M62 TLB for Maintaining Hilly Land ?

[AuCivil]

5’ Brown tree cutter is a good fit and finding far superior to Hd rotary cutter to keeping vegetation under control. Made tuff in Alabama. The weight, power, HST, FEL with grapple, and dexterity of M59 makes for a great combination.

No trouble handling the cutter? Looks like they recommend 60 to 100 hp. Assume that's PTO hp.

 

[Smokeydog]

Yes I’m at the low side. Older 5’ cutter spec was 50-80 pto hp in my manual. With cutter, grapple, ballast, modification near 11,000#. Would not want a lighter weight tractor. Like the 5’ in woods clearing underbrush and non native evasives. Considerable flywheel power reserve. HST plus transmission provides excellent slow control. Eats and chips up 2-4” stuff like candy. Rated 6”. I’ve pressed it to do twice that from multiple sides but don’t recommend that. Big stems I pile up. It’s like an angry beaver. Fall cut all my pastures last year with it with good results. Back in to cut encroachment. Can cut right up to big trees I want to keep. Trees grow like weeds here and will quickly reclaim any cleared land.

Do run a 75hp overrunning pto clutch, Pat’s cat2-1 quick hitch and sliding pin stabilizers. It has its own slip clutch. Takes over a minute to spin down.

The biggest detriment in changing from 3pt to backhoe and back is the weight of 3pt arms. Practice and technique has minimized the effort on my part. Try to group jobs together to minimize swapping. Having another TLB helps a lot.

Would recommend KX excavator quick attach option and thumb on the backhoe. Ripper is great for roots and stumps. Hillside and soft ground I made mega stabilizers pads. Extra height and bigger footprint helps plumb the hoe for hillside work.

Big TLB disadvantage now is cost. From 2017 my 2014 model has nearly doubled in value. Good from an investment standpoint. Bad if I needed to replace it. I’m not nearly the expert operator like many here but it does help me provide professional looking results.

Storing more complicated tools under cover from weather and sun important in the South. Saves money and time.

 

[JWR]

No trouble handling the cutter? Looks like they recommend 60 to 100 hp. Assume that's PTO hp.

Looking at current Brown Tree Cutters (and associated YouTube videos) they appear to be nothing but bushhogs configured with differing blade carriers and blades. Have to back up to use them mostly. So far we have not heard that you, the OP, intend to be clearing land or cutting trees of any significant thickness more than 2-3 inches. The Brown tree cutter that SmokeyDog shows looks like an older one that is less like a bush hog and more specialized for removing small trees. From what I've heard so far I see no reason you can't do what you want to do with a good "medium duty" bush hog. What Bush Hog brand calls medium duty is tough as hell and will satisfy most needs short of clearing land full time. Both the Brown and a std Hog require backing up to do the cutting unless it is small enough material you can run over it forwards. A 45 to 55 hp PTO utility tractor will run a solid 6 ft hog quite well. No need for high hp PTO.
Once you cut over the area you intend to bush hog regularly, every time you cut it is easier than the last. I know of no need for a 'tree cutter' that you have expressed so far.

 

[AuCivil]

Looking at current Brown Tree Cutters (and associated YouTube videos) they appear to be nothing but bushhogs configured with differing blade carriers and blades. Have to back up to use them mostly. So far we have not heard that you, the OP, intend to be clearing land or cutting trees of any significant thickness more than 2-3 inches. The Brown tree cutter that SmokeyDog shows looks like an older one that is less like a bush hog and more specialized for removing small trees. From what I've heard so far I see no reason you can't do what you want to do with a good "medium duty" bush hog. What Bush Hog brand calls medium duty is tough as hell and will satisfy most needs short of clearing land full time. Both the Brown and a std Hog require backing up to do the cutting unless it is small enough material you can run over it forwards. A 45 to 55 hp PTO utility tractor will run a solid 6 ft hog quite well. No need for high hp PTO.
Once you cut over the area you intend to bush hog regularly, every time you cut it is easier than the last. I know of no need for a 'tree cutter' that you have expressed so far.

