sizing a new tractor

[dwitt]

Edit : Jeff kindly made this post easier to read if you skip to the nest post by Jeff.

 

[jeff9366]

First off, hello.

I've been reading TBN threads to answer my own question. While I'm sure there have been posters with similar requirements, I haven't found satisfactory answers in "What size tractor should I buy?" titled threads.

I bought 60 acres in Utah, at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Twenty-five acres is hay/pasture, six acres is high and dry. Twenty-nine acres is brush and cottonwoods. The soil is silt/clay. The soil has almost no rocks where I dug exploratory holes five feet deep.

I have one mile of driveway to maintain that will include grading and removal of around 100" of snow a year. Therefore, I need a cab tractor, 4-WD and FEL.

My plan is to hay the field while I build a house. I will stay with small bales. The property came with some old hay equipment that will need replacement soon.

Potentially the land is flood irrigated. The overall elevation change is small in the pasture but there are high and low spots. It needs smoothing to get water moving from top to bottom efficiently. That said, leveling is not major.

The end plan is a small grass-fed beef operation. Haying only first cut on part of the pasture and grazing as much as possible. The property hasn't been loved in years so LOTS of fence work.

The Kubota dealer is close. I have looked at the Kubota L6060 and M7060. Both turbo-charged, both with Category I/II Three Point Hitch, both well equipped, standard.

I am not committed to Kubota. I am more concerned with weight and horsepower, less with brand.

What do you recommend in a cabbed tractor-loader and essential implements?

Which implements should be Category I, which Category II? (Soil is rock-free silt/clay.)

Is a turbo-charged tractor engine optimal, considering my 6,000 foot altitude?


Kubota L6060: TractorData.com Kubota L6060 tractor information

Kubota M7060: TractorData.com Kubota M7060 tractor information

 

[cat fever]

First off, welcome to TBN. We will have no problem spending your money.:laughing:
I was in your situation 2 years ago. Not as much land but the same needs as far as haying goes.
I looked around and bought the Kioti from RMT in SLC. I have been very happy with it. I think you would be fine with anything in the 50-75 HP range.
So where you located?

 

[cat fever]

First off, hello.

I've been reading for sometime on similar treads to try and answer my own question. While I'm sure there have been posters with similar requirements as mine I just haven't found them in the many, many "what size should I buy questions".

I bought 60 acres. 25 of which is hay/pasture, 5 or 7 is high and dry and the rest it brush and cottonwoods for the most part. My plans are to hay the field for a few years to figure out what i'm doing while I build a house. The end plan is run a small grass feed beef operation. Haying only first cut on part of the pasture and grazing as much as possible.

I will have about 1 mile of driveway to maintain that will include grading and snow removal of around 100+" a year.

The property hasn't been loved in some years so LOTS of fence work and the field is far for ideal. It's flood irrigated and while the overall elevation change is small on the pasture, there are lots of high and low spots. I haven't seen it get irrigated yet (the wetland surveyor is asking me not to) I know it needs work to get water moving from the top to bottom in a efficient manner. That being said, it not major. For example, a typical scenario would be that a 400 square foot area needs a average of one foot removed and moved to the adjacent low spot. Some a little bigger most smaller and less with over half of it needing no grading.

I also need to manage the woods and add paths but that really good be addressed by a different tractor (I'm thinking a older 35 horse 2wd open station). A backhoe would be a plus for footings on out buildings and planting trees, but that could also go one the compact and might be more useful getting places it needs to go (the property has lots of river frontage so need to be cautious about cutting wide paths for tractors). This would also probably save me money on expensive backhoe but I could make a case at these point for it being on either tractor so the option would be nice. More on that thought, I never really see older compacts with backhoes for sale. Not sure what the aftermarket offers for them.

Back on point, I know want a cab for winter and fel.

The soil is silt/clay. The pasture has almost no rocks to 5' when I dug a few test holes. You get in the old river furrows and it's river rock like you might imagine but I'll have limited work in those areas. I do have a 30' grade change to go up to high ground but I will not be doing much in there either other than moving materials and equipment. I do what 4wd for fel work and winter.

I'm planning on staying with small bales. The property came with some old hay equipment that will need to be replaced sooner rather than later thats all for smaller tractors.

I have look mostly at Kabota at these point just because they are closest so I a familiar with there offerings the best. That said I most concerned about frame size and horsepower at this point and not color.
I know I'll get a lot of bigger is better answers and you may be right but I have my concerns. for example, I get a big tractor and it is of no use (just not limit use) in the trees, when buying new implements the ones matched to the big tractor a vastly more expensive then to a smaller tractor and as a newbie I'm paranoid I get up sold by a salesmen. So far I have looked closely at the L6060 and M7060 but don't let that limit your opinions. I's a bit shocking how close the prices is on them but like I said i know that is not where the spending stops. I'm sure there is more but I have tried to be detailed.

Wait, I live north of 6,000 ft. Not sure how much hp that will eat up on a turbo diesel.

Jeff,

Were you an english professor?

I'll admit, your version is easy reading. Same as the guy you jumped last night that wanted to be spoon fed info.:laughing:

 

[dwitt]

The property is in Oakley. Rmt is at the top of my list of places to make it to. What size kioti did you end up with

 

[cat fever]

The property is in Oakley. Rmt is at the top of my list of places to make it to. What size kioti did you end up with

I have the RX6620PS

Oakley is really nice, I ride my sled up Wolfcreek all the time.
The owner of RMT (Brent) has a place in Woodland, on the bench north of the highway. They sell New Holland and Kioti. To me it seemed like I was getting more tractor for the money with the Kioti. They were really good to work with. No pressure at all. Brent also grows hay so I'm sure he can point you in the right direction.

 

[jeff9366]

Jeff: Were you an english professor?

I'll admit, your version is easy reading. Same as the guy you jumped last night that wanted to be spoon fed info.:laughing:

No.

Jumped? I am old. I have not jumped in years.

 

[oosik]

I have 80 acres, a mile long driveway and big Ponderosa pines rather than hay. My first tractor was a 28 hp, 4WD Ford which was OK for winter snow removal. This tractor was not big enough for summer driveway maintenance, running a big chipper, moving large rock and could not lift/move sections of my big pine. I finally got a Kubota M6040 and now these "larger" jobs can be accomplished easily.

I recently got a grapple which is far and away the most useful implement I have. My hydraulic top link is great for its easy & infinite adjustment of all ground engagement implements.

 

[CADplans]

First off,, you state you have a tractor, and MANY people used that size tractor for more land than you state.

If this is a hobby farm, then, like any other hobby, buy the biggest tractor your budget will allow.
I have 40 acres, and a 60 HP 4WD IH 584. it suits my hobby farm perfectly.

A CAT II tractor can usually use any CAT I as well as CAT II,,,
I have about a half dozen attachments, none are strictly CAT II (one attachment is CAT I/II)

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think you are in the ball park with the M6040 Kubota or similar in any brand. Just about all tractor brands have some good qualities and bad so you really just need to look for one that fits you and your uses the best. I looked at everyone when I bought my first tractor and found that the LS P7010 fit me the best and was the best price. It came with lots of options standard that all other brands charged more for.

I would try to stay with a turbo-charged engine since you are at 6000 feet but a non turbo would work fine but not produce the HP listed, maybe 5-10 less than stated by the company. That may not be much of an issue since most of the CUT and Utility tractors will run out of traction before they run out of power. The only time the extra power might be needed is with PTO work. Your local dealers should be able to advise you based on your uses, maybe much better than some of the TBN crowd that may not be familiar with your location.