I am finally getting to live out a dream that was on my bucket list. I have always wanted a place of my own to hunt where I had full control of the place and allowed me to manage the land my way. My family and I purchased a farm recently which allows us to have a place to retire to as well as well as work on it from a labor of love perspective. With that came the desire to own my own tractor. I have looked at various brands of tractors both new and used for the last year trying to determine the right path. My concern was purchasing something that would have problems from the get go. I figured if it was going to break, I'd be the one to break it. With that said, below was the outcome of my decision. I went with a Kubota M7060. I had them add the 12 spd tranny, cast weighted tires, extra hydraulic remote and a FEL. I'm now looking for a rotary cutter that is lightly used and can cut some decent sized saplings. I wanted something big enough that can handle any utility chore on 100 acres; Learning as I go.
Nothing like the feeling of being at the point where 'you need a tractor', if you grew up and lived the 1st 25-30 years of life living on various postage stamp lots there is nothing like the feeling. We went from a 1/4 acre house lot, to 19 acre plot w/house to 100 acres w/house. Hunt out the back door, small pond stocked w/local bass etc, watch the wildlife grow and interact. Congrats
Nothing like the feeling of being at the point where 'you need a tractor', if you grew up and lived the 1st 25-30 years of life living on various postage stamp lots there is nothing like the feeling. We went from a 1/4 acre house lot, to 19 acre plot w/house to 100 acres w/house. Hunt out the back door, small pond stocked w/local bass etc, watch the wildlife grow and interact. Congrats
100 acres is a lot of maintenance for 2 aging folks already, but its always been worth the effort and the money pit for the most part.
Nice tractor.
Trying to get my 165 back together in the next few evenings, had hell finding someone that would braze a leak in the fuel tank... I was not brave enough. LOL
Nice looking tractor. It should provide you with lots of capability for your place. I would add rim guard to the rear tires and get a piranha bar or similar for the bucket. Be careful and go slow if you don't have much experience with tractors.
I'm jealous. Good lookin setup. We have about 1000 acres total, but I've got a 23yo guy who has a similar setup as yours and only charges me 50 bucks an hour to do whatever. I tip him also. He has a 7ft bushhog that can really go to town. Just can't justify the purchase yet when I have a dependable guy willing to do the work with good equipment at a more than fair price. No payments or upkeep on my part.
I almost went with Kubota on my 85hp. Only went with Deere because the dealer is 20 mins away, rather than 2 hours. The Deere has been fine, but the dealer has gone out of their way to screw me on labor costs on the little things I've needed done.
I managed to mess up one of my fenders (hit a large branch below my line of sight/vision). The good Deere/Sentry insurance covered it (only $500 for me), but the service dept charged them $600 labor to replace a fender, which took all of 45 minutes. The part was $668. The a-holes even had the gall to charge me $4 for a can of PB blaster on another repair they did (they itemized it). This was on a several hundred dollar non-warranty repair.
Be careful with the front end loader. It’s very powerful, it will flip that tractor over in a heartbeat. If it has the quick change front bucket, you might consider a set of pallet forks. They are handy as hell, weight much closer to front of tractor.
I have a ten your old version of the same tractor. Best tractor made for what you are doing in my opinion. I ailways keep an implement on the back of the tractor when using the bucket to keep the front on the ground.
Don’t even think about using the front end loader without an implement on the back. I’ve been operating backhoes, excavators, all kinds of equipment for 45 years. My tractor is the most dangerous thing I have ever operated.
I have a ten your old version of the same tractor. Best tractor made for what you are doing in my opinion. I ailways keep an implement on the back of the tractor when using the bucket to keep the front on the ground.
Never run a tractor that worked like that. We had to use rear weight to keep the back tires on the ground. Lifting the front off the ground was easier with rear implements.
You can do a lot with a 70HP tractor with FWD. Like some of the others have said, be careful using the FEL. Weight is your friend, and will make a big difference.
I almost went with Kubota on my 85hp. Only went with Deere because the dealer is 20 mins away, rather than 2 hours. The Deere has been fine, but the dealer has gone out of their way to screw me on labor costs on the little things I've needed done.
