Small Farm Equipment Recommendations

[blades]

I will look into this as well. I had never considered something like that. Are they top heavy? I live on top of a hill, so part of the property is sloped, and I don't particularly want a rollover

no more so than a tractor or SS anything can be rolled if you are not paying attention to what you are doing and the terrain. wet slopes, loose gravel ,sand, grassy slopes, soft ground any of these can create a problem very quickly.
last year I had to go rescue my friend with his Kubota fwd, hard packed clay but it was wet in the first 6 ", he was sliding into the creek on a down slope even with bucket and FEL he could stop slide but the minute he lifted one or the other to try and push or pull he started sliding again.

 

[SpaceBus]

Man, the Can Am Defender HD5 gets really expensive really fast when doors and a windshield are added on. I'm exploring the HiSun units that are carried by TSC and some independent dealers. I know they are Chinese, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are bad, and they come with some really great options out of the box. I like the Honda Pioneers, but they only have a rear rack, not a box.

 

[maple1]

Man, the Can Am Defender HD5 gets really expensive really fast when doors and a windshield are added on. I'm exploring the HiSun units that are carried by TSC and some independent dealers. I know they are Chinese, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are bad, and they come with some really great options out of the box. I like the Honda Pioneers, but they only have a rear rack, not a box.

Actually, if I was going shopping for a SxS, I think the Pioneer would be one of my first looks. Their fold down back seating could be pretty handy. And I'm kind of a Honda guy.

But I thought they all had boxes? Or maybe the smallest 500 doesn't?

I would seriously stay away from off brand Chinese ones. There was a brand being sold around here a few years ago. Some guys got some. Some had engine problems. Like, blowing up. Then support & the company all together disappeared so they were completely out of luck. Power Max maybe?

 

[SpaceBus]

This seems like a pretty decent machine that will do exactly what I want. Even the 550 model, branded a Coleman when carried by TSC, seems like a good buy.

https://dirtwheelsmag.com/utv-test-hisun-sector-750/

 

[johneh]

I don't know about where you live but my Dealer
picks up and delivers my Kabota for service and returns
it part of the warranty and I understand that they do the same after warranty

 

[SpaceBus]

Actually, if I was going shopping for a SxS, I think the Pioneer would be one of my first looks. Their fold down back seating could be pretty handy. And I'm kind of a Honda guy.

But I thought they all had boxes? Or maybe the smallest 500 doesn't?

I would seriously stay away from off brand Chinese ones. There was a brand being sold around here a few years ago. Some guys got some. Some had engine problems. Like, blowing up. Then support & the company all together disappeared so they were completely out of luck. Power Max maybe?

Yeah, the 500 doesn't offer a real bed. The fold down rear seats on the higher end models, but quite expensive. Maybe it is worth it to cry once. I do like Honda. My first two motorcycles were Hondas, unusual ones at that. My first road bike was a 80 Honda CX500 Custom and I replaced it with an 04 VFR 800. As far as Japanese manufacturers, it's hard to beat Honda and Yamaha. I had a Polaris Outlaw sport ATV a while back, and aside from high priced parts, I did enjoy it, but I picked it specifically for the independent rear suspension for more technical stuff. I'll have to see if there's a Honda dealer anywhere near me. This is the one downside to living in the middle of nowhere.

 

[SpaceBus]

Honestly with the optional cargo tray the Pioneer 500 might be just fine for my needs. The 700 is nice, but to get the slick transmission you have to go with the Deluxe. The 500 gets the nice trans standard. Still, the price climbs quickly when adding comfort items pretty much necessary for Maine winters.

 

[festerw]

Man, the Can Am Defender HD5 gets really expensive really fast when doors and a windshield are added on. I'm exploring the HiSun units that are carried by TSC and some independent dealers. I know they are Chinese, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are bad, and they come with some really great options out of the box. I like the Honda Pioneers, but they only have a rear rack, not a box.

I shopped for one for work 2 years ago and pretty much what I found was when they're similarly equipped they're all right around the same price. I was shopping between Kubota, Deere, Can Am, Polaris, Bobcat, Gravely, Cushman, and Toro.

