Buying Advice soooo appreciative for tractor buying advice PLEASE!

[IslandTractor]

To get an idea of the value of your 2001 TC33D, first check the hours on the tractor and general condition of tires, body etc then look at TractorHouse.com | NEW HOLLAND TC33D For Sale - 13 Listings - Page 1. . I would imagine you are going to sell on Craigslist or trade in. Prices would vary obviously between dealer trade and private sale. I'd look in CL for similar age tractors (with 2001 they will mostly be older Kubota, JD, NH or Massey I think) and see what people are asking. Just as a guesstimate I'd think you could get around $10K or a tad more on CL pretty easily. You will benefit from having a good 30hp tractor with a loader at a price point that doesn't obviously require a loan and is cheaper than just about anything on any tractor dealer's lot of comparable size. You'd get more if you have limited hours (say less than 1000). If you have time to sell it you might even list it higher initially, maybe $13K.

 

[Coyote machine]

Your stated lift capacity for your hauling logs, etc is 875# or close to that #. I'd caution you to not think of your brush hog as adequate ballast for balancing a full bucket load on your FEL, (front end loader). Chances are it does not weigh as much as one might think, and though it may take up a large footprint in the grass, it does not put it's weight close enough to the back end of the tractor to count for much in terms of ballast.
Something like a 55 gallon barrel filled with rocks, concrete or water, (sealed in the barrel), does a lot more to keep the tractor from wanting to tip forward with heavy loads.This applies to whatever tractor you end up with, BTW.

And while on the subject of loads on a tractor, know that the ONLY place one is supposed to tow a load from is the drawbar hitch located directly under the 'pumpkin', (rear end~ gearbox). This is because towing from higher up allows the COG, (center of gravity) to raise with the height above the ground, and can and does tip tractors over backwards.

Now on the tree swinging thing for 2 hours. BAD newbie!:confused2:
This is how people get hurt or dead. I'm a former pro tree surgeon, and I can tell you to cease this method of getting your trees to the ground.
At best, find a way to take out a tree that will not hang up on other trees, or get someone with experience felling trees to cut down a few trees to open a safe path to work in for the rest of the felling process.
Tree felling with a chainsaw and tractor and lack of experience/knowledge are a potentially deadly combination.
We don't want to lose either of you to some preventable situation! Safety first, NO exceptions, PLEASE.

So, you will be able to get what you need for lift capacity in a newer tractor of most any brand. As Island Tractor, (IT) mentioned a Kioti, for instance in their 20 or 30, or especially in their 40 Series tractors will give amazing lift capacity. BUT, as mentioned one way to work around this is to lighten the load and take more trips. Best practice to have more capacity than needed and use less than you have in most situations. Lift capacity to some extend equates to $ spent on the equipment at the time of purchase. So this is one more reason to make a long list of potential future needs around the no horses farm, and buy accordingly.

If it were me, I'd look at it as a long term investment, of a 10 year timeframe, for instance. You could always go back in 5 years and upsize again, but I doubt it will be necessary if you plan well and invest smartly. Remember one tractor doesn't have to do all potential jobs. Sometimes hiring out a mini-ex or dozer or tank makes more sense for specific jobs and budget/timeframe.

So enjoy the hunt, make a pros/cons list for the various tractors/implements you see while searching, and get back here to ask any further questions. And think of it as a learning experience rather than a race to the finish line...

 

[aspg4]

We were just looking online at TYM is that the same as Yanmar?

My dealer sells LS and TYM. He seems to prefer the TYM. I have a TYM T554, and am very pleased with it. Rural King Stores are going to start selling tractors made by TYM. Look at Rural King site to see prices. TYM dealer locator shows a dealer about 68 miles from you...

 

[Coyote machine]

I re-read about the 'rope trick' with the hung up pines, and I just want to lend some additional thoughts. IF a tree is hung up in its canopy, (top most branches), in other trees, a better method to detangle is to tie a rope, or preferably a long series #70 chain to the base of the tree and pull it away from the trees its caught in. Now I know its not always possible to do so, based on the proximity and terrain in the work area and additional factors I can't see from here, BUT this is another area where advance planning is key and can save a life or tractor or both.

