compact 4x4 tractor or big atv

[sawinredneck]

After getting my mini, I would laugh at using an ATV now!! I can go about anywhere an ATV can, leave little to no ruts, the only bending over I do is when I fell the tree and make the few cuts to get log lengths. When I get home I load the logs up in a saw buck and cut them up.
A tractor with a log arch on the 3pt or a grapple, or a grapple bucket is the ticket.
They make some neat products for doing this with ATV's, but it's pricey and I wonder about it's true effectivness. There is a link in the thread linked a page back to this equipment.

 

[eric_271]

Hahahaha. I take my tractor places that most people wouldn't carry a quart of oil.

Andy

I can't remember what we were doing but my wife was on my dads Kubota with the forks in the bucket and ran one fork through the wall of the house and the other fork through the sliding glass door. Made a little extra work for me taking it some where she should not have.

 

[dingeryote]

we have a Polaris ranger with the dump box we take it of to places a tractor can only dream of going fill it up over the cab haul it to the truck or trailer and go back for more.

Try a 4wd 85hp Orchard tractor. Most will turn inside the ranger, and if not, push over whatever is in the way while dragging out whole logs.

The only downside is getting stuck. Only another narrow tractor and some winch work will get you back out. LOL!!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[nikocker]

I use both.

In the summer or when there's no snow - I use the Honda and my trailer and go to the wood.

In the winter I use the Kubota and bring the wood to me. The wood stays cleaner this way and is easier on the saw chains.

Al

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Nice setup nikocker...one thing about a tractor...at least you have a ROPS vs. 4-wheeler.

 

[goof008]

I have a quad, and it does just fine...and it fits in my shed or garage. A small tractor would be nice, and probably more handy in some cases, but I need the 4x4 quad in the deep snow to get my wood to the house.

I use the quad for hunting and play too, so it is superior to a tractor for those aspects.

I have used 2 Yamaha Big Bears (a 350 and a 400) and pulled a loaded trailer and the racks loaded without much of a problem. I did get into deep snow that kept the machine from getting traction because it was 'floating' on the snow...bigger tires will help that. My thought, and reason for the Big Bears, is they are NOT automatics, they have gears you have to shift. Being a snowmobiler, I don't think those centrifugal clutches can last long with a heavy weight being pulled. Just my opinion, I could be wrong...I just feel better having the gears.

 

[nikocker]

I agree.

My Honda 300's are 5 speeds, and they do a good job of pulling the trailer loaded with oak. They aren't worth a crap in deep snow (anything over 12-14" ) though.
I probably need chains.

Al

 

[SLVRTRC]

Try a 4wd 85hp Orchard tractor. Most will turn inside the ranger, and if not, push over whatever is in the way while dragging out whole logs.

The only downside is getting stuck. Only another narrow tractor and some winch work will get you back out. LOL!!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

we to a lot out on CFR land so knocking down trees isn't an option for us... we have a couple tractors at our disposal the most use we got out of one was a bobcat that we used to skid out whole trees on private land.

 

[nickblaze466]

I have a quad, and it does just fine...and it fits in my shed or garage. A small tractor would be nice, and probably more handy in some cases, but I need the 4x4 quad in the deep snow to get my wood to the house.

I use the quad for hunting and play too, so it is superior to a tractor for those aspects.

I have used 2 Yamaha Big Bears (a 350 and a 400) and pulled a loaded trailer and the racks loaded without much of a problem. I did get into deep snow that kept the machine from getting traction because it was 'floating' on the snow...bigger tires will help that. My thought, and reason for the Big Bears, is they are NOT automatics, they have gears you have to shift. Being a snowmobiler, I don't think those centrifugal clutches can last long with a heavy weight being pulled. Just my opinion, I could be wrong...I just feel better having the gears.

so far i've not had a problem with my CVT drive on the polaris. i've pulled quite a bit, plow snow, swamped the belt a few times and on one occasion used it to pull out a chevy colorado. so far so good

 

[Kansas]

I am getting ready to find out how handy my 4wd tractor is I am about to get back to the farmstead I started cleaning up this spring.

I had so many trees down in the shelter belt i couldnt safely get in and do more. So now its cooling off a bit I plan on taking the little Yanmar there and dragging all the downs out and piling them up just another reason to get on it and play.

