Buying Advice Tractor for homestead / land maintenance

[Binx]

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I would like to ask for some help in choosing a tractor. We are going to a Kioti and a Kubota dealer this weekend to look at open air tractors (hubby doesn't want a cab). We have almost 40 acres that was recently paid off and we would like to build our home and a barn on it. About 1/2 the land is 2-3" saplings with some trees about 5-6" wide.

Initially, we would like to use the tractor to clear about an acre of trees, add fill dirt to raise up the driveway, and add about a 15' culvert (maybe a 12" pipe would work). We were quoted $4k to clear (mulch) the 1.25 acres of trees and $7k to level the driveway and install the culvert. Maybe use it to excavate our foundation if it could do it (crawlspace). We would rather put that money towards a tractor and put in a few months of hard work to save this money.

Afterwards, the tractor would be used to bush hog a few trails around the house, maintain a 1/4 gravel mile driveway, and transform a 2 acre low area near a creak into a garden / orchard, and install some fencing. We plan on a few chickens, goats, small farm and other land maintenance.

Would we be able to do all of this with a tractor? What size tractor would you recommend? Are there any implements besides a bush hog, front end loader and maybe a backhoe? We'll probably need an auger later. We've seen forestry mulcher take down trees, but there's not much information about using it on a tractor.

Thank you!

 

[3gunr]

I would look at around 50 hp fwd tractors with shuttle or hydro. A grapple and box blade would be very useful for the tasks you list. a tree puller might work good for getting rid of the smaller trees. look at as many brands as you can. have fun, they can be addictive.

 

[ericm979]

A brush hog can take 1" or 2" stems but not much more. You can buy PTO driven forestry mulchers but they're expensive (like over $10k) and are limited compared to a dedicated setup on a skid steer. They won't mulch 5-6" diameter trees. (measure the trees- I usually guess way too small. The trees in those pics look larger than 5-6").

With a tractor you can chip smaller material (about 8" or less) and move brush and logs. You can cut the trees and brush with a chainsaw and chip or burn or turn it into firewood. It's a lot more work of course and you can't cut the trees below ground level. There are PTO driven stump grinders for a reasonable cost if you need the stumps to be below ground level.

I recently got a backhoe for my tractor. I have not run one before and there's a steep learning curve. It'll be a while before I can do useful work with it and longer before I am efficient. A tractor mounted backhoe is small and weak compared to the commercial backhoes used for construction. A lot of what you are paying for when you hire it out is the large amount of experience both running the machine and doing the work.

 

[Tractorable]

Beautiful property and welcome to the forum!

Most folks on here will recommend hiring and/or renting construction equipment to perform construction tasks and then buying a tractor to maintain the property once all the heavy work is done. Digging foundations and culverts, deforesting, etc is heavy work that compact tractors really aren’t designed to do and getting the right heavy equipment in there will knock it out in short order.

That said, you’ll definitely still need a tractor. For 40 acres I’d recommend you shop for a tractor that weighs 3500lbs minimum (before weight of loader and ballast) and 35-55 horsepower. Decide what implements you need to perform the work first, and then choose a tractor capable of powering those implements. Weight is your friend.

 

[jeff9366]

If you are a tractor neophyte an adequately heavy tractor with a wider stance will be safer for you to operate as you acquire experience. Much safer.

New tractor operators are surprised how unstable tractors with small front wheels and large rear wheels are.


I recommend renting a tracked excavator for a week for tree removal and culvert excavation.

VIDEO: excavator clearing trees - YouTube

After construction work is complete there will be plenty of dirt for a tractor to move. Moving dirt is what a tractor is designed to do.

That said, you値l definitely still need a tractor. For 40 acres I壇 recommend you shop for a tractor that weighs 3500lbs minimum (before weight of loader and ballast) and 35-55 horsepower. Decide what implements you need to perform the work first, and then choose a tractor capable of powering those implements. Weight is your friend.

Excellent advice.

In Kubota this will be the moderately equipped MX series tractors or deLuxe Grand L series.

VIDEOS: messicks kubota MX - YouTube

Kubota Grand L Series VS. Kubota MX Series - YouTube

KIOTI has models which match these weights from KUBOTA.


The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to identify potential tractor applications first, then determine bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is generally greater than depreciation on a tractor.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after seven years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors, qualified to perform their own maintenance.

 

[jeff9366]

Are there any tractor implements besides a bush hog, front end loader and maybe a backhoe? We'll probably need an auger later.

We've seen forestry mulcher take down trees, but there's not much information about using it on a tractor.

Forestry munchers and stump grinders only reduce stumps to grade. You need the stumps and large roots OUT. Unfortunately, that leaves good size holes which need to be filled.

You will need a Box Blade and Rear/Angle blade for moving dirt. For the Rear/Angle blade you will want two pairs of hydraulic remotes on the rear of the tractor, so it can be adjusted as conditions change by the operator. Rear remotes are also helpful operating a Box Blade.

VIDEO: tractor rear blade - YouTube


I recommend two Loader bucket attachments: A Ratchet Rake and a Bucket Spade. Each <$400. These will prepare your garden and orchard.

VIDEO: TRACTOR RATCHET RAKE - YouTube



OTHER IMPLEMENTS: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media...aa214276e14dacb/pub2917tractorimplements1.pdf

 

[jeff9366]

We have almost 40 acres that was recently paid off and we would like to build our home and a barn on it.

You will almost certainly want SSQA Pallet Forks for your home and barn construction and for moving tree debris corralled with the Ratchet Rake.

SSQA is an industry standard quick attach. (Skid Steer Quick Attach) Kubota terms SSQA a "two lever coupler". Same thing. SSQA is also how a Grapple is attached to the FEL.

 

[Diggin It]

Maybe use it to excavate our foundation if it could do it (crawlspace).

That part takes a lot more work and detail than most people know. You can buy or rent machines to do most of the other tasks mentioned, but unless you've ever done foundation work before, you'd be better off contracting that out. It may even be required by local building code.

Stumps only have to be dug out if you plan on building over or immediately next to them. Otherwise they can be cut to grade and any sinking from rotting can be filled in later.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway & 80 acres. My only trees are Ponderosa pines. I have NEVER though of stump removal. Cut them low - let them rot. I originally had a Ford 1700 4WD ~ 26 engine hp. It did well for 27 years. In 2009 I purchased a brand new Kubota M6040 ~ 64 engine hp. Bigger tractor - bigger projects.

I can now clear the snow on the driveway with a heavy rear blade. I no longer need a 3-point snow blower. I can now maintain my driveway all summer long - heavy tractor with ultra heavy rear blade will cut thru the concrete like summer driveway easily.

I have an ultra heavy grapple which allows me to move large chunks of pine logs and huge rocks with ease.

My M6040 is open station. I have no brush hog - no brush to mow.

Make a list. ALL the projects you plan for the next ten to fifteen years. Determine the implements needed to complete these jobs. Pick a tractor that can easily handle these implements. That should be enough time to determine all the added projects not initially anticipated. Good luck - have fun.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would probably hire out getting the initial big stuff done, especially the foundation work. Most contractors really don't like it when "homeowners" do their own excavation work, as if they don't know exactly what they are doing, they can make it worse, and more expensive to "fix" then if they just left it to the pros.

I would hire a mulching service, and hire a grading/excavating service to get your initial home site cleared off and the construction going. Then buy a SCUT or small CUT to take care of all your grounds keeping needs when the house and barn are built.