Hi everyone. I am new here. : ) I am buying 71 acres (signing contract tomorrow) and want to start looking for a tractor or dozer, etc. I was wondering if you guys might be able to offer me some advice. I need to clear several acres of the property (probably 20-30). There are very few trees I will want to remove, and the ones that do need to be removed are about 10"-12" in size. (The land was cleared and timber sold about 10 years ago). I also want to widen and tidy up some old logging roads and turn them into trails for the scooter. ;-) The 30 acres I need to clear has mostly brush and trees that are 4" or less in size. I will need to also be able to cut grass ongoing once I have it seeded, with a bush hog I assume? Let me know if you guys think I can do this with one machine or if I will need two. I don't want to buy a hunk of junk but I am cost conscious. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks! Craig
Congrats on finally getting your first post and welcome to the site. back to your question a rubber tired backhoe is kind of a do all machine if i had alot of acres to work that would be my machine of choice. Hard to say with out seeing the land and type of work you need to do what would be the best fit for you. do you have any photos of the land and info on the type of work you are doing.
Well, I'm a mechanic, and I may get a tongue lashing from all the operators and machine experts out there, but my thoughts would be a good sized skid loader. A rubber tire loader/hoe will do what you need, except the one thing you noted...needing to mow the grass. You can get a brush cutter for a skid loader, which you can't for a loader/hoe. And the skid loader has a number of attachments available to do a number of tasks. Just my thoughts.
Hmm .. thanks for the replies. So far we have rubber tired backhoe and a skid loader as options. What would be the pro's and cons between those, and are there other options? Obviously the ability to cut grass is nice, I assume you mean it has a PTO that can be used for a bush hog? (I guess I could also use a box blade as well?) I have read about a 4 in 1 blade and it seems like it could be useful, do you think so? Can it be used with either machine? I guess a backhoe would be good because I could dig up stumps ... but I can deal without that and borrow a machine from a neighbor I think (?) How "much" can you do with both machines? What sized trees can be pushed down with either?
Any attachment on a skid steer will be hydraulically driven, so the mower will have a hydraulic motor powering the blade. You can also get a 6 way dozer blade for the skid that would not be available for the TLB, and many other attachments in addition. You can get a backhoe attachment and just about anything else you can dream of. I've owned both, and given a choice would choose the skid steer for property maintenance, it's much more versatile.
I have taken down some pretty big trees up to 2 feet around with a backhoe. not sure how big you can go depends on the ground and type of tree i guess. dig up some of the roots and push them over. hard to beleive i get payed to do it. can you tell us more about the land you are working what are you using it for what kind of work do you need to do to it. eg is it a big mostly flat farm. rockey lots of trees and hills. are you going to have to move large amounts of fill. what are you going to do with the equipment you buy. there are lots of small farm tractors that kubota makes with various types of attachments.
skid steer is not a bad choice i agree with these guys there are alot of attachments avaliable for rent or to buy.
Both machines have their advantages, the difference would be in the application. A loader/hoe is a large machine. Capable of moving a good bit of material with either loader or hoe. Outside of constuction applications, they are a preferred machine on large farms. They can move/dig dirt and material, dig ponds, and dig a hole to bury an unfortunate deceased stock. But you set the application parameters; 1) mow the grass, and 2) maintain trails for a ATV. The loader/hoe would be a cumbersome machine for maintaining 4 wheeler trails. A skid loader would run circles around the loader/hoe for this application. And yes, there's a ton of attachments available for a skid loader.
The land's topo is up and down. 700 - 840 feet above sea level around property ... its very pretty (what I can imagine it looks like by looking at a 3d map). I would typically be on a 10% grade or less but it is possible I would have to do something on a sharper grade, just not likely. Most of the grade is probably 6% or less. So I did some checking on ebay just now and it seems that while attachments are avail for the skid steer they seem to be more expensive (?). A backhoe attachment is like $8k. A bush hog is $4k. It seems like I could buy 2 machines cheaper? I saw a D3 caterpillar for sale in my area for $6900 .. is that normal and would I be better off buying something like that and also a "farm tractor" with bucket and bush hog? As for the use I plan to clear my atv trails, and then clear a few acres around a big tree in the center of the property and plant grass. Then over the next year I will be clearing a total of maybe 30 acres including creating some fields that we will want to plant blueberries and hay in (so maybe consider what i might need for those projects later too). I will also be clearing a 2000' driveway that is across varying terrain (up down, curving, etc). When all done I will need to bush hog the trails (although I may mulch them and keep them sprayed if I think we will use them frequently), will need to cut the hay (this may just be grass instead of hay - hay is probably a whole different animal), and may need to maintain a dirt or gravel driveway until we can have it paved. Let me know your thoughts! I think we are on to something! :-D
Plant Blueberries in Georgia? Didn't see that coming. And harvesting hay? Yeah, for sure a farm tractor application. The choice is yours. No, one machine isn't going to do all that you've described perfectly. Two machines, D-3 dozer and something else, yes, that would be better. But if I had to choose with just one machine, I say a good size skid for all the jobs. My 2 cents.
