New kubota tractor advice

[ning]

Part of my land is very rocky and it's a rare rock that my bucket (with piranha tooth bar) can get out of the ground unless it's got substantial reveal to begin with.

As far as using the backhoe, sometimes that's trivial, and sometimes the rock is a small boulder and you have to treat it like a bad stump - dig all around it and then roll it up out of the hole.

Recently I've been putting my pallet forks at risk by very effectively spearing the ground in front of a mostly-buried rock and then levering it out. Works great with minimal disruption to the rest of the ground (there's the hole from the rock, and a small hole & mound from the other fork - I should probably put the two forks together for this but it's usually done as I'm traveling back and forth getting brush piles). I'm worried about tweaking something doing this though so I'll only do this occasionally from here out... maybe ... but it's so effective lol

 

[the old grind]

I agree with Jeff and others that if you don't have weight ya got nothin'. In 4WD-low and with the rear axle locked I can always spin four w/o stalling. Loaded tires and my heaviest implement aren't enough by themselves not to dig ruts/pockets in groups of four.

Remember to subtract the weight of any grapple from the FEL's capacity. I have one that digs ok with the jaw closed and doesn't weigh much. It's for pulling trees/shrubs, and will move to my bigger (cap) FEL soon. (12 LA) btw, I got a smokin' deal on another 12v diverter valve today from SC. #9-6802 It's ~12 gpm but that's not a prob on my other FEL (110 TL)

 

[fried1765]

Part of my land is very rocky and it's a rare rock that my bucket (with piranha tooth bar) can get out of the ground unless it's got substantial reveal to begin with.

As far as using the backhoe, sometimes that's trivial, and sometimes the rock is a small boulder and you have to treat it like a bad stump - dig all around it and then roll it up out of the hole.

Recently I've been putting my pallet forks at risk by very effectively spearing the ground in front of a mostly-buried rock and then levering it out. Works great with minimal disruption to the rest of the ground (there's the hole from the rock, and a small hole & mound from the other fork - I should probably put the two forks together for this but it's usually done as I'm traveling back and forth getting brush piles). I'm worried about tweaking something doing this though so I'll only do this occasionally from here out... maybe ... but it's so effective lol

What you are doing with those forks is a REALLY BAD IDEA, and will eventually catch up to you!

 

[the old grind]

I've 'lunged' into my share of rocks & stumps worried about bending loader arms. I've move bigger amounts of dirt with the BB and bent draft arms. We have the hp, we just have to use it wisely w/o breaking stuff, and that's getting easier all the time.

 

[jjeff]

Keep in mind a three point back hoe adds at least 1000 lbs of weight to lighter tractors. Which is a good thing.

 

[Grandad4]

A box blade is capable of anchoring practically any sized tractor if it catches large roots of boulders. A larger machine will have greater fel capacity, but I have yet to see a loader that couldn't be over loaded.
R4's do not excel in mud. Sounds like R1's would keep you from sliding around.
I guess my point is that a larger L series tractor has limitations also, and you should either take smaller bites at your tasks or buy larger and work within the machine's capability.

 

[Grandad4]

Pretty sound advice here for the most part, I think. You have some "severe duty" tasks and a light duty tractor... a complete mismatch. You need to get the right equipment on the scene and carefully learn how to use it.

What would that be? Top choices on a tractor platform are the Kubota construction grade TLB's. I'd also put in a good word for a 45- 60 hp compact (Example: Kubota MX series), with a subframe backhoe.

I used one of those for almost 15 years to remove trees, stumps and rocks. It was a beast and stood up to some rough work.

Getting back to the "severe duty" thing, stumps and buried rocks are not something for digging with your FEL. The forces needed are enough to damage the loader bucket or the loader arms. A decent backhoe is designed to apply much more digging/prying force than the loader.

My 2 cents anyways. Good luck with your plans!

 

[thunder86]

Pretty sound advice here for the most part, I think. You have some "severe duty" tasks and a light duty tractor... a complete mismatch. You need to get the right equipment on the scene and carefully learn how to use it.

What would that be? Top choices on a tractor platform are the Kubota construction grade TLB's. I'd also put in a good word for a 45- 60 hp compact (Example: Kubota MX series), with a subframe backhoe.

I used one of those for almost 15 years to remove trees, stumps and rocks. It was a beast and stood up to some rough work.

Getting back to the "severe duty" thing, stumps and buried rocks are not something for digging with your FEL. The forces needed are enough to damage the loader bucket or the loader arms. A decent backhoe is designed to apply much more digging/prying force than the loader.

