Yet Another First Tractor Thread

[beep chirp whirr]

Hey all,
Seeking my first tractor. Been looking around a lot, and I like the cut of Kubota's jib.

So, context.

2 lots, separated by a few miles.

First lot is ~2 acres, under 1/2 acre of grass, about an acre of forest. Lot is mostly on a hill, grades ranging from 0-15% in the grass, and up to 22% in the forest. Grass is mostly even plane, not much for sharp dips/contours, just at a grade in places.

Second lot is ~3 acres, ~1/2 acre of grass, another 1/4 acre of light trees and grass, and ~2 acres of forest. Lot is mostly flat; only significant grade is in the driveway which is max 9%.

At a minimum, seeking to do the following:
- ongoing lawn care at the first lot (mowing)
- snow removal at first lot (and optionally second)
- rehab then maintain paths through forest in both locations

Optional adds/projects that we are tackling:
- help with forest maintenance/logging (need to take down ~14 trees yet this year at the second lot; all poplars that are rotting in the core; we take several trees a year due to damage, etc on both lots). Thinking grapple and/or chains.
- move mulch/dirt/rock/firewood/lumber/x/y/z from drop point (typically driveway) to destination (hello, FEL)
- handle regrading of the gravel driveway in the second lot
- handle graveling additional section(s) as needed
- blaze new paths through forest
- pick up the occasional light pallet and move it
- lift/move/redistribute earth to terrace a new section on the hill in the first lot
- annual lawn care in both places (aeration, seeding, etc)

How do I do it today?
- borrowed riding lawn mower; really should return that and grab my own equipment
- no snow removal equipment yet (just moved back to MN this spring, haven't needed any yet, getting later in the year is at least part of what's driving this)
- hauling everything around by hand in a wheelbarrow
- shovels/rakes/etc - human power!

But humans are tool using animals! We can do better! We can do... Kubota!

So, I'm thinking B2601-1 currently. While a lot of what I want to do (mowing, snow pushing) I accomplish just fine with a BX, some of the other stuff I think pushes me into the small B. Plus, the additional ground clearance will be nice when working in the forest. Thinking the B2650 would probably be too much (although that fancy cab does look nice... also becomes a clearance issue... everywhere... like in the forest, or under any trees, or for storage...).

I've been looking around, talked to a few dealers (still doing this). Currently thinking the B2601-1 (rim guard in the rear tires; block heater). Probably start with the FEL (LA435) (w/ QA - B1673) and 54" bucket (B2324Â*), 60" MMM (RCK60-32), the 55" snowthrower (BX2822A), a rotary cutter (RCR1260), and a box blade (BB1260). Longer term, debating a grapple (SGC0554 was the dealer suggestion). May move the MMM/rotary cutter to spring, cuz it's September already. May pull the grapple in, because I have a bunch of trees to take down and move. May just grab everything at once, and call it a day. Who knows? Still figuring things out there. Oh, and a 52" or 60" ratchet rake for the bucket.

So, aside from thoughts on loadout/accessories (which I welcome!), I do have a few other questions on options.

Tires
The dealers I've spoken with so far are very much pushing the R14's. While I like the traction an R14 offers, not sure if that's the right tire to use on grass for, say, mowing... as opposed to an R3. However, the R3's are probably a huge pain to clean out, as opposed to the R14s the R4s. So... thoughts? R3? R4? R14?

3rd Function Valves
Apparently there's a Kubota part for this (B1672) and a LandPride part for this (380-149A). Is one better than the other (as in, performance/placement/etc)? Does the Kubota part have better routing/valve placement over the LandPride part, which looks like the entire valve assembly is attached to a loader arm?

FEL
Is the mechanical self-leveling kit worth it? When I asked one dealer about it, he said it was 'part of the swift-tach system' but didn't end up in the detailed quote.

Pallet Forks
Kubota's B2376? LandPride PFL1242? Something else?

Rear Remotes
Worth having rear remotes added now, or wait until there's an application for them?

Anything else?

