Perfect Tractor Attributes

I agree 100%!

Another thing that helps is renting something big. It is not required 100% of the time, but when it comes to stump pulling it sure does. For instance a #34,000 machine can pull a stump...barely, but a #90,000 machine can do it, and 3 times faster. The rental rate for a #90,000 machine though is NOT 3 times more, so while you do spend a little more in fuel consumption, a person gets a whole lot more done.

I think this is something people often do, and it is a mistake.

 

I typically pay cash for my equipment as well, but don't really agree with this statement because there is a lot off non-functioning equipment that is sitting on rock walls unable to be used too.

I knew a guy one time who was boasting about a 50 HP Belerus tractor he bought for $9000. I thought he did well too, but pride always goes before a fall, so I guess it should not be surprising that 9 months later the rear axle casting broke, and he was unable to get another one. New tractor, paid for; unable to do anything; kind of sad.

In 1999, I traded in a 1958 Ford 900 for a financed Kubota L2500 and that proved to be a good plan. It is paid for now, and paid for itself many times over, but with the proper financing, watching the interest rates, and ensuring cash flow works; financing a new piece of equipment MAY be a better investment than holding onto something paid for. So...it depends...like all things in life.

 

This is all good stuff: right now in my adult education we are getting into equipment so this stuff is right on my mind. A lot of what we discuss is sizing equipment right, getting the most out of it, and not over-spending. It is interesting to note that the last thing I talk about is new equipment. I want these people to think through buying small equipment, used equipment, renting equipment FIRST, because it is easy to get sucked into a salesman pitch that bigger is better.

I have had people with 27 acres and a 60 hp Kubota ask me how I manage to log with a 25 HP tractor...easy I say, because it is about traction and technique and not horsepower. Or a guy that has 4 acres buying a 60 hp Kubota: wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy oversized!

 

Absolutely, mine is 2005 kubota mx5000, bought it when market crashed in 09. Would i like SSQA, 3rd function remotes, etc etc YUP. Enough to trade it in for another payment NOPE.

 

I was so glad you were not offended by my other comment because I knew what you were saying. As I said, I think it is the last thing a person should consider...but a consideration...after looking at all the options. In this case I am trying to show these people that the profit for sheep farming is so razor thin, it takes a sharp pencil to make everything pencil out.

Again I am glad you did not get upset. You are a true man of integrity and should I ever get to shake your hand, or have coffee with you, I would be honored (along with most men and woman on here), but especially you.

 

True...

Acres is a VERY poor indicator of farm size, status and usage. Thank you for the correction on that.

I used to think that unless a person had 100 acres they were not a farm, but my thinking on that has really changed. In fact a person could rent an apartment in the city, rent their land from a landowner, rent their livestock from someone else, rent their equipment, and still be considered a full-time farmer. It would be difficult to pull all that off, but it could be done.

 

LodgedTree you can't offend me, not to worry, you are trying to teach, share knowledge with true heart. Next time I'm in Waterville we will meet up for that and

 

Oh shoot I was out in Waterville today.

Of course half of my town was there too, as I saw so many neighbors. I would like to say I really need to get out more, but it was Valentines Day and Katie had on a nice little Valentine's Day outfit, and our Amish neighbor's were trying to hide the smiles on their boys faces by averting their eyes. Maybe it is best if I just stay home.

 

Good points. Flip side is you buy something & run it into the ground paying for it & have nothing to show for your effort. With no payment it doesn't have to move unless it's truly making money.

& never ever buy a Belarus.

 

That is true as well, there is an inherent push to get the most out of a piece of rental equipment that just is not there for your own equipment.

Myself, I am not sure where the balance lies. I liked having my bulldozers, but they also cost a lot of money to maintain and repair. The last one I had for 2 years, and while I sold it for more than I paid for, I am not altogether sure I used it a whole lot. When I did, it got an amazing amount of work done, but it was neither in better shape, nor worse shape when I bought it, so the repairs over the two years were just to keep it running investment wise.

With financing equipment, you HOPE that they will run well past the pay off date. I have no experience with other tractors, but in terms of my Kubota, it is 19 years old and has had a fan belt replaced and (2) sets of front tires. So It has really earned its keep.

Now the real question is: do I trade it in for $7000 or so, and buy a new one, taking 7K off the purchase price, and hope to run that one for just as many years, or do I just put some money into getting this one tightened up and running it?

 

I have seriously been considering building one of these as a second homemade tractor. I am not sure I can get all the attributes into it as I want, but I am thinking it would do well; both in the woods and on the farm.

 

LodgedTree, I think you come at this from a different perspective than most of us. You're coming is it from the perspective of a farmer. A farmer has to get a return on investment or he loses the farm. Most of us, definitely myself, burn wood not as farmers but to heat our homes.

 

BTW, There are several companies that sell OEM or aftermarket "forrestry" upgraded tractors with lots of added armoring and implements. For example THE FORESTER - Distributions Payeur inc.

 

Oh yes, for sure.

But even in the woods for firewood I think people really over-buy their tractors. Again it is about traction and technique, and while people buy a tractor based on size and horsepower, the reality is, a winch is "half the tractor". That has 100% traction, and can have double the power if the cable is doubled. Add in winching across wet areas, between tight trees, and reaching out 150 feet and there is no downside to the purchase.

So to that end, people could buy a much smaller tractor for nearly half the money, spend only $3500 on a winch, and be far more ahead. By that I mean they could get around better in the woods, get wood out faster, and have a really better looking woodlot.

I have cut wood with just about everything on this farm; ATV, Tractor and chains, Tractor and 4 foot trailer, tractor and winch, tractor and log loader, bulldozer and chains, bulldozer and scoot, skidder, and mechanized logging...

...and my 2500 Kubota produces the most wood for the least amount of money. About 6 cords of tree length hardwood per day. It does not seem like much production, but it only burns a few gallons of fuel to do it. The mechanized loggers that on on my woodlot now, they produce an amazing amount of wood, but with $2 million dollars in equipment, fuel, labor, breakdowns, and trucking; they are making less per cord then my little Kubota.

 

I'd like to have limited slip differentials that can also be locked electronically. High flow hydraulics would be nice too.

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Yeah I have seen some of these tractors and they are pretty neat. Up in new Brunswick and Quebec landowners will not allow skidders to work the woodlots due to the ruts and stuff, so they have gotten creative with smaller equipment. Sweden has even got them beat, but they are a subsidy based society so they tend to innovate, rather then rely upon manual labor. Some of the small equipment they come up with is really innovative, smallish, but then makes me wonder: wouldn't it be easier to just do that by hand?" Of course in a country where a person has to be licensed to run a chainsaw, mechanization on a microscale makes sense.

 

I am actually working with my regional state forester to have a micro-logging show here this summer. We have a pretty big Northeast Logging show in New England every year, and there are some small equipment there, but we were going to focus upon micro-logging equipment like my Wallenstein Logging Trailer. I hope to have a micro-feller bunch for it by then, but there is a lot to building that.

 

Sounds awesome. I would really love to get my finances in order to afford some of this type of equipment, especially a good quality skidding winch and a FEL grapple.