For sure, we grow tons of blueberries in GA. My in laws have 40 acres in south Ga. I am in N. GA but there are farms around up here that do them. I am getting an AG loan so I have to do something "farm like" so I figure I will throw in some blueberries since my in laws can help me along with them. So I pulled D-3 out of thin air ... is that what i need? So the skid steer wouldn't work for clearing the land? I assume you are not suggesting I use the D-3 for the blueberries. :-D I can find out from the in laws what I need for the berries but I just want to be heading in the right direction for everything else. Clearing brush and some small trees digging up the roots (part of clearing process?) grading dirt out to be ready for grass seed mowing and grading atv trails mowing pasture areas
Wow, I've lived in the southeast U.S. for fifty years, didn't know that Georgia was big in blueberries. Peaches, Vidalia onions, and various other veggies yes, just wasn't aware of blueberries. I wasn't tryin' to muddy the water with the D-3. The D-3 can clear land for sure, but so can a skid, just not as effective as a D-3 at this task. I was simply working within your requirements. It's like this; if I had to choose one machine for the whole task, I'd choose a skid. If I had to choose with two machines, I'd go for the D-3 and a farm tractor with a bush hog and loader attachment.
Hi Gixxer600, If I had clearing to do and a driveway to build I would not consider anything but a dozer with a brush rake along with it. You can also purchase a mower to pull behind. It will also pull any type farm tools you would need to till the soil for crops.
I'm with Atco on the skid steer. There are some larger units out there like a Bobcat 873 (S250) or a 963 that can do amazing amounts of work and run all kinds of attachments. On my parents 23 acres of West coast BC forests, the skid steers do pretty much everything except dig large (24" +) stumps, I usually borrow a big excavator for that. I've used a brush cutter attachment on the 873 bobcat and it worked really well, especially when you consider that it's not a high flow machine... Took down everything up to about 4 inches in diameter! I was very impressed. Add a 4 in 1 bucket to the skidsteer and there really isn't much they won't do. A backhoe attachment will make it into a very adept excavating machine. You can find some pretty good deals on machinerytrader.com. I wouldn't want to be without a skid steer, I'd get rid of my D6 first... The other advantage of a skidsteer is if you ever need to haul it anywhere a good 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup with a nice trailer will allow you to take it wherever you need to take it. Hope I've been able to help somewhat...
What about a tractor with a front end loader? Don't know if they can still be gotten but I cut my teeth on a three point linkage excavator attachment, turns the tractor into a backhoe.
Here's a machine I found on machinerytrader.com that could serve you very well... http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...6885908&GUID=171E6E4A669E4901A3BA963C7EA27C6E
I would rent a 150-200 class excavator, do my major clearing. Options with debris, is hauling it off (very expensive) #2 piling and burning (check about burning permits) #3 find a good place, out of the way and bury the debris and use the dirt removed to fill in your low areas. #4 windrow the debris and let it rot. I agree with the recommendations about the skidsteer, I have a skidsteer Takeuchi with a bucket, root rake grapple (great piece of equipment) and a set of forks. I next purchase, will be a bushogg mower. If you plan on getting a mower, you need a unit, with a front door, so that means a A/C unit on the machine. You can do a little bit of everything with a medium-large skidsteer. I really like Takeuchi, they are tough strong machines. I dont see a skidsteer taking out any trees bigger than a 3", but with a root rake grapple, you can clean up fast and easy. If the money allows, you could buy a excavator, use it and sell it, to get your money back. In my opinion anything smaller than a 150 class, would be too slow. Just my 2 cents worth
I've taken down trees that where 1'..with a 247. just a matter of digging around the bottom to cut the roots.. then push from as high as you can reach... lots of attachments for skid steers most rental places have a weekend rate... 2 days for 1 days rent.. practical for a homeowner. as most have an 8 hour limit......
I would lean heavily toward a farm/utility tractor with a loader. You can get a subframe-mount backhoe (not 3-point mount) attachment that works pretty well too. This is the setup that I have at my home place. My unit, at 37 PTO hp, is smaller than what you might need because I have less acreage at home, and being in South Texas, no trees to dig out. I have a 4 in 1 loader bucket that is really handy, and would recommend that as well. I mow roadsides and trails with a bush hog. I bought a used PTO post-hole digger for $150 and have used it to build fence, and dig holes for a pole barn. I recently purchased a Case 580 Super M backhoe for a business project, and while it will dig circles around the little tractor, I find myself using the little farm tractor for many tasks at home because it is versatile, maneuverable, and the PTO allows me to use inexpensive attachments. Just my experience, hope it helps. FYI the Deere 5000 Series has a fairly nice selection of attachments, including backhoe, available.
How about a 110 deer or a kubota L48. I beleave the front will accept skid steer attachments and the backhoe is quick disconnect for a box scraper, mower, ect. The only thing that might be a strugle is maintaining trails if there steep. The only problem with machines like this and other small loaders is the price. I wouldn't mind having one but it seems like you can get a much better deal on construction type equipment right now.
