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Size tractor?

Started by North to Alaska, August 10, 2020, 10:48:53 AM

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North to Alaska

I I'm sure this has been hashed before but maybe with different tractor duties?

Location: near Talkeetna, AK
Property: 40 acres, mostly flat, all forest spruce and birch. Not many over 10" diameter. May get muddy.
Duties: clearing trees, stumps, firewood, snow removal(110" to 130" a year) Eventually a little mowing, brush hogging, tilling etc. Using pro winch,  grapple, and Danuser stump puller.

Have my sites on a 47 hp 4,100# 4wd. Cost is a factor, so I'm thinking of going to a lower horse and even smaller sized.

Thoughts on what I really NEED and vs what I would like?

And hello all since I'm new here😊
Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

Haleiwa

Look for an older wheel loader with forks and a clamp style grapple.  Fabricate a bucket or snow pusher that will slide onto the forks and be held in pace with the grapple.  More power, bigger tires, greater towing and carrying capacity (by far) for less money.
Socialism is people pretending to work while the government pretends to pay them.  Mike Huckabee

mike_belben

Out in the bush you need something you can actually fix yourself.  

Look at old Long and belarus machines.  You can get 3x more machine per dollar vs kubota deere et al.  

  
Praise The Lord

North to Alaska

Looking at a Branson 4520r
Less $ than most others, no computer, the emissions stuff is low tech (and can be cut off if need be). Good dealer in the area. 
Just wondering if smaller size will work fine.
Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

Wudman

I have a 2wd 35 horsepower older tractor.  The place it would have trouble in your scenario is the snow.  I have a 6 foot scraper blade (pull behind 3 point hitch).  It really can't handle 6 inches of heavy wet snow very well.  With an angle in the blade, the rear of the tractor wants to walk around.  We don't get enough snow in my part of the world to warrant a dedicated snow plow, so I don't know how the smaller tractor would handle pushing snow with a conventional snow plow rather than the pull behind blade.  Maybe someone a little farther north can answer that question.

Wudman
"You may tear down statues and burn buildings but you can't kill the spirit of patriots and when they've had enough this madness will end."
Charlie Daniels
July 4, 2020 (2 days before his death)

Bruno of NH

If I was in the market for a new tractor I would look at the Branson
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

47sawdust

The size and species of logs you mention don't require a lot of grunt. My 83 year old brother still runs a Kubota L2250 and a Farmi 290 winch. He bought the tractor new and it probably has 7000 hours on it. 

We don't get the snow you mentioned but that tractor has done a lot of work in 35 years.

The 2250,2550 and 2850 are a great series of well built tractors and will give good service if not abused.

On the other hand his brother is partial to the L3750 and bigger Kubotas with hydraulic shuttle shift. As close to an automatic trans. as you can get w/o HST.

Best of luck and welcome
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

thecfarm

A snow blower on the back would do it. I use a 18hp and that thing would blow snow. I have a 30 and that will blow snow too. But both was a hydro, so hit a drift just slow down and ease through it. A 30 hp will do a lot. Just have to make more trips. I use a 40 to haul rocks 3 feet across.  ;D
And welcome to the forum.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Nebraska

I agree with mike_belben,  I run a farm trac 53 hp, which is a later model Long made by LG in Korea, they are imported today as LS tractors. Simple tough machine, had to replace a clutch (burnt it, pushing snow my bad) the water pump, and the oil pan gasket. Had it 16 years. Mitsubishi 4 cylinder diesel. Older front wheel assist with that snow.

North to Alaska

Thanks for all the replies!
Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

Gary Davis


  • try an old garrett 15 With gearmatic 8 winch or something  similar, easy on fuel wont get stuck added blade width make a good snow plow with 172 ci desiel or gas has all the power you need simple to work on easy to install a block heater for cold weather starts etc

Andries

Ten feet of snow.
Does it fall and stay til spring?
Does it fall and get rained away in a few days?
Either way - that sets the bar for what's going to work for you.
I'd go with a snowblower on the pto.
You've got to throw that stuff far, or you'll get buried under it.
😨😵😨
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

Satamax

Snowblower, on my latil was powered by a 260HP diesel V8. And has a 125hp motor for the wheels.  When you say 30HP to power a snowblower. That seems extremely low. 

I agree with Haleiwa.  Wheel loader.  If it's flat, you can pull trees.  You can always add bits and bobs to it, tap into the hydraulics. Add a winch, i think it's doable. 

Where i live, we get even more snow sometimes. And most of the job is done by wheel loaders. There is 6 just within 100 yards around me. 3 more backhoes. That could be an option too. 

A tractor with a snowblower, i would get 120hp, minimum, and a turning seat and controls. Because looking backwards, that gets old fast. 
French CD4 sawmill. Latil TL 73. Self moving hydraulic crane. Iveco daily 4x4 lwb dead as of 06/2020. Replaced by a Brimont TL80 CSA.

petefrom bearswamp

IMO you cannot buy too big (within reason) but you can buy too small
My last two tractors were and are a 1967 4020 90 hp deere and 8540 , 85 hp Kubota fwd
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

mike_belben

But you can try to buy too expensive, with disasterous, snow balling results.  
Praise The Lord

Ed_K

 40 to 60 hp 4wd w/loader of your choice, has enough power to weight ratio for what you want to do. If your going snowblower get one with a cab.
Ed K

Woodfarmer

I have a caseih 5230 90 hp fwd will do everything you need, also a 5220 little smaller 

North to Alaska

Thank you for all the advice 
Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

thecfarm

This is only a 18 hp tractor.





Yes, I doubt that is 2 feet of snow, but snow is moving out of my way.  
I have done 2 feet of snow, maybe twice, in 20 years. I have a 500 foot driveway, and an area where my wood is, that is in the above picture. I sure don't get the snow you do, but depends how much you gat in a storm. That 18 did fine and the 30 is that much better. Both was and is hydro, so I turn sideways in the seat and go!! The reason I bought a rear, when I looked at a front one, Kubota, it looked like one out in front of walmart.  :o  Just thin sheet metal. I have a dirt driveway, That would not last me. Than he had one made out of real metal, 3/16, something that I could weld on if I break it.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

North to Alaska

Heading down to pick up the 4520r Branson tomorrow👍
Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

Bruno of NH

Pictures please
I like the Branson
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Al_Smith

You can drag logs with a Ferguson or Ford tractor but you had best chain the tires up . They are too small to pull stumps though .

Nebraska

Congrats you'll get along well with the Branson. Should do almost everything you need.

North to Alaska

Branson 4520r tractor
Krpan 3.5 winch
MTL grapple
Dr 22k splitter
Stihl MS 261 CM

Bruno of NH

Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

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