Don't expect to be clearing a lot of land but occasional small trees are possible or while reclaiming the old logging roads. My comment was based on @Smokeydog saying that the Brown cutter was better than a rotary cutter.

 

[AuCivil]

Yes I’m at the low side. Older 5’ cutter spec was 50-80 pto hp in my manual. With cutter, grapple, ballast, modification near 11,000#. Would not want a lighter weight tractor. Like the 5’ in woods clearing underbrush and non native evasives. Considerable flywheel power reserve. HST plus transmission provides excellent slow control. Eats and chips up 2-4” stuff like candy. Rated 6”. I’ve pressed it to do twice that from multiple sides but don’t recommend that. Big stems I pile up. It’s like an angry beaver. Fall cut all my pastures last year with it with good results. Back in to cut encroachment. Can cut right up to big trees I want to keep. Trees grow like weeds here and will quickly reclaim any cleared land.
View attachment 853404View attachment 853405

Do run a 75hp overrunning pto clutch, Pat’s cat2-1 quick hitch and sliding pin stabilizers. It has its own slip clutch. Takes over a minute to spin down.

The biggest detriment in changing from 3pt to backhoe and back is the weight of 3pt arms. Practice and technique has minimized the effort on my part. Try to group jobs together to minimize swapping. Having another TLB helps a lot.

Would recommend KX excavator quick attach option and thumb on the backhoe. Ripper is great for roots and stumps. Hillside and soft ground I made mega stabilizers pads. Extra height and bigger footprint helps plumb the hoe for hillside work.

Big TLB disadvantage now is cost. From 2017 my 2014 model has nearly doubled in value. Good from an investment standpoint. Bad if I needed to replace it. I’m not nearly the expert operator like many here but it does help me provide professional looking results.

Storing more complicated tools under cover from weather and sun important in the South. Saves money and time.

They are proud of the new cutters.

 

[AuCivil]

Is it possible to use the creep function while using the 3-point hitch. Would be handy with a stump grinder.

 

[Jchonline]

Is it possible to use the creep function while using the 3-point hitch. Would be handy with a stump grinder.

The question is can you use creep while the PTO is engaged. That I never tried. YOu can of course use it with no back hoe attached and a 3 PT implement attached...just not sure about the PTO engagement.

 

[JWR]

Is it possible to use the creep function while using the 3-point hitch. Would be handy with a stump grinder.

I would think so. No reason why not. My older Kubotas have a very low gear range (low medium and high, with 3 speed stick fed by that) and the PTO and 3pt do not know and do not care which range you are in. I use the creeper range mostly for snow blowing but it is sometimes very handy for other things.

 

[Jchonline]

I would think so. No reason why not. My older Kubotas have a very low gear range (low medium and high, with 3 speed stick fed by that) and the PTO and 3pt do not know and do not care which range you are in. I use the creeper range mostly for snow blowing but it is sometimes very handy for other things.

No the creeper on the M62 is different. It is a little forward/back toggle switch that actually moves the machine...its not a gear. Meant specifically for backhoes to slightly reposition the machine when you have the seat facing backwards towards the boom.

 

[Smokeydog]

My farm is a hobby and way of life so I buy used. There are bargains for TLB and cutters. Buying and fixing stuff a hobby too. 5’ cutter was $1,200 and needed some love to become a happy cutter. Apple and oranges difference between a tree cutter and a rotary cutter. Still like my 286 Bushhog but the Brown really shines with stuff 1” or bigger. Brown manufacturing makes HD rotary cutters too.

Bought used M59 landscape model(no backhoe) cheap, Canada for BT-1200 backhoe years later. Risk, reward.

The auxiliary hand creep control for backhoe repositioning could use I guess for stump grinding. Different kinds of stump grinders. M62 HST is nice.