OffBalance
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
- Messages
- 60
- Location
- Snohomish, WA (N of Seattle)
- Tractor
- 2005 New Holland TC24DA
Which tractor should I buy? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
OK, OK. I know that is a dangerous thing to ask here without filling in all the details...
First, about my property: I own 5 acres about 30 miles NE of Seattle. The property is sloped down to a creek at the bottom (the creek is actually in a ravine, so I won't be going down there with a tractor, and I don't want to disturb it anyway). There are some flat places on the property, and there are some very sloped parts. I have about one acre cleared around the house, about 500' x 10' strip to mow beside the road (still too rough for a finishing mower, I think), and the rest is forest (last logged about 1954, so it has some rather large red cedar, big-leaf maple and hemlock trees). The most serious slope is steep enough that my neighbor used to be very, very careful and go in slowest gear straight down when he mowed it for me with a brush hog behind his very old 2WD FarmAll (yes he moved, and yes, he sold the tractor to someone else down the road a ways).
Second, about what I will be doing: When we bought the property, the house had not been completed, and the landscaping had not been started at all. We are completing the landscaping, including retaining walls, gravel paths, sheds, garden beds, etc. etc. etc. I intend to use the tractor for moving large amounts of material - gravel, compost and topsoil, mowing the strip near the road, grading the driveway, hauling brush, clearing some areas in the woods (including a little dozing), removing extremely invasive Himalayan Blackberry patches (Himalayan blackberries grow 10 feet tall on their own, even higher if climbing up trees, and have canes about as big as my wrist, and up to 1/2" thorns, with so-so tasting berries), and maybe rototilling some garden areas. I have considered the following implements: FEL, bush hog, tiller, chipper/shredder, box blade, and eventually a BH (well, maybe if I get that job at Microsoft...).
Third, about me: I am an engineer, and I like well-engineered tools. I really appreciate things that work well and are reliable. I like to get outside and work, especially since I spend all day indoors in front of a computer. Growing up, I spent my summers on my grandfather's tree farm in Oregon. There I operated his Kubota L345DT, a logging skidder, and his Cat D6 and D7 (the D7 is a cable blade!). In fact, I actually learned to drive on his previous smaller Kubota. When I built my garage, I borrowed his L345DT to do the grading - over 200 yards worth. My grandfather still uses his Kubota nearly everyday for logging work (he is 93 years young) so I have given up hope of ever inheriting it! It is probably too big for my property anyway.
Fourth, what I am currently thinking: I discussed borrowing a friend's Kioti to do some work, and my wife wasn't too thrilled with the idea. She doesn't want to be beholden to other people, and she was afraid I might ruin it and have to replace it! So I convinced her that I need one of my own..... I think I have, anyway... I think I want something like a Kubota BX23 or B7510. The BX23 seems like a good deal with the BH included, but might be a tad small. I want something that will fit on my gravel garden paths (about 48" wide) and has a low COG for stability on those hills. But it has to be big enough to do real work, and attach real implements. I am definitely considering hydrostatic drive, so my wife, and the kids when older, will have an easier time using it. Also, because the areas I am working are small and sometimes kind of tight, it would be easier than doing a lot of clutching. I have not yet tried a hydro tractor (other than a JD riding mower). I will also want 4WD since the ground is generally kind of damp, and the native soil is very slick. I saw "BossBill"s recent post where he finally decided on a Kubota 7510, and it seems I will be doing similar work.
So, now I would like to solicit input from all the experts here... Please let me know your thoughts about my situation, and ideas for different brands, different models, etc. In this area, there are big 3 dealers, but I have to travel a little further to get the others. I am not opposed to lesser known brands, or even radical ideas like a Power Trac, if it can do what I want. I know there are some good Kubota dealers in the area, and a friend of a friend owns one about 1.5 hours away. The JD dealer offered to bring me a tractor to try out on my own property. My grandfather suggested I also look at MF, since he says they can offer good value (and he has been operating tractors for close to 80 years). I am also interested in hearing your ideas for options and accessories that I should consider when making my comparison spreadsheets.
