Tractor Sizing Reassesing the tractor size...

[Rolando]

I'm thinking that perhaps I should take a step back. After reading a lot more of the other threads on the forum, I wonder if I wasn't too hasty in settling on the tractor size I did. I have been aiming at a 30HP like the L3130 or L3010, but is that the appropriate size?

I will only have a 5 acre parcel. While I would do a lot of tree clearing prior to and shortly after construction of my house, after that I will probably just be mowing and minor improvements. Should I just size for the mowing needs and rent or pay someone for the clearing needs?

At one time 5 acres seemed huge to me, but after reading about the sizes of property you all take care of, 5 acres doesn't seem so big anymore. I like the idea of getting a big tractor (relatively speaking), but do I really need one this big?

 

[Cliff_Johns]

It's not the size of your parcel, it's what you do with it. If you hire out the clearing, they will get it done fast, but where's the fun in that? Still, you have to decide how you want to spend your time.

How much of the land are you clearing? How much do you intend to mow. 30HP is a pretty big tractor to mow around the house with. Are you planning to also have a small lawn tractor?

If you're going to spend a few years clearing the rest of the land selectively and converting it to pasture or into lawn, then 30HP probably isn't out of line and you can trade down later when you don't need that size anymore. If you rent, when you're done you have nothing, whereas if you buy a bit large and do it yourself in your good sweet time and enjoy the process, when you're done, you have a tractor with some value and some great experience.

Cliff

 

[TonyC]

Getting the right size tractor is always a tough one. I have an L3600 which is 31 HP at the PTO. I have 30 Acres of land. Most times it is just right. Sometimes I wish it were bigger and sometimes I wish it were smaller. Either way is equally frustrating but there is no perfect answer.

In your case one question is "what do you mean by clearing"? If you're just pulling felled trees around it doesn't take a huge tractor. Just cut 'em one more time into smaller sizes. If you're planning to uproot stumps of any size then save yourself the aggravation. It'll take a VERY large tractor to do that. Oh you can do one big one if you have all weekend to get it out but that's not very effective.

I think your logic is on the mark about the clearing. If it is a one time thing then work around it and buy the tractor for the long term needs only.

Good luck!

 

[Rolando]

I would be leaving 1 of the 5 acres intact for buffers. Then probably clearing 70 to 80% of the trees in the remaining 4. Most of the trees are less than 8" and I was thinking I would push them over to get the roots out as well. I'm still thinking about what I would do with them after that.

There's nothing like doing something yourself for getting it done right, and I'm not crazy about letting someone else do the clearing for me. But I'm trying to be practical. I just don't know.

After being used to an L3130 type tractor for a couple of years, would I be satisfied after downsizing to a 4-acre-mowing-size tractor after the clearing was finished?

 

[riptides]

You said eight inch trees? I'd look at the B series. I have a B7800 that just pushed over 11 year old black pines. Did about 12 of them in half an hour. Took me more time to cut and drag them to a pile then it did to take them out. I based my sizing on what I wanted my lot to look like in the future years. I have a lawn mower for my front, and the B7800 handles the rest of the acreage.

I liked the ground clearance, weight factors and power of the B7800.

I try not to clear cut acreage, although I can, it is really rough and beats the crap out of both my machine and I. I have called in dozers for the clearing. The B7800 does the cleanup, brushpile work and ocassional stumping.

YMMV
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


I up-sized to a new L3130 with the LA723 loader & BH90 backhoe from a 1980's Deere 750 (~20hp) with loader & backhoe...

I have only 2 1/2+ acres that is predominately clear hayfield... a few trees and stumps to remove... some brush to clear... some 2-3' rocks I dug out... more to go... 200' stone filled fence line to dig up and clear & level... some "dead furrow" soil levelling to do... graded for a garage pad... 400' driveway and utility trenches to do...

Also use the Kubota for snow removal at my house (and a few neighbors) on a small 3/10 acre lot...

Occasionally I hire myself & tractor out for work...

It's a lot easier/faster with the Kubota than it woulda' been with the smaller Deere... although it would have handled most of the tasks...

For mowing 2 1/2 acres... I bought a 1980's garden tractor with a 5' belly mower instead of a rear finish mower for the Kubota (maybe in the future)... works well for me...

Yeah... it's a lotta tractor for 2 1/2 acres... but as said above... it's the work ya' wanna do that matters most... not necessarily the amount of land...

Plus... I REALLY enjoy operating the new tractor ! This was a significant part of my decision to upgrade and also get an enclosed heated cab...

Deliberate often... decide once...


Dave...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Most people recommend that buying a bigger tractor is better. I guess I will be the lonely voice to oppose that theory.

Personally I think many people buy tractors for their initial work and forget to think about the future. A good tractor is a 20 year tool. If you push the trees over in year 1, will you need the L3130 for the remaining 19?

