New kubota tractor advice

[the old grind]

I'd use a sub-soiler or one scarifier of a BB set low to work soil loose around a large rock, then try to hook and bring it up.

This has been quicker to do that firing up the back-hoe to do pretty much the same thing and works for olive and honeysuckle stumps too using my smallest CUT. (DX-26)

 

[thunder86]

My acreage is hilly and rocky. Currently clearing 3/4 of an acre that will never be able to be tilled but will go into native shrubs.
Next is to clear my logging trail and the top part which is over an acre total. At one time the top part had a dozer go through it. The logging trail is horribly rutted up and is up a hill but I could work sideways on it and I believe it could be tilled eventually. My favorite plot is pretty much done and on flat land, just rock removal there for the most part and chainsaw a few trees. When I buy my additional 23 acres this summer I'll have prolly another acre project right off to clear. At least this part has a 10 acre fallow field so I have the ability to use it with my tractor until I make my decision or just put money back and pay for dozer work and keep current tractor.

 

[sea2summit]

What do you mean by secondary tillage with the disc? I didn't think about wether or not that size could handle an effective enough disc.

Generally disks are considered secondary tillage and basically just chop up and mix a portion of the soil, traditional tillage is actually turning over the material.

 

[tradosaurus]

Thank you all for the advice and comments, means a lot as I don't want to make the same mistake twice. I do feel the L3901 would be a mistake and need something twice as heavy at the least. What if what I really need is a backhoe attachment with a thumb? From day one I just wanted food plots and be able to use my tooth bar to remove small saplings and rocks. Now I'm looking for something heavy enough to counter that out of the ground. I did not realize the amount of rocks however. Instead of buying a heavy machine to uproot things why not get a backhoe attachment to dig out bigger rocks, park it and thumb smaller ones on surface off my plot and into the creek. If it has a 8 feet span I could thumb rocks in a 16 foot side by side area. I could dig out trees less than 4 inches diameter maybe? Long as I didn't get the backhoe then later wanted to dig out 10 inch plus stump I shouldn't be disappointed? How slow would a backhoe be at thumbing rocks and tossing them off or in a creek next to my plot? I'm thinking of L2501, R1 tires, clutch with backhoe, just don't know if I'd regret the grapple bucket if I opted out on that. I could still move brush piles or trees I cut down with chainsaw with the backhoe thumb. What's the max you would pick up with the thumb without bending it or machine picking up? Would their still be a need for a 3k plus weight machine at that point? I'm in southern Indiana and I've only been on hydrostat tractor never a clutch.

I had a L3301 for 2 years. I am now upgrading to the MX 5400. For what you are doing I would recommend the MX5400.

 

[jeff9366]

What do you mean by secondary tillage with the disc? I didn't think about wether or not that size could handle an effective enough disc.

Open and read attachment in Post #22.

 

[crazyal]

Did you buy the tractor for doing this or are there other tasks that the tractor needs to be able to do? I ask because the advice given is based just on what you described not anything else. Do you leave the tractor there or do you need to occasionally move it? If being able to transport it is an issue could you move a MX?

I would play around with what you got and see if you can find a way to accomplish what you want to do with it. Often if my original plan doesn't work I try to step back and figure out why and what I can do differently. You may find that a different technique would make a world of difference. Experience that would come in useful even if you do upgrade tractors.

 

[Smokeydog]

I have switched to TLB models for the farm. M59 and B26. They are built heavier, better FEL and better backhoes. 80% of time ours are in 3pt mode. Mowing and tillage.

Consider a L39 or L45?

If I were still doing hay or major ground engagement tools I would still have an large ag tractor. Don’t miss not fixing R1 tires damaged from FEL work.

Don’t get the food plot stuff. I’m overrun with deer, turkeys and squirrels.

 

[thunder86]

I have a bobcat CT 225 tractor. It is approximately twice the weight of your tractor. From the looks of the pictures you have i don’t think I would have much trouble with any of the jobs in your pictures assuming the ground is not wet.
Everything has its limitations but I feel my tractor would be sized appropriately for that job. Or Possibly a touch on the small side. I do feel like my tractor does punch above its weight class. So a bit larger (and more hp)would not be a bad thing if maneuvering a larger tractor is not an issue. Not familiar with Kubota model numbers in that size range but in bobcat it would be in a four or five series tractor. Hope that helps.
As far as the rocks go they’re hard on everything. Especially tillers. Spring tooth rakes are cheap and do a pretty good job at popping out rocks if they’re not too big. and rock buckets can be helpful to remove them also.

What was the price on your tractor? I think bobcat is offering free loaders. This tractor would be roughly the weight of an MX I believe but a less hp.

 

[fried1765]

There is no such thing as a heavy compact tractor. Utility class tractors begin at 6,000 pounds bare tractor weight and they are not considered heavy. Heavy tractors begin at 10,000 pounds bare tractor weight.

As you likely know, the L2501 and L3901 are twins except for engine horsepower. You cannot pull a minimally effective Disc Harrow with 18" pans at speed with an L2501. An L3901 will just manage secondary tillage, which is NOT what you are intending. A PTO powered roto-tiller is the more effective implement on 2,700 pound bare weight tractors.

You are expecting too much from a light tractor Backhoe. Stumps over 6" are impractical.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers.

An MX without a Backhoe is cheaper than an L3901 with a Backhoe.

With an MX you should be able to pull 3" diameter trees, including roots, from MOIST soil with chains attached to tractor's rear/center drawbar. This is how a tractor is meant to function. Heavy work at the rear, not the front.

MORE ON DRAWBARS: Tractor DRAWBARS & CROSS DRAWBARS Illuminated

Very generally, a tractor's FEL will lift twice the weight of same tractor's Backhoe.
A Bucket Spade is a reasonable proposition on an MX, especially an MX equipped with Kubota's optional heavy duty, round-back bucket.

MORE ON BUCKET SPADES: Front-End Loader - BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT



You have not related the total acreage of your property, how many acres you will work with the tractor, and little about property topography.

If you put brush or dirt into any creek you are begging for trouble from law enforcement. Your downstream neighbors will rat you out for sure.

I know you love your bucket spade Jeff, but nothing tractor mounted, (except the L47, M59, M62, and the really big construction machines) equals the reach and power of my L48 backhoe, for the tasks the OP suggests.

 

[jeff9366]

I agree.

jeff9366