the dirt on both sides wasn't smoothed out, pretty rough & rocky.

Here is the front hill, about 1.5 acres in front of the house.. with the septic tile field.. underneath the ACTUAL field (haha)... all the tiles have settled are pretty rough, and the soil is rocky, decent top soil, clay underneath.

These are the couple implements I'm considering as a good start for 80%+ of the work (forgive the TSC brand, just easy to find/copy/paste pictures!)

I'm picturing the box scraper also to use to get a bit of a swale around the house, as the back yard area flattens out behind the house and falls away on the treeline side. I've seen someone (I forget the posters) on here who angled the box scraper from left to right, as to cut a small ditch to help direct the water.

And a Landscape rake for rock removal, more smoothing, and perhaps once the driveway gets top coated again, to help maintain that as well.

And we all know what an old 42-48" brush hog looks like

 

[fast1]

FIRST POST ON TBN!!

Looking at a BX2660 (first tractor, minus the 1970s 18hp V-Twin Sears/Craftsman mower etc)...

Here is my thought for my use (and any economical suggestions are welcome!)... I have just over 5 acres, lots of rolling hills, all will be either mowed (probably ~3 acres) or brush hogged (back ~2 acres). This was old farm land (from years and years back). We just built a house and finished it in October, this winter nothing was done (minus 4' snowblower on the Sears tractor worked like a champ!) to the yard or ~400' curved/hilled gravel driveway...

Spring is here and what I have noticed is that the land is filled with large mounds of ant hills (haha) in the back few acres, the entire land has many small (6' tall, 2" around) saplings and similar sized thorn bushes that have grown over years and years. The front hill (that the house sits up on) is the home to our septic system, which is a step tile format down the front of the hill, as they ran the tiles and buried them, there was little/no thought into how much it would settle. Therefore, there are ruts for these tiles guessing about 6-8 of them, probably 150' each around the front of the hill. Also the ground around the house has settled, and has a bit of negative grade to the house (luckily up on the hill most of it still runs far away from the house). I do not know if we will EVER spend the money on grass seed, but I would like to be able to mow at least a smooth yard, clean up the front (old fence posts, small trees, ditch to lay tile & fill in), so we can mow to the road side w/o an exposed ditch.. I am unsure so far on snow removal, of using the FEL, or a blade (I do enjoy my snowblower now).. or getting a rear PTO driven snowblower for the BX.

Aside from that, here is my thoughts on what we will do, and please question/scrutinize as you see fit! BX2660 with FEL and (probably) 60" MMM... And to keep starting impliment costs in line, I'm thinking of a box scraper with scarifiers (to losen the decent top soil, some clay underneath), also use to do some basic smoothing, and then a landscape rake to remove the MULTITUDE of rocks throughout the yard. The driveway was very well done, with canvas underneath (to keep mud/dirt from seeping through the rocks) great base of 1s & 2s done 2x while the huge trucks were dropping off equipment and material, and 2 coatings of 304 w/ a good amount of limestone dust. The driveway has been great so far, no vegetation, most of it staying put, I could see a gentle 'leveling' now and then, or wait to do an actual top coat of smaller rock.

Can anyone share some thoughts on that? I do not want to end up with a ton of impliements (I guess I already neglected to mention a 42-48" used brush hog for the back few acres). I am trying to keep costs in line, as we are all aware of the economic issues (especially for myself in the middle of the finance world, and wife working for a real estate company) and a bleak outlook in the short term (~year or so).

Thanks for any comments/thoughts

wow thats really detailed and well thought out, not sure how i can help you though

 

[Bassicfun]

Not sure I'll go for the high priced front mount Kubota snowblower. Thanks!! I'll work on looking at the rear PTO options more than likely.

 

[BarryinMN]

Does your septic installer have an opinion on running the small tractor over the septic & leaching lines??

 

[Bassicfun]

No issue with the septic tiles, they are approx 10"+ deep.

Additional questions from my original post though: Planning on R4's... Since this will be used in snow removal, landscaping and mowing, but not a suburban-type lawn... A county type lawn... (largest school district in the state w/o a single traffic light.. You get the idea).

