Really really really want a tractor

[JRM]

I've skidded a lot of logs out of the woods with my little L. I don't take too many pictures while I'm working, this is the only one I can find for now. The only reason I even had my phone out there that day was taking pictures of the recent snow fall. The woods are a beautiful place after a fresh snow!
At any rate, I've hauled out bigger than this. If the 3 point will pick it it'll generally drag it. Grab the big end if possible, it puts weight on the drive tires and subsequently lightens the amount of dead weight you have to drag.

 

[pdqdl]

Get a set of log tongs, then you won't be dragging your chains into oblivion.


You can get them in any size.
https://timberking.com/product/32-log-skidding-tongs/https://timberking.com/product/25-log-skidding-tongs/https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200640284_200640284

 

[JRM]

If you pick the log up like you should you won't ruin your chain
Tongs are ok for some things but I mostly use a chain with a slip hook for dragging them any kind of distance. The yellow hook hanging on the back of my tractor in my pic is actually a set of tongs, I do use both.

A chain affords better control of the log and better adjustibility length wise on the back of your hitch.

P.S. I got my tongs from Tractor Supply, DON'T buy tongs from them, they are junk!

 

[JRM]

For traction and size / strength of loader, you are right. But I would submit, just for one example, that the Kubota L2501 is too much tractor for the horsepower. One real hp hog, and one of the main reasons I got a bigger tractor is to run a chipper/shredder or chipper. The deal with chippers is that while you might never chip an 8" log, you want that 8" chipper because of the smaller stuff you can push thru it without having to trim it so much. I went from a 3" gas powered to a 5.5" PTO, that I bought used, and if I live long enough and am able to afford it, will go for an 8" PTO chipper. For that, depending on the brand, my 32 hp at the PTO is either on the low end or not enough. But since I'll never chip an 8" log, low end is enough.

HP is Absolutely important if buying to use for specific purpose like this. I should have been more specific in my statement, I was speaking in terms of firewood use/landscape use that the OP is interested in.

 

[Cliff R]

Weight is a BIG deal with tractors and equipment, especially when it comes to traction. You don't need big powerful engines in these machines either. I have a John Deere 318 with a custom weight bracket on the back, a rack of suitcase weights, loaded tires, wheel weights and chains. The front in counter balanced with a really heavy John Deere plow. I've pulled full size vehicles out of the ditch many times when they run off the road down in front of the house on slippery Winter days. When I show up with that little tractor I get some pretty strange looks but they go away quickly when I latch on to them and yank them back up on the road. The biggest vehicle to date was a service van that tried to turn around in my driveway and missed and went down into the ditch. The van was full of equipment and "high sided" with the left front wheel clear off the ground. I snatched the van right back up on the road to the amazement of the driver.

I have a John Deere 212 for snow plow duty as well. The tires are loaded, weights, chains and posi-differential. It's nearly unstoppable and in the last 20 years I've never been stuck with it or piled snow high enough I couldn't push it. The little 12hp engine never grumbles at all because it has a very well thought out gearing system with a variable speed lever for each gear. The transmission/transaxle is also cast iron and very robust putting the weight where it should be. I had a much larger Cub Cadet tractor for a while with a V-twin engine and light weight aluminum rear diff. That POS would get stuck if you ran over a banana peel facing down hill!! In the Winter you didn't even dare back it out of the shop with 1/4" of snow on the driveway or you were NOT getting it back in without a winch!..........

I'd also mention the way they rate HP these days is very deceiving. A tiny little mower at Lowe's may have a higher HP rating that a decent size compact tractor but not on par anyplace with the much larger machine. I absolutely LOVE those little Yanmar 3 cylinder diesel engines and they have great potential for the displacement and rated power. I mow with a John Deere X740, 62" deck and it never grumbles once no matter how fast you go or how high the grass is.......

 

[NSMaple1]

We've got a couple 100hp class tractors here that would be useless in the winter without some kind of traction help. If that will be a situation you will be in (the OP that is), and chains might be in your future, make sure what you get has room for chains under the fenders. Some just don't have the room to confidently do it. One of ours has chains - the other has studs.

 

[JRM]

I've never felt the need to run chains on a 4x4 tractor. 2 wheel drive, thats another story. For context we average north of 100" annual snow fall. Currently sitting at over 2ft on the ground and accumulating by the minute.

 

[NSMaple1]

I've never felt the need to run chains on a 4x4 tractor. 2 wheel drive, thats another story. For context we average north of 100" annual snow fall. Currently sitting at over 2ft on the ground and accumulating by the minute.

And not everyones situation is the same.

Our freeze/thaw cycles build lots of ice over the winter, in the yard and on the woods roads. Both pretty hilly.

 

[Bill G]

We've got a couple 100hp class tractors here that would be useless in the winter without some kind of traction help. If that will be a situation you will be in (the OP that is), and chains might be in your future, make sure what you get has room for chains under the fenders. Some just don't have the room to confidently do it. One of ours has chains - the other has studs.

