Need advice L3901 to a CTL or skid steer

[miscjames]

I have a L3901 ~3 years old 700 hours. I have about 2 years worth of payments left on it.
third function
Rear hydraulic hookup
Bucket
Forks
Grapple
Bh77 backhoe
Land pride box blade
Land pride bushhog
Grader blade

most of those 700 hours are from backhoe work pulling down hill side and moving dirt with bucket. And grapple work moving trees brush.

I do some mowing a few times a summer. Most of it is back the bush hog over the edge. Or backup the hill side and then creep down.

I do some box blading And back blading with grapple to keep the 400 yard drive way nice.

I also have a trail that goes around the ridge line. That i try to keep maintained. This I mainly do with box blade chainsaw and grapple.

I live in a valley with steep hills. 20degree ish slops.

Issue is getting up on that ridge line trail. I have a few trails pushed to it but when u get some wash out it gets iffy. I have places where its not hard to get into 20 degree slops back to front and then 15 degree side to side. And if it rains forget it.

I said all that to ask this. I am thinking of trading the above in minus the grapple and maybe the forks. On a CTL (maybe buy metal tracks for it) or skid steer (SS) with metal tracks over tires.

As i think i can work the slopes easer and get up on the ridge line easier. My biggest draw back i think, would be losing the backhoe. ( I know they make them for skid steer but i am not sure if they will work for scraping dirt off hill sides. As its shale rock so it has to be dug out first) and i am not sure how well a CTL SS will skid logs for firewood.

I like the Kubota 65/75 CTL and SS. But I dont have all the funds in the world.

Any and all opinions on this are welcome.

 

[jeff9366]

If you do not have CTL experience I would rent one for a weekend or week to see if it meets your expectations.

Most of those 700 hours are from backhoe work pulling down hill side and moving dirt with bucket.

There are any number of SSQA attachments that will break up shale. CTLs are construction and mining machines. After you break up the shale, you can swap the shale attachment for a bucket.

You may have to skid logs in reverse, or cut them up and carry them with the grapple. I am sure you know that a CTL will have several times the lift capacity of your lightweight L3901 and a lower center of gravity.

233 engine hours per year is pretty fair use. Will that use continue for several years?

What you are doing seems fairly hazardous on a lightweight tractor. SAFETY FIRST.

 

[miscjames]

I would say yes that that amount of usage would continue. I like working with my tractor

What is normal usage hours in a year?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have a L3901 ~3 years old 700 hours. I have about 2 years worth of payments left on it.
third function
Rear hydraulic hookup
Bucket
Forks
Grapple
Bh77 backhoe
Land pride box blade
Land pride bushhog
Grader blade

most of those 700 hours are from backhoe work pulling down hill side and moving dirt with bucket. And grapple work moving trees brush.

I do some mowing a few times a summer. Most of it is back the bush hog over the edge. Or backup the hill side and then creep down.

I do some box blading And back blading with grapple to keep the 400 yard drive way nice.

I also have a trail that goes around the ridge line. That i try to keep maintained. This I mainly do with box blade chainsaw and grapple.

I live in a valley with steep hills. 20degree ish slops.

Issue is getting up on that ridge line trail. I have a few trails pushed to it but when u get some wash out it gets iffy. I have places where its not hard to get into 20 degree slops back to front and then 15 degree side to side. And if it rains forget it.

I said all that to ask this. I am thinking of trading the above in minus the grapple and maybe the forks. On a CTL (maybe buy metal tracks for it) or skid steer (SS) with metal tracks over tires.

As i think i can work the slopes easer and get up on the ridge line easier. My biggest draw back i think, would be losing the backhoe. ( I know they make them for skid steer but i am not sure if they will work for scraping dirt off hill sides. As its shale rock so it has to be dug out first) and i am not sure how well a CTL SS will skid logs for firewood.

I like the Kubota 65/75 CTL and SS. But I dont have all the funds in the world.

Any and all opinions on this are welcome.

