New Landowner Equipment Advice

[bigboreblr]

Some folks putting down 25-30 thousand isn't too bad. Others, its a chunk of money. The land doesn't need the tractor, the plans do.

Homestead.... Your plan so far involves you building a home? Tractor can be a plus if your putting in a septci and foundation yourself.

2 acre open area? Is this where your food plots will be? Making even an acre out of mature forest is alot of work even for a tractor. Stumps..... If your fields are level, no monster boulders to mess with, then a UTV can make a basic food plot. IT can't really do corn, it could kinda makes soybeans. a sprayer, a spreader, a lawnroller or cultipacker, will make your oats, rye, clover, turnips, raddish, alphalfa, buckwheat, and if mother nature cooperates other stuff like wheat. This can be done with ATV's too. I do about 2.5 acres between my house and my hunting club. Honda 420 rancher. But, I only do in in 2 wheel drive mode. You could do these plots with a 2wd ATV too, but you abusing the air cooled motor. IF money is tight, the honda rancher can be found in 2x4 for sometimes $5000 new. I drive in the woods in 2x4 90% of the time.

I have a broadcast spreader for seeds n fertilizer, a tow behind drop spreader for powdered lime, a lawn roller, a set of spring tine harrows, basic sprayer, 3 tires bolted together drag, and a swisher tow behind mower. Lawn mower cart is handy too. Got a little york rake, great for cleaning up a spot to make a plot. rocks sticks..

I am in the process of building a mini food plot seeder, a cultipacker with a drop spreader with detachable discs if needed.

Things you may want soon with the money. Generator, water collection system, a ""office" inside that pole barn insulated and heated.

IF you own a truck, you could get 10 tires and make a huge tire drag to make food plots with. Knock down the grass, spread seed, then knock it down the other dirrection.

Someone mentioned your back. Old men and tractors make good buddies. A used BX tractor with belly mower could do alot there. Even a used more durable garden tractor. Keep in mind most lawn mowers have junky little hydrostatic drives. Better build garden tractors could easily make 2 acres of plots. That front bucket is very very handy on small tractors. I have no plans on buying one, unless I'm building a new home. I would buy a kubota BX tractor with atleast a front bucket. Would like a belly mower, then a backhoe. I would prefer a 3pt finish mower on the back instead. you can use finish mower in hayfields. The nice plus is the extra height. Can mow down to 6 or 8 inches tall. Knock the weeds off a clover plot. BX tractors are durable. The downside to these little guys is the lack of lifting power and the category 0 implements. Usually can get old discs, mowers, york rakes 5 or 6ft ones that work on 30-35hp tractors just fine. Spending the extra $$$ for the bigger tractor will save money in buying implements. A new $3000 implement for that little BX like a woods finish mower, can be purchased used for 5-700 bucks for the B or L series kubota. Notice I've only mentioned kubota. Had a 1975 L175, 2011 L3200, and my son-in-lw next door has a B3030 with loader I borrow at home only.

Firewood. How much you plan on being there? How much $$$ does it take just to drive there and back home? Might be better off using propane.

Also, keep in mind trailers and a truck. Upgrade to 3/4 ton truck and equipment trailer....... Meanwhile you can buy a $1000 trailer and tow a small UTV of ATV with a SUV. If buying a SxS, get atleast a 700cc. Some 4 or 500cc class UTV' can realy drag anything. Although you can make a food plot eith that technically. Was tmpted to buy a kubota 500 UTV, but it cant really drag anything. Could spray, run a tow behind mower, cultipacker, and a tire drag just fine. Any UTV discs or harrows wouldn't be nice to that little guy.

Buying used implements you need and renting the tractor can make alot of sense. Others have that idea too, reserve the machine well in advance. I paid $400 a month for my L3200 and $200 a month for the skidoo 2up sled I had. Alot of checks gone and went between using them to any extent.....

How long is the driveway to the barn?

 

[Foggy47]

I remember when Yamaha made a ATV with a PTO. That was followed by the Polaris Brutus UTV and a similar model by Bobcat. These units are made more for the commercial markets. Still.....nobody has made an affordable all-around UTV for uses by a small landowner. I think a market exists for a Diesel powered UTV with a PTO, a 3 point hitch, and a hydraulic system. Thus you could spray, mow, and disk, etc with a single unit. I would think Kubota would be the perfect company to introduce a product like this.

 

[Fetz]

Some folks putting down 25-30 thousand isn't too bad. Others, its a chunk of money. The land doesn't need the tractor, the plans do.

Homestead.... Your plan so far involves you building a home? Tractor can be a plus if your putting in a septci and foundation yourself.

