Stupid Questions: 1 to ....

[Lloyd_E]

As I prepare to purchase my new tractor I have a number of questions and thought I would find impartial answers here.

Looking at DK45 shuttle with cab and attachments.

Attachments:
Loader
kb 2485 BH
Auger 6" and 9"
landscape Rake
7' blade
5' rotary cutter
7' box blade with rippers
6' snow blower

Question(s):
How much time is needed to take off and reinstall BH?
Is it really difficult?

I use 4&6" fence posts, should I actually look at 9&12" auger?

Rotary cutter, how thick of branch can I cut?

I have an area of rock in pasture, will the box blade deal with most surface rocks with progressive passes?

Snow Blower: time to install and reinstall and will a set of 12-18" wings help? With wings I can do a better job at driveway(about 1200 feet) with two passes.

How big of a rock(granite) can I move with the loader - bucket size?

Thanks in advance.

Will be meeting with dealer next week - hopefully reach a deal.

 

[Highbeam]

You will not want to use a 6" auger for 4x6 posts. I would go for a 12" auger with 4x6 posts.

Your rotary cutter will easily cut anything smaller than your wrist. It will cut thicker things as well but that is hard on eqipment. I have actually used mine as a stump grinder to chew off stumps at ground level by setting the deck on the ground and slowly mowing the stump. It worked great on semi rotten stumps, not so good on hard stumps.

Your boxblade will not bury or collect rocks very well. Rocks are very difficult to deal with. If the rocks are small you can till them into the dirt but it will just mix them in and not bury them.

Why such a small rotary cutter? You can run a much bigger one. The rule is 5 HP per foot. I run a 5' cutter with my 30HP machine. At least buy one wide enough to cover your tracks so that you can mow along a fence.

 

[IXLR8]

Question(s):
How much time is needed to take off and reinstall BH?
Is it really difficult?

On my CK30, the first time I did it, it took max 15 min to remove, probably less. Reinstall took a bit longer, 20 min maybe, a bit of backing, moving BH, more backing, more moving of BH until everything lines up. You back up to the BH, close enough to hook up the hydraulic lines so you can move the BH, then just work the two together. It would have been less time to reinstall if I had done a better job blocking the BH in position when I took it off. I didn't do a very good job and it settled some and made the reinstall a little more difficult. HTH

 

[DK35vince]

A 5' rotary cutter is small for a DK 45. I recommend bigger.
I run a 6' cutter on a DK 35.

 

[DK35vince]

How much time is needed to take off and reinstall BH?
Is it really difficult?

I have a Rhino backhoe, but I think the subframe setup is similar to Kioti backhoes.
My backhoe goes on/off relitively easy.
I can remove it in under 5 minutes. Takes me around 5 to 10 minutes to install.

 

[Dodgeram]

Like Vince- 5-10 minutes to install and less than 5 to take off.
Not really that bad.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Thank you.

You guys are great. As for the bush hog - see that's why I asked. I will look at a larger one - at least as wide as wheels. I guess I had budget as a criteria, but it doesn't make sense especially dealing with fence lines.

HB - larger auger gives me some wiggle room plus area for tamping earth or stone in. Bush hog up to 2.5 inches, I am excited now.

Best of all is the limited time - after you gain experience - for install and reinstall of BH. I thought I would be 1/2 hour or longer, if not hours!

This is great info - many thanks!!!

Lloyd

 

[lunbrjck]

Welcome to the pack and hope you have as much fun on your tractor as I do mine. Take care and be safe.

 

[LBrown59]

You will not want to use a 6" auger for 4x6 posts. I would go for a 12" auger with 4x6 posts.

I think he uses 2 different sizes of post one being 4'' diameter and the other being 6'' diameter, not just one size of post thats 4 inches by 6 inches.

He said 4 and 6 inch post.
He did not say 4 by 6 inch post.

 

[Lloyd_E]

LB59 is correct.

I use 4" for the runs and 6" for gates and corners.

So, 9 & 12 is still appropriate correct?

I rented a two person auger (did about 150 holes - 6") but found it a challenge to get soil or crushed rock around posts. I am thinking a larger hole will allow for better installation.

lloyd

PS: meeting is booked with dealer next Monday