My 2 cents anyways. Good luck with your plans!

Thanks. My final decision is to go big and if not I'm gonna sit on what I have until I can. Anything under 3k pounds isn't gonna touch it. I've also looked at John deere 5045 model that's 5k pounds with grapple. YouTube video of a guy using the grapple to pinch it simple pulled it without even driving hardly. The Kubota's TLB series with backhoe setup I think would be nice but a bit much pricey. I agree not getting $30k+ and abusing the loader, I'd hate to go bigger and bend a grapple. I think it was Jeff though saying an MX could simply pull smaller saplings I've described straight out of the ground roots and all with a chain. I'd be satisfied with that. Without a backhoe I'm not sure about the rocks however. I think the B series with backhoe starts at $42,000 which is a lot. Maybe I wouldn't need a grapple if I had this tractor with a thumb on backhoe. I'm looking at bobcat tractors now too in the 3,700 pound range 40hp roughly.

 

[K5lwq]

I have not had to deal with large rocks like many here have. But what about renting a skid steer with a jack hammer attachment to break the rocks down to a size you can move with your loader? And or renting a backhoe large enough to remove the stumps?

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks. My final decision is to go big and if not I'm gonna sit on what I have until I can. Anything under 3k pounds isn't gonna touch it. When I buy an additional 23 acres this summer I'll have another clearing project right off.

Think WEIGHT primarily, not dimensions. You will make better tractor decisions.

You need a 4,000 pound or heavier bare weight tractor, not a 3,000 pound tractor.

3,000 pound bare weight tractors are for ten acres or less of FLAT ground.

You need the greater stability and pulling power of a 4,000 pound or heavier tractor.

 

[Jchonline]

Thanks. My final decision is to go big and if not I'm gonna sit on what I have until I can. Anything under 3k pounds isn't gonna touch it. I've also looked at John deere 5045 model that's 5k pounds with grapple. YouTube video of a guy using the grapple to pinch it simple pulled it without even driving hardly. The Kubota's TLB series with backhoe setup I think would be nice but a bit much pricey. I agree not getting $30k+ and abusing the loader, I'd hate to go bigger and bend a grapple. I think it was Jeff though saying an MX could simply pull smaller saplings I've described straight out of the ground roots and all with a chain. I'd be satisfied with that. Without a backhoe I'm not sure about the rocks however. I think the B series with backhoe starts at $42,000 which is a lot. Maybe I wouldn't need a grapple if I had this tractor with a thumb on backhoe. I'm looking at bobcat tractors now too in the 3,700 pound range 40hp roughly.

Do not make the mistake of adding a BH to the B for what you are trying to accomplish. You still don’t have the weight to keep it from moving the machine around if you are digging rocks that weigh as much as the machine.

The real question....is the B a great machine for your needs except for these few 1 time tasks you have to complete. If Yes then I would consider renting or paying someone to do them. If no then move up.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I currently have a b2601, r4 tires and I'm really disappointed with it. Been an ongoing issue. I have a tiller, brushhog, boxblade with it.
Kubota now does 84 months on the L series and I'm considering getting the L3901 with R1 tires and grapple.
I'll include some pictures of my projects because I need help on which grapple and considerations on a disc harrow. Projects are clearing areas for food plots in woods, some unworkable hillsides that cannot be tilled will go into native shrubs. Small trees I want to grapple the roots out of the ground. I want to move trees/brush piles around that I take chainsaw too. I also want to grapple old stumps out of ground if possible. I need to grapple larger rocks put of ground.
My current tractor gets hung up pulling a box blade on my old logging trail I wanting to till up. It gets stuck while moving brush piles around slides around causing me to get stuck against tree or stumps. I want something when I hit the gas it goes straight and doesn't slide.
Disc considerations. I feel I have to have a disc because I have a 10 acre open fallow field I want switchgrass in and it needs to be either burned or disc every few years to keep it in switchgrass. I also want to disc it in the winter to enhance native forbs. My current tractor is perfectly fine for this field but it's all it could maintain. I want a disc I don't have to add weight too. If I did get the disc could I also trade in my tiller for extra cash help? 90% of this field hasn't been worked in 10+ years I think. Would I be extremely disappointed getting rid of my tiller?
How does a disc hold up to rocks and roots i miss on the woods I'm clearing? I had about an acre dozer off and there's still some roots/sticks lots of rocks. I understand pick them up but your always gonna miss something. How well will a disc hold up?

