Compact tractors

[rocksnstumps]

Skipping the snow question, how big is the place you will be moving to? More than 20-30 acres? I would want something bigger than a subcompact

Thought the same thing about the 38 hp and how that could be a subcompact but looks like same loader and 3 pt hitch capability from 25 hp to 38 hp and much reduced from the 4 series rigs like almost half so guess it is a subcompact frame with small turbo motor.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I only have 25 acres, in forest land. I just built a shouse, shop/house on it. So lots of out door work that needs to be done. Leveling, landscaping, building a lean to, food plots, snow removal, and gravel driveway upkeep. Plus what ever else. The more I think about it, the sub compact would be a lot more useful around here, easier to maneuver around my small half acre food plots, and trails to the food plots. But how well will it clean snow ? Which is my selling point to my wife.

To my understanding the 1st digit on John Deere’s are the size, 4 would be compact, 3 sub compact. Then the last 3 digits are the horse power. It is a 3038. My brother does have a 3035, but he just bought it this spring, he loves it, he says. But when you buy something new, you always try to love things to justify it.

 

[yoderjac]

I only have 25 acres, in forest land. I just built a shouse, shop/house on it. So lots of out door work that needs to be done. Leveling, landscaping, building a lean to, food plots, snow removal, and gravel driveway upkeep. Plus what ever else. The more I think about it, the sub compact would be a lot more useful around here, easier to maneuver around my small half acre food plots, and trails to the food plots. But how well will it clean snow ? Which is my selling point to my wife.

To my understanding the 1st digit on John Deere’s are the size, 4 would be compact, 3 sub compact. Then the last 3 digits are the horse power. It is a 3038. My brother does have a 3035, but he just bought it this spring, he loves it, he says. But when you buy something new, you always try to love things to justify it.

When it comes to doing work with a tractor, there is a balance between traction an HP. All the HP in the world doesn't help if the wheels are spinning in 4x4 Filling tires can help with weigh and you can add some, but the frame does make a difference. Perhaps they are putting more HP in sub-compacts these days to run a bigger hydraulic pump.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Fyi, I believe the subcompact series you mention does not have a mid pto option so any snowblower would be 3 pt mount.

As for capability I have been impressed with my buddies utv with a moose brand plow. It rolls the snow well if not too deep. The rig you are falling in luv with is much more capable snow wise than any utv.

 

[rocksnstumps]

When it comes to doing work with a tractor, there is a balance between traction an HP. All the HP in the world doesn't help if the wheels are spinning in 4x4 Filling tires can help with weigh and you can add some, but the frame does make a difference. Perhaps they are putting more HP in sub-compacts these days to run a bigger hydraulic pump.

No they are putting turbos on smaller rigs to play the hp numbers game for marketing but many other components still the same. Probably really only much difference for the pto implements like cutters and such.

The traction vs hp is still very real. New R1 ag tires on a small hp rig is gonna win out over the benefit of a turbo for when pulling or pushing stuff

 

[Buckly]

I have a jd1025r. I have done a lot with it. Its small, tippy but fits in our stock trailer fine. Recieved a front snowblower last year for it, works great. I, now having this, would like a little bigger one but, well you know. Lol.

I’m agreeing with this model. My 1025 R. will throw any amount of snow you can put through it. And we get 2-300 inches per year. Front facing so no driving backwards. I also have a 4 ft brush hog and a 5 ft tiller and works them no problem. Great for lawn mowing and working small properties. Priced about 17,000 with a loader then another 2500 for the blower.

 

[MRBB]

well I have owned both skid steers tractors of several sizes
and for me about the property, the skid steer gets used way more all yr on so many things
the options of attachments is almost endless and many times cheaper to buy that attachments for compact tractors
and the used attachment market is full of way more items

a tractor is much nicer for doing food plots, I'll give it that
but I have to guess that your already making food plots with something now,
and if one really wanted too, a tiller attachment can be added to skid steer be slow goings, but your not making huge plots either from what you stated!
and odds are you will find a much larger HP skid steer used for as much as a smaller HP compact tractor will run!

and like you already said, there is more potential for make a few bucks using your skid steer

you DON"T have to have a 1 ton truck either, yes there nice to have
but honestly,. NOT having a truck to tow it and or a trailer, might even SAVE you more $$ HAHA
as from MY experience, when you have a skid steer and your friends know it, they tend to either want free work done(or almost free) or want to use it, borrow it
yet when you have NO trailer, it sort of stops them from asking!

in a pinch you need it moved, , some times a roll back is a cheap option pending HOW far it has to go
if you don't have any friends with a truck/trailer to haul for you!

and the few times you might need it moved, saves you from up keep on a trailer, brakes insurance, inspections, and again, NO need for that 1 ton pickup truck either then!