My last place had a ditch and culvert by the road that went to 25 degrees in slope. I would mow that area driving straight up and straight down the slope. I never had any issues with my cabbed tractor, with filled rear tires, 4wd and diff lock engaged, in "Low" on the HST, pulling a 6' mower up and down the slope. I have R-4 industrial tires. I also would side-hill mow up to 20 degrees. That was about my limit in comfort in side hilling, and the tractor would "crab" a bit to the downhill side.

Reason I'm relaying that information is, from your description of what you're doing, I see no reason why the equipment you currently have wouldn't be more than capable of doing the work, and doing it SAFELY.

I know the internet is full of "nervous nannies" that will tell you that even getting out of bed is dangerous.

Always stay off the slopes when wet (rains happen), but other than that, a 20 degree "front to back" slope is easily managed in 4wd with the diff lock on. Stay in Low gear. DON'T try to turn around while ON the slope.

Same thing goes for a 15 degree side slope. Stay off them when wet. Keep your ground speed slow.

Seems like a "nothing burger" to me.

 

[scootr]

Restricted visibility in a SS is a real safety issue when it comes to tight quarters and hillsides. I had used them for many years at work before I picked one up used for 10k. I eventually put a couple of rear facing cameras on mine to improve usability and safety. Situational awareness is job #1 in that machine. To me you need both a tractor and SS so you can have the right machine for the task.

 

[miscjames]

My last place had a ditch and culvert by the road that went to 25 degrees in slope. I would mow that area driving straight up and straight down the slope. I never had any issues with my cabbed tractor, with filled rear tires, 4wd and diff lock engaged, in "Low" on the HST, pulling a 6' mower up and down the slope. I have R-4 industrial tires. I also would side-hill mow up to 20 degrees. That was about my limit in comfort in side hilling, and the tractor would "crab" a bit to the downhill side.

Reason I'm relaying that information is, from your description of what you're doing, I see no reason why the equipment you currently have wouldn't be more than capable of doing the work, and doing it SAFELY.

I know the internet is full of "nervous nannies" that will tell you that even getting out of bed is dangerous.

Always stay off the slopes when wet (rains happen), but other than that, a 20 degree "front to back" slope is easily managed in 4wd with the diff lock on. Stay in Low gear. DON'T try to turn around while ON the slope.

Same thing goes for a 15 degree side slope. Stay off them when wet. Keep your ground speed slow.

Seems like a "nothing burger" to me.

Thank you! Ya i have no issue mowing the up and and down the steeper 25 degree when the side to side is level. it when that 25 degree front to back gets added to the 15 dgree sided to side that it starts to feel tipsy.

 

[ruffdog]

Attachments for SS are WAY more than that tractor too...check prices. You have 2 more years of payments, are somewhat happy with the tractor, and have only 700 hrs on it. I think you should keep it and make sure it is maintained.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Thank you! Ya i have no issue mowing the up and and down the steeper 25 degree when the side to side is level. it when that 25 degree front to back gets added to the 15 dgree sided to side that it starts to feel tipsy.

You don't really say one way or the other:

Are your rear tires filled with ballast?

Is your tractor open station or cabbed?

Are your tires R-4 or R-1s?

Each of these factors can add or take away from the "feel" of stability or traction on slopes.

Hopefully you're open station, with R-1's and your rear tires are set to their farthest outward position and are filled with a heavy ballast (like Rimguard).

 

[scootr]

3 inch wheel spacers really improved the feel of my Kubota on slopes.

 

[miscjames]

You don't really say one way or the other:

Are your rear tires filled with ballast?

Is your tractor open station or cabbed?

Are your tires R-4 or R-1s?

Each of these factors can add or take away from the "feel" of stability or traction on slopes.

Hopefully you're open station, with R-1's and your rear tires are set to their farthest outward position and are filled with a heavy ballast (like Rimguard).

You are correct, all of these things are true “Hopefully you're open station, with R-1's and your rear tires are set to their farthest outward position and are filled with a heavy ballast (like Rimguard).”
I did have them move the tires out to furthest position on purchase. And ya you got to have tires ballast especially with grapple.