Do I need a tractor?

[Gary Fowler]

Large moat filled with hungry crocodiles might keep most of the deer out, or a 12 foot fence completely around the property.

 

[k0ua]

As for the deer, well we have a little thing around here called "deer season" in this state we kill them by the thousands each fall/winter, in fact 311,304 in my state last season. It does thin them out to an extent, but they get busy, doing what deer do, being fun filled playful creatures and all, and there is always a new crop of them.

 

[farmgirl19]

I don't have a heck of a lot of lawn now, but I have land, to keep people back, out of my face. I don't want to look at a house outside of my front door. I look at the trees, the deer, the birds. I don't want to hear the kids bouncing the basketball, or the sirens. If I wanted those things, I would still live in town. Been there, done that. The last house I had, we had a 7 acre "lawn", I actually enjoyed mowing it. It looked like a park. There is nothing "wrong" with the way you all live in Europe, but there is nothing "wrong" with the way we live and think over here either.

James K0UA

This is a lot of the reason that many have large lawns. I don't want to hear the neighbors, just because I am in the backyard. I grew up in a rural setting, and am more comfortable like that. I also have room outdoors, that I can entertain, with a live band, etc. It might not happen often, but the oprion is there, and if I do, it won't disturb any neighbors that might not want to join the party.

I also have livestock, as well as being an avid vegetable gardener, so am always wanting more space to continue expanding. I don't have the big house, nor would I want it, but having space outdoors and away from everytihg except nature, puts my soul at peace.

 

[TripleR]

Ah, I see. A status symbol - "I can afford to buy my food I do not have to grow it". Thanks. I will stick to being a peasant though, it has saved me needing to make money in the past and I will continue that way. And when the lights go out..............

I remember a well reasoned post you submitted on not judging other countries, motives, needs etc., what happened?

I don't have the interest in or feel the need to explain or justify my or others' way of living or land use.

 

[arlen4720]

I still wonder why all you people over there insist on having so much lawn. Nobody has ever answered that question,

Because we can.

People in the US are of a different culture to most of the rest of the world.

Thank God For That

where country people intentionally take food producing land out of production to create an area of grass that it seems nobody ever makes an economical use of. .

Yet we still produce more food than anyone else.

I ask yet again, why do you do it? I am genuinely interested in the reasoning of people who do so, because it is alien to everywhere I have lived.

Because we can

This is not an attack on any individual, but can be assumed to be an attack on a system

It wouldn't matter too much either way, I don't really care what the rest of the world thinks about what I do with the land we have worked hard for. In fact, it kind of pleases me that you are annoyed.

I am genuinely interested in the reasoning of people who do so, because it is alien to everywhere I have lived.

Because we can

I have to go mow my 7 acre lawn now with my 2 diesel lawn mowers, then drive around the rest of my 220 acres, and thank God I don't live in any of those other places that you speak of.

 

[newbury]

How does a lawn get rid of mosquitos and ticks. That interests me too. I also want to get rid of deer. Any thoughts?

They don't "get rid of them" but they don't allow them to flourish.
With a maintained lawn there is no breeding ground for mosquitoes and they have to fly farther to get a meal.
Plus if you are in Louisiana or Alaska a lawn provides line of sight so you can see the mosquitoes coming and shoot them with a shotgun

Ticks are interesting. They generally are only a problem in late spring and summer.
CDC - Tick Life Cycle and Hosts - Ticks. Short grass gives benefits.

Within the lawn, most of the ticks
(82%) are located within 3 yards of the lawn perimeter
particularly along woodlands, stonewalls, or ornamental
plantings.

http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/special_features/tickhandbook.pdf

Having twice been diagnosed for Lyme disease I don't like ticks.

 

[gunmonkeyintl]

How does a lawn get rid of mosquitos and ticks. That interests me too. I also want to get rid of deer. Any thoughts?