Ideally I'd like to see some pics of your pine forest area both close up and from a distance to give us here a scope of the work being done. That would allow us to comment on best practices for your specific site. Better yet, if you can fly me and a couple of others from TBN over to the farm for a on site consult- just kidding!

It might be money well spent to get a pro to do a small cut or two to ease the congestion that pine stands often present, and it would definitely make your and hubster's job safer and more 'fun' in the process. As a personal example, I don't climb trees anymore. I did back when I was young and stupider, but with age, like cheese, I've become more refined, and possibly smarter too.:laughing:
Anyway, when I need in tree work done I hire it out. I know you said you can't afford to pay someone to cut your stand, and I'm not suggesting you change that plan, just possibly modify it slightly to make it go smoother....

CM out for now....

 

[Coyote machine]

My dealer sells LS and TYM. He seems to prefer the TYM. I have a TYM T554, and am very pleased with it. Rural King Stores are going to start selling tractors made by TYM. Look at Rural King site to see prices. TYM dealer locator shows a dealer about 68 miles from you...

I'm just going to throw in 2cents worth on this idea ^^
I know nothing about TYM as a brand, and I'm confident they may be a good value for the price point. BUT, when I hear that a chain store will be selling a tracor brand of whatever name, it makes me think of Cabelas and their yellow painted LS(?) tractors they were selling then discontinued suddenly and fire saled the remaining inventory. I don't know enough to comment further other than to say that sometimes what looks like a bargain may not be everything it appears to be at first look.
Again, this is just a caution about marketing methods, NOT TYM in particular as a brand...

Hope this is useful....

 

[Bavarian]

What is the area looking like? Is it flat or hilly?

Like mentioned before, a winch can convert a 30 HP tractor in a monster. You don't need to drive to the downed tree, the tree comes to you. Pull it to the burn pile, cut it in reasonable pieces at the pile and handle it with the loader there. Don't carry the stuff.

Pulling tangled up trees out is the only save way to do it. Best practice is not even allow this to happen. Don't let the tree fall it's way, it has to fail YOUR way.

Cleaning out some trees is time sensitive. To own a machine that can handle a full sized tree including the the stump and soil, carrying it in one piece to the pile and possibly have some capacity left over, mmmmhhhhhhh let me guess even a 60HP tractor is too small.

If your tractor is 4wd (or 4 wheel assist, however you want to call it), I would go for a winch and possibly retrofit the tractor with a grapple to handle the branches.

No salesperson will push you out the the door if you walk in and ask for a new tractor. Every one of them will have the right machine for you.

 

[TheMadOne]

I'm just going to throw in 2cents worth on this idea ^^
I know nothing about TYM as a brand, and I'm confident they may be a good value for the price point. BUT, when I hear that a chain store will be selling a tracor brand of whatever name, it makes me think of Cabelas and their yellow painted LS(?) tractors they were selling then discontinued suddenly and fire saled the remaining inventory. I don't know enough to comment further other than to say that sometimes what looks like a bargain may not be everything it appears to be at first look.
Again, this is just a caution about marketing methods, NOT TYM in particular as a brand...

Hope this is useful....

Actually, I think the Cabela's lineup was TYM...and they were green, not yellow.

 

[Coyote machine]

Actually, I think the Cabela's lineup was TYM...and they were green, not yellow.

Could be right, that's why I put in the ?. Guess I was thinking of another tractor I'd seen that had a yellow candy coating, like an M & M!:laughing: It musta' made me hungry!

