Big tractor syndrome

[ovrszd]

I should have added that in perfect world, I'd also have something like a BX to go along with my current tractors, and the one that's twice as big (honestly, I think a full size backhoe would be good). :drink:

Between my Brother and I we have a little JD176 (I think) lawn mower, JD2210, Kubota L3240, Bobcat T300 , Kubota M9540 and a NH TB115 (I think) full size 4x4 extendahoe. We use every one of them.

 

[GManBart]

Between my Brother and I we have a little JD176 (I think) lawn mower, JD2210, Kubota L3240, Bobcat T300 , Kubota M9540 and a NH TB115 (I think) full size 4x4 extendahoe. We use every one of them.

Don't go making me jealous now! I'm really lucky that my neighbor across the street has a full size backhoe, excavator, T200 Bobcat, a Case 450 dozer, a tandem dump truck, and a lowboy trailer

 

[TripleR]

I know I said I was through, but man, just can't resist. You have and continue to set fire to some bridges here, I've been operating tractors for over 60 years and at present count have nine from 22 to 85HP yet manage to learn something from other members on a weekly if not daily basis. I did not and do not get this help with a crappy attitude.

You speak of "facts", yet there are facts and there are facts and you have narrowed in on to too small a set of facts. My recommendation as I am sure others were based on a variety of facts/considerations including size of property, tasks, operator and machine. You mentioned being older and having some physical problems, so what might be ideal for a healthy young man may not be for someone with a few miles on him/her.

Time in the seat used to mean nothing to me as I grew up spending 12+ hours on a tractor every day; now time, while I have more of it free sure wears me out if I am bouncing around on a rough riding machine. As mentioned, there are older threads by me extolling the virtues of the BX and I've even built roads with it when a bigger tractor was available. Now while we have two of them, not much beyond mowing is done with them unless one of my sons is operating it.

Anyone will tell you, I value civility and try my best not to get annoyed, but as others have mentioned, I too fear you just don't get it. I have offered all the advice I intend; maybe not all the comments, but all the advice.

 

[llaass]

First off, I must admit that I like Deere better. I have a JD 2305 and a Kobota RT900. I think the JD is better made and easier to service. Now that you know my bias, I'll answer your question as best I can.

Is your land flat? Are there rocks? Do you pull trees? Do you garden/plow? I love my JD. However, when I have the money, I'll swap for a taller tractor. I have a friend whose BX is even lower to the ground than my JD. I'm a 100% disabled vet and my tractor in my back, carry all, my physical being. I find I have enough power with my 2305, but I wish I had more clearance.

 

[TripleR]

First off, I must admit that I like Deere better. I have a JD 2305 and a Kobota RT900. I think the JD is better made and easier to service. Now that you know my bias, I'll answer your question as best I can.

Is your land flat? Are there rocks? Do you pull trees? Do you garden/plow? I love my JD. However, when I have the money, I'll swap for a taller tractor. I have a friend whose BX is even lower to the ground than my JD. I'm a 100% disabled vet and my tractor in my back, carry all, my physical being. I find I have enough power with my 2305, but I wish I had more clearance.

I have no desire to be argumentative, but we happen to own a BX2660 as well as a John Deere 2305 and according to our personal observations the BX has an inch more ground clearance, admittedly not often a big deal, but since you brought it up.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

 

[Tractor2011]

Let your planned attachments be your guide for your needed horsepower. When I first started shopping for a new tractor I considered a Kubota L 3240. Then I started looking at the horse power requirements for the size attachments I planned purchasing and came to the conclusion the L3240 didn't have the PTO HP I needed, so I selected a L3940. My only regret is I didn't buy the largest Front Loader for my L3940 because there have been fork lift loads I haven't quite been able to lift.

