B2320/2620 w. FEL/RM: turning around in woods?

[Stubee]

Question for guys who use B-series in the woods: getting B2320 or B2620 w. loader & will use with 48" rotary cutter on woods trails that are only 10'-15' width. Now use ATV + 44" tow-behind Swisher rough cutter & nearly impossible to back that rig up in that space w. very long 'tongue', low cutter clearance etc.

Am thinking even a B2320 w. FEL + 48" LandPride cutter will be 16' in length (!). Want to leave loader on in woods but can I jockey this thing around to get it in out of these areas? I know I'll have to do 'multi-point' turns. Have operated tractors but never in tight spaces like that, thanks for any knowledge as I keep squeezing the trigger here.

 

[TripleR]

I know the safety police will track me down, but I find a flat place and raise my FEL up high to shorten the length in order to turn around. DO NOT DO THIS ON AN INCLINE.

 

[Baby Grand]

I know the safety police will track me down, but I find a flat place and raise my FEL up high to shorten the length in order to turn around. DO NOT DO THIS ON AN INCLINE.

... or on soft ground ...
Of course, I would never do that ....

 

[stratton]

I have a b2320 with fel and bh. I unlock my left and right breaks, Then step on just the one side and give her some gas/diesel. Zero turn!!! I believe this is ok as long as you dont zero turn on pavement. Or it will wear the tires down faster.

 

[Combustix]

I know the safety police will track me down, but I find a flat place and raise my FEL up high to shorten the length in order to turn around. DO NOT DO THIS ON AN INCLINE.

I use this method as well as it works good. soft ground and inclines may be slightly guilty. If the trees or brush is small keep the loader down or will level and remove brush and trees with loader. Less wear on the brush cutter have busted out the fuel filter bowl thrashing around the woods, 4 gallons lost but used the spot to start my pile burning

 

[ChuckinNH]

I have a B2620, and a 48" rotary cutter that I use to keep the woods from growing into my field, and on my trails, etc. It is big enough to be tight in places, and I might even consider a 42" rotary cutter if I were to do it again, but it works fine. I just take my time, and back into many places I can't drive through. You will want front weights if you take the loader off to make it smaller. I like that size tractor in my woods a lot. Sometimes I could use more weight, and sometimes I wish I had less, but it works pretty well.

 

[boggen]

if you have left and right break peddles. you may need to split them.

take tractor out of 4wd. if it is in 4wd / MFWD.

for sharp left turn. turn front wheels all the way left, and step on left pedal all the way. give it some throttle. and you should spin around on the rear left tire. for a pin point turn.

and do same like thing for a sharp right turn.

==============
the raising of loader also works. though i tend never raising loader this high. or less it is empty bucket. a full bucket in FEL can take the saftey risk of a roll over even higher.

=========
don't get me wrong, i have been in situations were i had a full bucket of dirt, on a hill, it was muddy and soft ground. and hitting left brake peddle and turning front wheels all the way to the left. plus had a few bumps to go over. but i would not recommend pushing your luck. i slowed a good amount and hoped nothing went wrong when i did it all.

i will still do above any time i need to. but i have had to do above so many times that i no longer remember most of the turns. and i slowly built up my ability to do above. and learned as i went.

 

[TripleR]

OK, yes, I have done things of which I won't advise others such as lifting a bucket on soft ground or an incline, but sure don't "recommend" it.

Using split brakes "can" work very well, but also "can" tear the snot out of anything hanging off either end of a tractor. Practice using them in an open area under controlled situations then take it to the woods. Judging distance and overall length of your tractor/implements takes time and the more you do it, the better you get.

Much of our land is highly erodible, so I don't take my tractors on soft ground anymore and have really cut back on using steering brakes aggressively. A 90 degree turn is going to leave a divot, so I don't do that anymore.

 

[Stubee]

Thanks guys. Have worked this raw land since 2003. It's in NW Ontario a long, long way from my home & I started w. weeks of chainsaw work then weeks of Stihl hand brushcutter work & finally got to where an ATV + tow RM could get in there but decided I'd better get a tractor before I collapse. My 'working quarters' are so tight that I'd really like something like a BX for more agility but it is woods & as I've hung my ATV up on unforeseen logs etc. dragged by bears into my 'trails' think I'd hang up a BX the first few hours.

I've done the brake turn thing w. gear tractors in fields but think I'll do mostly back/forward in the woods so I don't smash a tractor part.

Appreciate the replies & now to post on Trailer subforum to get some ideas there as I try to finalize the order. Here's some pics of why I go there. The cabin sits in the only 'clearing' I've got on a total of 330A. The buck in the sled shows the land I cut behind it = cutover + tag alder + plain old bush. I've cut the bigger stuff already w. saw so mostly 1" saplings plus 6' high bull rushes etc. each year.