Compact tractors

[KeithinSC]

Originally Posted by CodeMonkee

How about two wheel walk behind tractors?

Anybody have experience with those?

I have a Gravely L that was my Grandfathers. Similar to this one (generic 'net picture).
I use it as a bushhog, clearing thickets and shooting lanes. 30" mower deck. I've used it with a 48" finish mower, snowblower, plow blade, and rotary plow/tiller. It can be a tough machine to control, but is near unstoppable. It can climb any slope or side slope. Mine has dual turf tires, but with chains or Ag tires you have to be careful of wheelies!
Bushhogging, it will climb over a 4" pine tree and spit out toothpics.

No lawyer style safety controls, so it can pin you down and beat you up if you do anything stupid. I've got some good bruises where the handlebar kicked and got me in the leg!

Watch Craigslist for a used one. I've seen $300 to about $900 for one set up like the picture.

[koncha]

My brother has a Bobcat Mini track loader. He's had it for years and loves it.

http://www.bobcat.com/loaders/minitrack

That might be a better option with more support than the Gravely.

[CodeMonkee]

Originally Posted by koncha

My brother has a Bobcat Mini track loader. He's had it for years and loves it.

http://www.bobcat.com/loaders/minitrack

That might be a better option with more support than the Gravely.

Yeah, that or the Dingo might be a better tool for my general use than the BCS/Grillo, but they are also more expensive and slower. Speed isn't that big of a deal for me though as I am not going to really need to work a lot of land at any given time. My property isn't a farm, it is more of a forest lot with a few clear spots that are sloped, so I don't need to move around very fast.

The tracked nature of these things is better that the 2 wheeled tractors and they have some implements that the 2 wheel tractors don't - and I could use something that can lift stuff and has a grapple and such.

What does your brother use his for? Construction work or for working land?

[koncha]

Originally Posted by CodeMonkee

Yeah, that or the Dingo might be a better tool for my general use than the BCS/Grillo, but they are also more expensive and slower. Speed isn't that big of a deal for me though as I am not going to really need to work a lot of land at any given time. My property isn't a farm, it is more of a forest lot with a few clear spots that are sloped, so I don't need to move around very fast.

The tracked nature of these things is better that the 2 wheeled tractors and they have some implements that the 2 wheel tractors don't - and I could use something that can lift stuff and has a grapple and such.

What does your brother use his for? Construction work or for working land?

Used values on the walk-behinds aren't very good. He bought his with about 200 hours on it. He was in construction and did a lot of work finishing out strip mall spaces and wanted something that could get inside the buildings. He has since stopped working in construction but still has a lot of land that he works. He has a 2 acre garden and a 1 acre orchard.

He has put together a little co-op of people with these machines and the smaller Bobcat skid steers so they can share attachements. He has a bucket, grapple bucket, wood chipper, breaker and tiller. We've used the trencher, snow blower and stump grinder. I am sure he's used more than that but that is what I remember.

He used it to build a backstop for his range. He also built a custom attachment to hang deer for processing.

His son is 10 and is REALLY good at driving that thing.

I've used it on my little suburban lot for some projects and I was really impressed. I had to break out a concrete patio that was tilting into my foundation and it made VERY quick work of it. I also used it to move a shed.

He is looking to move to a larger lot. He has 6 acres and wants about 40. He says he'll move to a compact tractor but still keep the Bobcat.

[CodeMonkee]

There are a lot of different things I need or want to do.

I have some stumps (some pretty large) I need to remove. I would like to run water to the shop so I would have to dig a trench several hundred feet. I also want to put a concrete pad in front of the shop so I would have to level it and dig a trench for a French drain. I need to level some of my driveway and some of it, especially near the shop I need to spread some gravel on.

I need to cut down and chew up a lot of brush. I would like to put large stones as a border around some of the driveway and around the driveway island.

I also want to terrace this area and put in a garden:

[oj may]

I have a DR mower, 17 hp, chains, blade, chipper, 42" finish and 30" brush deck. I still use it a lot, even after buying a Kubota BX25 a year ago May.

The DR can do some amazing things, but it is a slower go at most jobs than the tractor. It will 'mow' over 1.5" trees and cut 6' tall grass and brush. It chips up to 4" branches.

[CodeMonkee]

Hmmmm....

The cost of even the used mini track loaders is at least twice to three times that of a new 2 wheeled tractor. For the difference in cost I could rent a skid steer several times a year for a number of years and still come out ahead.

[oj may]

After 2 seasons of using the backhoe with a 12" bucket, I am thinking that a ripper tooth in place of the bucket is the way to go for stump removal. I am hoping there is a lot less back filling and it should tear through the larger roots much easier and make it less work to get the larger stumps out. Your thoughts?

[adam_c_eckhardt]

Originally Posted by oj may

After 2 seasons of using the backhoe with a 12" bucket, I am thinking that a ripper tooth in place of the bucket is the way to go for stump removal. I am hoping there is a lot less back filling and it should tear through the larger roots much easier and make it less work to get the larger stumps out. Your thoughts?

If a ripper tooth is the same as we call a "frost tooth" it will in fact rip through things easier than a bucket, but it still has it's limits. If you want to work on stumps you may get frustrated by the fact that you can't angle the tooth under the stump, unless you have a wrist.

There are other benefits to this setup as well- if you had to dig a shallow trench for something like an invisible fence, or a direct bury electrical cable, you'll find a tooth does a pretty sweet job and makes less mess.

[oj may]

I did buy a 'ripper/frost' tooth. I also got a 'thumb' for the back hoe boom.

I purchased them from Bro-Tek. This company makes many products specifically for my Kubota model.

Next, I am going to fashion some home made forks for brush and light pallet duty. I can't wait for the ground to firm up, there is work to do.