Both ticks and mosquitos require moisture and shelter. While a lawn will provide both, it is not nearly as good for their needs as tall, brushy grass or woods are. All things being equal with a lawn and a field of the same topography, the taller grass of the field holds the moisture longer, and provides better shelter. The tall grass of a field further benefits ticks by giving them a place to perch up higher and wait to hitch a ride on a passing host. If you want a one-two punch against the ticks and mosquitos, let some chickens range on your lawn - they'll pretty much disappear from that area.

 

[cardiologist]

Another dumb question, why would having chickens eliminate ticks? Do they eat them?

 

[k0ua]

Another dumb question, why would having chickens eliminate ticks? Do they eat them?

Rumor has it they eat ticks, but I have heard Guinea fowl are more effective at eating ticks. Here are some other ideas. Personally I don't care much for the birds.

Remove leaf litter.
Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
Mow the lawn frequently.
Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents).
Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by constructing fences.
Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.

 

[cardiologist]

Ok back to tractors....
Anyone ever run a generator off your tractor? Is it practical? How big of s generator can you run?

 

[arlen4720]

Ok back to tractors....
Anyone ever run a generator off your tractor? Is it practical? How big of s generator can you run?

They work great for emergencies. One less engine to maintain every year. I think 2 PTO horsepower per KW is a good rull of thumb.
There is going to be allot of different opinions on this.

 

[k0ua]

They work great for emergencies. One less engine to maintain every year. I think 2 PTO horsepower per KW is a good rull of thumb.
There is going to be allot of different opinions on this.

That rule of thumb is about what I thought too. So a 13kw generator (a common size) To run at full load would need about 26 PTO horsepower.

 

[dave1949]

Hi Cardiologist from a native Toledoan.

I've been lurking here on your thread a while. I think you are accustomed to assimilating large amounts of data and facts and creating a coherent whole from them. I'm not sure that is the best way to approach this tractor idea.

Given your career and related activities, kids to raise, and family to think about, I think a tractor would most likely fall into the hobby category for you. I would choose one or two things you would like to do well, and focus on what is needed to do that. Taken too far, you are only making more busy work for yourself, perhaps.

Take the PTO generator for example. It will be useless to your family if you are not there to hook it up and connect it to your power. If you happen to be low on diesel fuel, that's another chore. If some other implement is mounted on the 3-pt hitch, that has to come off first of all. If the generator has migrated to back in some corner, that's more work to get it out. If you get it going, leave for work and the utility power returns, your wife isn't likely to know, or want to know if she is anything like my wife , how to switch back over. There are much better residential generator solutions that are hands-off, automatic operations.

You could rent a small tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) like a Deere 110 to dig stumps. You would have the satisfaction of having done it yourself without sizing your tractor to backhoe requirements, or storing the backhoe attachment 99% of the time while it is idle. If you don't have an equipment shed, the weather and exposure will kill it eventually while it sits in any case.

I guess a tractor and some outdoor activity would be therapeutic after repeatedly telling over-weight middle aged guys to get some exercise and stop smoking. :laughing: But, I would try to focus on maximizing your enjoyment, and minimizing your hassles.

BTW, you have to rank among the world's worst gardeners :laughing: if you cannot grow tomatoes and peppers in Toledo, or you just cannot commit the time needed to tend them to maturity. That could be a clue, but only you know.

Sorry for butting in, but it is germane to your original question. Good luck and have fun.

 

[traveling fisher]

We have 6 acres with pond, woods long drive 2 acres of mowing. Fro 20 years we used a JD garden tractor. First a 316, then a 445 with MMM. Carts to haul stuff. Last year I got a used 2305 with loader. Have added pallet forks, ballast box, rear blade and landscape rake. My ability to perform work has increased dramatically without increasing the stress on my aging body. Should have done it years ago. The pallet forks make moving brush, trimmings and such easy. Trees are cut into manageable lengths for the forks or dragged with a log chain. The 2305 is light enough to use on the lawn area without damage, maneuverable enough to work in close quarters and capable enough to plow and maintain 800 ft of gravel drive. It could function as my only mower, but I kept the 445 which is almost perfect and my wife likes to mow with it. Bigger is always more fun, but the SCUT does everything I need. Good luck.