I have a B2650, only a few lbs heavier than yours as they come from the factory. But I have my tires filled with rimguard, I keep a 300 lb box blade on the rear and I have 480 lbs of steel plates hanging on that box blade.

By chance are your tires not loaded? I have around 700 lbs of fluid in my (larger than you have) tires, plus almost 800 lbs on the 3 point. My rears pretty much can not lift. Another thing I did was adjusted my loader hydraulic pressure up... more than the WSM says is allowed. That makes a huge change in loader performance.

You might be able to add weight to what you have and get where you need to be as far as traction?

 

[thunder86]

I have a B2650, only a few lbs heavier than yours as they come from the factory. But I have my tires filled with rimguard, I keep a 300 lb box blade on the rear and I have 480 lbs of steel plates hanging on that box blade.

By chance are your tires not loaded? I have around 700 lbs of fluid in my (larger than you have) tires, plus almost 800 lbs on the 3 point. My rears pretty much can not lift. Another thing I did was adjusted my loader hydraulic pressure up... more than the WSM says is allowed. That makes a huge change in loader performance.

You might be able to add weight to what you have and get where you need to be as far as traction?

Nice weight added. When I bought the tractor he told me he was gonna add fluid but I don't think they ever did. I never got charged for it and from I understand they never put it in without charging. I'll need to check into adding weight as I only put a box blade on the back. My biggest mistake is r4 tires and not r1. That will always be a draw back at the moment.

 

[thunder86]

Think WEIGHT primarily, not dimensions. You will make better tractor decisions.

You need a 4,000 pound or heavier bare weight tractor, not a 3,000 pound tractor.

3,000 pound bare weight tractors are for ten acres or less of FLAT ground.

You need the greater stability and pulling power of a 4,000 pound or heavier tractor.

Thank you. My debate now is if I do get one 4,000+ would I be stupid to take a very expensive grapple and get rocks out? I don't want it to bend. Pallet forks I assume are cheaper and it would be their only purpose, not that I'd wanna bend them but it wouldn't much matter other than resell when I was done with them.
If it is wrong to take a good grapple to do what I'm wanting to do one alternative is subsoiler. Could I possibly use a subsoiler to pop them out a bit loose without tearing up my back end hydraulics? Bucket space I guess is an option but I feel grapple would be superior to it. Speaking something MX or bigger. If all this is bad ideas would the TLB series in kubota be a bad deal with the backhoe? Expensive for me but it is what it is I'd just wait until I could.

 

[Smokeydog]

The Home Depot here rents a B26 with backhoe for $260/day. Sunbelt does too. Might try before you buy.

 

[arrow]

I find a good piece of equipment to get rocks out w/o trying to use the fel at first and ruining your bucket, is a middle buster. Just be sure you have sufficient 3 pt lift capacity to man handle the 400Lb rocks. Most 3 pts easily have this type of capacity.
click here: 456 × 456

 

[arrow]

Could I possibly use a subsoiler to pop them out a bit loose without tearing up my back end hydraulics?

Yes

 

[Smokeydog]

Our B26 with backhoe, front and rear buckets, thumb, 3rd function, rear tires ballast and 2.5” extensions, tool boxes with operator is close to 5000lbs. Well worth the extra expense of their ag tractor counter parts for our use.

 

[thunder86]

Pretty sound advice here for the most part, I think. You have some "severe duty" tasks and a light duty tractor... a complete mismatch. You need to get the right equipment on the scene and carefully learn how to use it.

What would that be? Top choices on a tractor platform are the Kubota construction grade TLB's. I'd also put in a good word for a 45- 60 hp compact (Example: Kubota MX series), with a subframe backhoe.

I used one of those for almost 15 years to remove trees, stumps and rocks. It was a beast and stood up to some rough work.

Getting back to the "severe duty" thing, stumps and buried rocks are not something for digging with your FEL. The forces needed are enough to damage the loader bucket or the loader arms. A decent backhoe is designed to apply much more digging/prying force than the loader.

My 2 cents anyways. Good luck with your plans!

The TLB backhoe come off so I can use other implements or is it permanently attached? Digging stumps and rocks with success was that with the MX backhoe?

 

[Rock Crawler]

The TLB backhoe come off so I can use other implements or is it permanently attached? Digging stumps and rocks with success was that with the MX backhoe?

It comes off in about 4 minutes. You do have to remove and replace the 3 point arms.