Also any thoughts on wheel weights? No desire for loaded tires.. But mechanically attached wheel weights.. Should they be considered? Thanks.

 

[korydz]

I have a BX2660, also my first real tractor, and have similar uses to what you describe. For implements I have a BB1548 box scraper, RB1572 rear blade, RC1548 rotar cutter, and a split-fire splitter. FEL too of course.

It sounds like you have your implements figured out. I've only been through one winter, but I was able to use the blade/FEL with no real issues. I'm in Northern Canada, so we have REAL winters here and I fared well.

For tires, the turfs work great and you can to anywhere without any damage. DEFINITELY get your tires loaded. The best money spent and the best thing you can do for the BX. More stable, smoother, better traction...unbelievable difference. For winter, I added chains and it makes it pretty much unstoppable unless you get into really deep snow.

I'd try a winter without a snowblower and see how it goes. I can't imagine doing a long driveway with a rearmount, and a front mount here is $5K. The other downside of snowblowing is all the snow in your face. Blading leaves a very nice finish on the driveway and keeps the snow down.

Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss more.

 

[BarryinMN]

Ummm modern septics are designed to evaporate upwards.

I'm not a fan of R4's they squat low & hang up my TLB. R1's have better clearance and traction.

Your are paying for the tractor, fuel and most importantly time. Sitting there spinning is a waste of all three since your not **** about living in the middle of a golf course.

Don't short yourself on attachments. No need for store bought either. An old bedspring is a great levelling drag, so is an old RR tie. I put together an assortment of odds & ends on a 3pt configuration then welded a 2" receiver on top, scrounged one of those 20"x60" trailer hitch cargo trays. Made for an excellent trailer mover, mobile workbench, etc.

Weights can be had cheap. Oil distributor dented 55g barrel $ free. 1000 lb rear weight cost me $10 had it filled at the Redi Mix plant from a returning truck - he was going to wash it out anyway. A bush hog might tip the balance backward so add a front weight. Pix of mine found in a blacksmiths scrap pile 2 2x6 sticks of steel welded together with a piece of angle to hook on the front bumper cost $20 including Wal Mart $0.99 rattle can paint.

 

[Bassicfun]

For tires, the turfs work great and you can to anywhere without any damage. DEFINITELY get your tires loaded. The best money spent and the best thing you can do for the BX. More stable, smoother, better traction...unbelievable difference. For winter, I added chains and it makes it pretty much unstoppable unless you get into really deep snow.

I would consider wheel weights, but I'm not into loading tires, heaven forbid there is a puncture or leak. Wheel weights that will outlast any tires sound more my speed!

Where did you get chains? or make your own?

Aside from that I appreciate the response and ideas, perhaps I will use/work with the FEL and box blade for a winter and see how it goes, and decide from there. Do you drive through it, pack it down then scrape with the box blade? or do you use the FEL for first pass? We may not get Canadian winters, but still feels pretty real

BarryinMN - Thanks for the post, we have to mow over the septic, and I am more than aware and being careful as to the manner of breaking any ground, or pushing more ground on top of those tiles. (this isn't a mound septic).
Can you explain what you mean by R4's 'hang up' your tractor?

 

[johnnydel29]

Hi There,

Nice house & property. I was in the same position a few years ago - built a house on a 5 acres, and left w/ all the landscaping to complete, thankfully we are done. He is what I would suggest. Get the tractor, definitely. Hire a good dozer operator and have the lot graded off, exactly how you want it. After the dozer is done, finish off w/ your new machine. I know your anxious to use your new machine to finish off the ground work, and of course, it is a good way to justify owning it to the wife . The lot seems to be pretty rough at this time, especially if there are ant hills, brush and saplings around. Your machine will be working pretty hard and perhaps taking some abuse and it won't be easy b/c of the hills. A good dozer operator can do what you need done in less than a day, effortlessly. At the time, I bought a JD 2305, box scaper & rake. Attempted to do some of the ground work and found myself taking more time than expected to complete it. I then hired a good dozer operator, and the rough work was done in less than four hours, and I finished off w/ my little JD.

You can probably get a good dozer & operator for less than $500.00 for the day. Even less maybe if you find someone looking for extra work on the weekend and evenings.