We ended up with a Kubota RTV-1100 because it had all the "extras" included at the factory. Cab/heat/AC were all there where as the other brands that was all dealer added options.

We've also found that it was prewired for everything so we've added F/R work lights for much cheaper than the option package at purchase.

 

[SpaceBus]

The more I read about the Honda Pioneer 500, the more it seems like the perfect little UTV for our property. Our trees are really tightly packed together since nobody has maintained the forest in over 40 years. The little P500 is like if a Miata were a UTV, which is high praise from me, I love Miatas. I think between the P500 and a 30-40 HP CUT, with the right implements, we would be set. The P500 looks like it would be a riot on some tight trails after we cut them into the woods around the house. Plus, there are a ton of maintained trails around where we live anyway. I'm still stuck here in the hospital, so I'm just kind of reading up on this stuff out of boredom.

 

[wilsoncm1]

Buy a larger tractor than you think you'll ever need. We looked around at used 4x4 tractors in our area and ended up buying a new Massey Ferguson 1734e from a local dealer because the price was too close to used to pass up. It's the economy version, so no fancy transmission or cab. Just a basic tractor. No DEF, but it does have a particulate filter and renew cycle that's a pain if you don't work the tractor on a regular basis. Comes with loader.

We run a Wallenstien BX52s chipper with it. Eats everything you can fit down the throat without a snag.

 

[bholler]

The more I read about the Honda Pioneer 500, the more it seems like the perfect little UTV for our property. Our trees are really tightly packed together since nobody has maintained the forest in over 40 years. The little P500 is like if a Miata were a UTV, which is high praise from me, I love Miatas. I think between the P500 and a 30-40 HP CUT, with the right implements, we would be set. The P500 looks like it would be a riot on some tight trails after we cut them into the woods around the house. Plus, there are a ton of maintained trails around where we live anyway. I'm still stuck here in the hospital, so I'm just kind of reading up on this stuff out of boredom.

Why not consider a small beater truck instead of a utv? They cost much less haul allot more and can be driven on the road. Especially if you have to cut trails anyway just cut them slightly larger.

 

[SpaceBus]

Why not consider a small beater truck instead of a utv? They cost much less haul allot more and can be driven on the road. Especially if you have to cut trails anyway just cut them slightly larger.

We are trying to cut as few trees as possible, but a beater truck/SUV/Hatchback is going to happen regardless. My wife's car is in my Avatar, and she doesn't want to beat it up every winter.

 

[bholler]

We are trying to cut as few trees as possible, but a beater truck/SUV/Hatchback is going to happen regardless. My wife's car is in my Avatar, and she doesn't want to beat it up every winter.

You won't have to take down many more trees for something like a Ford ranger or Tacoma and they give you allot more utility.

 

[maple1]

If I was going to use a SxS for wooding, to replace my ATV, it definitely wouldn't be a truck. A small SxS like a 500 Pioneer isn't a lot larger and it will go through and much deeper into the woods than a truck.

Also depends what your woods is like too though.

 

[bholler]

If I was going to use a SxS for wooding, to replace my ATV, it definitely wouldn't be a truck. A small SxS like a 500 Pioneer isn't a lot larger and it will go through and much deeper into the woods than a truck.

Also depends what your woods is like too though.

Yes but it will take at least 3 trips to do the same work it will cost more and you can't drive it on the road. I don't care if he wants to buy a utv that is up to him I just though I would throw out another option. I would personally never even consider a utv.

 

[SpaceBus]

You won't have to take down many more trees for something like a Ford ranger or Tacoma and they give you allot more utility.

Our trees are far too tight for even a small pickup.

 

[thewoodlands]

I'm in a strange place in my life right now, and I think it's time for some better equipment. I have a significant amount of money saved up, and I think now is the time to use it. I'm medically retired from the Army and my health is not getting any better, despite only being 27. We recently bought a house on 25 acres, with at least 22 of the acres being wooded. We plan on having a few Alpaca and not much else in the way of livestock. We aren't trying to run a for profit farm, this is just for us. I'm thinking it's time for a subcompact or compact tractor with several attachments and a UTV.

