Buying Advice Help with Tractor purchase - newbie

[kminnick]

Hi. I have 60 acres of rough/wooded land in N.Idaho and really need a tractor for clearing & maintaining. I feel I need a least 40 HP (weight factor as much as anything) to ~60. I have a line on a NH TN75S with loader & cab, but worried about the power shuttle and it's issues. Also, is it too large to maneuver? I'm also considering a Kioti DK 40/45/50 or a Mahindra 4530 (yes, my budget forces me to go used). It seems that many of the smaller tractors have limited weight and hydraulic systems. Thanks in advance for all your help. Kelly

 

[jeff9366]

If you intend to clear all of your sixty acres, hire a forestry mulching company. There will be nothing but mulch on your land after their machines pass through.

If you do not plan to clear all, how much?

After you clear a portion, what will you do with the land?

Yes, larger tractors are heavier and have stronger hydraulics.

It is pretty easy to smash up a cab in the woods.

Have you prior tractor operating experience?

 

[roadhunter]

I've got my Bobcat CT-445 for sale. Something like it might work for your application.

CT445 Bobcat Tractor Loader Cab Heat AC Skid Steer

 

[kminnick]

Hi Jeff-
I don't plan on clearing all the land, but where we will be building, cleaning up fallen timber, place for a garden, etc. There will be snow removal, in which case a cab will be nice. Your point about damaging a cab off-road is well taken. That glass isn't cheap!

My prior experience with tractors is with BH & excavators - not so much with farm tractors. I used an older Massey years ago to dig a fence line.

 

[w1ebb]

You may be fine with a larger compact tractor of about 45 - 50hp. 4wd and load the tires with beet juice. Bigger is usually better, to a point. My crazy neighbor with his 23hp scut borrowed my middlebuster. He took off with it it high gear, snagged a root, rared the front end way up, and flipped it over. How he didn't kill himself, I don't know. Larger is better, can use full size implements, etc. Also more stable and will have a roomier driver station.
I'm a fan of gear tractors. The idea of constantly holding a pedal down to go, just doesn't appeal to my knee that needs replacing!

Good fortune!

Scott

 

[keg99]

I have a NH TC40DA. 40 Hp and hydrostatic. I love it for loader work. But if you are going to do much farming, you don't want to go with hydro. Gear drive is what you want.

Sounds like you might be doing more loader than farm work. You can add a lot of weight to a tractor in various ways like filling the tires or even attaching a 55 gall drum filled with concrete to your three point . But most important for loader work is having 4 wheel drive.

And widen those wheels. Whatever you do, if you have any hilly ground, set the wheels to a WIDE position. You will be amazed how much more stable the tractor is. Factory settings are for shipping (narrow width), not for using.

If you are thinking it might knock down trees, probably not, unless they are really small. You need something big for that. But if you are just doing light grading/snow removal, clearing brush, moving loads of dirt, etc. 40 Hp should do you fine.

Also, consider a front grapple on that bucket. I wouldn't go back to a simple bucket. You can grab logs, piles of brush and even use it to hold extra dirt in the bucket. Highly recommend a grapple to anyone doing loader work. Try "Add-A-Grapple" since they just bolt on. You will need an extra set of hydraulic couplings to operate the cylinder. But WELL worth it.

 

[roadhunter]

You may be fine with a larger compact tractor of about 45 - 50hp. 4wd and load the tires with beet juice. Bigger is usually better, to a point. My crazy neighbor with his 23hp scut borrowed my middlebuster. He took off with it it high gear, snagged a root, rared the front end way up, and flipped it over. How he didn't kill himself, I don't know. Larger is better, can use full size implements, etc. Also more stable and will have a roomier driver station.
I'm a fan of gear tractors. The idea of constantly holding a pedal down to go, just doesn't appeal to my knee that needs replacing!

Good fortune!

Scott

I think it just depends what you are doing. For using the loader regularly the hydrostat is really nice. Easing up on a load so you can carefully fit the forks under it the hydrostat is hard to beat. The hydrostat is also much easier for novice users.

 

[jeff9366]

Hi Jeff-
I don't plan on clearing all the land, but where we will be building, cleaning up fallen timber, place for a garden, etc. There will be snow removal, in which case a cab will be nice.

How many acres are you going to clear? How many acres will remain woods? How big a garden? What area will require snow removal? How much snow do you expect in an average year?

You cannot make a very good selection based on generalities.

 

[kminnick]

Snow ranges from 6-8" to 3+ feet to clear. I would like to clear ~3 - 4 acres. Garden will be small (1/4 acre). It's wooded with a lot of downed firewood that needs cleared along with heavy brush (was tree farmed years ago). I found a good deal on a NH TN75s with cab & FEL (power shift), but this no small tractor. The supersteer might help..(?)

I'm also looking at a Kioti DK50 SE (HST - about $4K more), Kubota L4240 (HST, also ~4K more) and lastly, a TYM T450 (about $1500 more, shuttle shift). The value seems to be in the TN75, but is it too big? Is it a beast to use? Thanks for all of your comments!

