Another Newbie looking to buy a tractor

[arrow]

That seems like a tall order for a tractor / backhoe. Digging out and moving 3000 lb rock and stumps is not light duty stuff!

It is and is the wrong equipment to consider.

 

[arrow]

I've created in pathways into the woods several times mostly for driveways.
If you are establishing a new driveway in virgin forest ground, I have found the best tool to do that with is tracked Front end loader.
A tractor is a total waste of time to do this type of job and you will hurt your new tractor.
The proper way to do this is to dig down a foot or so with a tracked loader such as a JD450 or equivalent.
Then fill in this width and length with yards of processed Gravel and it goes best to do this with the track loader.
I've worked in the woods for many a year and will categorically state that the woods are capable of breaking lots of machinery.
Using a tractor to attempt to dig into the woods floor, is like using a Q-tip to dig a trench.

 

[arrow]

For the DIY vs Hired done comments;
800 LF, clear, strip, compact, and 6" of base is probably gonna run, 4 12 hour days, or about $14,400 labor ( that's pushing the rocks and trees/stumps out of the way, not hauling), 320 tons of base material, or about $4,800 in material. Culverts would be atleast $4,000 more, but could be more. So, I'm rough bidding $30,000. If you are Way out, that would go up another 25%.

DIY, you're still going to want at least a 4 ton roller to proof roll your subgrade, then your base. That's probably $1000/week rental. Your rock isn't going to be cheaper, culverts you can self source. I think you can save about $10,000-20,000. It's probably going to take you the better part of 160 man hours, but you have half payed off the tractor that will give you many decades of service.

This brings me to my point, if you don't need a 60hp utility tractor long term, hire it done. If you do need it, buy it and work it. If your long term plan needs a 30hp, buy that, do the stripping/clearing with a $600/day rental tracked skid steer. Then do the spreading, grading, with your 30hp tractor.

Unless of course he breaks his new $60,000 tractor that needs $20,000 worth of repairs. I've seen this happen.
Poor guy had a tree fall on his cab, bent his loader to smithereens and tore up the front end of his tractor gearing.

 

[paulsharvey]

Unless of course he breaks his new $60,000 tractor that needs $20,000 worth of repairs. I've seen this happen.
Poor guy had a tree fall on his cab, bent his loader to smithereens and tore up the front end of his tractor gearing.

You're not wrong. It's just hard to judge what we are really dealing with, from a terrian, tree cover, rock, stump, and operator skill level. That last part isn't meant as a dig at the OP or anyone else; i generally assume people are competent at running their equipment, but I also do realize many aren't, either from inexperience, or over confidence.

Even general assumptions can be radically different; one guys idea of over grown, might be another guys idea of brush, or someone else's heavy timber.

Even trees, a scrub oak, you can general break off or push over with very little effort, and the truck and stump will break down in a year or two. A large long leaf pine, might take 25 years to break down, and have a tap root that goes 12 ft down. A live oak could easily be 60" around, and have a root ball that extends outwards for 20+ feet. With that, the trees in Maine might be different than the trees in N FLa.

 

[paulsharvey]

Anyone remember the member who posted "how to clear 800 acres of 2-3 in trees"; there was advice everywhere from a riding mower to a D8.

 

[Williy]

you can always drill holes in the large rock and
fill with a splitter that you pour in the holes and
swells up and splits the rock so you can handle
the smaller pieces

willy

 

[airbiscuit]

By my reading, The OP is looking to make a jeep trail through the woods (and rocks) along the path of least resistance. Then refine it more later. Lots of us have done that with a tractor, a chainsaw, and brute strength. Good Luck!

 

[paulsharvey]

By my reading, The OP is looking to make a jeep trail through the woods (and rocks) along the path of least resistance. Then refine it more later. Lots of us have done that with a tractor, a chainsaw, and brute strength. Good Luck!

That could from very easy to very hard, depending on density and terrian. At my place, I think I needed to take out all of 2 trees to make a 7 ft wide traio 1000 ft long. Now, to make that same trail (suitable for the SxS and tractor) usable by my Ram, I would probably need to take out 50 trees. If I wanted to make it accessible by a semi, it would be 150. Even with that, if you have the time, it's not that bad to cut a tree and push it out of the way, and flush cut the stump.

 

[airbiscuit]

That could from very easy to very hard, depending on density and terrian. At my place, I think I needed to take out all of 2 trees to make a 7 ft wide trail 1000 ft long... NIf I wanted to make it accessible by a semi, it would be 150...If you have the time, it's not that bad to cut a tree and push it out of the way, and flush cut the stump.

 

[MaineBarn]

Yes, Kubota makes a semi-construction grade tractor in small acreage size. Called their TLB line (tractor, loader, backhoe). They used to make their TLB in 4 sizes, now they make it in 3: 25, 47, & 62 hp. They all have similar options & rugged construction. The backhoe is also removable for mounting a 3pt hitch.

Kubota TLBs are heavily built machines, more expensive though. Nice machine to keep for a lifetime.

Another option that hasn't gotten much attention are older used full size backhoes from small municipalities. Usually well-maintained and replaced on a schedule. I have seen some really nice buys there.

As far as using water at a lake-side location.... Many towns use lakes to store their water. It simply requires processing. Home water processing is a popular solution: low tech and low cost.

rScotty

Carl_nh had mentioned the TLB line tractors and shared a FB post of a used one around 3hrs away. It's intriguing. Would prefer new and based on the Kubota MSRP, only the small one would be feasible. However, that one would have too little capacity to have even a puncher's chance.

Really good point about town equipment. Checked the government auctions and current nearby inventory was bid right, but looked beaten. Will check until I get a tractor.

In an ideal world, we'd do a water filtration system. The housing structure itself is another issue. Very small and dated. It's only 8' from the edge of the lake and can't rebuild elsewhere on the small lot due to setbacks. If we rebuilt the current structure, can't increase the volume by more than 15%. Which means it'd still be tiny.