Price Check Price check and review on CK20 TLB

[IslandTractor]

Hi. I am a former lurker who is finally ready to put down a deposit. Before I continue I would like opinions on the following for price and choice of equipment:

2005 CK20 HST with FEL with 28hrs on meter (first owner traded at same dealer for CK30 a few weeks after purchase)
Dealer will load rear tires, put on three bucket chain hooks and do 50hr service before delivery. Total price $10,100
Option of new KB2365 backhoe for $4850
BrushHog 48" Squealer rotary brush cutter $825
I will add a toothbar to the 54" FEL bucket on my own as the dealer doesn't stock them.


Major use of tractor initially will be to clear a 4 acre area of overgrown meadow (briars on half, 3 to 8 inch trees on a quarter of the land) then maintain it with a brush mower. I will maintain a summer home lawn (not pristine) of about 1/2 acre and was planning to try just the brush mower for the first year.

I am pretty set on the tractor/FEL/BrushHog combination and this seems a good price, especially up here in New England. The tracter is pretty much new in appearance except for the rubbed off paint on the fuel tank due to seat contact. The dealer has already installed the new backhoe but will remove it if I choose. I will likely eventually get a BH as I have stump removal, septic leach field, general gardening and possibly house foundation tasks in years ahead. I had originally thought I'd wait until there was a four point hitch style BH but the 2365 seems like a pretty good unit now that I have seen it up close. The tractor will be on an island and it is not convenient to take it off or to bring other rental equipment on the island hence reliability and self sufficiency are high on the list of considerations.

I would like to thank you all in advance as I have learned an awful lot from this forum over the past many months as I tried to decide between three very fine tractors (CK20, 7510 and PowerTrac 425). I will detail my thought process in making a selection in another post to help anyone else going through the same choices.

Ed

 

[bearhawk]

Sounds great.
looks like you're saving at least 3k over new.
Almost pays for the bh.

My CK20 has 25 hrs and is working great for me.

You won't be disappointed.

Jim

 

[KiotiJohn]

The prices are just fine, surprising for the area.
You'll need to dig out those larger trees, but the brush hog will pretty easily cut down small ones if you SLOWLY back into them and let them cut a little at a time.
The backhoe comes in very handy for most jobs. I'm not sure how well it would do a foundation as I've never done that job with mine, but it sure does stumps like crazy, albeit requiring some time with pine tap roots.
If you're going for a backhoe, now is the time to go for it at that price.
28 hours is nothing NOTHING. I wouldn't even have him do the 50 hour service, it's really too soon and all the new metal shavings from parts seating may not be over.
John

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks for the advice. I think I am going to have him do the 50 hr service early as it is likely the last time a trained mechanic (i.e. someone other than myself) gets a look at the engine for a while. As mentioned, the tractor will be on an island and it will be a flail to get it back to a dealer for routine service in the future.

One related question: the dealer will deliver the tractor to the ferry dock on the mainland. I need to drive the tractor with backhoe and 4ft brush hog on to the ferry and then drive about 3 miles with it on the island to my barn. The brush hog weighs about 400lbs. The only way I can do it in one trip is to chain the brush hog inside the FEL bucket (sticking out backwards if you can envision that). Do you think the FEL is strong enough to 1) get the cutter on and off the ferry (short trip 100 yards total) and 2) drive on a road for 3 miles? If necessary I could drop off the brush hog on the island side, deliver the backhoe then come back for the brush hog and mount it to the 3pt for transport but that would be less efficient. Am I going to overload the FEL given the lever arm of a brush hog hanging on it.

 

[KiotiJohn]

I see no reason that you can't chain the hog onto the backhoe bucket with the hog's tire on the ground and pull the whole thing home. No need to put it into the loader bucket.
It would be easy to chain the 3pt hitch attchment of the hog on the boom of the backhoe.

Just take care of turns as you will have a long load going.
John

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks for the idea. I am wondering if that would leave the front end a bit light and tough to steer. My rear tires will be loaded but nothing in the front except the empty fel. I'll try it and see which works best.

Ed

 

[KiotiJohn]

Just make sure you tie on low on the boom equal to where the drawbar would come out of the rear backhoe mount. Also, make sure you get the drawbar that will probably be removed when they put the BH on.

Never tie higher than the drawbar by more than a couple of inches.
You won't be able to go too fast with all that hooked up, and slow is good.

If you do have to tie into the bucket, just remember to keep it down low. You could probably rig it to have the hog's wheel on the ground out front which would allow turns.
John

 

[Ranashi]

The FEL will do this without a problem. I had to drive my tractor 3 miles recently with the box scraper chained to the FEL due to my uncle having my trailer for his servicing of his deere. I had the backhoe on the back and the box scraper chained to the FEL. drove just fine... the 2 hills I had to climb were slow due to needing low. Well the hole trip was slow but completed without a problem just make sure the dealer knows to have the slow moving vehicle sign attachment on the backhoe. Slow down on the bumps as that much weight out in front at full travel speed (8-9miles per hour) can get interesting even with the BH hanging off the back (Fixed rear axle and all).

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks to you and to KiotiJohn for your ideas. I will be taking delivery next Friday at the ferry dock and I'll try to get photos. I don't believe there have been any photos of tractors on a ferry yet so it may be a first for TBN!

 

[rico304]

Hey Ed. Sounds like a great price to me! Can't wait to see pictures and your comparison between tractors!
Good luck