Kansas

 

[STANG302]

If the tractor is out of the budget a Jeep (mentioned previously) can be very practical as well. I use my Jeep and winch far more than I thought I would for collecting firewood. A friend has an old 22' bunk style boat trailer that has been "flipped" over to be used as a logging arch. The tongue was cut and turned 180 and the axles are now on what used to be the top. The crank winch was relocated and is still used, the trailer works great behind my Jeep. I use the Jeep for work, wheeling, two tracking, the dunes, Sunday ice cream runs, pulling trees down, and much much more. Not a whole lot of room to haul wood, but they'll pull a little utility trailer, no problem.

I've been using my Bronco II. Works great to pull trees out of the woods. Has fenominal manuverability and 35" mud tires to get some traction. Pulled trees I never thought it could. Have not tried pulling stumps with it. Though I do wish I had a tractor or skid steer to play with.

 

[jcappe]

I honestly don't know which I would rather have. I suppose the tractor.

 

[dingeryote]

so far i've not had a problem with my CVT drive on the polaris. i've pulled quite a bit, plow snow, swamped the belt a few times and on one occasion used it to pull out a chevy colorado. so far so good

Same here. Polaris 700 sportsman used as a Farm Mule, and at times a mini tractor.

I'm on the same belt that came on it, and no I am NOT nice to the thing as it is my primary mode of transport when chasing irrigation and relaying buckets during hand picking.
It also gets used as a spot spray rig, so lots of slow and stop/go use., and we have used it a couple hundred times to drag smaller logs out.

I was leery of the Polaris at first, but after 3 years of thrashing on this one, I am quite happy with it. The only thing that bugs me is Maint. on the thing.
OIl changes, and tranny/diff lube changes are a royal PITA, and the fuel filter set up was designed by a hairdresser or a 7yr old girl.

A tractor works better for logs and heavy work, but the Polaris ain't bad for light stuff.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Anyone have a Farmtrac tractor?

 

[A. Stanton]

Wow!...Hope you have some wheel weights on the back????

Mtfall,
No, I don't have any wheel weights. I figured that I didn't need em with 250 lbs of Rim Guard in the rear tires and a rear blade on the back that weights another 300 lbs.

 

[eric_271]

In the summer or when there's no snow - I use the Honda and my trailer and go to the wood.

In the winter I use the Kubota and bring the wood to me. The wood stays cleaner this way and is easier on the saw chains.

Al

How come you don't have forks in that bucket so you don't have to get off and mess with a chain?

 

[Henry G.]

Nice Kubota!. If I could I would have both.
But real world my Rhino gets used for so much stuff, hauling wood, pulling my splitter, doing 100 miles on a daytrip out in the dez (desert-thats Kali lingo, the most beautiful and wonderful place to play, ride and camp in the winter here) its hands down the winner here. Low gear, in 4X4, with locker engaged it will damn near pull anything and go anywhere.

 

[flewism]

My Honda 300's are 5 speeds, and they do a good job of pulling the trailer loaded with oak. They aren't worth a crap in deep snow (anything over 12-14" ) though.
I probably need chains.

Al

Exactly, we have a pair of 300's and a 450 all 4x4. I say 8 to 10" will stick them, ride up on the skid plates and you are done.
Our routine during burn season is we pull a 4' x4' x16" trailer from the woodpile and park it in the attached garage , about 1/2 a facecord or 1/6 of a cord weighing about 800#, about one weeks worth . The snow gets deep none of the ATV's will pull it. So out comes the New Holland and we use the loader bucket to fill the trailer. Then this small trailer just becomes a container in the garage to be filled weekly by the compact.
I believe farmtrac is Northern tool's compacts, Chinese made, go to TBN they have a whole forum dedicated to them.
My experiences are that UTV's (aka rhinos, rangers, and, mules) are no different that ATV's in deep snow. Great machines 90% of the year for doing chores around the homestead.

 

[savageactor7]

With 4WD CUT with a 3PT you can drag the logs to your work area to be processed and saved many the extra wood 'handling' steps that haunt wood processors.

Also with a tractor you can ride down the shoulder of the road pulling a trailer of wood and police will give you a bye...not so with an ATV pulling a trailer.

We have an ATV too and sure that's helpful but when it comes to making production it's tractor time.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I'm eyeballing a Yanmar YM1810... it's just 2wd, but has a 23.5hp diesel. I haven't asked the price yet. I'm a leetle skeert of the answer. It's a nice little tractor though. No implements or attachments with it as far as I saw and that would be more money to make it useful. I've been wanting a real small tractor for awhile, just a bit bigger than a big mower but not really what most consider a compact tractor.
Ian