Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Tractor for maintaining small places

I think more and more compact tractor loaders can be equipped with the skid steer type quick attach. Had I not already had several of the Deere type quick attach pin on implements, that might have been the way I would have went. You can get retrofit or on the loader when new skid steer quick attach from Deere.

I do have an aftermarket attachment that goes on the Deere quick attach that then takes the skid steer attachments. Of course that attachment in between sets the implements three or four more inches forward, so it is a compromise.

Digging in very hard dirt or clay is very hard on the loader and tractor. As long as the tractor only spends a small portion of its time doing that, it will probably hold up. But we have worn out and broken up no less than two farm loaders loading lots of lime and chicken/turkey litter before finally getting a commercial articulated loader.

What can really help a small tractor loader out is having something on the back that can loosen the dirt. A box blade with teeth that can be lowered can make a loader a lot more productive when in hard ground as well as save a lot of wear and tear on the loader. But any type of rear implement that is built stout enough to handle loosening hard dirt would work. Loosen it up, then get it with the loader. Same idea as having a ripper on the back of a dozer. I wish my dozer had a ripper.

I got my Great Bend loader with the skid steer hook up. If I ever get a skid steer, I can use my forks and toothless bucket on it.

I took the 250 pounds of sandbags out of the Titan ballast box for now. It's handy for carrying tools or pulling a trailer without the additional weight. With my chain and a few tools, a little over 150 pounds. If I do some heavy scooping with the loader, I can easily put the sandbags back in.

Snrub: I saw the front bucket hoe video. For putting in an air line to my ponds, couldn't I just use a single bottom plow or a subsoiler to open a trench? It never freezes more than a few inches deep here.

That is right John, you only need the weight when you want to do some heavy work.

Sure, you can open the trench any way you want. In fact with that loader you have it will do it fairly well if you will pick a time after a rain when the dirt is not too hard. Just make you a line some how so you know where to start each cut. Line the bucket with the cutting edge along the line with the bucket bottom at a 45 degree angle. Put the bucket on the line and lift the front tires off the ground the depth you want the trench. Gently pull forward till the front wheels touch the ground. Roll your bucket back pulling forward just as the cutting edge reaches ground level and push the dirt away from the trench a little ways. I have done shallow trenches this way often. On a non hydrostat tractor it is hard on the clutch. But with the hydrostat just set the throttle about 2/3 and ease into each cut gently. With a little practice you will be cutting shallow trenches in no time. You advance down the line by the width of the bucket each cycle.

Fill the trench back in by pushing the soil back from the opposite side, then final smoothing by back dragging with the bucket almost flat in both directions.

You can make a trench in harder ground with a little different technique but it is a little harder on the loader. Best to wait till the soil is somewhat soft. Just depends on how long the trench is and how big of hurry you are in.

Pasture harrow.

Here is another tractor attachment that is really handy around ground work, ponds, pastures, yards and even drive ways. It will not do much to a hard driveway, but spreading new gravel or gravel that has been loosened it will smooth it out smooth as a baby's butt. Good for shallow working newly seeded areas, even if there is existing grass and the seed is a topdress.

I have two of these pasture harrows. The 8' pull type one I made a carrier on my box blade so it will lift with the three point. Will edit this thread and add the picture when I find it.

The second one I bought last summer at the farm show and have not used it yet. It is for your size tractor and can't remember if it is 5' or 6'. But it is a 3pt model for my 3038E. The 3pt hitch models are so much handier than the drag types.

I could not find a good video of one in operation other than a mfg advertising it and I did not want to get the post pulled for advertising. So I will just say search for "ABI chain harrow" on youtube and it will come up. I'm not promoting this particular brand (there are lots of brands of about the same harrow - Farm stores sell them), but the video shows it in operation. You can do lots of finish operations with them and they are not terribly expensive to buy.

My 8' chain harrow with home made lift on box blade

I have a smaller drag version, but really could have done without it.

FWIW something I have now on the rear of my little tractor is a 12V power connector to allow easy hookup for powering 12V attachments like sprayers, spreaders, etc. I consider it a big plus for maintaining a small property like mine.

I have a dump trailer, so I wired a trailer electric hookup on my tractor but just wired up the hot and ground. Put a breaker in the hot line.

LOL.....I think it was a blazing 12hp thank you very much. I broke a piston ring on it and took the opportunity to rebuild the whole tractor while the engine was at the machine shop. Took EVERYTHING apart to clean, reseal, new bearings and paint. Don't worry....there is a chain hoist holding it up....not just the blocks. Haven't run it in 5-6 years. Need to put a carb kit and battery on it and fire it up.

Gave a chance for that young man standing near it to appreciate the mechanics of a tractor. He will remember that forever.

Farmall Cub

I gained my early interest of mechanics by hanging out at a local garage from the time I was old enough to go with my dad on winter days (when not in school) and listen to the men and old men stand around a huge old coal stove and "shoot the breeze", up through my teenage years. I learned a lot of stuff there, a fair amount I knew better than to repeat to my mom.

For those with tractors that are unaware of the site, here is tractordata.com. I have caught a few mistakes, but for the most part accurate.

Tractordata.com

He learned mechanical skills from me helping on this and many other projects. Grown and married now he is a wrench turning fool that is under his or someone else's car every week.

Saving a little cutting...

Nice!

Just ordered one of these grapple forks. They are not real heavy duty units and there are others on the market that I think are a lot better constructed. But for the cost I thought it would work well for my JD3038E and be plenty heavy duty for it. It has hookups also for the larger loaders like on my JD5083E so I will be able to use it on it also, although I will have to be somewhat careful and use some judgement because I think it could be easily torn up on that size tractor. The smaller tractor is mostly where I want it anyway. I already have extra remote outlets on both tractors.

If I was wanting to use it heavily, I would have went up in quality. But for my intended use I think it will be fine. Lot better than my hands and back.

grapple for JD tractor loader

I've wanted one for years for my play tractor. Have a rock bucket with grapple for one of our bigger loaders, and have moved a lot of brush with it.

I'm jelous. I have wanted one for a while.

We have lots of dead trees that fall that I deal with regularly.

Every time I have looked at various ones at farm shows they were always around 2200 to 2500 or more. I just thought that was too much for the amoumt I would use it. Now if it were on a skid steer and used a lot, different story. But for personal occasional use........ Then when looking at attachments when JohnF started this thread, ran across this one and it seemed reasonable enough for my use. I'll blame it on him for me spending the money. I suspect it will say made in China when it gets delivered, but I was not going to spend 2500 for one.

Have you looked at flail mowers? Maybe you should get one for semi rough areas. Another idea. LOL

Did you see this one

http://www.palletforks.com/3-point-hitch...CFQqoaQod8x8OPQ

I didn't realize something like this was out there. Might come in handy for those trimming around a pond. I use an old sickle bar mower, but of course that don't follow the uneven contour of a pond so well. Looks like this thing coasts along the contour. I wonder if it would have a long enough reach.....

Fish, are you using a pitman arm type of sickle bar, or a belt drive? The belt drive models will allow you to lay the cutter bar down the backside of the dam while the tractor remains level across the top.

I'm using a pitman. I like to use what I already have. I can angle it to some degree with the lift arms, coupled by the slight slope of the ground by the pond. I didn't know the belt drive ones you have control of an angle.

Yeah, belt drives will lay the cutter bar down at a pretty severe angle.

Let er' grow!

Egads man! there's natural, and then there's a chigger and tick infested, overgrown with briars, multiflora, and sumac abomination of an eyesore, wilderness.

Cut, chop, mow, dig, trim, and spray....ahhh! That looks nice!

Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder... but it does take work up front.