Thanks everyone!
OK, OK. I know that is a dangerous thing to ask here without filling in all the details...
First, about my property: I own 5 acres about 30 miles NE of Seattle. The property is sloped down to a creek at the bottom (the creek is actually in a ravine, so I won't be going down there with a tractor, and I don't want to disturb it anyway). There are some flat places on the property, and there are some very sloped parts. I have about one acre cleared around the house, about 500' x 10' strip to mow beside the road (still too rough for a finishing mower, I think), and the rest is forest (last logged about 1954, so it has some rather large red cedar, big-leaf maple and hemlock trees). The most serious slope is steep enough that my neighbor used to be very, very careful and go in slowest gear straight down when he mowed it for me with a brush hog behind his very old 2WD FarmAll (yes he moved, and yes, he sold the tractor to someone else down the road a ways).
Second, about what I will be doing: When we bought the property, the house had not been completed, and the landscaping had not been started at all. We are completing the landscaping, including retaining walls, gravel paths, sheds, garden beds, etc. etc. etc. I intend to use the tractor for moving large amounts of material - gravel, compost and topsoil, mowing the strip near the road, grading the driveway, hauling brush, clearing some areas in the woods (including a little dozing), removing extremely invasive Himalayan Blackberry patches (Himalayan blackberries grow 10 feet tall on their own, even higher if climbing up trees, and have canes about as big as my wrist, and up to 1/2" thorns, with so-so tasting berries), and maybe rototilling some garden areas. I have considered the following implements: FEL, bush hog, tiller, chipper/shredder, box blade, and eventually a BH (well, maybe if I get that job at Microsoft...).
Third, about me: I am an engineer, and I like well-engineered tools. I really appreciate things that work well and are reliable. I like to get outside and work, especially since I spend all day indoors in front of a computer. Growing up, I spent my summers on my grandfather's tree farm in Oregon. There I operated his Kubota L345DT, a logging skidder, and his Cat D6 and D7 (the D7 is a cable blade!). In fact, I actually learned to drive on his previous smaller Kubota. When I built my garage, I borrowed his L345DT to do the grading - over 200 yards worth. My grandfather still uses his Kubota nearly everyday for logging work (he is 93 years young) so I have given up hope of ever inheriting it! It is probably too big for my property anyway.
Fourth, what I am currently thinking: I discussed borrowing a friend's Kioti to do some work, and my wife wasn't too thrilled with the idea. She doesn't want to be beholden to other people, and she was afraid I might ruin it and have to replace it! So I convinced her that I need one of my own..... I think I have, anyway... I think I want something like a Kubota BX23 or B7510. The BX23 seems like a good deal with the BH included, but might be a tad small. I want something that will fit on my gravel garden paths (about 48" wide) and has a low COG for stability on those hills. But it has to be big enough to do real work, and attach real implements. I am definitely considering hydrostatic drive, so my wife, and the kids when older, will have an easier time using it. Also, because the areas I am working are small and sometimes kind of tight, it would be easier than doing a lot of clutching. I have not yet tried a hydro tractor (other than a JD riding mower). I will also want 4WD since the ground is generally kind of damp, and the native soil is very slick. I saw "BossBill"s recent post where he finally decided on a Kubota 7510, and it seems I will be doing similar work.
So, now I would like to solicit input from all the experts here... Please let me know your thoughts about my situation, and ideas for different brands, different models, etc. In this area, there are big 3 dealers, but I have to travel a little further to get the others. I am not opposed to lesser known brands, or even radical ideas like a Power Trac, if it can do what I want. I know there are some good Kubota dealers in the area, and a friend of a friend owns one about 1.5 hours away. The JD dealer offered to bring me a tractor to try out on my own property. My grandfather suggested I also look at MF, since he says they can offer good value (and he has been operating tractors for close to 80 years). I am also interested in hearing your ideas for options and accessories that I should consider when making my comparison spreadsheets.
Thanks everyone!
