New Tractor!

[Rob]

Picked up a new tractor today! 

Moving to Sandpoint has been a Doctoral course in snow management!  We got over 6 feet this season and I had to rely on the kindness of neighbors a couple times to keep my 250 yards of sloped gravel driveway clear.

Given I have many other side projects, a tractor seemed like the best option.  This is my first tractor so I bugged a buddy of mine for a crash course in all things tractor. Here is what I ended up with:

LS MT235HE
-Hydrostatic transmission
-35 HP
-66 inch bucket with 1600lbs of lift

I also got a box blade, and added a third function, mid PTO and dual remotes in the rear (they are on order).  I had beet juice added to the tires which adds 950 lbs of ballast.

In the next month or so I will get a post hole digger, set of forks and a set of chains.

For this season I am going to get by without a snow blade but I will add one next year.

A snowblower and grapple are both on my wish list but finances will make that a 2+ year goal.

I do really want a good wood chipper so I may look into that this year or next. 

Anyway, very happy with it - I have already worked on the driveway and smoothed it out.  Next up is prep for the fence

[Rob]

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[Mark Brenckle]

I have the same tractor with ag tires, I'm just at 50 hours on it, has worked great and is very handy around my small property!
  edit to add, my neighbor flips me a bunch of crap about my blue tractor, but I just couldn't justify the extra $9k for the green paint job!

[KFhunter]

Rob, those tires are going to be ice skates.  Get chains.

[pianoman9701]

Nice new toy!

[b23]

I'd get a snowblower setup as soon as you can swing it.  The benefit to snowblowers over a blade or even frontend loaders is it blows it way out of the way instead of just piling it up or creating a berm and when the snow starts really piling up and the berm gets to a certain height a blade become ineffective pretty fast and your road will start getting narrower and narrower.  I have a blade on my 4wheeler and I'm always impressed by how much snow those things will push but once the berm gets about so high it isn't so great.

[Ridgeratt]

Congrats on the diesel therapy. Is that a 4x4 tractor? If you're planning on a snow blower with the rear remotes you should be able to get hydraulic controls on the blower. You will learn pretty quick to pick your battles on direction to blow the snow.

[Special T]

Chains are a must. How much snow did you get at a time?  This may cause some to rib me, but I saw a smaller tractor with a mill board on the rear and a modified one on the front for plowing snow. You can adjust each to bevel to the side and take small bites. Doesn't work on really heavy or deep snow, but you may be able to pick them up used. I don't think most people know how to use them. 

[Rob]

Appreciate the comments

KF: definitely getting chains!

Mark:  really glad to hear yours is working well.  I really could not find any consistent bad reviews, but a whole bunch of good ones.  The feature to price ratio made sense to me.

B23/ridgerat: probably 2 seasons out for the blower but i set up the tractor for a front mount blower (this is why I added the mid-pto and third function).  I currently have a quad with a blade and the berm was the main downfall for me.  I bought a walk behind blower in Jan (and of course we never had more than an inch at a time after i got it!!).  So i can use that to clean up some of it.  Most of the time we were getting 3 to 5 inches at a time so easy enough if you keep up with it.  One day we got 10 to 12 followed by rain.  That was a massive mess. 

The tractor is a 4x4

T: i was toying with attaching a  couple 2"x10"x8' boards to my (soon to have) fork skid plate and making a temporary plow to last a season or two until I get the blower

[Ridgeratt]

Just up the road in Bonners Ferry there is or was a machine shop that had quick disconnect front hydraulic blades. along with a bunch of other kewl attachments.

I was told that I needed chains for my tractor with the R4 ag tires. I bought a set for the front tires it was not as bad of a dent in my wallet. I used them the first year and haven't put them on since.

[Rob]

I will see if I can locate that place.

[KFhunter]

I've bought from the place just south of Sandpoint, they seemed alright.   I'm using an Orange tractor.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Once you get used to operating your tractor bucket a snow blower is really a waste of money IMHO, I plow more than what your doing and a blower has never entered my mind as that useful.

I like doing the driveway grading with a six way rear back blade, I have a box blade that came with the tractor but never use it.

If your hydraulic fill plug is the kind that just pushes into the hole I recommend getting a spare one. I’ve had them come out after prolonged use in the summer heat, and it never happens when the dealership is open.

I haven’t looked at the new tractors, but the older Ford/New Hollands have some of the hyd hoses routed over knife edge corners. If so get some hose wraps ( the spiral type ones) from a hydraulic shop.

