Advice on buying cheap tractor to grade driveway

[jgoodma1]

Hope I can get some advice on a used tractor to buy. I have a house with an 800' long gravel driveway that I want to maintain with a box blade and/or land plane. I have a Kubota L48 tlb, that I bought used, but it did not come with the 3 point hitch hardware. I have looked all over for used or after-market 3 point hitch hardware for that machine, and I swear, it does not exist. And from all I have read on this and other forums, I think the factory hardware was unique to that machine. I have had my local Kubota dealer price out the 3 point hitch hardware, and it is over $2000.....ridiculous. Along with the expensive hardware, I am pretty much terrified of removing the backhoe, which I have never done before. It weighs about 2000 pounds, and if I manage to get the thing off successfully, I'm afraid I might not have it positioned properly and won't be able to get it back on again......and I really don't want to go through that every time I want to put an implement on the machine. So, I'm thinking of maybe buying a $2500 - $3000 old tractor that I could use just for this driveway grading purpose.

I see old Kubotas I could get for that kind of money, but they are always small.....18 hp or so. I also see older Ford and MF tractors ......10-20 years older than the little Kubotas....for sale, that are bigger and I'm guessing would work fine for this purpose. But, I don't know anything about old tractors. I'm a retired carpenter and builder, and am pretty handy, but not a great mechanic. I do the maintenance on my Kubota and simple tasks like removing hydraulic cylinders, but I would not attempt to dive into the motor, transmission or hydraulic system. A man has to know his limitations. My Kubota has a HST, so I'm spoiled by that when using the machine and I'm not sure what I'd be dealing with with an old tractor and its multiple-speed transmission.

So, my questions are:
1. How much HP do I need to use a box blade and land plane to grade my driveway?
2. Is a 2WD tractor fine for that task?
3. Can someone like me who at this point is completely inexperienced with grading, safely use a fully manual transmissioned old tractor for this purpose?
4. Do I need a tractor with power steering or is manual steering not a problem for grading?
5. What tractor brands and models/series should I look at that would be most reliable and have the best parts availability?

Sorry for the rookie questions. Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[hks003]

My dad has a 1983 2 wd Kubota L34 that he uses to maintain his gravel drive, and it works fine. If you find one in good shape, I wouldn't be scared of it.

1. How much HP do I need to use a box blade and land plane to grade my driveway?
HP doesn't matter as much as weight here. The lighter the tractor and blade, the less you can grab each time. I suspect a 18 HP lightweight tractor would handle it, it just might take longer.

2. Is a 2WD tractor fine for that task?
I'd say yes.

3. Can someone like me who at this point is completely inexperienced with grading, safely use a fully manual transmissioned old tractor for this purpose?
Absolutely. Dad puts his in low range and 2nd or 3rd gear and sets the idle low and uses the foot throttle to control his speed. You'll find where you're comfortable and operate in that range. With an 800 foot drive, I wouldn't expect just a whole lot of stop and reverse behavior.

4. Do I need a tractor with power steering or is manual steering not a problem for grading?
That's preference. I would guess grading is going to be mostly straight lines, so as a 28 year old, no power steering wouldn't bother me. My 75 year old grandfather on the other hand, might want power steering as a convenience.

5. What tractor brands and models/series should I look at that would be most reliable and have the best parts availability?
Ford, Kubota, New Holland, and deere are probably the best bet for parts availability. I don't know specific models very well, but the Kubota L series or the other brands similar models is what I'd be looking for.

 

[bcp]

No tractor needed:

TP Series Grader - Domor

Bruce

 

[Jchonline]

You have the 3 PT on your machine, just no top link arms and lower link arms correct? Can you send a picture? If yours is anything like mine getting the BH off and on is really really easy. It is harder to put the 3PT arms on than to get the BH off and on.

Personally I would keep the L48 as the lone machine and get the arms. That said you might be able to get some cheaper ones from another off brand that will work. How different can they be? Are you CAT1 or CAT2?

Do you really want a second machine to maintain? The L48 has the weight and everything else you need.

