Kubota HP needed?

[pburchett]

Looking to buy a tractor and have decided upon an orange one. Was wondering how much HP I need. The tractor I need will have to be about 62-66 inches wide, category I hitch, 4x4, front loader, able to run a 6 ft bush hog. Hydrostatic would be ok but not necessary. The most demanding use will be for cutting an overgrown field once a year that is too steep to go side to side so it's has to be on the up and down to avoid turning over. Here is my HP thinking, 30 for the bush hog, 5 for the 4x4, 5 for the hydrostatic and 5 more HP for the steep terrain. So.....Would a 45 pto HP tractor be enough or overkill. I see a lot of 28-30 pto hp tractors for sale but I do not think this would be enough power for my use. Any suggestions form experienced orange users?

 

[newbury]

Looking to buy a tractor and have decided upon an orange one. Was wondering how much HP I need. The tractor I need will have to be about 62-66 inches wide, category I hitch, 4x4, front loader, able to run a 6 ft bush hog. Hydrostatic would be ok but not necessary. The most demanding use will be for cutting an overgrown field once a year that is too steep to go side to side so it's has to be on the up and down to avoid turning over. Here is my HP thinking, 30 for the bush hog, 5 for the 4x4, 5 for the hydrostatic and 5 more HP for the steep terrain. So.....Would a 45 pto HP tractor be enough or overkill. I see a lot of 28-30 pto hp tractors for sale but I do not think this would be enough power for my use. Any suggestions form experienced orange users?

Why that width? A 45 Hp PTO tractor would probably be wider

For a 6' rotary cutter going uphill I think a

40 plus PTO HP

tractor would do well.

Set the wheels wide and it's over 80". Set them narrow and I can get down to 78", to fit easily on my trailer.

 

[davesl708]

I have heard the rule of thumb is 5hp per foot of width of mower. A little extra would be easier on the tractor.

 

[pburchett]

Trying to keep the bush hog wider than the tractor so it clears out the tire tracks and so it will fit on a trailer

 

[TripleR]

Lots of Kubotas in the 40-45 range and I believe it will spin a 6' cutter without much issue, you can always slow down a bit or not make a full cut if you do it only once a year, I prefer to mow a bit more often, but it's not unusual to do it once a year. My 5030 was rated for a 7' cutter and easily went through some really gnarly stuff over my cab.

 

[Grandad4]

You could "get by" with something around 30 pto hp but it would be worked pretty hard in heavy mowing so you'd need to slow down and/or take narrower passes. As others say, a machine with 40 or more pto hp will have a nice reserve of power with a 6 ft. cutter and will handle about anything you can drive over, on any grade that's safe to climb.

 

[motownbrowne]

In the Kubota flavor, any of the MXs, an L4701, or an L4060 or larger Grand L would do the job. You can probably spend anywhere from $30-60k on one of these machines off the lot. As Newbury points out, there are used options as well.

 

[Fallon]

My L3200 has 32hp & is 60" wide with non adjustable R4 tires. It runs a 5' rotary cutter fine. The extra couple of HP on a L3800 (or now a L3901) might be worth it for a 6' cutter. I think they could lift a heavier 6' without to much problems. Going up to a 4 thousand series might be a bit better though.

 

[jeff9366]

As you shop, inquire which Kubota models are designed by the factory to have the rear wheels spaced wider. The Grand L's, for instance, can all have the rear tread width increased with the standard tires. The rear tread width on my L3560 can be adjusted from 47.2" width to 58.3" width, in four increments, by changing tires positions, no spacers or other add-on required.

The Operator's Manual covers adjusting tread widths.

Front tread width is not adjustable with 4-WD.

Nothing will add greater stability on your hills than increasing tread width.

Wider tires assist. Loaded rear tires assist. Greater tractor weight assists.

HST would be my choice for use on your hill.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

FYI: MX series with r4s can definitely be widened with stock wheels by flipping.