 

[njjeter]

I also have a mixed area to deal with including some fairly steep terrain. I had used an old JD318 with an after market 3 PT hitch to attach a small box blade. I just did not have enough butt to do what I needed. I finally desided to bite the bullet and upgrade. I needed something with 4 wd due to the steep terrain and a FEL. I would loved to have gotten a backhoe, but I needed to transport this rig between my home and a lake home and some rental property, and therefore I needed to limit the weight. I also had to empty the fluid from my rear tires for the same reason. I looked at both JD annd Kubota, but in the end I felt I got more bang for my buck with a Mahindra 3016 with a FEL. I have a 5 ft blabe and a 5 ft King Kutter finish mower. I have been very please with the performance of this set up. If I ever get to the point of not hauling the tractor, I will first fill the back tires for more traction. On several occasions I have had to use the FEL to push myself out of holes even the 4 wd cannot get out. If you have a dealer nearby, don't overlook the Mahindra.

 

[GManBart]

I also have a mixed area to deal with including some fairly steep terrain. I had used an old JD318 with an after market 3 PT hitch to attach a small box blade. I just did not have enough butt to do what I needed. I finally desided to bite the bullet and upgrade. I needed something with 4 wd due to the steep terrain and a FEL. I would loved to have gotten a backhoe, but I needed to transport this rig between my home and a lake home and some rental property, and therefore I needed to limit the weight. I also had to empty the fluid from my rear tires for the same reason. I looked at both JD annd Kubota, but in the end I felt I got more bang for my buck with a Mahindra 3016 with a FEL. I have a 5 ft blabe and a 5 ft King Kutter finish mower. I have been very please with the performance of this set up. If I ever get to the point of not hauling the tractor, I will first fill the back tires for more traction. On several occasions I have had to use the FEL to push myself out of holes even the 4 wd cannot get out. If you have a dealer nearby, don't overlook the Mahindra.

Wow, 1.5 years for your first post....cool!

Something I have forgotten to do when trying to claw out of a hole is to use the differential lock....makes a big difference.

 

[njjeter]

Ususlly don't want to overwhelm every one with my one bit of knowlwedge. Even with the differential lock engaged I some times need to push or pull with the FEL due to the steepness of the hillside and especially if it is the least bit wet.

 

[GManBart]

Ususlly don't want to overwhelm every one with my one bit of knowlwedge. Even with the differential lock engaged I some times need to push or pull with the FEL due to the steepness of the hillside and especially if it is the least bit wet.

Yep, been there many times myself! You're right, once it's wet, all gets are off. Part of the reason I wanted R1s on the Massey was to be able to get through wet spots, and pull the LS (R4s) out if I get it really stuck. Haven't needed to do that yet, but it's been close a few times!

 

[IgroRockwell]

With me it's all about time. I'm not getting any younger and the things I need to do don't get any easier. For quite a few years I had a Farmall Super A and a John Deere M to do the farm chores and got by with them. Then I bought an MX5100 Kubota and the time I spent on tasks dropped dramatically. A field that took all day to plow was done in two hours. Then I got a big tiller and cut the time disking way down. But the MX5100 was taxed to the max by the tiller, so I got an M6800. Now I can prepare a piece of ground in 4 hours that It would have taken me 4 days to do ten years ago. I am now shopping for a 125hp tractor! By the time I am done I want a machine that I can just barely turn around on my 135 acres and can do all my field work in 20 minutes.

 

[ovrszd]

With me it's all about time. I am now shopping for a 125hp tractor! By the time I am done I want a machine that I can just barely turn around on my 135 acres and can do all my field work in 20 minutes.

It's a viscious road we travel isn't it.....

 

[k0ua]

It's a viscious road we travel isn't it.....

Yeah, but it is a good feeling to have all the power you need right when and where you need it!

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah, but it is a good feeling to have all the power you need right when and where you need it!

I'm with ya James. I'm a self admitted HP junkie!!!

 

[murphy1244]

There is no substitute for Horse Power! :thumbsup:

 

[nwphil]

Haven't read some of the middle pages, so maybe the safety aspect has been mentioned a few times already. A bigger tractor may be less tippy on average, especially when operating a loader. Doesn't take a big op to stretch the limits of a small tractor. I bought my JD 4700 (largest CU frame, most HP) when I was just mowing and doing odd lifting. Now I am loading a soybean drill and have to be exactly on the level as I left 1500 lb bags 9 feet. Wish I had a slightly bigger loader tractor for that. But the maneuverability of the 4700 definitely fills a niche, and it is an essential part of my little 130 acre corn/ soybean op.