 

[kminnick]

One more thing... Maybe it's my perception, but it appears that many of the compacts have marginal FEL lift, hydraulic FEL, etc. That's why I'm looking at the above list. A Mahindra 4530 might also be good. I rented a Kubota L34XX with backhoe and it seemed more like a toy. Thoughts?

 

[DK35vince]

My opinion. Go with the NH 75s
If you felt the L34XX felt like a toy, the others you mentioned are not all that much bigger.

 

[kminnick]

Hi Vince- I've looked at the stats of the L34xx versus some of the ones on my list. The <40 hp Kubota's are fairly light and have limited FEL lift and 3pt lift capability. Some of the 40 - 50 HP compacts have almost 1000 pound more FEL lift & breakout force.

It is harder to find a 40 -60 hp 4wd tractor out in the NW. I think there are just fewer of them. So shipping may add another $2 - $3K!

 

[TripleR]

Another one of those, "it depends" situations. My primary tractors are an L5740 and M8540, both with cabs. I use both regularly and although we have several other tractors, these are my preference. When working in the woods, I'll take the 5740 every day and I have added cab protection to help minimize any potential damage. The 8540 is a great, very maneuverable tractor, but the cab really can limit where you go in the woods more so than the 5740.

I have much more precise control with the HST than hydraulic shuttle-shift and maintaining a constant speed is no problem with the cruise control.

Kioti does have more weight than a similar Kubota, my brother loves his, so the Kioti may well be the way to go.

I highly recommend a grapple or grapple bucket, my brother has the bucket and I have root grapples, both work well and sure save a lot of work in the woods.

My preference would be a 50 HP or better, but many get by with less.

No doubt the NH will outwork a CUT, but the physical size "might" be problematic at times. Anything you get is going to be a bit of a compromise as many of us have had to accept the ideal tractor is a minimum of two, we have nine I think.

Good luck.

 

[kminnick]

Nine tractors? Wow. I was looking at a M4700 which is shuttle shift, but I think it is ~51HP and seems very capable. They are older, so prices a little lower too! I've heard the supersteer helps, but can be 'tippy' (rotating the whole axle + knuckles). The cab option definitely has pluses and minuses. Break one piece of glass and find out how much NH loves them! The TYM (~43hp) would probably do the job, but it is a little light.

My attachment list is as follows:
Brush hog
Box scraper
Fork Lift
Grapple
Plow? (Front or rear? snow clearing)
Maybe eventually a wood chipper & wood splitter

 

[keg99]

Nine tractors? I've heard the supersteer helps, but can be 'tippy' (rotating the whole axle + knuckles).

I went with the poor man's supersteer. I put on a steering wheel spinner. It makes turning sooo much easier. In fact, I find using just one, it doesn't always end up in the most comfortable position, so I added a second one.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I've got a Kioti DK50SE with HST and cab, and I like it a lot. I don't know anything about the NH TN75 except that it is quite a bit more tractor than the DK50 (about 1,000 - 1,500 pounds heavier).

The loader specs are about the same on both of them, which is really surprising that the NH doesn't lift more.

The Kioti comes with one set of rear remotes standard (and I believe in a minimum of two and, preferably three sets). Does the NH come with any? You will want them for sure.

The Kioti comes with extendable lower lift arms (an absolutely indispensable feature).

The NH has probably 15 more PTO HP than the Kioti.

The NH will probably burn more fuel than the Kioti on an hourly basis.

The HST on the Kioti is great, but the power shuttle on the NH would be my second choice (over a synchro shuttle or standard gear tractor).

If they are both similar hours and in good shape, I'd be hard pressed to pick one. The Kioti is a great tractor with a lot of nice features, but the NH is a more powerful tractor (other than the loader specs).

If you have plenty of room to maneuver in the woods, the NH might be the best choice. Otherwise, the Kioti might be the one.

 

[kminnick]

Is that what they used to call a 'necking knob'?

 

[kminnick]

Hey Pappy- The Kioti DK50SE with HST & Kubota L4240 HST are also at the top of my list (rear lift, loader lift, hydraulic flow, remotes). Each of these on Ebay are ~$19.5K, plus ~$2 - $3K to ship to Idaho (both with ~650 hrs).

The TN75s has quick attach bucket, 2 rear remotes, heated/ac cab, telescopic 3pt links, etc. with 930 hrs. But as you say, is heavy and will drink more fuel. Rear lift is huge - more like someone pulling large farm equipment. The guy claims he can sell it to me for $15.5 delivered.

The last one I'm looking at is a TYM T450 with 2 rear remotes (including the center & draft cylinders), quick attach, low hours for $17.2K

 

[kminnick]

Can the TN75s take the same 3 pt implements as all these other tractors?

 

[sd455dan]

Can the TN75s take the same 3 pt implements as all these other tractors?

From the reviews right here on TBN the answer is yes,
all of the reviewed tractors had between 1000 and over 3000 hours No mention of any major problems


New Holland TN75 Reviews - TractorByNet.com

Sounds like a Whole lot of tractor for the money to me.