In Jan/February, with the help of the TractorByNet group, I looked into tractors and ended up pulling the plug on the NS4710 with a cab. Since delivery, it's pretty much only been used for snow removal. That changed this week.
Finally got to test out the tree puller. It's a CID quick attach. I wasn't taking up anything big but wanted to clean up a section of crappy little growth and one bigger lilac. The lilac, around 16' tall and the bird feeder pole, came up like nothing. I should be able to transplant the lilac as the root system came up nicely. I'm cleaning up this section to put in a fence.
The real test came Monday. Stump from a ~80' pine tree that came down 3 years ago. After work headed out to see if I could get it moving. Need to prep the site for a shed and the stump was right at the edge. Overall 1hr 45mins from the start of digging to getting it out. 15mins I wasted with the backhoe trying to lift it out when I had the grapple on the front (d'oh!). The machine worked wonderfully. It was amazing how strong the bucket curl was. The stump had 3 big side roots and one that I heard snap but didn't investigate where from. If not for the tractor, that thing would have never come out. The hole is around 12' across for reference. I didn't want to use a stump grinder A) because of cost of renting and B) when the stump eventually rotted, that section under the shed would sink significantly. The grapple was able to lift it right up and out like nothing.
Smile on my face the whole time. This was also the first time I used the third function and it performed better than expected. I tried playing around by lifting the loader, curling the tree puller, and closing the tree puller at the same time and it was able to. It wasn't super quick but it did work. Same with the grapple. I was thinking it was a true diverter situation where only 2 of the 3 motions could run at the same time but that didn't hold true. The monitor and cameras, which weren't needed for the stump project, was my first upgrade to the tractor. As it gets warmer, going to replace the lights with LEDs and add some side mount LEDs as well. Oh, and also have speakers on hand to replace the factory ones when I have the roof off anyways.
Finally got to test out the tree puller. It's a CID quick attach. I wasn't taking up anything big but wanted to clean up a section of crappy little growth and one bigger lilac. The lilac, around 16' tall and the bird feeder pole, came up like nothing. I should be able to transplant the lilac as the root system came up nicely. I'm cleaning up this section to put in a fence.
The real test came Monday. Stump from a ~80' pine tree that came down 3 years ago. After work headed out to see if I could get it moving. Need to prep the site for a shed and the stump was right at the edge. Overall 1hr 45mins from the start of digging to getting it out. 15mins I wasted with the backhoe trying to lift it out when I had the grapple on the front (d'oh!). The machine worked wonderfully. It was amazing how strong the bucket curl was. The stump had 3 big side roots and one that I heard snap but didn't investigate where from. If not for the tractor, that thing would have never come out. The hole is around 12' across for reference. I didn't want to use a stump grinder A) because of cost of renting and B) when the stump eventually rotted, that section under the shed would sink significantly. The grapple was able to lift it right up and out like nothing.
Smile on my face the whole time. This was also the first time I used the third function and it performed better than expected. I tried playing around by lifting the loader, curling the tree puller, and closing the tree puller at the same time and it was able to. It wasn't super quick but it did work. Same with the grapple. I was thinking it was a true diverter situation where only 2 of the 3 motions could run at the same time but that didn't hold true. The monitor and cameras, which weren't needed for the stump project, was my first upgrade to the tractor. As it gets warmer, going to replace the lights with LEDs and add some side mount LEDs as well. Oh, and also have speakers on hand to replace the factory ones when I have the roof off anyways.
