Tractor for home track maintenance

nwmx
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nwmx
Edited Date/Time 4/30/2022 9:42am
For the guys with personal tracks, what size tractor gets the job done for maintenance? I’ve talked to some dealers and some say the sub compact models 24hp(~18-20 pto) will do the job tilling and backblading ruts but it’ll take time. Others say I’d just get frustrated and should spend the money on a compact. I’d like to get a 24 hp sub compact due to the price tag but I also don’t want to spend 20 Grand and be disappointed. It’s just going to be used to till and fill in ruts and then basic work around the property spreading gravel, mowing etc. I’m looking at the kioti brand sub compacts.

And no I’m not buying a skiddy or a dozer. Thanks
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dedi684
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dedi684 5/28/2021 6:26am
5/28/2021 6:26am
I used my 37 hp worked great for disking and building jumps for about 15 years
zippytech
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zippytech 5/28/2021 6:34am
5/28/2021 6:34am
I just use an old Massey Ferguson 50 with a bucket on the front. been a great machine for over 10 years and I only have 3000.00 in it
Rupert X
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Rupert X 5/28/2021 6:35am
5/28/2021 6:35am
I have a Kubota 2400. Works great with the 60 “ Landpride tiller. *Dont till the wet and the mud, ruins the driveline and bearings I’m replacing now....
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Dimblewambie
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Dimblewambie 5/28/2021 6:49am
5/28/2021 6:49am
Depends on the size of your track and budget.. I built and maintain a pit bike sized track (roughly 1.5 acres) with a Kubota L2800, and it does a fine job. Definitely instances when a bigger skip loader would make things easier and more efficient.

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ElliotB16
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ElliotB16 5/28/2021 7:06am
5/28/2021 7:06am
I would find something a little bigger and buy used
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250 cross
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250 cross 5/28/2021 7:27am
5/28/2021 7:27am
I would be sure it 4WD, make a huge difference on a small tractor. I have used a 28hp 4wd for years, works great with a small disk and back blade. Think I paid 5 grand for the used tractor and bought a new loader for it. Not so good for a brush hog though, it get's too hot doing that continuously. My brush hog is a six foot I believe. That's to maintain a track, not to build one with jumps. Safe jumps take a lot of dirt, I've had an old 450 John Deere straight blade dozer for that.
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early
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early 5/28/2021 10:53am
5/28/2021 10:53am
nwmx wrote:
For the guys with personal tracks, what size tractor gets the job done for maintenance? I’ve talked to some dealers and some say the sub compact...
For the guys with personal tracks, what size tractor gets the job done for maintenance? I’ve talked to some dealers and some say the sub compact models 24hp(~18-20 pto) will do the job tilling and backblading ruts but it’ll take time. Others say I’d just get frustrated and should spend the money on a compact. I’d like to get a 24 hp sub compact due to the price tag but I also don’t want to spend 20 Grand and be disappointed. It’s just going to be used to till and fill in ruts and then basic work around the property spreading gravel, mowing etc. I’m looking at the kioti brand sub compacts.

And no I’m not buying a skiddy or a dozer. Thanks
These new lightweight sub-compacts aren't meant for alot of hard work, they are meant for mowing and mulching mostly, with a garden till once or twice a year. Since you said your were looking at kioti's I would definitely look at going with the ck series over the cs series if you are staying at 25hp. Your location says Corona CA, what is your dirt composition and how hard will it be to till up? I have a 32hp for mowing and lighter work but when I run the cultivator and disc I usually do it with an old 50 hp in my topsoil over clay ground. Tilling a half mile worth of track several times a year is gonna be a big job for a 25hp imo.
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Brett_Clark
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Brett_Clark 5/28/2021 9:11pm
5/28/2021 9:11pm
Im actually an ag and heavy equipment tech. I'm going to be honest sub compacts and compacts are not meant for heavy dirt work. The front ends are not super strong and I've seen many bevel gears break teeth from turning with weight. look into a Kubota or Jd compact backhoe. the back home attachment is removable and still has the 3pt hitch. Best part is the loaders are actually attached on a full frame mount and not just at the belhousing. Even look into a John Deere 5420 or similar size. it's more of a ag tractor than compact
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basslips
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basslips 5/28/2021 11:28pm
5/28/2021 11:28pm
Go as big as you can afford. I have a Kubota L3240, a 331 Bobcat mini ex. and an old International 5yd truck. Have built and rebuilt several times with just this equipment. Sometimes its an exercise in futility. The smaller the equipment, the longer to build anything, and the harder you will work that equipment. Yes it's nice having a place to moto at times but if I had a do-over I'd recover countless hours and diesel fuel and could've put that towards practice fees and new tires!
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sgrimmxdad 5/29/2021 5:57am
5/29/2021 5:57am
It will work, 4wd would be a great help. It may take many more passes but if you set it up right it will work. I am using a 48hp 4wd tractor and it does a great job for the amount of use it sees....
Hammer 663s
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Hammer 663s 5/29/2021 6:11am
5/29/2021 6:11am
Subs are narrow tracked and not stable or safe on many slopes (berms, jump faces, etc). And as some have stated, they are really just light duty yard machines. 30 HP minimum IMHO or you will wear it out fast. I've used a lot of gear over the 20+ years I've been prepping tracks, and the subs scared the sh!t out of me. Came close to rolling one 3x in one day just tilling around the high side of a berm. Never again.