I would rent a tractor or better yet a dozer to know down the trees, and I would look at buying one of the 24hp machines. They are small frame tractors, will not push the trees down as easily, but will mow a lot better. The 24hp machines will run slightly smaller implements so you are not really giving up much and you are increasing manuverability. After several years with a B2910 I now do most of my tractoring with a NH TC24 and I find many jobs get done just as fast, and some jobs are easier because the smaller tractor fits down paths and in between trees better. I have about 11 acres, with lots of trees and varied terrain from flats to hills and find the 24hp a great size.

 

[fishman]

I agree with Bob. In fact a BX tractor may even be an option if you aren't planning on lifting a whole lot.

The 3010 had some issues with the mid-mount mower not working with the R4 tires, as I recall. Don't know if the 3130 has the same problem or not.

Anyway, a dozer rental would be less than the difference between a big and small tractor. However, it wouldn't allow you to be as selective about which trees you take out. Once they're gone, they are gone. Better be sure.

 

[boustany]

Once the clearing is done, a BX2200 (or whatever the current model is) with a FEL and MMM may be just the thing. I find my 3010 roughs up the lawn too much (especially when its wet) and is just too big for some jobs.

On the other hand, you can't get a Kubota hoe for the BX22XX, and the FEL lift is relatively modest - you wouldn't want to lift more than a few hundred pounds.

I don't know about pushing over trees - I couldn't do that size tree with my 3010, but it probably depends on soil. I'd get a dozer in for a day to do that sort of thing. On the other hand there is plenty of heavier work the 3010 is great for.

The BXs work good as super heavy duty lawn tractors, and mos realy good with the MMM without the FEL. I take off the MMM when FELing.

The great thing with the BX is that they aren't very tippy, and I figure are safer.

I'll try remember to post some examples of what my wife has accomplished with the BX.

 

[ByronBob]

I'm with you Bob. (Us bob's need to stick together) After the initial bull work is done what will you need? A nice lawn mower with the options of implements? My BX2230 is great for most everyday use. The bulldozer will make short work of the trees and then a smaller tractor will do just fine.

 

[MarkV]

Although it pains me, I would say think smaller, guess it’s the Tool Man in me. I often think new tractor buyers have unrealistic expectations of compact tractors when it comes to clearing land. My 21 hp tractor can push over fair size Poplars sometimes, shallow roots, and then there are some small Sweet Gums, big tap roots, that give the backhoe a workout. You are in Florida with some sandy soil so you may be able to push over 8” trees but I would not count on it. North Florida is mostly pine in my mind and some of them have a pretty good tap root. Without a backhoe you will still have to bring someone in if you can’t get the stumps. A dozer with a root rake could have all the nasty stuff out in less than a day and a smaller tractor can do the clean up and finish grading. If finish mowing is on the list, the 3130 can be pretty big unless you are talking open field. The larger hp B series tractors offer a lot of power in a more maneuverable size.

MarkV

 

[Henro]

I would just plan on buying two tractors before it was all over... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Use the bigger one in the beginning a lot and get the heavy work done...IF you like doing the work yourself.

Gradually transition into the mode where you get a second smaller tractor, and it starts to do the light duty jobs that the bigger one is really too big for.

There will always be times that the bigger one will help you out. Heck, my neighbor has a 38 PTO HP tractor on 4 acres. He also has a smaller tractor. I have a B2910 on 3.7, and also a BX2200. Lots of people here have more than one tractor...

That being said, if you can't afford or don't want to consider multiple tractors, then you probably would be better off with something smaller than the Kubota L3130 or B2910/7800.

I have often thought that if I were to have to have only one tractor, something like the Kubota B7500 might be the best compromise in the long run. I have been clearing a couple acres and doing a bunch of other things with my B2910, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know it will in a year or two start racking up less hours, and the smaller tractor will start accumulating more per year.

Don't forget to let us know what you finally decide to do. What is best is what is best for you, and only you can decide that really...hope all the advice you receive makes it easier and not harder!

 

[Kelvin]

My thoughts are more in-line with Henro's, as I like having two tractors (for me it is a "his" and "hers" setup).

Like Henro, I have a B2910 and a BX tractor. Unlike Henro, my backhoe is on the BX23 and not the B2910. If I had only one of the tractors I would prefer the B2910 because of (1) the faster finish mowing capability with the 72" mid mower and (2) the greater FEL capacity. However, I could certainly live with the BX23 as my only tractor.

I have dug out stumps much larger than 8" using the BX23's backhoe, it just took about 30 minutes or so (probably could have done the same job in about 5 minutes with the excavator/trackhoe that I rented in the past for $200 a day). The problem with the excavator is that I was on a hillside where I felt comfortable with the BX23 and would not have felt comfortable with the excavator. The largest stump so far that I dug out with the BX23 backhoe was around 3 feet in diameter and had two tap roots that were around 8"-to-10" in diameter near the stump and went about 6' before I broke them off.

Keep in mind that you may end up with somewhat of a mess on your 5 acres after hiring someone to come in and clear out the trees. Beyond the initial tree clearing, if you don't hire this work out you'll have to clear out all of the debris and smooth out and prepare the remaining soil for what-ever purpose you have in mind (yard/lawn/garden/??). This yard preparation needs to be considered when deciding tractor size.

Good Luck,
Kelvin