Food for thought

and IMO using a pickup truck to do snow work is VERY very hard on the truck, if I had to have one for plowing MY property, it would be a older beater JUST for that
as plowing is just sop hard on pickup's the wear and tear if not making money doing so, isn;t worth the added costs!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I do have a 10,000 pound trailer, but with attachments I would be over easily with any mid sized skid. I have ran skids my entire life, not for a living, but have used them for farming, and building and driveway work. They work, and they are very useful, but not in the food plots.
I have been doing my plots with my atv, and doing mostly those and now, with small seeds, or once every few years I will lightly disc, and drag them.

 

[wolfpack412]

I really am struggling with my best option for clearing my driveway of snow this winter. I just moved to my hunting land in northern Wisconsin, and now that I live there, I will need to get something to clear the driveway. I use to just call someone a few days before I was coming up, and he would have it clean by the time I got here. But now that I live here, I can’t just wait a day or two to get the driveway cleaned. I have about 100 yards to clean, along with a parking area about 20x50.

My options, first would be a 1 ton truck with a snow plow, this would be a decent option, because I need a 1 ton truck anyhow, my half ton truck isn’t made to do most of the things I use it for. So this would fix 2 needs. Figured something in the $20k range with a plow.

Second option, a compact tractor, I have never moved snow with a compact tractor, and don’t know it’s limitations, will it be able to move a foot of snow, a 3 foot drift, will a snow blower attachment be able to have enough power to blow the snow far enough for my needs? A compact tractor and loader would be very useful around here. I could use the loader more then anything to level, and haul dirt around. I could use it for firewood, and moving stumps around. Plus for food plotting, it would make my chores much easier. I am past the 50 mark in age, and those fun food plot chores, are taking longer, and recovering time after is taking longer. I am leaning towards a compact tractor, but don’t know what it’s capabilities are for cleaning snow, which would be its selling point to my wife. I know very little about them, what size, color, year, and attachments I should get, or need to get.

A full size tractor and loader to clean and push snow, I grew up using a a 60hp tractor and loader clearing snow from my grandparents farm. It worked, but it was slow, not easy to maneuver in smaller areas. A full size tractor wouldn’t be very useful in my food plots, I have 4 food plots in the .5-.75 acre range, not really much room for a full size tractor, and really no real need for one either.

A skid loader is my last option, I could use the skid loader for snow, I have used one to clean snow for many years, and a skid loader is really universal, and I could use it for leveling off stuff, digging a pond, trails, firewood, and many other things. But they aren’t much use in a food plot, and I would need a 1 ton truck to haul it. So I would need to convince the wife I need a skid loader and a truck. While if I had a skid loader, I could do some jobs with it for hire, and have it pay for itself, but I am already busier then what I want to be, and don’t need another job that would take up more of my free time.

If anyone has a recommendation on these option, that has used them for snow removal, or has another option that would work, please share.

Compact/sub-conpact tractors are great and I've used mine to clear snow from time to time but if you have 100 yards to clear it'll be a bit painful. A loader bucket sucks at clearing snow. A front blade can work if you get a QA but it's not ideal as tractors go kinda slow. A snow blower is an option if you don't mind a bit of snow left that might turn into ice. Honestly a side by side is the easiest way. A truck is cumbersome for driveways unless they are long and straight and you don't have a lot of area close to structures. If you get a dump truck you might use it for more than plowing but that's likely out of your budget. Otherwise you have a truck you'll have to worry about starting each winter. I watch people pay for plowing with trucks for their small driveway and the snow never gets cleared well by their house/garage and the piles they build up always end up working back into the driveway.

I use my B2650 all the time and it blows me away what it is capable of but plowing with it sucks after using my Ranger 1000.

For your food plots an LX (formerly the B2650/B335p) would work and an L would be ideal.

If you've never used a side by side you might be content with the tractor and never be the wiser. Just my two cents.