Hammer 663s
Jake86
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Jake86 5/29/2021 6:22am
5/29/2021 6:22am
Like Brett Clark said, you’ll work a compact tractor to death trying to use it as a dozer/loader. I run a family civil construction company, as well as farm 198 acres. I was lucky to have a plethora of equipment to use as well property for a decent home track while growing up.

In my opinion if I had to have one machine it would be a compact track loader. I personally have a Bobcat T300 at my home. You get multiple attachments, you can work it much harder than a tractor. I also have a John Deere 6110R which is a 110hp tractor at the house. This is my property maintenance/mowing/tilling, hay forage tractor. I run a Maschio power harrow on the track, and disc. I use the Bobcat with a leveling skid and landscape rake on jump landing ramps, berms, and tables. When I need to touch jump faces and whoops I bring home a dozer or excavator as needed.
usp4u
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usp4u 5/29/2021 6:31am
5/29/2021 6:31am
A sub compact would be a waste of money. You would beat the the machine up prematurely and they get a little tippy on grades due to the light weight. 2wd tractors waste time and effort.

I would want a compact 4wd 30hp or greater. Always buy more tractor than you think you need.

Working with a tractor that is "overkill" allows you to run the machine easier and the hydraulic controls work more precisely and smoothly when you are working at half throttle vs. WFO because the machine is underpowered.

I use a Yanmar 30hp with loader and pull a tiller and rock rake. I chose the Yanmar over Kubota due to the weight of the machine. You want the heaviest machine you can get when working with ground-engaging implements.
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Orange
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Orange 5/29/2021 7:34am
5/29/2021 7:34am
Too many questions as they are not one size fits all. My track covers about 2 acres, and is in the woods. I started out with a sub compact Kubota 18 horse diesel. It worked, and fit into tight areas well, but it was slow, and the loader was small. I used that tractor for 4 years and honestly beat the hell Out of it. It never let me down, but I was realistic with it's capabilities.
I moved up to a 23 HP B series, and liked it much better, now I'm in a cabbed 26hp B series, and I love it.

All 3 tractors are worked hard, but parked in a heated shop, and get maintained, they also do snow plowing in the winter. I average about 200 hours a year, and they all fit my budget. I'd love to have a skid steer, but in a world where the budget allows for 1 piece of equipment, it's hard to beat the Versatility of a 4WD tractor. Big machines are faster, and better in most situations, but the initial cost, and maintenance adds up. I do fluids every 300 hours, grease the loader, pour diesel in and go.

Do you have room for a big machine? I know I don't working the track in the woods, and on the side of a hill, which is what we have, almost no true flat ground.

We have mostly sand here, so breaking the dirt up is never an issue for me.

It's not hard to build a nice track with a small machine, things just take a little longer.

I have put a few thousand hours on 3 different size Kubota tractors in the last 10 years or so, they are tough little machines.
This is an older pic, but the berm, and track was built and maintained with an 18 HP sub compact, and, it was (is) a gas to ride on!


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DAG
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DAG 5/29/2021 7:36am
5/29/2021 7:36am
I had a Massey 135 from the 70s and it was awesome. The 135 ran discs, roto tillers and bush hog no problem. Good part is you can find a used one pretty cheap and use the remaining 15K on a dozer.
Jake86
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Jake86 5/29/2021 9:14am
5/29/2021 9:14am



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419250f
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419250f 5/29/2021 9:45am
5/29/2021 9:45am
1952 8n, just cause I have no money for a good one, I have the land though. It does amazingly well, problem is the jump faces and landings, need a bucket for that.





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Pit Row

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Ray Knight
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Ray Knight 5/29/2021 10:47pm
5/29/2021 10:47pm
For a home track its a lot easier to just keep it hardpack! It sucks prepping for 1-2 hours every time you want to ride. I used to disc mine up with a 25hp tractor and it did fine with a 60" disc but really a track steer is the best thing you can have for a home track. I just use a tooth bucket to smooth it out and loosen the dirt and it holds up really well and nice to ride









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Last Braaap
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Last Braaap 5/29/2021 10:56pm
5/29/2021 10:56pm
Ray Knight wrote:
For a home track its a lot easier to just keep it hardpack! It sucks prepping for 1-2 hours every time you want to ride. I...
For a home track its a lot easier to just keep it hardpack! It sucks prepping for 1-2 hours every time you want to ride. I used to disc mine up with a 25hp tractor and it did fine with a 60" disc but really a track steer is the best thing you can have for a home track. I just use a tooth bucket to smooth it out and loosen the dirt and it holds up really well and nice to ride









Woohoo That is one hell of a home track.