 

[PaulL]

B2601-1 is a great choice. The B2650 without a cab would also be a good option, it's a bit more tractor if you're lifting and pulling logs. As you say, the BX might be a bit small in the woods, although it'd do it.

Will you drive or trailer between the two? If driving on the road, the B2601 is a lot faster than the BX, the B2650 is a tiny bit slower than the B2601. If trailering then weight including implements is important - the B2650 is heavier, but also you'd buy bigger implements so that's more weight too.

Why would you get a rotary cutter? If for work in the woods, then an option would be a flail rear mower to replace both the MMM and the rotary cutter, they seem to be able to do a bit of both. I think they can also be lighter for transport, and less unwieldy in the woods. GP Outdoors I think has some good videos on different mower types, and he used the test flail mower he had pretty hard.

If you can combine your rotary cutter and MMM into a single flail mower, then that gives money for one more implement - so you can get your grapple up front. I don't have grapple, but it looks to me like one of the most useful things you can have if you have woods.

When you take down trees, I'm assuming you make firewood from the trunks, what do you do with trimmings? Would you push them into a pile to rot (grapple), feed them through a chipper (so you need a chipper in your list), or drag them out of the woods into a burn pile (again grapple)?

Consider a 3ph set of pallet forks. I haven't yet found a set that will do both FEL/SSQA as well as 3ph, but I think I saw a SSQA plate that attaches to 3ph. The 3ph on all three tractors lifts a lot more than the FEL, if you're moving pallets of firewood you'll care about that. I guess you could also use a trailer instead. Think about what you will really move on pallets, and how high you would stack them. With a grapple on the front and a pallet on the back, you can carry a lot of stuff with you. If the pallet's on the front then you have to choose between a pallet or a grapple on any given job.

Box blade or land plane for the driveway? Depends how long it is and how often you maintain, but the videos I see of land planes suggest they're well worth a look - easier and faster than a box blade. But I think a box blade may be better for major maintenance, and for bulk dirt moving. A land plane looks better to me for laying lawn - closer to what we in NZ would call a levelling bar.

I've not even seen a set of R14s other than in video. But they look fine on lawn, and perhaps more traction than R3. The R3 may be better in the woods if you have thorns or spikes - they're a more durable tyre. Depends how wet things are whether it makes a difference for you.

Self levelling kit - only if you're doing loader work that really needs to stay level. When my better half is up in the bucket trimming trees, she'd like it if the bucket stayed more level. Nothing else I do requires the bucket to be that level. With pallet forks on the FEL you may need level, neither a grapple nor a bucket really needs that amount of precision. And it looks like it has a lot of parts to go wrong, and places for dirt to pile up. It changes some pivot points too, couldn't work out if that changes the capability of the loader any.

Don't know much about the ratchet rake. How does it go compared to a regular tooth bar for straight digging? Seems the downward pointing teeth would get in the way. But certainly looks interesting for dragging bush. Would it do much that a grapple wouldn't do in the woods? You'll probably only have the bucket or the grapple on the tractor, and then use it for everything you do that day, rather than go back and change.

Rear remotes seem to be a personal thing. A lot of people love them for top and tilt. Nothing else you list would really use them. Personally I don't do that much levelling type work, and when I do I tend to set it how I want it then use it, rather than adjust a lot. And I can reach over the back and adjust the top link if I need to, the left to right level would be harder without getting off (but I'd tend to set an angle I want then leave it that way). If you're not sure what you want them for, then I wouldn't get them. You may never need them.

 

[beep chirp whirr]

Will you drive or trailer between the two? If driving on the road, the B2601 is a lot faster than the BX, the B2650 is a tiny bit slower than the B2601. If trailering then weight including implements is important - the B2650 is heavier, but also you'd buy bigger implements so that's more weight too.

Probably trailer, plan to source an 18' 8 or 10k gvwr equipment trailer.

Why would you get a rotary cutter? If for work in the woods, then an option would be a flail rear mower to replace both the MMM and the rotary cutter, they seem to be able to do a bit of both. I think they can also be lighter for transport, and less unwieldy in the woods. GP Outdoors I think has some good videos on different mower types, and he used the test flail mower he had pretty hard.

