New Tractor and Winch

So I bit the bullet and got myself a tractor and timber winch. I plan on tripleing my firewood production and paying it off in 2 years. I have a deep ravine on our farm so the winch is an asset for getting wood from the bottom to the top. Yesterday I pulled a maple that the top had blown out of, the spar was still standing and had a stump dia of 26", and was about 40' in height. I was impressed that the winch could pull it no problem up the ravine. I parked the tractor right at the top and pulled out about 140' of the 165' cable, hooked to the log and pulled it up the 60% grade like nothing.

Also the winch is by far the safest way to pull down trees that are hung up. So far I have not had anything the winch wouldnt pull down with ease.

The tractor is a Massey Ferguson 2615 4wd (49hp) with loaded tires and a Horst welding grapple bucket. The winch is a Wallenstein Fx90, 9000lb of pull.

I hate you, I'm so jealous!.. I've wanted a tractor for years no and I just can't bite the bullet.. It's so nice and shinny.. I want!

Hopefully you can pay it off ASAP and enjoy it for a long time..!

TJ-Bill said:

I hate you, I'm so jealous!.. I've wanted a tractor for years no and I just can't bite the bullet.. It's so nice and shinny.. I want!

Hopefully you can pay it off ASAP and enjoy it for a long time..!

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Thanks, I hope all works out too. We have a farm so I figured a tractor is a good investment. I looked long and hard at used tractors, but it seems to me ones with low hours are near the price of new. And lower priced units have high hours to the point where reliability may be an issue. I figured go new, get the warrenty. If the tractor lasts me 30 or 40 years than it will be money and labour (cutting wood) well spent.

nice!

We have 10 acres a 2 horses.. I want to get a tractor but we just had a little girl so the wife says no.. I has looking at a TYM/Montana dealer a few months ago I thing they sold the Massey's too. I'm still playing with the idea of a backhoe instead of a tractor. I see your point about buying new.. some people want just as much used as you can get new

Nce! Is that still an American tractor or is it now just an American name put on foreign made stuff?

Chris Crouse said:

Nce! Is that still an American tractor or is it now just an American name put on foreign made stuff?

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I dont think you can buy any smaller tractor that is American made. This one has a Simpson motor (Perkins) that is from India and the tractor is assembled in Brazil (so the dealer told me)

How do you like the grapple bucket?
It seems to me that it would be excellent for moving firewood.

Pretty much any tractor under 50hp is made across the pond, somewhere. Japan, South Korea, and India are the major players in the under 50hp utility tractor manufacturing market these days. Even Mighty Green builds it's <50hp tractors for the US market in Japan or India...

BIGBUCK said:

How do you like the grapple bucket?
It seems to me that it would be excellent for moving firewood.

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It works excellent, I have been using it to pile logs at the landing and to scoop up wood to load into my 1 ton

It also works good for saving your back, just pick log up to comfortable height and cut away.

Wow , what a nice set-up ! Congratulations. Its ambitious of you to pay it off that soon. Let us know how you like everything once you get a few hundred hours on it.

Nice ride turkey slayer!! That is a great addition to your farm!! Nice farm to now i know why your "handle" is turkeyslayer!! We only have 1.5 acers and i could use a tractor but my quad is doin' the trick now but no bucket and clamp on that. Good stuff

Ductape said:

Wow , what a nice set-up ! Congratulations. Its ambitious of you to pay it off that soon. Let us know how you like everything once you get a few hundred hours on it.

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I have put 68 hours on it in about 2 weeks work, and have cut and split about 14 full cord (all by myself). As of late the weather hasnt been on my side, a couple of the wood lots I cut out of are inaccessable until it dries out or freezes. I hope to cut at least 100 full cord this winter, and I have some pines lined up to be logged for a local timber buyer.

kodiakattack said:

Nice ride turkey slayer!! That is a great addition to your farm!! Nice farm to now i know why your "handle" is turkeyslayer!! We only have 1.5 acers and i could use a tractor but my quad is doin' the trick now but no bucket and clamp on that. Good stuff

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Thanks, we have 72 acres 41 of it is growable. Lots of turkeys around here, as there is a ravine and stream at the back of the property. I have used my quad and trailer for the last three years, but with the volume of wood I want to move it was time for something bigger.

Nice setup.

So so so so so so so so jealous.

Turkeyslayer said:

Thanks, I hope all works out too. We have a farm so I figured a tractor is a good investment. I looked long and hard at used tractors, but it seems to me ones with low hours are near the price of new. And lower priced units have high hours to the point where reliability may be an issue. I figured go new, get the warrenty. If the tractor lasts me 30 or 40 years than it will be money and labour (cutting wood) well spent.

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Nice rig you have there. I moved mountains with a Ford 9N and a Farmi skidding winch, so you will be able to move the moon and the Earth at once with what you have.

As for used tractors, you are right they sell for darn too much money. My brother used his Kubota for 5 years and then traded it in for over 75% of new value on a new model. Beware that now that you have a tractor you will get BTD (Bigger Tractor Disease).

Thanks for the warning, BTD sounds as serious as CAD.

Nice! I'd like to get one of those grapple buckets. Right now I just use the FEL to push logs up onto a pile but the grapple would definitely work better.

Nice set up!!!!

I'm really drooling over your skidder winch set up.

I'm flat broke so I'll have to Fab something similar up from an old Back blade and a surplus winch...If I die it's your fault! LOL!!!

If that's a newer Massey it's an Agco compilation. They ain't bad at all!!
Not to mention ya didn't have to pay double for a green Yanmar! LOL!!!!!!

Watch that Perkins come winter. They can be a bit of a Diva when it gets cold. LOL!!!

Now ya gotta get a stereo wired up, and some flood lights for those late night wood partys!

:yourock:


Stay safe!
Dingeryote