Yes, That is what I stated in my above post. All the HP in world will do no good if you cannot apply it to the ground. That is the reason the skidder could not get it self up a slight hill last week and why I had issues with the tree yesterday. Chains are the only way to go. With the exception of the tractor I was running yesterday and will be later today everything runs chains. That includes my Kawasaki Mule. Years ago I had a set of tire cables in the trunk of my wife's car. Your point of making sure the tractor has enough clearance to run chains is a good one. I am used to my tractors with spin out rims. In the winter you just spin them out aways so you have plenty of clearance. Around here there are many tractor fenders that have been ruined by running chains too loose and too fast. You get them to slapping and BANG there goes a fender. The fine man that used to live on my farm always ran chains on his pickups during the winter. That included the F250 highboy. He also had a 2WD Chevy 1/2ton that he went everywhere with with chains. The tire shop in a small town 40 miles south of here has a snowplow on a 1978 Ford 1/2 ton 2wd. He puts chains on and fills the bed with used tires. Now that being said I would not by a 2wd truck but that is a different conversation.

On another note about chains when you get to that point take a good hard look at what you are buying. There is a HUGE difference in type/style/quality. I am looking for a good quality 18x38 pair but I have yet to find any new ones that I am pleased with. All I can find is cheap single loop "highway" chains" I will probably end up building a set from individual components. It seems no one has a heavy set of "X" style ice chains

 

[NSMaple1]

I should have also mentioned steps and whatever else might be in the way, and not just fenders. Some steps are real close to the front of the back tires on some units.

 

[Bill G]

I've never felt the need to run chains on a 4x4 tractor. 2 wheel drive, thats another story. For context we average north of 100" annual snow fall. Currently sitting at over 2ft on the ground and accumulating by the minute.

You doing OK getting around in that 2ft of snow? Any ice pack under that? We warmed up about 8-10 days ago and melted off most snow. It then went sub zero and left close to a inch of solid ice. Then a little snow on top a day or two later which will melt off Monday then by Wednesday the low is supposed to be -13 which will build more ice. Currently I do not have any cows to feed but for many years I did. There was no taking a day off because the weather was bad. Every single night 365 days a year I had to haul hay and feed. We never got 24" of snow at a time but had we I still would have had to go through it.

 

[Bill G]

I should have also mentioned steps and whatever else might be in the way, and not just fenders. Some steps are real close to the front of the back tires on some units.

Another good point on smaller tractors

 

[Bill G]

Here are three chain designs

The first is a light highway chain. The second is better. Both of these are available in most tractor tire sizes. The last are skidder chains and not available in tractor tire sizes, well they will fit a combine but I digress........

 

[NSMaple1]

Ours are these. Trygg. If this pic posts.

 

[Bill G]

Yet another of my useless plugs for chains is running them in the summer. Yes as odd as that sounds in the summer. We used to put them on the small tractor for running the bush hog during the summer. Of course traction was not an issue, it was to help break up the Locust thorns and keep the tire just a little bit further away from them. It did help. Then we went to a solid tire. The neighbor also would place a much larger tire over the top of his tires on a 2020 Deere but I do not remember it working so well.

 

[Franny K]

Not sure where in CT you are. I have the smallest utility tractor from Deere. 5xxx with the I3 and R4 tires. If you are sort of close to 06076 come and experiment. The tires on most of the stuff in this thread seem limited.

 

[husky455rancher]

Not sure where in CT you are. I have the smallest utility tractor from Deere. 5xxx with the I3 and R4 tires. If you are sort of close to 06076 come and experiment. The tires on most of the stuff in this thread seem limited.

i just checked the zip it’s an hour and a half from me. I’m as far north east as you can get without going into mass. I appreciate the offer though. I was hoping you were close by. My brother lives out towards that way he’s in wolcott.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Because of this thread I spent a little time surfing. Yammer has 0% for seven years financing some of their lineup.
That's not good! This thread could be very expensive...tens of thousands wise.

 

[Franny K]

i just checked the zip it’s an hour and a half from me. I’m as far north east as you can get without going into mass. I appreciate the offer though. I was hoping you were close by. My brother lives out towards that way he’s in wolcott.

Well it is Stafford springs and I am 0.8 miles from the Ma line.

 

[Bill G]

Because of this thread I spent a little time surfing. Yammer has 0% for seven years financing some of their lineup.
That's not good! This thread could be very expensive...tens of thousands wise.

If you get serious about buying I would strongly look at a cash price. You can probably do much better on cash and if you need to finance then bank rates are really low.......for now. Interest is going to go up, that is for certain. I am betting the dealer/company would much rather have the cash now as with interest going up the opportunity costs of allowing a customer to spread it out over 7 years are high.