Starting from scratch

[richminford]

Starting to look around for a 4 wd tractor to use on a Christmas tree farm in the NC mountains. I'm in my last rotation and want to get the land back to pasture as my exit strategy. The main chore is to move and burn residual cull xmas trees 10-15 feet tall and deal with the stumps...lots and lots of stumps. My big question is whether to try and find a package with backhoe or rent an excavator for 250/day for stump removal ? I'm thinking a grapple attachment will be much more handy than a bucket and trying to put together a list of specific models and transmissions that would be best suited for the task. I'm open to new or used. I've been advised to get at least 40hp, but not locked in in the size.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Unless you might have future uses for a backhoe, then a rental is the way to go. Dig out everthing in the place at one time. Then a tractor with FEL could pile them for later burning. Granted a rock bucket with grapple would do it easier with far less possibility of dirt but then unless you have future use for a rock bucket, it would be of little use after the clearing is completed. I have pushed and piled hundreds of small saplings that I dug out with my B26 then pushed into a pile with the FEL bucket.


As a counterpoint: I like to have a backhoe handy for all time so I bought one after 3 years without just using the tractor FEL and some manpower, but now I wouldn't be without one, YOUR mileage may vary though. I use mine at least once a week doing some type of chore. Right now I am removing a large chicken pen from my neighbors yard (free lumber and nice chicken house). I use the backhoe to pull the post after first using it to pry the bottom runner from the post which is screwed in and many of the screws are now below grade. The fence was way over built, 4x4 post every 4 feet, chicken wire stapled every 2", then 3 strands of barbed wire at the base. After all the staples were put in the wire, he then screwed 1x4 lumber top bottom and sides to every post and a 2x4 runner top and middle with 2x6 on bottom. Nothing was getting in or out of that pen. It took me two days just to remove all the screws and lumber and get the wire down to grade at which time I used the backhoe to remove the bottom board from the post and pull the post.

Just latest in long line of backhoe chores I have done with mine, again, your needs may vary but for me a backhoe is well worth the cost.

 

[richminford]

Thanks for the input. The stump removal will be on going over the next 10 years, but only one or two acres per year on the tree farm. I also I also have about 30 acres of woods that have been hand-cleared but still have stumps. It's not a priority, but it would be nice to get the stumps out and bush hog as opposed to weed-eating. So in terms of selecting a tractor, I need something small enough to work in the woods.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would consider a tlb that is big enough to quickly remove the stumps since you have so many of them. This should also be large enough to act as a tractor for your other uses. Are we to assume that you are moving towards pastures and associated renovations then cattle or horses? If so a 40 to 60 hp tlb or similar utility tractor should work for you.