 

[smitesmash]

You are not the first person to say I am thick headed.....

(I am in the process of installing InfoPath....man it takes forever)

I don't know about anyone else, but I got a laugh out of these two...

 

[MHarryE]

Haven't read some of the middle pages, so maybe the safety aspect has been mentioned a few times already. A bigger tractor may be less tippy on average, especially when operating a loader. Doesn't take a big op to stretch the limits of a small tractor. I bought my JD 4700 (largest CU frame, most HP) when I was just mowing and doing odd lifting. Now I am loading a soybean drill and have to be exactly on the level as I left 1500 lb bags 9 feet. Wish I had a slightly bigger loader tractor for that. But the maneuverability of the 4700 definitely fills a niche, and it is an essential part of my little 130 acre corn/ soybean op.

Know what you mean. Our 6230 with loader is in use almost all the time so sometimes I had to load bales with our L5740. First tier on the bale hauler no problem but up to the top tier frightening, and slow, especially that last bale when it needs to come off the rear spear and get loaded on top. Now we added the M135GX which feels rock solid with or without the rear bale.

 

[ovrszd]

Know what you mean. Our 6230 with loader is in use almost all the time so sometimes I had to load bales with our L5740. First tier on the bale hauler no problem but up to the top tier frightening, and slow, especially that last bale when it needs to come off the rear spear and get loaded on top. Now we added the M135GX which feels rock solid with or without the rear bale.

We have several Cattle operations scattered around my area. 10 years ago when FWA tractors started showing up here I thought it was amusing that a rancher would buy a $80K 130HP FWA tractor to handle hay bales. But I kept an open mind and paid attention. Now I get it. That tractor will handle all of the hay processing equipment plus feed the big bales in the Winter without issue. And it'll do it for decades. No ballast required.

 

[Cherokee140]

I don't know about anyone else, but I got a laugh out of these two...

Yea, InfoPath is a Microsoft server form share thingy....and a royal pain.

I have not commented on stuff here lately, just watching the thread grow and evolve.

So far the machine I bought has 20 hours on it, I have had it 3-4 weeks now I think. It has done everything I asked it to do, and some things I did not think it could do, the 3 RR ties shocked me. It has been small enough I can squeeze in in between some pretty large trees to dig out old fence posts, or just knock them over. So far I am very happy with the machine, but it is only 20 hours....this spring (if it ever gets here) I will be out and really start using the machine more. I have not seen anything in this or any other thread that has made me second guess my choice on the small machine.

That is really (going back to the start again) what this thread was about. How much machine do YOU need. Rockwell has a far different use then I do. And he makes his living with his machine it sounds. I don't. I am sure that people doing the same jobs he is doing now did it with horses at one time, and then it moved up from there. That does not mean that the horse could no longer do the same job, it would just take longer and be harder on both animal and man. Then in the 40's I bet the same job was done with a 2cyl JD, or 8n and the like....and that was much better then the horse. I bet he could still do the job on a vintage machine. And I have seen videos of people really using the old tractors to do what they are built to do all those years ago. Sure they may only do it as a hobby, and for fun, but they are doing it....and I am sure he could do it with a vintage machine if he wanted to.

I am not trying to compare new vs. old machines, but I think it fits. If Rockwell was not making a living at this, and was doing this as a release, yes he is getting work done...work that has to be done, but he is not in any hurry to do it. The big tractor syndrome is so many say that the small machine will just not do the job, or do it SO SLOW and inefficient it will not be worth it and be a frustration to the user. I do not think this is accurate for many hobby/home on small acreage uses....and actually suggesting the larger machine is not the best tool for his job, thus the big tractor syndrome....go large or go home.

But I am getting wordy again and likely burning bridges...so I will sign off for now.