Would you consider adopting me into your family.Whistling I guess i would survive in Ohio. Grinning
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Tracktor
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Tracktor 6/1/2021 10:45am
6/1/2021 10:45am
I beat the crap out of my 30 horse Branson around our track. I wouldn't go smaller but also have a dozer & skiddy so don't need bigger. Plus it's used in horse pens etc. I couldn't see anything smaller being useful though. No way in hell I'd buy new but I don't need warranty i'll fix it myself. In the end depends on dirt type/track size/operator skill. Anything is better than nothing.................
Silvers_Racing 6/2/2021 4:46pm
6/2/2021 4:46pm
Ive used a 35hp diesel 4x4 kioti, I’ve used the heck out of it. It’s held up very well!
MX114
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MX114 6/2/2021 8:25pm
6/2/2021 8:25pm Edited Date/Time 6/2/2021 8:30pm
Built a pitbike track with a friend this spring using a Wacker Neuson compact loader and an older New Holland tractor with a 5’ disc attachment

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MX114
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MX114 6/3/2021 3:51am
6/3/2021 3:51am
Ray Knight wrote:
For a home track its a lot easier to just keep it hardpack! It sucks prepping for 1-2 hours every time you want to ride. I...
For a home track its a lot easier to just keep it hardpack! It sucks prepping for 1-2 hours every time you want to ride. I used to disc mine up with a 25hp tractor and it did fine with a 60" disc but really a track steer is the best thing you can have for a home track. I just use a tooth bucket to smooth it out and loosen the dirt and it holds up really well and nice to ride









Wow! You did it right. Looks amazing. Enjoy
racerx217
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racerx217 6/4/2021 7:43pm
6/4/2021 7:43pm
I was asking myself the same question this time last year. I was going to buy a 60hp Kubota mx6000. I am glad I didn't I wound up buying a L2501 and saved a ton of money. There isnt going to be any tractor that is going to be good at building and maintaining jumps. So I decided to save some money and save up for a skid steer also that will prob buy this year. As far as tilling up and maintaining the track what i have works awesome. I have a 5ft box blade i drop down and drag the place out and its great. Plenty of power. Had my neighbor come in with a dozer to start making jumps so I do have the luxury but no matter how you look at it going to be a giant PITA to build anything with any tractor. Save your money and rent or bring in equipment to build it then maintain it with a small tractor. My track is about on 8 acres so not that tiny either. I will tell you after all that i have learned, it is way easier to have a turn track and make a drag to pull behind your truck, pay to ride tracks with jumps.
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nwmx
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nwmx 7/4/2021 11:32am
7/4/2021 11:32am Edited Date/Time 7/4/2021 11:43am
So I’ve narrowed my choice down to a kubota L2501 or L3301 with a box blade with the rippers. Been kicking the tires for a while now. The 25 hp advantage being there is no regen process. I’ve read a good amount of bad things about regen issues. Dealer says it’s no thing and maybe they’ve been fixed on the newer models 🤷🏼‍♂️ My soil is a clay base, right now it’s rock hard so doubt I could rip much no matter what I buy. I just want to be able to prep the dirt and break up the ruts in the corners.
nwmx
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nwmx 7/4/2021 11:47am
7/4/2021 11:47am Edited Date/Time 7/4/2021 11:50am
Here are some photos of the dirt when it’s nice compared to now when it’s sun baked and rock hard. Would the 25hp would pull a ripper when I throw a bunch of weight on it in those good conditions? And what about in the photos from now when the ruts are all hardened? Thanks for the input.






racerx217
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racerx217 7/5/2021 7:08pm
7/5/2021 7:08pm
Its crazy to look at your pictures look just like mine from a year ago. I went with a l2501 with the box blade and loader and love it. Really for the money its that 25 hp or the 39 hp. If you join the National cutting horse association (first year membership is free) you will get 20% off msrp on the tractor but also then you do not get any of the financing deals. That is what i did. The box blade is very useful but the rippers in it are not as handy as you would think. They are good for breaking up the ground the first time around but after that they dont work well to work up the track. I am going to be going to a disc setup.
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nwmx
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nwmx 7/5/2021 9:04pm
7/5/2021 9:04pm
racerx217 wrote:
Its crazy to look at your pictures look just like mine from a year ago. I went with a l2501 with the box blade and loader...
Its crazy to look at your pictures look just like mine from a year ago. I went with a l2501 with the box blade and loader and love it. Really for the money its that 25 hp or the 39 hp. If you join the National cutting horse association (first year membership is free) you will get 20% off msrp on the tractor but also then you do not get any of the financing deals. That is what i did. The box blade is very useful but the rippers in it are not as handy as you would think. They are good for breaking up the ground the first time around but after that they dont work well to work up the track. I am going to be going to a disc setup.
Do you see an advantage with the disc harrows over the rototiler? Or just price based?

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