There's a Kioti dealer within minutes of my place that has logging supplies as well, so I'm inclined to go with a Kioti tractor. My only experience is using an old Ford tractor with a front end loader, it was a manual transmission, and I prefer that. The only way I'd do an automatic is on a lawn tractor, and it would have to be an HST. Anyway, the CS sub compact series are all HST, which I don't like, but they are less expensive and light. My wife is paranoid a tractor will destroy our grass and top soil, because the big Ford I used several times a year absolutely did. This tractor was also usually used on waterlogged sandy clay soil, so it was no surprise to me, plus that tractor would be way too much for what we are managing now. Whatever we get must be capable of digging post holes, grinding stumps, moving snow, digging holes, and moving logs with the proper implements and attachments.

I don't know much on what to shop for in a side by side UTV. I love riding quads, especially sport quads like Banshees, but that won't be useful for my situation. The Kioti UTVs have diesel engines, which I do really like. I'm just not sure if diesel is that important in a UTV. The UTV's listed by places like Tractor Supply have good specs, but I'd like to buy once and cry once. It would also be nice to have something with a decent top speed if the roads are too crappy for regular cars and trucks.

I'm pretty handy around cars and stuff like that. Rebuilding an engine is within my capabilities as a person, but I haven't built a workshop yet, so I can't be cheap and buy stuff that needs to be fixed. Maybe once the shop is built I can buy a snowmobile and rebuild that.

Hopefully I included all relevant data, but I know that's unlikely. Thank you for the advice!

When we bought the land that we get our firewood from (136 acres) we bought the Rhino Yamaha 450 Special Edition. It soon will have 7000 miles on it and so far we haven't had any problems with it except on July 4 2018 the original battery finally bit the dust. They don't make the Rhino any longer, I think it's called the Viking, if we had to buy another ATV or UTV it would be another Yamaha just because we haven't had any problems.

We bought the Rhino in 2007 and its been kept in the garage since day one.

In 2016 we bought a Mahindra 4540 (41 hp) tractor with a backhoe,pallet forks,plow and the FEL. So far we have just over 700 hours on the 4540 without any problems. Just from reading on the tractor forum, it seems like all the tractor manufacturers have some problems withy certain models.

Happy Hunting.

 

[SpaceBus]

When we bought the land that we get our firewood from (136 acres) we bought the Rhino Yamaha 450 Special Edition. It soon will have 7000 miles on it and so far we haven't had any problems with it except on July 4 2018 the original battery finally bit the dust. They don't make the Rhino any longer, I think it's called the Viking, if we had to buy another ATV or UTV it would be another Yamaha just because we haven't had any problems.

We bought the Rhino in 2007 and its been kept in the garage since day one.

In 2016 we bought a Mahindra 4540 (41 hp) tractor with a backhoe,pallet forks,plow and the FEL. So far we have just over 700 hours on the 4540 without any problems. Just from reading on the tractor forum, it seems like all the tractor manufacturers have some problems withy certain models.

Happy Hunting.

Thanks for the tips, that's basically the same size tractor as I was thinking about. Although you have much more land than we do! We considered VT, but we couldn't find anything in our price range. I considered the Viking, but the Honda is less expensive with more payload capability, and it's only 50" wide. I do like Yamaha quite a bit, especially their engines, but Honda is also a favorite. Do you ever wish you had the post hole digger? That's actually one of the main reasons I want a tractor, so I can dig holes! This soil here is hell to dig through by hand and I'm not up to that kind of labor anymore. Honestly we were thinking about getting land like you have, but we decided our health will not allow for that much. 25 acres is probably our comfortable max.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Not sure what your soil is like but augering or digging holes for posts ( unless it's just a few) is a pita, and a lot of work. Hire someone with a post pounder, or even better, someone with an excavator set up for driving posts with a hoe-pack. We drove 98, 10' posts three feet in to the ground in 6 1/2 hours.

 

[wilsoncm1]

Would never work here. I always find boulders under every spot I want to put a fence post ><

 

[SpaceBus]

Not sure what your soil is like but augering or digging holes for posts ( unless it's just a few) is a pita, and a lot of work. Hire someone with a post pounder, or even better, someone with an excavator set up for driving posts with a hoe-pack. We drove 98, 10' posts three feet in to the ground in 6 1/2 hours.View attachment 237945

I assume this is a type of attachment you can only use with an excavator type vehicle. Perhaps I will rent one when needed. The soil here is crap and there is a lot of rock under it, so an Auger might not even help in the long run.

