Tractor usefulness

[etpm]

I have a Yanmar YM2310 tractor with a Bulldog 285 FEL. Though not my only tractor it is the one that gets the most use. By far. I have only about 2 acres cleared of the ten or twelve that we own. That tractor gets used so much that I am amazed. It is a super useful tool. Even a 42 year old machine can do plenty of work and still be reliable. I think folks with even small land holdings should be encouraged to buy a tractor with a front end loader. At 68 years of age with bad arthritis, bone on bone joints in both wrists, I can get so much work done that otherwise would not get done. Anyway, tell your friends to buy a tractor.
Later,
Eric

 

[MarkMac]

I came to this same conclusion in my early 40s.

As a young man I would just use my back and physical grunt to get stuff done on my little farm. I’d wake up the next morning feeling beat to heck.

The tractor is like having a brother or two to help with chores.

When my horses knock down a gate, I just use my little tractor to lift it and hold it while I weld, instead of straining my back.

No more fighting with a wheelbarrow either.

 

[blehmann]

When I was still in high school I worked on a Christmas tree plantation with the owner, an old retired farmer. I don't think that he owned any equipment newer than the 1950s era. Come to think of it, 1950s was still pretty new at that time! Being full of energy and plenty strong, I would often grab on to and lift objects that would cripple an older man. That old retired farmer told me on several occasions; "It takes eight hours to build a tractor and twenty-one years to build a man. Use the tractor!" Now that I'm an old man, I wonder how many of these aches and pains were caused because I didn't use the tractor often enough.

 

[kneedeep]

The most used attachment around here are pallet forks.
Use them on both tractors almost daily. Most attachments get used once or twice a year.

 

[stevem5215]

I have 4 acres I maintain. I have a loader on a Steiner and it's great for lifting as mentioned. The limitations are how much it can lift before popping up the rear wheels. While I don't have pallet forks the bucket is what I use to lift things my back can't.

 

[scootr]

The most used here for equipment handling is the Cat 5k forklift. It's everything from lift, trailer mover, scaffold, and more. I will never be without a tractor and a forklift as long as we have property. Last week it moved some 24'x 6' welded wire stud pen panels with ease and precision.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I had wanted a tractor for years, with only 1 acre of land. Couldn't justify it to my wife, but it would have saved the backache. Now with 10+, I use it often.

 

[oosik]

My poperty is at the end of my mile long driveway. I bought my first tractor 1982 Ford 1700 4WD - brand new. Winter snow clearing and summer driveway maintenance.

After 27 years ( 2009 ) I upgraded to my 2009 Kubota M6040. I had a Land Pride grapple and WR Long 3rd function valve installed. Used to move large rocks and chunks of pine tree trunk.

Finally - after ten plus years - all my implements have been upgraded to Cat 2.

 

[crazyjake8493]

I'm only in my 30s but I bought my house 13 years ago on 3 acres of land. To this day, my only regret in life is not buying a tractor 11 years sooner. I would've saved my back, knees, and so much time in my 20s by using a tractor instead of a wheelbarrow or dragging things with a riding mower. I also wouldn't have chronic back pain and knees that pop every time I stand up or sit down. Lesson learned the hard way.

Even on days when I only use my tractor for 15-20 minutes, that could be 1-2 hours of grunt work depending on what it is. Best investment I ever made.

I'm also a firm believer than any tractor sold with a front end loader should come with pallet forks, by default. I use the forks at least twice as much as the bucket.

 

[oosik]

At the end of my mile long driveway I have 80 acres. It's all open range land. Grassy fields and stands of Ponderosa pines. I have a heavy duty grapple on the FEL and a heavy duty rear blade on the 3-point. I maintain my gravel driveway year round and move large rocks and chunks of pine tree trunk with the grapple. Right now I'm using the grapple to deconstruct the last two homesteader built buildings.

I rely heavily on my tractor and implements for most all projects.

 

[kenmbz]

I haven't used my tractor since yesterday
lifting, moving, hauling, digging.
It gets used for so many projects I never even thought about.

Tree falls, lift, cut, move to splitter, move to firewood holder.

Clear our trench.

Dig out invasive plants.

Plow snow.

Portable work table.

Move mulch, stone, gravel.

yep, long list.

 

[Ricn]

growing up on my Dad's JD-70 and Grandad's Model M, I just can't be without my tractors. After college, I told my wife we needed to buy land first, when she asked why I said, So we can have a tractor. 50 yrs later, we are still there having several tractors. My L-Kubota gets used almost daily for something, forks are on it more than the bucket, so is the rear flail mower. My oldest Son and I have restored one 8N, also my uncles 1020-JD and they too get used just for fun! Life without tractors would be so boring...

 

[etpm]

Yesterday my wife and I planted another tree with the help of the post hole digger. With my rocky soil using a shovel would have taken about an hour and a half, with the auger the hole was ready for the tree in about 15 minutes.
Eric

 

[scootr]

The only machine I use more often than the tractor is the little 5k CAT forklift. Gotta love your machines. It does duty as a scaffolding or a work bench as well as moving stuff around like hauling the dumpster next to the window when the wife is cleaning out her closet

 

[JohnP3616]

My dear wife says “her” tractor is a force multiplier. We don’t use it every day, but when we do it’s worth every penny.

 

[sd455dan]

Tractors sure are Handy. Rhino has been sitting for a week or two after doing the felled tree clean up with grapple at the other property, but been replacing seals and fixing leaks on the 1978 Ford 550 TLB. No more leaking down stabilizer. Cured the power steering leak also today decided to test it out and found a 16" diameter stump that was infested with red ants to dig out. That was a fun 7 minutes and the hydraulic thumb was handy to grab the stump and take it to the burn pit. Then used it to dump over a horse water tank that the deer use and then pressure washed it in the TLB FEL bucket.

Tomorrow probably do some barn /stall manure clean up with the 1992 Rhino tractor and grapple and ancient Gannon box blade.

Not to offend any skid steer owners but I do Not miss the New Holland wheeled skid steer one bit, the tractor and TLB is such a better fit for me.
I always enjoy when it is above what the Rhino can handle and switching to the TLB and Having the extra weight of a 13000lb machine plus being able to lift over 4400 lbs in the bucket, even though it is old- using it never gets old, best $8k I ever spent.

Wife saw one of the new 25 HP Bobcats (Kioti) at the farm store the other day and said Oh That's cute that would sure be handy for the tight spaces...

 

[check 6]

I’ve gone from small tractors to larger ones and now back to a BX while I have a front bucket the grapple gets used the most and then the fork lifts . On the back either my airiator or box blade anything to preserve what’s left of this 82 year old body. The other machine that I have and while not used often when I need it the mini excavator is so much better than a shovel

 

[Skeletor]

I use pallet forks constantly. I use the backhoe as an extension of my hand for moving wood haha it’s awesome.