tommott77
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2017
- Messages
- 111
- Location
- WILMINGTON
- Tractor
- Power Trac 1430 Deutz, Kubota bx1880, CAT 301.7D mini ex
Hi all,
First post here after utilizing this website as a resource for several years now. Last year I purchased a JD 1023 for mowing, maintenance, and odd jobs for both my smaller (around 1 acre all lawn) property and several other even smaller properties that I own, maintain, and manage. Was somewhat worried of it being overkill at the time, but since then it has proven itself as an invaluable tool making my yard chores a much more efficient/reliable (ie fun job) while being a great helper/assistance on my constant merry-go-round of renovation work/jobs. It has worked and performed flawlessly and I have had absolutely no regrets with the purchase.
The issue I have have is I recently purchased 11 acres of steep (about 400' worth of elevation change on the property) mountain property that I plan on building a couple cabins on over the next several years across the state from me. The property already had some building sites and a driveway cleared out maybe 10-15 years ago but since then has been neglected and become overgrown. I recently went up there with the 1023 and a flail mower and had an very successful re-clearing effort, cutting back kudzu and other small brush back from the more accessible spots for the most part. Again the 1023 performed well but I was definitely pushing the top-end of capabilities of the 1023; pushing a flail mower rated slightly beyond the PTO HP rating of the 1023, on very steep unforgiving terrain. There's definitely some heavier duty work needing to be done out there; re-clearing and maintaining of long/steep driveways, cutting some mountains paths, digging trench lines/footers, cleaning up banks, ect, ect. I feel like aside from maintaining what it has already cut the 1023 has reached its limits out there.
This all has me contemplating up-sizing to one size fits-all tractor. It looks like they will be some jobs and likely some ongoing maintenance going forward for a somewhat competent backhoe (from what I have read the JD 260 backhoe for the 1023 isn't capable of a whole lot). I'd also love to increase my safety and stability working up there as well and I'm sure bigger tires, longer wheelbase, and a wider track of a somewhat bigger tractor should help just as long as it doesn't come as an expense of a too high of a center gravity. I'd also like to have 20+ PTO Hp to push the flail mower a bit further and likely adding a chipper, sprayer, ect down the road. All the while the daily/weekly chores back home aren't going anywhere where lightness and agility are most paramount.
Obviously there's going to be some concessions/comprises given one way or the other way here. From pouring over specs of all sorts of different tractors it appears that a nimble, but powerful and capable CUT may be my best bet. The best thing I can find to foot the bill, on paper at least, seemed to be a Kubota B3350. Went to the local dealer but they only had a 2601 on the lot, which did seem like it would still be somewhat manageable on some for my smaller tasks but it appears that the B3350 (with a much more competent backhoe) is another step larger. More importantly I found out that the B3350s have a DPF and have had all sorts of issues dating back several years.
Anybody have any other suggestions or input on what I should be looking for here given my parameters? Yes, some work can and already has been planned to be contracted out at the mountain property. I have considered buying a large machine for some of the jobs up there, but I'd have no long term storage solution for any larger piece of equipment and it would have to be sold after the bigger jobs were completed, again putting me be back to more or less where I started for in terms of dealing with ongoing maintenance and future jobs I come up with for up there. Any real world experience with some tractors that would fit the bill would be greatly appreciated, especially when it comes to both agility and stability wise while working on sloping on terrain.
First post here after utilizing this website as a resource for several years now. Last year I purchased a JD 1023 for mowing, maintenance, and odd jobs for both my smaller (around 1 acre all lawn) property and several other even smaller properties that I own, maintain, and manage. Was somewhat worried of it being overkill at the time, but since then it has proven itself as an invaluable tool making my yard chores a much more efficient/reliable (ie fun job) while being a great helper/assistance on my constant merry-go-round of renovation work/jobs. It has worked and performed flawlessly and I have had absolutely no regrets with the purchase.
The issue I have have is I recently purchased 11 acres of steep (about 400' worth of elevation change on the property) mountain property that I plan on building a couple cabins on over the next several years across the state from me. The property already had some building sites and a driveway cleared out maybe 10-15 years ago but since then has been neglected and become overgrown. I recently went up there with the 1023 and a flail mower and had an very successful re-clearing effort, cutting back kudzu and other small brush back from the more accessible spots for the most part. Again the 1023 performed well but I was definitely pushing the top-end of capabilities of the 1023; pushing a flail mower rated slightly beyond the PTO HP rating of the 1023, on very steep unforgiving terrain. There's definitely some heavier duty work needing to be done out there; re-clearing and maintaining of long/steep driveways, cutting some mountains paths, digging trench lines/footers, cleaning up banks, ect, ect. I feel like aside from maintaining what it has already cut the 1023 has reached its limits out there.
This all has me contemplating up-sizing to one size fits-all tractor. It looks like they will be some jobs and likely some ongoing maintenance going forward for a somewhat competent backhoe (from what I have read the JD 260 backhoe for the 1023 isn't capable of a whole lot). I'd also love to increase my safety and stability working up there as well and I'm sure bigger tires, longer wheelbase, and a wider track of a somewhat bigger tractor should help just as long as it doesn't come as an expense of a too high of a center gravity. I'd also like to have 20+ PTO Hp to push the flail mower a bit further and likely adding a chipper, sprayer, ect down the road. All the while the daily/weekly chores back home aren't going anywhere where lightness and agility are most paramount.
Obviously there's going to be some concessions/comprises given one way or the other way here. From pouring over specs of all sorts of different tractors it appears that a nimble, but powerful and capable CUT may be my best bet. The best thing I can find to foot the bill, on paper at least, seemed to be a Kubota B3350. Went to the local dealer but they only had a 2601 on the lot, which did seem like it would still be somewhat manageable on some for my smaller tasks but it appears that the B3350 (with a much more competent backhoe) is another step larger. More importantly I found out that the B3350s have a DPF and have had all sorts of issues dating back several years.
Anybody have any other suggestions or input on what I should be looking for here given my parameters? Yes, some work can and already has been planned to be contracted out at the mountain property. I have considered buying a large machine for some of the jobs up there, but I'd have no long term storage solution for any larger piece of equipment and it would have to be sold after the bigger jobs were completed, again putting me be back to more or less where I started for in terms of dealing with ongoing maintenance and future jobs I come up with for up there. Any real world experience with some tractors that would fit the bill would be greatly appreciated, especially when it comes to both agility and stability wise while working on sloping on terrain.