2 acre open area? Is this where your food plots will be? Making even an acre out of mature forest is alot of work even for a tractor. Stumps..... If your fields are level, no monster boulders to mess with, then a UTV can make a basic food plot. IT can't really do corn, it could kinda makes soybeans. a sprayer, a spreader, a lawnroller or cultipacker, will make your oats, rye, clover, turnips, raddish, alphalfa, buckwheat, and if mother nature cooperates other stuff like wheat. This can be done with ATV's too. I do about 2.5 acres between my house and my hunting club. Honda 420 rancher. But, I only do in in 2 wheel drive mode. You could do these plots with a 2wd ATV too, but you abusing the air cooled motor. IF money is tight, the honda rancher can be found in 2x4 for sometimes $5000 new. I drive in the woods in 2x4 90% of the time.

I have a broadcast spreader for seeds n fertilizer, a tow behind drop spreader for powdered lime, a lawn roller, a set of spring tine harrows, basic sprayer, 3 tires bolted together drag, and a swisher tow behind mower. Lawn mower cart is handy too. Got a little york rake, great for cleaning up a spot to make a plot. rocks sticks..

I am in the process of building a mini food plot seeder, a cultipacker with a drop spreader with detachable discs if needed.

Things you may want soon with the money. Generator, water collection system, a ""office" inside that pole barn insulated and heated.

IF you own a truck, you could get 10 tires and make a huge tire drag to make food plots with. Knock down the grass, spread seed, then knock it down the other dirrection.

Someone mentioned your back. Old men and tractors make good buddies. A used BX tractor with belly mower could do alot there. Even a used more durable garden tractor. Keep in mind most lawn mowers have junky little hydrostatic drives. Better build garden tractors could easily make 2 acres of plots. That front bucket is very very handy on small tractors. I have no plans on buying one, unless I'm building a new home. I would buy a kubota BX tractor with atleast a front bucket. Would like a belly mower, then a backhoe. I would prefer a 3pt finish mower on the back instead. you can use finish mower in hayfields. The nice plus is the extra height. Can mow down to 6 or 8 inches tall. Knock the weeds off a clover plot. BX tractors are durable. The downside to these little guys is the lack of lifting power and the category 0 implements. Usually can get old discs, mowers, york rakes 5 or 6ft ones that work on 30-35hp tractors just fine. Spending the extra $$$ for the bigger tractor will save money in buying implements. A new $3000 implement for that little BX like a woods finish mower, can be purchased used for 5-700 bucks for the B or L series kubota. Notice I've only mentioned kubota. Had a 1975 L175, 2011 L3200, and my son-in-lw next door has a B3030 with loader I borrow at home only.

Firewood. How much you plan on being there? How much $$$ does it take just to drive there and back home? Might be better off using propane.

Also, keep in mind trailers and a truck. Upgrade to 3/4 ton truck and equipment trailer....... Meanwhile you can buy a $1000 trailer and tow a small UTV of ATV with a SUV. If buying a SxS, get atleast a 700cc. Some 4 or 500cc class UTV' can realy drag anything. Although you can make a food plot eith that technically. Was tmpted to buy a kubota 500 UTV, but it cant really drag anything. Could spray, run a tow behind mower, cultipacker, and a tire drag just fine. Any UTV discs or harrows wouldn't be nice to that little guy.

Buying used implements you need and renting the tractor can make alot of sense. Others have that idea too, reserve the machine well in advance. I paid $400 a month for my L3200 and $200 a month for the skidoo 2up sled I had. Alot of checks gone and went between using them to any extent.....

How long is the driveway to the barn?

I will probably do some site prep work but I don't plan on doing any of the structural work for the house, I'll leave that to the professionals. I will probably do some interior work.

The 2 acre open area is where the barn and build site sits so it will not be food plot material. However I do dream of eventually reconverting most of it to native prairie, whatever space I don't need for chickens and bees and the like.

All the food plots will be have to be carved out of the timber. I have a great deal of bush honeysuckle to eradicate as well.

Driveway is 40yd long gravel and we don't get snow accumulation frequently enough for it to be a major consideration. If I had a tractor I would just use the bucket, without it I would continue using my snow blower.

Towing capacity is definitely a factor. My little Honda Ridgeline is limited to towing 5000lbs and I will not be up sizing. Another reason I'm looking in the 25hp range.

 

[Tree Spud]

Well the big advantage would be the mowing and trail clearing, plus having the bucket on front I'm sure would be handy in ways I have not yet ascertained. PTO driven mowers also seem to be cheaper than tow-behind mowers with a dedicated engine. I guess I don't know how often I would need to actually mow trails once they're established. A friend of mine suggested renting a skid steer for the weekend to take care of that and then maybe I could just use a normal riding mower to maintain them afterwards.