I managed to mess up one of my fenders (hit a large branch below my line of sight/vision). The good Deere/Sentry insurance covered it (only $500 for me), but the service dept charged them $600 labor to replace a fender, which took all of 45 minutes. The part was $668. The a-holes even had the gall to charge me $4 for a can of PB blaster on another repair they did (they itemized it). This was on a several hundred dollar non-warranty repair.
My next one will be a Kubota...
That is why I don't let a dealer do my repair work. JD dealers are notorious for stuff such as that.
You already mentioned. cast rear wheel weights? I would also immediately have the dealer fill the rear tires with fluid, all the way to the top.
Once you lift a bucket of dirt, you will find you have no traction with the back tires. The front wheel drive will help a bunch, but weight on back is still desirablle.
I keep an 8 foot Road Boss grader hitched on the back for ballast when using the loader on my 70 hp International. A Gandy Box scraper would help also, and not be too bad about being in the way.
Congrats! I’ve had my 26HP my kubota a year. Great machine.
Filled tires are the way to go, IMO. Especially if in tight area. Mine are filled w rimguard beet juice. 11 pounds per gallon, noncorrosive, and freezes at-35*.
100 acres is a lot of maintenance for 2 aging folks already, but its always been worth the effort and the money pit for the most part.
Nice tractor.
Trying to get my 165 back together in the next few evenings, had hell finding someone that would braze a leak in the fuel tank... I was not brave enough. LOL
Next time you have that problem just put the neck of the tank over the exhaust pipe of something handy and run exhaust fume through it for ten or fifteen minutes. Totally neatralizes any dangerous fumes. Have welded LOTS of them. My rule of thumb is to let it cook until it is too warm to touch comfortably.
I did have the tires filled as well. I know Kubotas aren't as rear heavy as some of the domestic brands. I'll be adding a rotary cutter which will stay on the back most of the time.
I did have the tires filled as well. I know Kubotas aren't as rear heavy as some of the domestic brands. I'll be adding a rotary cutter which will stay on the back most of the time.
As has been mentioned regarding loader work be extra careful! Especially when turning, keep the bucket low.... Watch sidehills, etc..
I'd be wanting a little grapple fork on the bucket to grab piles of brush but you can always just fork or toss it in the bucket as well.
A friend of mine died recently and a Kubota tractor like that was sold by his wife in an estate auction. He had a cab and air conditioning on it,...300 hours. I think it was a 2014 model. It's *way* more tractor than I need, but it sure would have been a fun toy.
He lived on a very premium 50 acre tract of land a couple of miles down the road and was diagnosed with some bad stuff a few years ago. He bought the Kubota and several nice implements a couple of years ago. I was seriously tempted to get in on the bidding for it, but it would have been a frivolous thing for me to chop a chunk out of my IRA for.
If the dealer has a SSQA quick attach option for the bucket, do it! Being able to swap the bucket to a grapple bucket or pallet forks is indispensable. You'll be thanking me later.
Devnull , excellent choice in tractor , my 7060 is three years old and going stronge . 12 speed also which if you have to road to another field is great but you will still have good lower end . Loaded tires you will not have any trouble with the front end loader , use common sense keep loads close to ground for center of gravity and do not side hill with a load. Pay attention to the burn off procedure as that model does not have DEF fluid . Purchase a good set of forks your bucket already has a quick detach , a box grader is also very handy ,a good rotary cutter would be next ......my preference is woods brand on both and the heavy model you can afford , tough duty equipment and you want it rugged .
Maintain your equipment and it will retain its value , traded my 2002 M4900 for over half its purchase price last year and I thought I had worked the life out of it .
I'm not up on tractor prices,.....but I think it went too low. A lot of things did. I was tempted to give his widow some advice about selling it,...but she's grieving right now. I didn't want to burden her with a bunch of advice.
She called my wife yesterday and wants advice on selling her farm.
I wish I was in a position to buy it. But it's beyond my means. It's a beautiful piece of property in Thoroughbred country,...and besides,...I'm content being one of the 5 acre peasants out here.