 

[ericm979]

I think if you used the parts lookup on Messicks' you'd find the parts you need for a lot less than the dealer quoted you. I think you just need the lower links, check turnbuckles, and a top link and bracket. And you can get a top link anywhere. I'm sure the Kubota one is nice but it's expensive.

With my Branson it takes longer to remove or replace the 3pt linkage than it does to mount or remove the backhoe. I also have to unplug or connect the top and tilt cylinders. I use the backhoe itself to get the brackets to line up once I'm close. Also the hydraulic lines are long enough so I can move the tractor back and forth to reposition it.

 

[airbiscuit]

25-35 hp
Power steering nice but not necessary
You will do fine with a gear shift transmission

Finding a decent tractor like that for under $3,000 is tough

Here are a couple to consider

John Deere 750/850/950
Ford 8n - lots around and popular, but I don't care for them
Massey Ferguson 135/235
Allis Chalmers D14/D15
Ford 2000/2600/3000

 

[cathy liebchen]

MF 135 is very popular around here

 

[fried1765]

Hope I can get some advice on a used tractor to buy. I have a house with an 800' long gravel driveway that I want to maintain with a box blade and/or land plane. I have a Kubota L48 tlb, that I bought used, but it did not come with the 3 point hitch hardware. I have looked all over for used or after-market 3 point hitch hardware for that machine, and I swear, it does not exist. And from all I have read on this and other forums, I think the factory hardware was unique to that machine. I have had my local Kubota dealer price out the 3 point hitch hardware, and it is over $2000.....ridiculous. Along with the expensive hardware, I am pretty much terrified of removing the backhoe, which I have never done before. It weighs about 2000 pounds, and if I manage to get the thing off successfully, I'm afraid I might not have it positioned properly and won't be able to get it back on again......and I really don't want to go through that every time I want to put an implement on the machine. So, I'm thinking of maybe buying a $2500 - $3000 old tractor that I could use just for this driveway grading purpose.

I see old Kubotas I could get for that kind of money, but they are always small.....18 hp or so. I also see older Ford and MF tractors ......10-20 years older than the little Kubotas....for sale, that are bigger and I'm guessing would work fine for this purpose. But, I don't know anything about old tractors. I'm a retired carpenter and builder, and am pretty handy, but not a great mechanic. I do the maintenance on my Kubota and simple tasks like removing hydraulic cylinders, but I would not attempt to dive into the motor, transmission or hydraulic system. A man has to know his limitations. My Kubota has a HST, so I'm spoiled by that when using the machine and I'm not sure what I'd be dealing with with an old tractor and its multiple-speed transmission.

So, my questions are:
1. How much HP do I need to use a box blade and land plane to grade my driveway?
2. Is a 2WD tractor fine for that task?
3. Can someone like me who at this point is completely inexperienced with grading, safely use a fully manual transmissioned old tractor for this purpose?
4. Do I need a tractor with power steering or is manual steering not a problem for grading?
5. What tractor brands and models/series should I look at that would be most reliable and have the best parts availability?

Sorry for the rookie questions. Any advice would be most appreciated.

I agree with post #4 .....except....

It just so happens that I also have an L48.
And,...... I do have all the 3pt linkage parts.

That said: I also have a Ford 1920, and a Ford 8N.
I love the old 8N, but I use it for nothing!

The Ford 1920 4x4 FEL(32HP) is my 3pt. attachment tractor.
The L48 backhoe is reasonably easy to remove, but a real nuisance to do.

Having two tractors is definitely the way to go.
You will not find any sort of Ford 1920 like mine, in your price range.
The job can be done with an 8N, but I would not recommend it.

The MF 135 or 235 would seem to make sense to me.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I don't like the old Gas tractors, but then an old worn out Diesel tractor can really be your worst nightmare.

Spend the money on something decent and tight, take care of it and it will never be worth a penny less than you paid for it.

 

[fried1765]

I don't like the old Gas tractors, but then an old worn out Diesel tractor can really be your worst nightmare.

Spend the money on something decent and tight, take care of it and it will never be worth a penny less than you paid for it.

EXCELLENT ADVICE !!!