I also worry that I would strain the UTV trying to do things it's not necessarily designed for versus the tractor. I would like to end up with both eventually and having the tractor would allow me to buy a much cheaper/lower powered UTV down the road because I won't need it for the more demanding work.

For the 1st 10-12 years I had 150 acres with 8-10 acres in food plots. I started with an ATV and then moved up to a Kawasaki Mule. The Mule is the best tool I used because I could tow & haul stuff and having a 35 hp water cooled engine was important.

With the Mule I used a 4' disc, cultipacker, drag harrow, swisher mower, snow plow blade, 25 gal sprayer, trailer,etc. For seeding I walked and used a shoulder bag seeder to broadcast (was much younger then). Had the Mule for 15 years and gave it to my sister 8 years ago. Still runs great and handled everything I needed to do.

I bought a Kubota MX5800 tractor about 8 years ago with a FEL & backhoe. Have added multiple implements since then. It is a nice size with 59 hp and still maneuverable.

Getting stuck ... if you have any soft ground getting a UTV out is pretty simple if you have a winch. Getting a tractor stuck is a whole different story. Once you bottom out you better have neighbors with lots of towing straps ... I speak from experience.

I wouldn't get a UTV and instead would look at full size side by side like a Kawasaki Mule PRO-FXT or Polaris. I haul a bunch of stuff I could not with my tractor. Also nice to take a ride with the wife.

I will note that there is a difference in mowing and cutting fields/trails. With my swisher mower I would bog down and stall on tall grasses and it had a 24 hp engine on it. With my 3 pt 6' brush mower I can pretty much cut anything without any issues.

Having both a side by side and tractor will give you the most flexibility and both will have tasks the other cannot do.

My thoughts ... go with a full size Mule or Polaris. Keep in mind any implements you buy for a tractor are gonna be more expensive than implements you buy for tow behind. You will also be able to sell those pretty easily once you upgrade to a tractor. Save your money to get a tractor in the 35-40 hp range. You won't regret it.

 

[drycreek]

My two cents. For your needs and your budget I would rent a skid steer for the initial work and get the tractor that you can afford to maintain your property. I mow my acreage twice a year, that includes interior trails, my pond dam, and the 30’ right of way around the perimeter. That’s all that is needed to maintain it, but I have been known to mow it three times a year. What can I say, I like to mow, it’s therapeutic ! I guarantee that you will find more uses for a tractor than a s x s, but I have both. You can always buy one later. My tractor is a 60 horse but I do more with it than just mow. Even though I could probably get by with less, I wouldn’t because I have limited time to plant food plots at home and on my lease as planting time is a short window if I’m trying to get seeds in the ground to take advantage of the weather. Good luck with whatever direction you take.

 

[Foggy47]

I have a tractor and a Honda Pioneer 700-4 UTV. I submit the Honda UTV as the perfect utility and fun machine for both chores and riding around your place. I use mine with my Sprayer and I have a reciever hitch on the back and on the FRONT too. Therefore I can pull trailers and such.....but more importantly I can mount a spin spreader on the front and broadcast seeds, pell lime or fertilizer. It also has a typical dump bed when used as a side by side for two.....but the bed quickly and easily converts to haul two more passengers for four place riding. I also has an automotive type transmission so belts are a non event. They make all kinds of accessories for them.....but the base models are pretty affordable. Plenty of grunt for pulling drags and packers, etc. Mine will go over 50+ MPH and yet has lots of torque with the shifting transmission and hi and low range. Not sure if they have the turf mode now....but that would be huge if you drive it on lawns and such. (mine does not have that turf mode) Finally.....Honda's are pretty much bullet proof. I have owned mine for ten years and it performs as new. Also have a snow plow for mine....and a winch to lift it. (dont plow much).

My two cents.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Towing capacity is definitely a factor. My little Honda Ridgeline is limited to towing 5000lbs and I will not be up sizing. Another reason I'm looking in the 25hp range.

If frequent towing with a ridgeline is a requirement UTV and renting equipment is the answer.

For that bush honeysuckle, you might as well basal spray it all once before cutting anything unless you’re going to rip all the roots out. Otherwise you’ll probably end up spraying stump sprouts multiple times in the future anyway. Wish I would have done that before mulching all the buckthorn and honeysuckle at home..

 

[Foggy47]

If frequent towing with a ridgeline is a requirement UTV and renting equipment is the answer.

For that bush honeysuckle, you might as well basal spray it all once before cutting anything unless you’re going to rip all the roots out. Otherwise you’ll probably end up spraying stump sprouts multiple times in the future anyway. Wish I would have done that before mulching all the buckthorn and honeysuckle at home..

