What should I buy

[PepperGirl]

Hello, I was browsing around and came on this site - thought you all might help. I need a tractor to do front loading dirt and mulch and digging holes for bushes/small trees in my garden. I live on a steep hill - maybe 45 degrees in places and am afraid of tipping or feeling like I am tipping, so need something stable, easy to use and care for. (the dumping/loading and digging would mostly be on the level areas, but I need to drive on hill to get there with materials. Can anyone recommend a brand/model, new vs. used? Thank you. Nancy

 

[KiotiJohn]

Hi Nancy, and welcome to TBN!
I personally will never be taking any tractor on a 45 degree slope. My heart just wouldn't stand it.

Please go to MY HOME at the top of page, then click on personal settings and fill out your profile so that we know all there is to know about your size of property, area, etc. This helps us to give you better answers without having to ask you each time. Those who live closer to your area will also be able to give you more accurate info regarding dealers and pricing.

I don't know enough about your needs to give any recommendations. How much will you be loading, digging etc. Is this a property that is large and will need some mower work as well? Are you growing plants and trees for a living? Will you be doing a lot of loading and need to have a loader that will dump into a high truck or similar?

These are some of the things we need to know to give to better advice.

Tractors should never be driven ACROSS steep slopes, but should be traversed vertically, often backing up them. You would need a tractor on which you could move the tires out for more stability as well. A tractor with a low center of gravity is a must.

Tell us more about your situation, and lots of folks will chime in to help.

John

 

[PepperGirl]

Hi John, Thanks for the reply! I don't need a mower - have guys do that. I need to move maybe a couple of loads of dirt a day or maybe a week. Then in spring, lots of mulch. I have about 5 large gardens, between 500 and 2000 square feet. Then I need to dig holes any time I want to plant a bush or a little tree. I have a little back proble, so it can't be too strenuous attaching loader or backhoe. I would prefer to leave then on if possible. I need to load the soil or mulch at the bottom of the hill where I get it delivered then carry it up the hill to the gardens (which are flat once I get there). There is a gravel road from bottom to top of hill where the gardens are, unless I make a new garden somewhere else. Is there a certain brand/model with a low center of gravity that is easy to use? Thanks! Nancy

 

[PepperGirl]

PS: I also need one that will not wreck the lawn.

 

[PepperGirl]

I am now reading about mini skid loaders. I wonder if that's all I need.

 

[IslandTractor]

Skid loaders would be even more "tippy" than tractors on a slope.

Are you sure your slope is 45 degrees? Even a 4 wheel drive vehicle like a combat Hummer would have a lot of trouble climbing a 45 degree slope and would be dangerous traversing such a slope. Tractors in general start to have issues with even 18-20 degree slopes.

 

[Spiffy]

If the hill is your biggest concern, there are machines made for that task.

Slope Machine

The model I linked is ussually sold for mowing, but they have all kinds of quick tach (no need to get off the machine unless attaching hydraulic lines) attachments suited for exactly the type of tasks you are noting. They make even more attachments than the ones listed; I'm thinking the ones in the 18 class fit the TSM, but may be way off base there.

You just can't get more power in the same footprint as a skid steer, but they do like to eat your lawn and would be easier to tip over than something like the PT slope machine.

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have to agree with the statement that a skid steer would not be the way to go. You want something that WILL tear up your lawn, buy a skid steer. The name itself will tell you that to skid to steer means something is not moving while something IS moving and if it's turning with a part of it stationary, then it's going to tear up whatever is under the stationary part. That's how skid steers drive, and they really leave some tracks, and yes, they would not be good on slopes.

Honestly, the first things that came to mind were Kubota's BX23 and Powertrac's system. I understand the power tracs are pretty slope-hugging, and have all manner of attachments available that are supposed to be easily interchanged. The only thing about them is that you must buy direct from the MFG, and have service done by someone in your area, or send back to PT for the service. A tractor will usually have many dealers in many locations.
The BX, I think, is pretty good on slopes, but we'll have to hear from an owner. They are lower to the ground than many others, but I don't remember if the stance is wide enough for a steep slope.
I rather agree that your slope may be more accesible than a 45 degree angle would permit. 20% would be my top, but I must confess, I'm not sure I would recognize for sure the degree until I was starting onto it, and my "pucker factor" would say, "Get the heck off this slope!"
Massey also makes a good sub-cut (like Kubota) that may also serve you well enough, but once again, I'm not sure of slope fitness of either.
A kubota BX with backhoe and loader probably would be a good choice.
Come on owners, tell us about slopes on your BX.
John

 

[BillG_in_TX]

PepperGirl,

Check out the Power Trac PT-1430. Add a couple of buckets and a mini-hoe, and you should be all set - assuming you don't really have a 45 degree slope. Can you drive anything up there now? Look at the last question on this Q&A page for a good discussion of "tractors on steep slopes".

