Big tractor syndrome

[Cherokee140]

I agree with this post.^^^


I try to buy the size equipment that will handle the majority of my uses, on rare occasions I need to call in something smaller or larger.

This is where I guess I was drifting....I have folks around where I can borrow stuff from (but I really hate to borrow peoples equipment just incase something happens I always feel responsible to return it in better shape then I got it...even if it is just giving it a bath)

I have seen the videos on youtube, people digging up stumps, picking up HUGE (EVERYTHING) with a grapple (now I want one of those...tons of dead wood I have to deal with) digging things as large as Koi ponds, moving pretty big rocks...tons of stuff. I watch those videos and think man this will do everything I need and then some. Then I see the machines, pretty small size wise. Makes an 8N look huge, Next to a JD70 it is a toy. And I get the feeling that is how many dealers see them.....as toys. They have the experience, they also want to make money, and I would bet there is more money in the larger machine. So are they talking to me about the larger machines because they really can't do what I have seen them doing on youtube.....or are they just trying to get deeper into my wallet.

I know I have been rambling on this over and over....sorry, but I have never had a chance to go to a dealer (car or tractor) and say I want ________

I really want to make sure I am putting just what I need in that blank, not what I want or to have over kill, on not be able to use it when digging up all the landscaping up close to my house.

 

[dave1949]

Maybe a few pics of the areas you plan to work in would help people give better advice.

My personal experience is 10 years of use on my 40 hp New Holland has pretty much worn out the loader and backhoe. I know that I work it hard and ask a lot from it. It's a tool that has a useful lifetime that gets consumed. The tractor itself is still in reasonable shape with (knock on wood) many useful years left in it.

Money-wise, if I had a larger machine, in 10 years it would/could have depreciated in value roughly by as much as the New Holland loader and backhoe cost. Repairs and maintenance would be more expensive with a larger machine too. It's a trade-off.

All else being equal, a small machine used to its maximum capability will have a shorter life than a larger machine that is not being maxed out.

 

[jenkinsph]

This is where I guess I was drifting....I have folks around where I can borrow stuff from (but I really hate to borrow peoples equipment just incase something happens I always feel responsible to return it in better shape then I got it...even if it is just giving it a bath)

I have seen the videos on youtube, people digging up stumps, picking up HUGE (EVERYTHING) with a grapple (now I want one of those...tons of dead wood I have to deal with) digging things as large as Koi ponds, moving pretty big rocks...tons of stuff. I watch those videos and think man this will do everything I need and then some. Then I see the machines, pretty small size wise. Makes an 8N look huge, Next to a JD70 it is a toy. And I get the feeling that is how many dealers see them.....as toys. They have the experience, they also want to make money, and I would bet there is more money in the larger machine. So are they talking to me about the larger machines because they really can't do what I have seen them doing on youtube.....or are they just trying to get deeper into my wallet.

I know I have been rambling on this over and over....sorry, but I have never had a chance to go to a dealer (car or tractor) and say I want ________

I really want to make sure I am putting just what I need in that blank, not what I want or to have over kill, on not be able to use it when digging up all the landscaping up close to my house.

Really difficult to know what capabilities will be needed in the future without a crystal ball. I think most of us have to guess what will fit the best and recognize nothing is a perfect fit for all tasks. I have a Deere 110 tlb with Laurin cab that does 90% of my backhoe work, on occasion I need something bigger but so far I haven't needed one that is smaller. A JD 70 can develop quite a lot of tractive force when needed but it seems most homeowners can better utilize a newer tractor with more modern features the majority of the time.

Organizing your projects and then buying the tractor size and configuration that will work the best for most of your needs is the way to go. Rent the specialized equipment for the rest of the jobs.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Maybe a hands on demo would help you. Most dealers have dirt piles that you can try out the tractors on. If you plan to use the FEL to haul and move materials, do this. Load up the BX with a full bucket of dirt and dump it out where you can compare the size of the pile. Then do the same with a B series. I am sure the larger bucket will show a sizable difference in piles of dirt. While you are doing this, note the one that loads the dirt the easiest (make sure both are in 4 WD). It always amazed me when hauling dirt, how little the pile was when dumping regardless of the tractor. Even my LS with its huge bucket compared to any CUT takes a long while to move a big pile of dirt. Every little bit larger helps in the bucket brigade.
As for as can a BX SCUT do the same work as a larger CUT, in most instances it can with exception of lift capacity, it just takes much more time to do it. When moving heavy stuff like rocks, it doesn't take a very big rock to weigh more than a BX can lift.

 

[ovrszd]

I would suggest a B series in the Kubota brand. Not sure what's comparable in the JD brand. I had a B2910 that I used a MMM with. It did a better job mowing than the JD455 that I also had. Was twice as capable in regards to tractor duties such as towing, carrying, etc.

I've got a JD2210, which is the predecessor to the JD 1-series. I just mapquested you but we are too far apart for you to test drive mine. Go to this thread and post the question if anyone close to you has any variations of what you are interested in that you can hop on and run. I know there are posters on that thread that live close to you. You'll learn more in an hour that way than you'll learn all day at a dealership.

Here's the link.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/midwest-great-lakes/228416-missouri-roll-call-show-me-137.html

 

[Cherokee140]

Thanks for the tips.

I will try to get out and snap some other photos of some of the area I am working on.

This is an older photo I actually took from the 650....it shows a small bit of the overgrown fence row...It is a little hard to tell, but the fence is an old barbed wire fence that is falling apart, They at one time kept cattle on this part. The trees have grown about 6-10 feet on each side of the original barbed wire fence....most are in the smallish range, some larger, and 99% are black locust with MONSTER thorns. There are other areas on the property that are over grown like this, an old 3 sided barn you can't really get to but is still in good shape.

The ground back there is also VERY bumpy from the cows. It also gets a great deal of runoff.

 

[GPintheMitten]

For what you described I would not go smaller than a B series or similar size in another brand. But frankly it sounds like you have made up your mind to go on the smaller size.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for the tips.

I will try to get out and snap some other photos of some of the area I am working on.

This is an older photo I actually took from the 650....it shows a small bit of the overgrown fence row...It is a little hard to tell, but the fence is an old barbed wire fence that is falling apart, They at one time kept cattle on this part. The trees have grown about 6-10 feet on each side of the original barbed wire fence....most are in the smallish range, some larger, and 99% are black locust with MONSTER thorns. There are other areas on the property that are over grown like this, an old 3 sided barn you can't really get to but is still in good shape.

The ground back there is also VERY bumpy from the cows. It also gets a great deal of runoff.


View attachment 362619

Probably already been mentioned, but with something like a grown up fence row of any length, we bring in a dozer or rent a tracked skid steer, sure saves time and money on tractor repairs.

 

[paulfun9]

The JD 650 is a little tractor with a big heart! The BX is simply a little tractor built for a home owner who maintains their already done property! If you are looking at a loader and backhoe on a property that hasn't been tamed you would be much better served in the long run by a slightly bigger machine. I have run the BX series and was very disappointed with them when compared to the JD 650/750/755.

 

[dave1949]

Probably already been mentioned, but with something like a grown up fence row of any length, we bring in a dozer or rent a tracked skid steer, sure saves time and money on tractor repairs.

Cleaning up old barb wire is never a fun job. Someone who lived on this place long ago was a real barb wire nut. :laughing: There used to be a lot of sheep raised in this area.

The fence posts are long gone but the wire lasts forever buried in the surface dirt, leaves and vegetation, grown into trees, and the occasional small coil laying here and there. I spend a day or two most summers pulling and cutting the latest discoveries.