advice on new tractor

[rpoe]

I've read posts for days, and finally decided to ask for help. Please excuse my ignorance.
I have 10 acres that I mow, have a good 72" ZTR and mowing is not an issue. The problem is all the other landscape maintenance. I have several acres of very rough land, almost like mowing a staircase, and other areas with many branches down from ice storm and overgrown brushes, saplings, etc. I'd like to clean it all up and make it look nice, even to the point of regrading and reseeding the entire property (over a few years time).
I want to buy a compact tractor, but don't know where to begin. I've looked at Kubota/John Deere, but get lost in the implements. Not sure what they do or which ones I need, or how much power, etc. I think the problem is that I really need a giant bulldozer just to come in and plow everything down and start over, just seems a little overkill.
More than anything else, I need help with all these small trees and broken limbs. Do I push them together with a loader and burn them? Can I pull out small trunks with a compact tractor?
Any advice would be wonderful, maybe a link to a "Compact Tractor for Dummies" book or something like that.
Thank you!

[LawnCareNoobie]

I've read posts for days, and finally decided to ask for help. Please excuse my ignorance.
I have 10 acres that I mow, have a good 72" ZTR and mowing is not an issue. The problem is all the other landscape maintenance. I have several acres of very rough land, almost like mowing a staircase, and other areas with many branches down from ice storm and overgrown brushes, saplings, etc. I'd like to clean it all up and make it look nice, even to the point of regrading and reseeding the entire property (over a few years time).
I want to buy a compact tractor, but don't know where to begin. I've looked at Kubota/John Deere, but get lost in the implements. Not sure what they do or which ones I need, or how much power, etc. I think the problem is that I really need a giant bulldozer just to come in and plow everything down and start over, just seems a little overkill.
More than anything else, I need help with all these small trees and broken limbs. Do I push them together with a loader and burn them? Can I pull out small trunks with a compact tractor?
Any advice would be wonderful, maybe a link to a "Compact Tractor for Dummies" book or something like that.
Thank you!

Depends on how much money you are willing to spend. You should go to a local dealer and tell him what your intentions are. The dealer should be able to give you an idea of what machines can do the job.

For example, I am looking at buying a JD 3005(790) soon. It's compact, but a good size for brush hogging and small loader work. It is also a standard, so it comes in at a lower price than the hydrostatics and has more power at the pto. I was quoted around $17,000 for the brush hog, ballast box, loader, and the tractor.

You are looking at maybe pulling out some small tree stumps, you might want to consider looking at the JD 3000 or 4000 series tractors. Kubota is good, but might be higher on the price scale. The dealer location and support might be what helps your final decision. Good luck.

[lawn king]

You need to spend some research hours reading threads @ tractorbynet.com

[rpoe]

Thank you both, really appreciate your help. The "tractorbynet" site is fabulous, I found it yesterday after I posted my question, and was debating on whether to reply to my own post and mention it. The best subforum for me is the "Projects" one. It has photos and many different scenarios of implements doing different things. It was really helpful.

[helidriver]

Personally, I have two compacts that really do a nice job. First is my John Deere 770. Its 25 hp and with the loader it is an animal. It has 4wd, must have, and Is a standard shift. I love this tractor. Many attachments can go on also, backhoe, brush hog, finish mower, auger, U name it. I purchased the tractor used with low hours for $7500. I highly recommend it.
The next is my JD 755. It too is 4wd and has a loader. Very nice tractor to have around. Beautiful back grading and quick on off loader. It has a belly mower and is hydro. This machine is the one you keep to take care of a peice of property like yours at all times. The engine is only 20 hp but it feels like so much more. I like both but when it comes to pulling small stumps I have no answer as I dont use them to clear out small stumps. I would use the 770 and a chain or head to the dealer for an answer.
Best of luck, and a word to the wise...stay with a good brand name and it will stay with you for a lifetime!!!

[Ducati996]

Thank you both, really appreciate your help. The "tractorbynet" site is fabulous, I found it yesterday after I posted my question, and was debating on whether to reply to my own post and mention it. The best subforum for me is the "Projects" one. It has photos and many different scenarios of implements doing different things. It was really helpful.