Regarding winches; as Bavarian said, they can make a monster, (out of a fairly small tractor).
I have an Igland brand winch, model # 4001, and grapple GR-20 Timber Claw, from Norway, and they are both incredible workhorses. The grapple is small and narrow, specifically designed to pickup logs, and it weighs around 350-400#s IIRC, so it doesn't take up a lot of the loader's lift capacity, like some bigger grapples might. It cost about $1,350 a number of years ago, and when I saw it, I knew I HAD to have it. Haven't looked back since!
Link to all Igland products:Search their web site to get an idea of the amazing woods tools they make, from small to extremely heavy duty.
I want to go live in Norway to play with all their toys!:thumbsup:
Timber claw Arkiver - Igland AS


My winch is rated at 4,000# pull strength, and with the proper clamshell snatch block in place it doubles the pulling power to 8,000#s!
I've pulled huge trees, Poplars 40-50 feet long, 15-18" in diameter across rough ground with relative ease on my 40 HP Kioti. I've also snagged a tree that size on a rock/boulder and snapped the factory swaged choker hook off the winch cable; without it hitting me in my head and killing me- not bragging, just lucky I guess. I was using all necessary precautions, but working with a winch cable in the woods brings a new level of meaning to what's dangerous at any moment in time.

So a winch, with careful attention to the inherent dangers can be an extremely effective tool in dragging trees to your tractor.

Note: my log grapple is just that, specifically designed for picking up and hauling logs. I will say I've very carefully lifted and carried huge entire trees to my landing- some 40' long or more, BUT it is with a great deal of caution, and very slowly with the load balanced by more than 1000# of backhoe as ballast, and fully inflated front and loaded rear tires. Have I come near tipping the tractor, yes, BUT with a long balance pole like the trees mentioned and close carry to the ground it's almost impossible to flip the tractor. Nonetheless, I've had back wheel lift on several occasions, something one wants to avoid at almost any cost, if possible.
once past the tipping point a tractor will flip onto it's side.

So a grapple and winch would do well by your tasks if you decide to retrofit your current NH, OR go for newer unit. Either way a grapple and winch can be AWESOME tools to own. And like a chainsaw, they each take cautious use and time tested experience to use safely and effectively. And they're a blast to use and get things done more easily than doing it by other methods.

 

[Musdalen]

I just went through the tractor selecting process. Ended up in Green with a 3039R. Could not be happier. Very glad I did NOT go with the SSQA which is darn heavy. Everything is quick detach in the JD system and I'm happy with that. All I need is the bucket and the grapple, and the other bazillion skid-steer attachments are of no value to me.

The 1600 # rating of the FEL feels good, and I have been pushing it close enough to that limit with the grapple (what an amazing tool and an easy one to get yourself in trouble with too). I seem to have lots of 1000+ logs and this FEL gives me enough "freeboard" that I feel pretty comfortable with them on flat ground when they are not too long. Leverage is something to pay attention to. It can work against you and tip you easily with that grapple.

I built my own ballast using an old 3 pt carryall and 840 lbs of cement. It weighs around 1000# total. It is essential and not even slightly too heavy. Do NOT skip a ballast of some sort and make it darn heavy and fairly compact so you can get around in timber easier.

One thing I did that I might regret yet - I went with R4 industrial tires. They are somewhat kinder to the land, but they also have less traction than R1 Ag tires. I might wish for the Ag tires before this is all over. Think about that and how much you need traction over erosion control.

 

[NewbieUgh]

Feedback so far . . . LS is leading the pack. To all of you who worried about us newbies, you are so sweet! I phrased my post incorrectly, he had tied off the base of the tree with enough rope to be VERY FAR away when that top came down, but the little NH33 was doing all she could and best he could do was pull forward and reverse, forward and reverse to get that tree out of the woods. To those who said--don't let it fall in the woods--that's all we have behind the cabin. Good news was we took it away from the cabin--although she wanted to go that way. Bad news--it's all woods back there!
We just keep learning from the breath of experience and knowledge you guys have . . . today he read someone's post about the winches and we weren't aware you could get them for the 3 pt hitch. So yay! new ammo to look forward to, because we're shopping and taking your advice and doing it slowly and enjoying the process. I'm about to start an excel spreadsheet if you can believe it! More later . . .