Compact tractor?

JimFromTN

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I am in the market for a used tractor to crawl around in the woods and plow up small food plots. It can't be over 2500lbs and must be able to cross a bridge that is 7 feet wide. It needs 4wd. I am clearing out some areas that were clear cut 5 years ago so there are allot of sapling roots that need to be tore up out of the ground. I was thinking a bottom plow or potato buster plow. Most compact tractors have around 25hp. Is that enough? Looking at John Deere 1025R, Kubota BX2380. Another possibility that may work is New Holland 1530 but not sure if its too big. Kiota's seem to fit the bill but I have not heard much about them other than they have a non-standard PTO which steers me away from them? They like Massie Ferguson around here but I have not been able to find any of their compact tractors used for sale. There is also bad boy tractors but they are relatively new to tractors.
 
You need some form of ripper, something built heavy with a shear bolt like this 22B I have, but it's recommended for at least 35hp, my tractor is 32/33hp and handles it in moderately clay soils just fine, I started going about half depth, about 10" the first year, it will now pull it to the frame in the 2nd year in most places, 2/3 of the way in other areas that were heavily compacted. Our place has a ton of moderately sized rocks and I have a fairly good pile of them now. I don't have the runoff of the past. Next spring I suspect I can pull this to the frame over the entire pasture. It will cut roots within reason and I have only had to replace the shear bolt once when I found a shale ledge on the back side of the property.

I would look at the 3033R, much better tractor, has the HP and within your weight if you don't go crazy with accessories

Ripper a.jpg
 
I have a BX2380 and I do not think it will cut through sapling roots. I run a box blade with rippers deployed and if root is big enough, seat belt gets tested! 1" root barely ok, so if bigger can be interesting.
 
The tractor you were describing is too light to do much digging ,I have a new Holland Boomer 40 and while I can do pretty well pushing trees digging roots occasionally I have a rough time.
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get as big a tractor as you possibly can or you may end up regretting your purchase
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If he's actually talking saplings sub 5yrs old,, his 2500lb, sub 35hp requirements are more than sufficient.

He can load the tires and gain as much as 800lbs, wheel weights gain another 3-600lbs.

My very first tractor was a 125hp 4430 JD, currently have a 3032e and a 3046r, the e was a snap decision because it was a deal on Craigslist.

Tractors are like LR shooting or hunting, they require knowledge and metric tons of common sense.

That JD 22b ripper has a full 32" to the frame, things can be done that others plainly say can't. JD didn't want to order it for me, $1100+ purchase, great, 2 weeks later one showed up on Auction Time and was 2hrs away, $400 brand new.

I have used it on the first 35 acres of the place, now that I own the remainder of this ranch we have 474 acres it will eventually get to work on.

A grapple, rock bucket and wood chipper/shredder are in the future and I have no qualms running any of them with the 3032e rated at 32hp.

Common sense trumps hp, I seen neighbors destroy bigger tractors doing less work than I routinely do.

Besides, fresh air and the smell of burnt diesel fumes are more relaxing than reading dribble on any internet forum.

I suggest re-reading his post and then logically thinking about it, it can be accomplished, just not with a sub 25/20hp tractor, for one, they couldn't get the listed ripper point to clear the ground to move around.
 
If he's actually talking saplings sub 5yrs old,, his 2500lb, sub 35hp requirements are more than sufficient.

He can load the tires and gain as much as 800lbs, wheel weights gain another 3-600lbs.

My very first tractor was a 125hp 4430 JD, currently have a 3032e and a 3046r, the e was a snap decision because it was a deal on Craigslist.

Tractors are like LR shooting or hunting, they require knowledge and metric tons of common sense.

That JD 22b ripper has a full 32" to the frame, things can be done that others plainly say can't. JD didn't want to order it for me, $1100+ purchase, great, 2 weeks later one showed up on Auction Time and was 2hrs away, $400 brand new.

I have used it on the first 35 acres of the place, now that I own the remainder of this ranch we have 474 acres it will eventually get to work on.

A grapple, rock bucket and wood chipper/shredder are in the future and I have no qualms running any of them with the 3032e rated at 32hp.

Common sense trumps hp, I seen neighbors destroy bigger tractors doing less work than I routinely do.

Besides, fresh air and the smell of burnt diesel fumes are more relaxing than reading dribble on any internet forum.

I suggest re-reading his post and then logically thinking about it, it can be accomplished, just not with a sub 25/20hp tractor, for one, they couldn't get the listed ripper point to clear the ground to move around.
You may be right, but if his "clear cut" is like many around here - there are an untold amount of large stumps, old growth roots, etc. still there.
 
Look at my tractor in the photo I lifted the back tires off the ground and they are full of ballast (water and calcium)so it does not freeze I spent nearly an hour digging around the stump before I could actually pop it up. As stated earlier you will lose traction well before you run out of horsepower
 

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Bought a used Kubota L3200 about 4 years ago. I have ripped some big roots with it It helps to load the bucket to reduce "wheelies". Not sure how I ever got along without it. Here's the link.....

 

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