LOL.....I own a Honda Ridgeline too.....and I own a 16 foot tandem axel car trailer that will haul my tractor. I'm way under rated when doing so.....but the little truck will pull it quite well. I think the rating is due to the weight (and braking power) of the "truck". The furthest I will haul my tractor is about 15 miles to the dealer for service.....and not so sure I will do that in the time to come. I think it's smarter to pay for the hauling or rent a bigger truck. I just do not need a bigger truck for 99% of my needs. I did not fear hauling my JD 790 or my JD 3320 on this trailer / truck combo. But now my Kubota with fluid in the tires and a cab, etc.....is way too much to press the limits. I should sell the trailer to prevent me from doing any hauling......lol.

 

[SD51555]

I kinda skimmed this whole thread. Forgive me if I miss some key points. And keep in mind, I come from an anti-capital stance on hunting property. There is no end in sight to what we can plow money into. I’ve got limited resources and I’m still working, so I am very strategic with what I buy and do.

1. Do you need a tractor? If u have no plots right now and it doesn’t snow, what would it do?

2. How do you want to set up your property? Lots of plot space, or different? Perfect trails? Heavy timber management? I’m very slow to eliminate natural sources of exercise on my place. I pushed mowed for 4 years before I surrendered and got a new rider.

3. What plotting science do you subscribe to? If you are an iron, chems, and pellets guy, you’re gonna need some machinery and a place to store it. If you’re more inclined to do less, that’s a whole different system.

I have a 40, and all Ive got for equipment Is a modest wheeler, polar cart, a small toro rider, chainsaw and leaf blower seeder that I did not invent. I rent everything else. I’m getting up to about 2.5 acres of plots and it’s starting to challenge my system, but I’ll figure it out. I’m very close to perfecting throw and mow for the extreme north land.

And watch out for the hustlers pushing magic seeds and big words.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Troubles Trees]

Mine was one of those ground hog Max ATV disc's. Useless for breaking ground and it is the most expensive boat anchor I ever bought

My boss gave me his Groundhog Max ATV disc in trade for some brassica seed and a few trees I donated, it is just terrible! Wouldn't actually disc anything with thatch, everything gets wadded up in between the discs and it freezes them up. No realistic adjustable down pressure, it has height adjustment pins but you have to lift/jack up the wheeler to lower it.

It is a gimmick and not worth the money IMHO.

I have tried to do everything with a 4 wheeler and it isn't the right way to go from my experience. It certainly beats not having a wheeler and doing everything on foot but it isn't the right tool for the job, at least for what I am trying to do and all I am doing is mowing, planting trees/shrubs, and maintaining a 1 acre food plot.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

LOL.....I own a Honda Ridgeline too.....and I own a 16 foot tandem axel car trailer that will haul my tractor. I'm way under rated when doing so.....but the little truck will pull it quite well. I think the rating is due to the weight (and braking power) of the "truck". The furthest I will haul my tractor is about 15 miles to the dealer for service.....and not so sure I will do that in the time to come. I think it's smarter to pay for the hauling or rent a bigger truck. I just do not need a bigger truck for 99% of my needs. I did not fear hauling my JD 790 or my JD 3320 on this trailer / truck combo. But now my Kubota with fluid in the tires and a cab, etc.....is way too much to press the limits. I should sell the trailer to prevent me from doing any hauling......lol.

I just feel keeping a tractor/loader/steel tandem axle trailer under 5k# is cutting things close. I guess a guy could spend $7k+ on a tandem AL trailer and hit that weight comfortably. I'm pretty sure i'm around 9k lbs with my L3560 + loader and flail mower and the trailers I've rented to tow it.

RE woods clearing - My stepdad cleared a bunch of aspen regen with a skidsteer for food plots. I'd probably pay someone with a dozer to do it after seeing that.

 

[SwampCat]

I have a 65 hp 4wd jd and you are better off cutting a tree or shrub at the ground and then pushing it out of the way with a tractor - at least in my soil. Nothing pushes without digging some with the bucket - then you are left with a hole or a soft spot.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Tractors are nice, but you can also also get a lot done with an ATV, sprayer and drag. Maybe a pull behind spreader (for fertilizer and large seeds). I have a Honda Rancher 420 4x4 and that is a great machine. I also have an old ford tractor that's around 50 hp and it is a workhorse, but old tractors break down and break downs are expensive. If I had to do it all over again, I'd have held off on buying a tractor until I had more money available that would allow me to buy a new one.

I also think that if you plan on making any big trails, plots, etc. that you may be better off hiring someone with a bulldozer for a day. In my area it is around $1000/day and it is impressive how much work they can get done. Hiring out the heavy stuff can save a lot of wear and tear on your own equipment.