Need advice on a machine to manage timberland

[Longleaf man]

A few questions - In your neck of the woods do they have many "off lease" tractors for sale? I've read a lot about them, but mainly in the wheat field area up north.
And about your bridges - bridges that are low enough to get wet in a flood gather flotsam and jetsam and act as a DAM. I had one on my land in Vermont. You need to build a simple bridge that is strong enough to be a DAM bridge or to swing away in high water. Attached such that you can readily pull it back with your 60 HP tractor when the water goes down.
No use fighting mother nature. She's a mother.

The crew that built the bridges had to make them robust enough for 60,000 pound log trucks so we are happy with them so far.

 

[Longleaf man]

View attachment 3746575

Where is this?

 

[airbiscuit]

https://columbusga.craigslist.org/hvo/d/warm-springs-john-deere-motor-grader/7857611083.html

Warm Springs, GA?

 

[Torvy]

Definitely a multiple machine requirement.

I'd go with your initial thought. I have a much smaller loblolly plantation. My 55HP machine can go between the rows. We hire out the thinning.

I'd budget for a future bigger machine to keep your breaks maintained. You can hire out or rent for now. With as many acres as you have, the smaller machine will be going all of the time. As retirees, we have to be careful about over work, too.

 

[Sportsman762]

Thanks. See my comment below about the bridge that was damaged by the flood!

If it is the bridge you showed in the photo then you definitely need a narrow piece of equipment. If your pulling a 8' tandem disc then a 50-60 hp machine is the right size. I would go with the largest disc you can fit between the uprights on the bridge.

If it were me I would get a 15' batwing mower, 90hp tractor and a box blade and skip the disc. The box blade will handle the road maintenance, the batwing mower folds nice and small for the bridge, and 90hp lets you work quick enough that you can fit the vegetation management in between rain storms if you have a wet year. I like to plan everything around wet years, and use the dry years to catch up on the "want to do projects". Keep us posted on what you end up doing!

 

[jyoutz]

I know two different men who thought bulldozers were fantastic machines for clearing brush off farms until a piece of brush came through the operator's station putting each one of them in the hospital.

Wood dozers always have cages.

 

[Longleaf man]

Definitely a multiple machine requirement.

I'd go with your initial thought. I have a much smaller loblolly plantation. My 55HP machine can go between the rows. We hire out the thinning.

I'd budget for a future bigger machine to keep your breaks maintained. You can hire out or rent for now. With as many acres as you have, the smaller machine will be going all of the time. As retirees, we have to be careful about over work, too.

The more I read these comments the more I lean into hiring this work out. Watching the skilled dozer guy work the roads a few years ago was impressive. $50K equals about 333 hours of skilled dozer work. Probably the best way to go. You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate your suggestions.

 

[airbiscuit]

I'd buy that grader for the road work!

 

[M59]

The more I read these comments the more I lean into hiring this work out. Watching the skilled dozer guy work the roads a few years ago was impressive. $50K equals about 333 hours of skilled dozer work. Probably the best way to go. You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate your suggestions.

An interesting conclusion on your part and one of the benefits of this community.

Another way to look at your problem is. If you were to take the $50K or $100K and invest it and realize an average return of 10% then you could peel off 10% long term gain each year and pay the tax on gain ( max of 23.8% at highest bracket and much lower in lower tax brackets) and use that to fund the annual maintenance rather than buying equipment ( sunk cost at initial purchase ). The risk you face with investing is sequence of returns. ie: The market goes against you and at same time you take money out of the investment bucket so less money in bucket to grow for next gain.

When I buy equipment, I buy when a near term project ( within next 6 months) will pay off 50% or more of the aquisition cost and the equipment will fully pay for itself ( purchase cost, fuel, and maintenance cost ) within 3 years time. After 3 years the cost become maintenance and fuel.

I have not included my time cost as being retired the time cost is either equal to zero or equal to hired local contractor which you state to be $150/ hour.

 

[txbonds]

The more I read these comments the more I lean into hiring this work out. Watching the skilled dozer guy work the roads a few years ago was impressive. $50K equals about 333 hours of skilled dozer work. Probably the best way to go. You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate your suggestions.

Well, the problem with that approach is like taking a cruise. You walk away with nothing tangible to show for it other than the memory. Go shop around for used tractors, individuals if paying cash or dealer if needing to finance. You can surely find a good condition, used tractor within that budget. You should be able to find something like a nice used Kioti RX7320 with a cab (75hp tractor) with 100 hours or less on it for the low $40's. Then as mentioned by some others, grab an 8' wide tandem disc, old and crusty is ok as long as its heavy built and in good condition. And lastly, grab a used angle blade or box blade. Those 3 things alone will give you an immense capability. You can put those same 300 hours on your equipment and when done have tangible equipment left that keeps you going for another 2000 hours while saving you ongoing rental/contractor costs for those hours. Unless of course you rather do something else with the time and then by all means hire it out. Either way, I'm sure the income on 4000 acres of trees will support and justify either direction.

 

[Torvy]

^I think it's a both-and rather than either-or.

A 75 HP machine will be a PITA to work with between and around the trees.

You can get a 48-55HP machine, new for 30-35K and it will work for when you need to do some work for yourself. The capital expense can be depreciated against your income or taken as a one-time expense.

The other 60-70k can easily cover the costs for hiring out the big jobs. I like the idea above about investing the money and peel off earnings. As a retiree over 59.5, you can add the money to your IRA and just take out what you need while it earns. See a finance expert for details.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

There is a women i know who owns 50k acres.
The only machines I have seen is an old mack truck and D5 sized dozer. The dozer only really does fire lanes.

 

[K5lwq]

This is a very challenging situation and I would imagine the most challenging part is the family members. How involved are they in this situation? How has the maintenance of this property been handled to date?

I don’t believe there is one single piece of equipment that can properly maintain 4,000 acres with just one person. If you hire hands and have multiple machines it can be a full time job just managing the operation.

My suggestion would be to pick one or two of the chores you might enjoy doing and buy the best machine for that particular duty and keep doing whatever y’all have been doing for everything else. You are retired after all. So try to enjoy it.

 

[fruitcakesa]

4000 acres, only one operator, whew that’s a big ask. I only have 50 acres and it keeps me busy. I use a JD 450c and an M6040 for logging and road building and consider it ideal for my situation.

 

[dodge man]

I know someone that has about 300 acres with dirt roads and he builds his own water diversion channels with a 50 hp tractor with an end loader and a blade. Your property is much bigger though. I think your idea of getting a 50 to 60hp tractor and some implements is a good way to start. After that you might have a better idea on what you’ll need.

Interesting piece of property and a beautiful place.