I did have the tires filled as well. I know Kubotas aren't as rear heavy as some of the domestic brands. I'll be adding a rotary cutter which will stay on the back most of the time.
As has been mentioned regarding loader work be extra careful! Especially when turning, keep the bucket low.... Watch sidehills, etc..
I'd be wanting a little grapple fork on the bucket to grab piles of brush but you can always just fork or toss it in the bucket as well.
As Sam has said be damn careful, things happen fast with a loader tractor. Those of us that grew up with them have stories, be carefull
If the dealer has a SSQA quick attach option for the bucket, do it! Being able to swap the bucket to a grapple bucket or pallet forks is indispensable. You'll be thanking me later.
Purchased my land 11yrs ago. The next year got my tractor, and have been adding attachments, bush hog, finish mower,box blade,disc, seeder,post hole digger, tiller,plow. Let the fun begin.
As Sam has said be damn careful, things happen fast with a loader tractor. Those of us that grew up with them have stories, be careful.
This, I have seen, and been, balanced on one front tire - SUCKS - and will make you suck wind (assuming you don't go over). Only one I ever turned over was in a truck wreck (tractor on trailer), but I have been very close in my 59 years of operating tractors. Biggest thing is KEEP THE LOADER BUCKET LOW !!!!!
Ah heck Mark, next you will be telling us we can not exceed the max listed in the reloader's manuals.
Gosh, I have one front tire airborn quite often with the 4020, the Hydro 70, and the 8N. It's the back tires that I insist both keep contact with the ground. With the caveat that it is a good idea to keep all four on the ground if you have any weight in the loader bucket.
Thanks for all the input. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little apprehensive about using it. I've used tractors in the past, just never new ones.
I did look up the Brown cutters and they look wicked. I've looked at Woods but I think the Brown just might win me over for a rotary cutter. I have 15-20 acres in the back that have some saplings/small trees that needs to be cut down. I think the Brown just might do it.
The thing to remember is to always back over things with the brown tree cutter because if you don’t have a belly pan on your Tractor you can do some damage to it. There are some good videos on YouTube of the Brown in action. I use my cutter on the Kubota M8200 and had to learn the hard way about the damage you can do . Ronnie
After reading this thread, I have only a couple of suggestions.
You have a 70hp tractor. Putting a 72" cutter on it may get the job done, but you will have much better results and way less work if you go with a wider cutter.
The guys are right about being careful with using the loader, and the balance of the tractor, as well as backing over thicker brush you cut, rather than running over it with your tractor.
I do this stuff for a living, and wouldn't ever consider getting a rotary cutter that wasn't a batwing. Of course there's only so many times you can shred 100 acres, so you may not want to spend more money on a batwing...
Those cutters that are 8-10 feet that are rear hitch mounted are pretty worthless in my opinion. They are heavy and hard on your 3 point hitch, and are high maintenance, and not real reliable.
You'll figure it out. And have a good time doing so...
I put in several deer food plots a year with my 45hp tractor and 72" Countyline tiller.
That's gonna go away because m brother wants to buy that tractor, and tiller, as well as the 72" cutter for his ranch.
I'll be stepping up to 65hp and a Mahindra 2565Cab. I already have a 12' Woods Batwing for it, and will probably end up with this reverse tine Woods tiller. I think a reverse tine tiller would work better for me, vs the Countyline forward tine.
I don’t 5hink boys ever grow out of tractors. They were cool when I was 4, I’d love to have one now (even better, a reason to have one!) at 44, and I don’t see it fading.
After reading this thread, I have only a couple of suggestions.
You have a 70hp tractor. Putting a 72" cutter on it may get the job done, but you will have much better results and way less work if you go with a wider cutter.
The guys are right about being careful with using the loader, and the balance of the tractor, as well as backing over thicker brush you cut, rather than running over it with your tractor.
I do this stuff for a living, and wouldn't ever consider getting a rotary cutter that wasn't a batwing. Of course there's only so many times you can shred 100 acres, so you may not want to spend more money on a batwing...
Those cutters that are 8-10 feet that are rear hitch mounted are pretty worthless in my opinion. They are heavy and hard on your 3 point hitch, and are high maintenance, and not real reliable.