If you can combine your rotary cutter and MMM into a single flail mower, then that gives money for one more implement - so you can get your grapple up front. I don't have grapple, but it looks to me like one of the most useful things you can have if you have woods.

Yes, for rehabbing the paths in the forest and for other non-finish work. I didn't see a performance-matched flail for LandsPride, although, to be fair, when I looked at the compat matrix just now, it looked like the RCR1260 wasn't performance-matched for the B2601 either.

When you take down trees, I'm assuming you make firewood from the trunks, what do you do with trimmings? Would you push them into a pile to rot (grapple), feed them through a chipper (so you need a chipper in your list), or drag them out of the woods into a burn pile (again grapple)?

Today, we burn pile them. I did pick up a standalone chipper/shredder earlier this summer from NTE... it works, but it's not great. I've debated chippers for the 3PH, but that's probably something I'd want to rent/try before plopping down on, given my experience with my standalone chipper/shredder.

Consider a 3ph set of pallet forks. I haven't yet found a set that will do both FEL/SSQA as well as 3ph, but I think I saw a SSQA plate that attaches to 3ph. The 3ph on all three tractors lifts a lot more than the FEL, if you're moving pallets of firewood you'll care about that. I guess you could also use a trailer instead. Think about what you will really move on pallets, and how high you would stack them. With a grapple on the front and a pallet on the back, you can carry a lot of stuff with you. If the pallet's on the front then you have to choose between a pallet or a grapple on any given job.

I'd actually been thinking about building a carryall for the 3ph, with which I could move firewood/etc. I hadn't considered trying to mount the pallet forks back there. Will have to give this some thought.

Box blade or land plane for the driveway? Depends how long it is and how often you maintain, but the videos I see of land planes suggest they're well worth a look - easier and faster than a box blade. But I think a box blade may be better for major maintenance, and for bulk dirt moving. A land plane looks better to me for laying lawn - closer to what we in NZ would call a levelling bar.

I was thinking more box blade to start with. I know GP Outdoors has both, and they both seem to have their uses, but I thought I might get more utility out of the box blade right away (backing up to a garage door and pulling snow away, for example).

I've not even seen a set of R14s other than in video. But they look fine on lawn, and perhaps more traction than R3. The R3 may be better in the woods if you have thorns or spikes - they're a more durable tyre. Depends how wet things are whether it makes a difference for you.

Definitely more traction, which was a part of my concern... really would prefer to not tear my lawn up when mowing, for example. But at the same time, given the hill in the forest, still sounds really nice...

Don't know much about the ratchet rake. How does it go compared to a regular tooth bar for straight digging? Seems the downward pointing teeth would get in the way. But certainly looks interesting for dragging bush. Would it do much that a grapple wouldn't do in the woods? You'll probably only have the bucket or the grapple on the tractor, and then use it for everything you do that day, rather than go back and change.

Not sure what the OTT policy is on linking to other forums, but there are a bunch of interesting threads on the ratchet rake over at one of the other big forums. Pulling/dragging brush, breaking sod, light regrading, acting as a landscape rake. It's only ~300$, and seems really easy to add/remove from the bucket as needed.

 

[torch]

- snow removal at first lot (and optionally second)

<big snip>

(although that fancy cab does look nice... also becomes a clearance issue... everywhere... like in the forest, or under any trees, or for storage...).

So trim the trees.

A cab is sooooo nice when clearing snow!

 

[Jchonline]

No need to get FEL auto leveling on this machine. You loose lift capacity and it is already limited as it is. The purpose is for pallets or hay bales mainly on much larger machines.

If you are getting a snow blower, you should strongly consider a cab. If not you are going to be covered in snow if there is any wind. I would go plow for a non cab tractor if you can.

R4 tires most likely unless you really want to tear that yard up with R1s.

 

[mdhughes]

beep chirp whirr, I had watched a Messicks' video on the R14 a while back ( Video link ). Don't know how they are on truff or dirt. I would want to try a tractor with R14s and R4s to see what the difference is. I have R1s on my L3901DT, I use it mostly in the woods and wanted the extra bite.