 

[korydz]

I'm not sure why you're shying away from loading your tires. If you're worried about calcium chloride all over over the ground, there are alternatives. I got my chains at tirechains.com. The 2 link ones work great and they weren't expensive.

I use my rear blade, not the box scraper, of snow. This year I got lucky in that it rained and froze before it snowed I had a good base to work with. Otherwise the trick is to run the blade backwards the first time to get a far less aggressive pass and get a good base established. From there you may want to shorten your top link to get a less aggressive bite. This effectively reduces the angle of attack to the ground and lets the blade ride on the packed snow without digging in. The downside, as I've found, is that when the snow gets deeper, it doesn't peel off the blade as effectively. The real solution of course is a hydraulic top link, but the adjustments really don't need to be made very often, and you can likely find a happy medium and leave it there for the season.

 

[BarryinMN]

The profile of R4 are generally wider with less sidewall than R1's which puts the machine closer to the ground.

 

[Bassicfun]

Johnnydel29- I think we have the major stuff done that a dozer would be necessary for, I'll do some work myself, and see where things end up, if it seems too much I'll gladly rent one and I have a free operator in the family.

korydz-I've spoken with multiple dealers in the area, some that personally have been doing this over 40 years, and they suggested not doing it, and personally I'd rather do wheel weights, that can never be drained from a puncture, easier to remove if the weight is not wanted on a lawn someday, etc.

BarryinMN- I understand that thought, the R4 seems to have the same aspect ratios as turf, but the more bar-type tread, to me that sounds perfect for my situation, I do not see ground clearance as any issue for my application(s).

Thanks for all the responses, all thoughts welcome (ok within reason!)

 

[jnjpream]

Well, I'm in the same boat right now. Just in the begining stages of doing my landscaping on a 3 acre lot with my bx22. One thing that I will never regret spending the money on is the Top-N-Tilt setup. I use it with my box blade to cut all kinds of contours and slopes, and it is a must to do fine control on how the blade cuts or smooths.

I spent about $1000 on the setup and it included dual tilt cylinders so I have maximum control over the blade angles. Hands down the BEST grand I have spent on the tractor.

I tried using the box blade and back blade w/o the TNT, and it was a serious pain in the butt. Every time you want to change from cut to smooth, or change the pitch in any way you had to get off, grab the wrench, change the link lengths, get back on and hope you got it right. Basically, I spent more time off the tractor setting up the stupid attachments than I did actually using the tractor.

If you want the parts list, or would like pictures of what it can do, just let me know..

Jeff

 

[mjncad]

I have R4's on my JD 4200 and I wish I had gotten the R1's. The R4's traction on snow and ice is not real good. Plus R1's will give you more traction for your ground engaging implements.

 

[Bassicfun]

Any & all pictures of the top and tilt would be great!! Both of parts, the whole setup as well as action thoughts! Thanks!!

 

[jnjpream]

I just started a thread on the TNT for the BX. Hopefully the link works, if not the title is $1000 TNT in the Kubota Owning/Operating forum. Sorry, it's long winded but I wanted to get all the info out there.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/145306-1000-tnt-dual-tilt-bx22.html

 

[MarkV]

Bassicfun welcome to the forum. Nice place you built.

I am going to apologize in advance for bringing the loaded tires up again. You do sound like you have made up your mind against them so this is just food for thought. After all you did say it was your first tractor and you were looking for advice. I am surprised that multiple dealers in a state that does a lot of farming would recommend against them. They have been the standard for many years on the farm. Generally the arguments against loading the tires are rusty rims, to much weight for finish mowing and environmental hazards if they were to leak. Golf course lawn doesn't sound like and issue for you and both of the other issues are easily solved with the use of the proper materials. I use water and environmentally friendly, animal safe, anti-freeze because I can do it cheaply and easily at home. Wheel weights will work but they are expensive and you mentioned keeping cost down. My tires have been loaded for 10 years without issue and many have had theirs loaded much longer. Do add which ever kind of weight. It will make all the difference with your hills and snow removal.

MarkV

 

[Bassicfun]

Thanks MarkV.. I may consider it, more interested in talking implements to get the job done, then turning this into a loaded/unloaded thread. Thanks for your input!