Periodically give your tractor a good walk around looking for lose fasteners, tractors vibrate/ have different forces at play that loosen stuff up.

Have fun with it, I don’t even own a wheel barrel anymore.🤣

[Skyvalhunter]

I missed the cost. Guess it was free

[headshot5]

If it isn't already, I would recommend getting the rear tires loaded with ballast.  It will lower you center of gravity making the tractor less tippy on a sidehill.  Plus give you better traction.  The manufacturer should have a chart for how much to use. 


Edited...  Never mind I see you have got it covered with beet juice.  Sounds like you are all set!!!  Have fun and be safe.

[Jingles]

Good looking and undoubtedly useful addition only thing I would of done different is would of gotten an enclosed cab for winter use, but that is because of the cold snowy Winters here

[Ridgeratt]

DUAL PEDAL, 3 RANGE HST
Easier and more comfortable than rocker pedals. Includes cruise control.

That could be a learning curve. snuggling up to a project and accidently stepping on the wrong peddle.

[Rob]

DUAL PEDAL, 3 RANGE HST
Easier and more comfortable than rocker pedals. Includes cruise control.

That could be a learning curve. snuggling up to a project and accidently stepping on the wrong peddle.

Yeah - having two pedals is a bit odd.  But on the other hand this is my first tractor so I am learning this way so hopefully I don't back over a cliff or ram something by accident!

Regarding the cab.  We get considerable snow here as well and I thought about it, but was not a deal breaker for me.  I may regret that.  not sure they make a cab for this model but I have seen aftermarket cabs.  Could not be any worse than the ATV I was operating this last winter I guess!

[Gobble Doc]

Is one pedal for forward and one for reverse?  Or is one front-back and one is the brake?

[KFhunter]

DUAL PEDAL, 3 RANGE HST
Easier and more comfortable than rocker pedals. Includes cruise control.

That could be a learning curve. snuggling up to a project and accidently stepping on the wrong peddle.

Yeah - having two pedals is a bit odd.  But on the other hand this is my first tractor so I am learning this way so hopefully I don't back over a cliff or ram something by accident!

Regarding the cab.  We get considerable snow here as well and I thought about it, but was not a deal breaker for me.  I may regret that.  not sure they make a cab for this model but I have seen aftermarket cabs.  Could not be any worse than the ATV I was operating this last winter I guess!

Stick a canopy on the rops and call it good

[Special T]

https://www.amazon.com/TUFF-TOP-Convertible-High-Density-Thermoplastic/dp/B08MB68G42?th=1

My father had a fiberglass one on his mini John Deere but these seem pretty reasonably priced. Worked ok for rain with no wind, but really helped keep the sun off you.

[Rob]

Is one pedal for forward and one for reverse?  Or is one front-back and one is the brake?

Right side has a fwd and rev pedal.  Left side has right and left brake pedals that can be linked

[Broomd]

If it isn't already, I would recommend getting the rear tires loaded with ballast.  It will lower you center of gravity making the tractor less tippy on a sidehill.  Plus give you better traction.  The manufacturer should have a chart for how much to use. 


Edited...  Never mind I see you have got it covered with beet juice.  Sounds like you are all set!!!  Have fun and be safe.

I went with windshield washer fluid (-20) in my Case 50hp rears...fraction of the price of beet juice which is outrageously expensive anymore.

[b23]

Back in the day they used powdered lead in some tractor tires doubt they use that stuff anymore.  I don't know what a 5 gallon bucket of powdered lead weighs but it's a lot.

[KFhunter]

I got calcium in mine, I'd hate to replace that 

[KFhunter]

More expensive, but I'd rather have wheel weights

[Special T]

Most folks use a beet juice based tire ballast now. It is good for the rubber and doesn't corrode the wheel.

[wolfbait]

Sounds like you have enough implements on the way to do just about anything you have in mind.

Regarding snow, I thought about getting a snow blower years ago, but went with a frontend loader blade instead, reason being I can use the blade for so many other chores, snow blower not so much.

This is the best blade made, hell for stout, and being a six way there isn't much you can't do.

http://www.borgford.com/BODOZER/blades/

[KFhunter]

I like a regular old bucket up front, can move snow piles and stack it high without building a ramp.

Use a blade on the back, a 6 way BISON that's super heavy duty.  I can spin it around to drag or push.

You need a flexible neck for back blade work 
I've had a stiff neck many a time from hours of looking back, not just snowplow but dirt plows mostly.  My next tractor is gonna have a heated and air conditioning and a giant mirror for looking backwards!