Stop in a www.machineunderground.com as well plenty of photos and advice available as well

[betmr]

As far as drive systems, I prefer Hydro. Especially when doing many forward and reverse operations, like using a front loader. I can't express more the frustration in clutching shifting, clutching shifting. Especially if you need low gear pushing in, and higher reverse coming out, and the shift pattern ends up being like, down and over for reverse, up and over for first(what a pain) from the gears you need, and with multiple ranges, in low to go in and get pushing power, your gonna creep out, in reverse. So every time you back out, you gotta **** range, and then shift back to push in (shifting two levers). With hydro it's push one pedal or the other. Well worth the extra bucks, from a lifetime of clutch and shift, clutch and shift, I say nothing beats Hydraulic Drive. Greatest improvement to tractors EVER.

[lawn king]

As far as drive systems, I prefer Hydro. Especially when doing many forward and reverse operations, like using a front loader. I can't express more the frustration in clutching shifting, clutching shifting. Especially if you need low gear pushing in, and higher reverse coming out, and the shift pattern ends up being like, down and over for reverse, up and over for first(what a pain) from the gears you need, and with multiple ranges, in low to go in and get pushing power, your gonna creep out, in reverse. So every time you back out, you gotta **** range, and then shift back to push in (shifting two levers). With hydro it's push one pedal or the other. Well worth the extra bucks, from a lifetime of clutch and shift, clutch and shift, I say nothing beats Hydraulic Drive. Greatest improvement to tractors EVER.

Well said, well said. If all you plan to do is pull a bottom plow & turn over the soil, buy a gear tractor. For everyting else hydro is the way to go.

[Kustom Kutz]

I am going to be totally honest with you about buying a compact tractor for the jobs you are wanting to have done. I have a brand new 45hp Kioti compact tractor that is 4wd with a loader. Compact tractors are designed more for landscaping, You have to remember it is helpful for the tractor to weigh more than what you are trying to pull up. My tractor does great with the stuff it was designed to do, but it won't pull up stumps and move big piles of dirt. I bought my tarctor initially to level 40 acres I have and it was practically useless bc the piles of dirt had been dumped by a dump truck and had dried hard. I worked on it for a while but couldn't evn make a dent in it. I hired a guy with a D5 dozer to come out and level it (I am talking about around 100 dump truck loads of dirt). He had the whole thing leveled, stumps popped up, pushed over trees that were not wanted and graded the whole 40 in less than a day. If I were you I'd buy a used tractor for yourself, but i'd find somebody with a dozer and you will save alot of money. Plus people who have dozer normally dig ponds that they will give you the dirt out of to level tje property. Oh yeah my tractor is a hydr oand I hate it. They lost the grunt power when they went away from the clutch and for what you are wanting to do you need GRUNT. Give me a call you have any other concerns. Happy shopping. Also don't look just aruond your house for your machine. I live in Missisippi and drove to Ohio to get mine, but I saved a few thousand dollars.

[Ducati996]

I am going to be totally honest with you about buying a compact tractor for the jobs you are wanting to have done. I have a brand new 45hp Kioti compact tractor that is 4wd with a loader. Compact tractors are designed more for landscaping, You have to remember it is helpful for the tractor to weigh more than what you are trying to pull up. My tractor does great with the stuff it was designed to do, but it won't pull up stumps and move big piles of dirt. I bought my tarctor initially to level 40 acres I have and it was practically useless bc the piles of dirt had been dumped by a dump truck and had dried hard. I worked on it for a while but couldn't evn make a dent in it. I hired a guy with a D5 dozer to come out and level it (I am talking about around 100 dump truck loads of dirt). He had the whole thing leveled, stumps popped up, pushed over trees that were not wanted and graded the whole 40 in less than a day. If I were you I'd buy a used tractor for yourself, but i'd find somebody with a dozer and you will save alot of money. Plus people who have dozer normally dig ponds that they will give you the dirt out of to level tje property. Oh yeah my tractor is a hydr oand I hate it. They lost the grunt power when they went away from the clutch and for what you are wanting to do you need GRUNT. Give me a call you have any other concerns. Happy shopping. Also don't look just aruond your house for your machine. I live in Missisippi and drove to Ohio to get mine, but I saved a few thousand dollars.

Sorry to hear your unhappy, but to me it sounds like the wrong application for the tractor you selected. No 45 HP tractor will handle what you described, just not practical and well thought out. You use a backhoe for stumps that are moderately sized, maybe a toothbar to break up hardend soil for transport....I havent seen a dozer handle 40 acres in a day either but Im willing to learn :)

If you mentioned the tractor was to maintain the 40 acres, then it would do that with no problem. Cut grass, box blade, use the FEL to move dirt, etc....they arent designed to bulldoze and land clearing like you described....

Kioti are good machines, no way should it take a bad rap because you are inexperienced in selecting the right tool for the application...