You'll figure it out. And have a good time doing so...
I bought a rotary flail mower for my tractor. It is much easier to maneuver through the woods and doesn't throw rocks for miles. It does a good job on anything up to about 2 inches in diameter with the duck foot blades.
I put in several deer food plots a year with my 45hp tractor and 72" Countyline tiller.
That's gonna go away because m brother wants to buy that tractor, and tiller, as well as the 72" cutter for his ranch.
I'll be stepping up to 65hp and a Mahindra 2565Cab. I already have a 12' Woods Batwing for it, and will probably end up with this reverse tine Woods tiller. I think a reverse tine tiller would work better for me, vs the Countyline forward tine.
A tiller is on my gotta have list. A disk generally leaves rough ground that needs to be smoothed before planting and that for me involves dragging a section harrow and those can be dusty. Ronnie
We bought a 10 year old ( 820 hrs.) Kubota 60-40. (full cab) last summer. Wish it hadn’t taken so long....one of the best investments we’ve made since we bought our place. Recently bought a set of 60” forks...a real handy addition! memtb
Dang.... tractor talk gets this bunch worked up more than free beer or a new porn site. Just for the record, I have a JD 1520 with big meats on the back. Good tires, wheel weights, & fluid help me keep the shiny side up when I bushhog.
Bristoe, older, no longer made, 3 point hitch Massey Ferguson harrows that are adjustable are the berries for plot, landscape, & tight quarters work. Probably cost more than a new set of Chinese at T.S. but worth it. Finding a nice set could be a challenge.
I’ve got one of these, https://www.farm-king.com/pages/product_le_disc.php The 605 model and a 1976 model John Deere will pick it up easily but it has trouble pulling it when cutting axle deep on the disk, then it’s just a little too small for the Kubota. That model 506 should be ok on an 8N. Ronnie
Be careful with the front end loader. It’s very powerful, it will flip that tractor over in a heartbeat. If it has the quick change front bucket, you might consider a set of pallet forks. They are handy as hell, weight much closer to front of tractor.
Yeah, just don't get it too high and in a bind. The cutter on the back help to balance it.
To the OP, regarding used cutters, be careful. I'd suck it up and get a new heavy duty Bush Hog or Rhino. Cutting brush and saplings, you need a good one. HD is the way to go. You won't regret it. Or as Stick says, "Thank me later".
Dang.... tractor talk gets this bunch worked up more than free beer or a new porn site. Just for the record, I have a JD 1520 with big meats on the back. Good tires, wheel weights, & fluid help me keep the shiny side up when I bushhog.
Bristoe, older, no longer made, 3 point hitch Massey Ferguson harrows that are adjustable are the berries for plot, landscape, & tight quarters work. Probably cost more than a new set of Chinese at T.S. but worth it. Finding a nice set could be a challenge.
A friend of a friend was going back over a spot he had brush hogged. He was going back against the grain. A pointed piece of sweet gum went right through him like a lance from Sir Lancelot. They got him to the hospital, but he later died.
Since the topic of discs has been broached, what's a good small disc for an 8N? I'd like one small enough to be lifted by the 3 point hitch.
My 3 point disc is a John Deere. It has just three cutting blades on each of the four axles, and is heavy enough to lift the front wheels of the 8N off the ground when climbing any amount of grade with the disc elevated. A new set of 6.50-16 tires on the front of the 8N filled with calcium chloride keeps the front end down most of the time.
The disc is six feet wide and just covers the tractor tracks in use. I use it after plowing to prepare five acre fields for planting.
You probably do not need anything quite that durable or heavy. For your use, I would run down to Tractor Supply and look at the King Kutter, or their equivalent brand.
You want it to be six feet wide, so that it will wipe out your tire tracks. You absolutely do not need the cutting bars to be adjustable. You adjust depth of cut with your three point and draft control.
Your third link on the tractor should have two or three positions to place the pin. The higher you hook the third link, the more sensitive your draft control will be.
It is a bonus if your disc has a place where you can throw a bit of extra weight, to help it cut into hard dry ground.
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