I'm real curious where you end up. I have about 60 acres I'm working with. I have a 70HP tractor with a big bushhog. When I bought a Cat 420D backhoe (4WD with forks) I sold my 30HP Kubota that had the front end loader. While the 420 is great on trees (dig around them then push them over. Then use the forks to pick them up and move them), I found that small detail loader jobs just didn't work. So I picked up a Cat 242 skid steer. With a set of forks, hydraulic breaker (jackhammer), over the tire tracks, root grapple, regular bucket, hay spear, and a custom mounted box blade, it is the handiest thing I have. I have since picked up a D4G dozer, but find the skid steer gets used a lot more. I guess, that I have to vote for 2- a farm tractor with loader and bushhog, and a skid steer. I'm just not sure you can mow enough with a skid steer, but I don't have a mower for it (yet) . I guess if I had to start with 1, it'd be a pretty good sized skid steer with a bunch of attachments. So it looks like I'm voting with ATCO on this one.
I'm going to go with the skid loader...decent sized and with all the rental options you can get for one its kinda hard to go wrong, that and you can get tracks put on it which just makes it that much more valueable. Far as taking out decent sized trees, you could cut them off at the base, or dig around to get lower then cover it with dirt or you can get a stump grinder as well. I know if I could only have ONE machine it would be the skid loader and a good chain saw for all the clearing. Just my two cents. Trbo
Yeah skidsteer - fastest, most modern, most attachments, plus you don't need a football field to turn around, you can actually put downpressure on the attachments (unlike a 3 point hitch designed in 1842). Excavators are nice, God knows, but maybe more for a pro who has supportive higher speed equipment (truck/loader) to move bulk. If you have to have ONE piece, must be a skidsteer.
RTSmith, it looks like you have enough toys to give a good opinion. After reading this thread, I was talking to Chuck, one of our salesman, and asked him how a skid brushcutter compares to a tractor/bushog setup in productivity and performance, as I personally have operated neither. He told me the skid has two big advantages; 1) the tractor/hog has to "run over" what you need to cut. The tires run over grass/saplings, bend them over, and the hog doesn't cut it. Then it pops back up. The skid cutter is in front of the machine, effectively cutting everything. 2) Cutting trees/brush. With the skid cutter, you tilt the cutter back (raising the front of the cutter), lift with the loader arms, go over top of a tree or bush, and simply lower the arms and chew the tree up, something a tractor/hog can't do as well. One machine? Go with a skid.
Woody Hi Buy a ford D 23 horse with a loader,backhoe, I put my backhoe on a trailer ,then U don't have it hanging on the back and U can use your pto.
After that Ritchie auction where I picked up the dumptruck "its OK to go bid on", I didn't have to worry about making small talk with the wife for close to two weeks...... On that skid mounted brushcutter- how much does it throw back? As in is it practical to use with a regular OROPS machine? I can see the advantages in big stuff or rough country. In the flat, I will not give up my 15' batwing. Used a regular 7'. With a 15' machine 5 hour jobs turn into 1.5 hours and look better. But I have a bunch of rough areas I'd thought about a mulcher and wonder if a s/s mounted bushhog would do almost the same. But do you need a EROPS to use one???
I haven't used one myself as I do equipment repairs, I'd have to ask Chuck the attachment salesman about that. But I do know folks use them on an OROPS machine. The cutter is low to the ground, it discharges out the front and back. And it low enough to the ground, and so tight up against coupler of the machine, that it just discharges underneath the skidder.
There may be as many opinions on this as there are members on this board. I really can't see one machine being able to do everything well. For speed and efficiency, one would need to buy or rent several machines. I bought a Kubota 37 hp hydrostatic tractor with front wheel assist some years ago. It has a six foot wide loader bucket. For the back, I have a six foot wide blade, a finishing mower, and a brush cutter mower. That looks after a lot of the things that need doing on a large acreage. The Kubota really is quite capable, although it is not really industrial quality. But it would even dig a basement if one was not in a big hurry. I even cleared a couple of acres with the Kubota. By raising the bucket, one can push over trees up to ten or twelve inches. For larger spruce trees or hardwoods, up to thirty inches or so, I took a ladder and fastened a chain fifteen to twenty feet up the tree. With enough leverage, even a Kubota can take down large trees. The height of the tree determined how much chain I needed. To pull down taller trees and not be hit by the tree when it fell required about eighty feet of chain. For the most part, pulling down trees worked great. Usually the root ball would come out when the tree came down. At the time when I was doing that clearing, I had sold my heavy equipment. Now that I have heavier equipment again (Hitachi 270 excavator and a Cat 966 loader), the Kubota is back to doing lighter work. It's great for mowing forest trails and doing all those small landscaping and loader jobs where a bigger loader is just too big. If I could choose two machines, one would be a 4wd tractor or skid steer with lots of attachments. The second machine would be a mid size track excavator. I'm still amazed at how capable and fast excavators are at so many jobs.
just wondering if you ever bought a machine and hows the acerage going?