 

[firefighterjake]

Once you go hydro transmission you won't go back. I can move my JD in fractions of an inch a lot easier than the NH I have at work. That clutch pedal gets old fast. Real fast when working in snow removal and tight work.Can't wait to get out of the cab sometimes.

Both machines are the same HP but different frame sizes. Tires tear up turf, not the machine. I run the 4835 NH with turfs all the time over highly manicured lawn. I would not do the same with the JD.

A work SXS is not the same as a fun SXS. All the roads in my town up north are ATV approved including snowmobiles. My wife wants a SXS but I'm sticking with a sled. If she wants a SXS she can buy it.

I remember the first time I rode up in The County with a buddy from Washburn and we came to Van Buren . . . or maybe it was Fort Kent . . . I forget . . . in any case, he turned off the trail and started riding down Main Street.

At the time ATVs down my way were pretty much restricted to trails as ATV Access Routes were not being used . . . it was a bit surreal for me to be driving down Main Street and pass a police officer and have them just pass by me without them flipping on the blue lights.

Then again . . . The County has always been a special place. I need to get back up there this Summer for a ride.

 

[firefighterjake]

Yeah a Mule and a RZR are totally different. I'm actually looking at the Can Am Defender HD5 and surprising to me, the Coleman 550 UTV. As amazingly fun as the RZR's can be, I'm not going to buy one. Both have about the same payload and towing and similar price. I'm sure the Can Am is better built, but everyone I've seen on the reviews for the Coleman loves it and says the customer service is amazing, plus it comes with turn signals, windshield, tail lights, and a 3,500 lb winch. So far I can't beat that package, and I don't plan on abusing it like I would with a rented RZR 900.

Are "industrial" tread tires more gentle on grass than Ag tires? We don't have manicured turf, so It's not that serious. I'm thinking pretty seriously about the Kioti CK4010 with or without HST. The dealer is less than ten minutes away so service and parts should be easy.

It will probably be a month or so before I pull the trigger, but I like to know exactly what I want before I go to the dealers.

Razors = for fun and fast trail riding with you and a loved one (or the whole family, depending on the size)

Ranger (or similar UTV) = for trail riding after the work day is completed

I honestly use my Yamaha Kodiak more for work than I do play . . . which is funny since I am the President of the local ATV Club.

 

[firefighterjake]

Just from what I have seen or heard from relatives who have had them - I would likely drive past Kioti & go the hour to Kubota.

A Ranger or Defender is likely a safe bet for a SxS - anyone I knew or heard about who had a diesel SxS wasn't exactly in love with them.

We have a Kubota side by side at work . . . now granted it's loaded up with extinguishers, forestry pump, small tank, etc. . . . but the thing is a dog. I'm short and fat and I'm pretty sure I can walk almost as fast as this thing can. The guys had a forest fire last year and they had to push the machine up hill since it was so under-powered.

Now Kubota tractors . . . I like them a lot. Father had one (not sure of the make and model except that it wasn't a compact or subcompact or one of the larger ones) . . . drove like a dream with virtually no repairs ever needed. Great machine for twitching out wood with the log winch attachment.

 

[thewoodlands]

Thanks for the tips, that's basically the same size tractor as I was thinking about. Although you have much more land than we do! We considered VT, but we couldn't find anything in our price range. I considered the Viking, but the Honda is less expensive with more payload capability, and it's only 50" wide. I do like Yamaha quite a bit, especially their engines, but Honda is also a favorite. Do you ever wish you had the post hole digger? That's actually one of the main reasons I want a tractor, so I can dig holes! This soil here is hell to dig through by hand and I'm not up to that kind of labor anymore. Honestly we were thinking about getting land like you have, but we decided our health will not allow for that much. 25 acres is probably our comfortable max.

If both our lots weren't all trees then a post hole attachment would be nice for certain projects, I do still have the human operated P.H.D.