 

[Don87]

And to the OP...........While bigger is usually better in tractors..........I think you should start small. That way you can get the feel for it without being overwhelmed.

 

[newbury]

To the Doctor -
PTO generators are one of those things that can be handy and can be trouble. If you need to know about generators on a tractor forum we've had many long winded threads.
I own 3 generators and am constantly looking for number 4.
Where I live in Va. power rarely goes out for long. Mississippi will be different.
I've a little Harbor Freight $80 cheapy, for camping etc.
I've a 6KW+ Home Depot with a Honda engine. Bought it 10 years ago shortly after Hurricane Isabel. Used it ONCE about 2 months ago for a power outage that went over 4 hours.
And I've the 12KW PTO generator in my sig that I got off Craigs List for $600.
I'm looking to buy a 20KW diesel to run the house with A/C in Mississippi.

If you think you need a generator a lot depends on how you are going to use it and fuel availability. I wanted a PTO generator so I can carry it with me.

 

[cardiologist]

Back to tractors, I've had a gun for many years.

Is there a huge difference in size and maneuverability between the Kubota bx series and B series (the next step up)? If so, how big of a difference? I certainly want more horse power, but do those bigger ones move around as well and get into tight spaces in woods?

 

[Cbrown9064]

How did this post get so far off track?

Cardiologist...I think you need a trip to a couple local dealers and sit on/look at/drive some models. Go on Craigslist and visit a couple guys with interesting tractors for sale like that Ford 3910.

At this points, only you can answer some of these questions...

 

[newbury]

Back to tractors, I've had a gun for many years.

Is there a huge difference in size and maneuverability between the Kubota bx series and B series (the next step up)? If so, how big of a difference? I certainly want more horse power, but do those bigger ones move around as well and get into tight spaces in woods?

Although I've only owned the B and the M my reason for getting the B7610 was maneuverability in the woods. The BX's are built much lower to the ground and they used to have an unshrouded HST fan that would frequently get torn off. Compare similar models at Tractordata, TractorData.com Kubota BX2660 tractor dimensions information. A BX clears 8.7", a B 12" plus, an L is around 13"+, when you move up to an M your looking at 15" plus. Thus the big jump in ground clearance is BX to B.

My B7610 is just under 5' wide. For a while I had a Satoh that was only slightly larger and it was easy to maneuver in the woods. My M4700 is going to be a pain, I'll need a lot more vertical (above my head) and horizontal clearance.

Go sit on and demo both. Before I bought my B7610 I was thinking a BX would do - until I sat on one and felt I was on a glorified lawn mower.

 

[Don87]

Although I've only owned the B and the M my reason for getting the B7610 was maneuverability in the woods. The BX's are built much lower to the ground and they used to have an unshrouded HST fan that would frequently get torn off. Compare similar models at Tractordata, TractorData.com Kubota BX2660 tractor dimensions information. A BX clears 8.7", a B 12" plus, an L is around 13"+, when you move up to an M your looking at 15" plus. Thus the big jump in ground clearance is BX to B.

My B7610 is just under 5' wide. For a while I had a Satoh that was only slightly larger and it was easy to maneuver in the woods. My M4700 is going to be a pain, I'll need a lot more vertical (above my head) and horizontal clearance.

Go sit on and demo both. Before I bought my B7610 I was thinking a BX would do - until I sat on one and felt I was on a glorified lawn mower.

That is exactly what they feel like.

But the power available in that small package of a subcompact is quite impressive.

The bad part is the ground clearance for woods work. They can be used, but care must be taken to remove all obstacles that may interfere with the undercarriage. I have mine in my woods all the time and(knocking on wood)haven't had any problems yet and I have turf tires.

EDIT: Although with that said, I think the OP would be better off with a small 'B' series(or equivalent) in other brands.