Advice on smallerish tractor for the woods

I'd love to have a M someday.

 

Hey!!!

 

Like this? I may know a guy that's got one
I like to call her my sleeper tractor looks like a big rust bucket but on the inside watch out!

 

In all seriousness I would probably go for an L series kubota. It's big enough even at the small end of the series and like a lot of others said don't waste money on the hoe (use the $3-$5k on other fun stuff like a winch or something) if you think you are going to need it just collect up your jobs and plan a day or weekend for renting a mini excavator. Looking at $250 ish for a day and you will get three times the production in that 8 hour rental than from the short stick on the tractor. Just don't short yourself on horsepower or frame size no matter what you decide on you would be surprised how quick one of the little guys will fall real short and get to be aggravating. That said I wouldn't pass up a look at the other colors either and the only thing that would turn me off the kubota is the "rocker" hydro pedal I'm more partial to the split separate forward and reverse.

 

I'll second your opinion on the rocker pedal after sitting on the few HST's yesterday seemed awkward and spaced too far apart even for a size 14 boot.

more confounding was the layout on the stick Kubotas if you were to use independent braking I don't know where I'd put my heal

 

You talkin' ta me?

 

Spent a lot of time on one of these :1976 FORD 3600

A 3-pt fork attachment and hyd cylinder on the top link steer with your brakes

 

Im not crazy about that rocker pedal either. Hydro is nice, I don't think you lose 20%, lose some. My friend has an HST Kubota and has let me borrow for a few quick jobs while I've had no 3-point. HST is very nice, especially if doing a lot of loader work. I really like GST as well.

I'm also considering one of these in the future. Separate directional pedals for HST, up front auxiliary hydraulics, quick attach Backhoe with 3-point.

2005 John Deere 110 4x4 Backhoe Wheel Loader Tractor Aux Hyd 4WD PTO Compact | eBay

 

Hey Gasifier when I sell my house and buy a bunch of land, will you pick out my tractor for me?

 

When I was shopping I wasn't too keen on the rocker either but the salesman told me to hook the underside of the forward pedal with my toes. Seemed to work well in the parking lot. Not sure what it would be like with big boots but I was satisfied enough that I was going to buy one. I didn't since we gave my father in law a lot to build on he gave us his Mahindra to use. He figures it's a fair trade and he still gets to use it but doesn't have to maintain it.

The Mahindra has side by side pedals. I do find I have to look down to see which pedal my foot is over before heading the wrong direction.

 

It was not a power problem it was a traction problem.

The Bobcat would do more work than the 8n because of the hydro trans and you could go the right speed for the job. With only a 4 speed trans on the 8n one gear would be too fast and the next would be slow.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

 

I have a top n tilt kit which is a hydraulic top link and side link.



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One thing I found out with my tractor is I keep thinking/finding out things that I can do with it. Whatever you get will probably be fine. More then likely at one point you may wish for something a little bigger rather than smaller!

Gary

 

That'll do.

 

I kind of thought you guys were joking around about going with a Kubota, apparently not. Foot pedals for ground and speed control sounds like a good way to die. If you don't have the ability to maintain an older, mechanically controlled machine, you'll never figure out the electronic sensor operated stuff of today. If that's the case I would go with an ag or construction line, Massey-Ferguson/AGCO, Case-IH, or even Cat Challenger. The machines are much more well built and a good support network. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

 

As far as safety is concerned I would think a foot controlled hydro would be much safer. Take your foot off the pedal and it stops. Any gear driven tractor I have driven requires you to push the clutch/brake to stop it.