 

[PepperGirl]

Well thank you everyone for the input. I am wondering now about the slope - I can drive my utility cart no problem, and my pickup. I am going to go measure it and get out the geometry book to figure out the angle and let you know. I think I will IxNey the skid loader though. I think I came to the right place! Nothing like group input! Nancy

 

[TOL1488]

Another vote for the Power Trac PT-1430. for steep hills.

A conventional tractor a 15 deg slope and a bump can turn into a once in a lifetime thrill ride...

 

[PepperGirl]

Ok, it turns out my angle is probably only 20 degrees at the steepest. At least the steepest I would ever drive on. It just feels like 45!

 

[PepperGirl]

Bill, Thanks for the Q&A page. It sounds like a bad idea for me to be carrying soil up the hill. Maybe I will need to have a dump spot near the gardens and then just fill my pickup with dump attachment to bring it up there and dump.

 

[billbill1]

If you can drive a pickup up there, you should be OK with a tractor. Drive straight up and down and don't drive across the slope. The Power Trac would be a good choice for you, the FEL would give you the best wheelbarrow you've ever had.

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bill, Thanks for the Q&A page. It sounds like a bad idea for me to be carrying soil up the hill. Maybe I will need to have a dump spot near the gardens and then just fill my pickup with dump attachment to bring it up there and dump. )</font>

With a rear engined machine like a PT, carrying soil UP the hill would not likely cause a problem at all. You wouldn't want to carry it down the hill, however, and certainly not around the hill unless you have the bucket "skimming" the ground.

EDIT: I wanted to add that you could safely back down the hill with a load in the bucket -- you just wouldn't want to drive down, bucket first...

 

[PepperGirl]

That's a great analogy BillBill! I want a wheelbarrow that I don't have to push! Again, thank you everyone - I am really enjoying this conversation! I will check out the Power Track. Have to find a seller around here - SW Vermont. (Albany and Troy, NY are possibilities or Rutland, VT). Nancy

 

[daTeacha]

Nancy-- I live on a hillside in the glacial moraine of Ohio. My typical section of yard is somewhere between 3/12 and 4/12 slope or 25 to 33%, which translates into 12 to 15 degrees. If you truly have 20 degrees of slope, you can still carry dirt uphill with the loader, and down. Keep the loader bucket close to the ground and keep it uphill at all times. The weight of the loader and load will keep the front end down while it's uphill from the tractor. If you can just run straight up and straight down (in reverse) to get to your various gardens, you should be fine.

I think something like a BX series Kubota with loaded tires and/or wheel weights and the smallest loader they sell for it should be pretty safe. Tell the dealer about the hillside, ask him to come out and drive the tractor on it and give you his advice about it.

There are articulated tractors made around here that work well for many. One is the Steiner, another is the VenTrac. The loaders for these machines will only lift a short distance so you can't pick things up high enough to significantly increase your rollover chances. They are 4 wheel drive, low slung, can be equipped with dual or triple wheels at each corner. I don't have an address or email, but maybe you can google them.

Another option is a type of tractor where the axles pivot with respect to the engine/transmission, which remains vertical at all times regardless of terrain. I don't know the name, but I'm sure someone here does. These are designed specifically for hilly terrain, made in Europe I think.

Can you post some pictures of your ground and gardens, maybe with a level line visible?

 

[PepperGirl]

I've been reading about the power track and am a little peary of buying a tractor through the mail and not having the dealer local to fix it. Is there any comparable tractors to the PT-1430 in a John Deere, Kubota, Challenger or Kioto? Thanks!

 

[PepperGirl]

Hi Rich,

I tried to post a photo but it said it was too large. I measured one pretty steep spot at 28 inches across by 10 inches down. That would probably be the steepest I would attempt. I think I want the flexibility of loading soil into my pickup with the loader, so it would have to go at least that high, around 5 1/2 feet or so. I don't have to unload it from the truck because I have a dump attachment. Thanks!

 

[flusher]

At first I was going to recommend the 21HP Kubota B7510HST with LA302FEL, like I have for working my 10-acre spread since I do a lot of the chores you're interested in. But my land is flat as a pancake.

My little Bota gets me excited when I drop a rear wheel into a 6" deep tire rut (equivalent to about 10-11 degrees of tilt). I wouldn't dare run a little lightweight tractor like the 7510 on the slopes you're talking about. I don't think I would even try backing up a 45 deg slope with my tractor. Way too dicey.