Best All Round Machine?

PaddyBloggit

Advice appreciated.

I have a house (will need renovation) on a two acre site and I need to do some work on it:

• Moving stone/repairing ditches
• Cutting trees/moving logs/digging out roots
• Digging foundations/clearing top soil/laying concrete
• Removal/burying of rubble
• Later on - gardening: mowing/ploughing/pond

What's the best machine to buy?
I've been looking at tractors, jcbs, a John Deere Gator etc.

The work will mainly be light work ... the 'machine' will remain on the property ... no need for insurance/tax and hopefully will be a once off purchase for the long term.

If a tractor .... recommendations? .... grass or track tyres? addons etc.

Thanks.

soon30

a rubber tyre digger is the best all rounder for a building site i think especialy one with a 4in one bucket at the front as you have your fork your bucket and and a grab for logs etc all in the one thing but it wont do the ploughing or topping as for the ploughing and setting the lawn probably better off contracting it out as you need some expensive equipment for lawn work maybie when your finished with your refurbishement work you could trade the digger for a handy sized tractor
that is if you think you will be doing no more digging

PaddyBloggit

Thanks for the reply ...

This is more of a self-sufficiency project. I'll be digging the garden up rather than seeding it. What will remain will need to be mowed.

Initially there's lots of clearance/tidying and main building renovation work.
After that it's a case of setting veg etc.

powerfarmer

Are you looking for one machine cabable of doing everything or maybe two machines i.e. a digger and a tractor?
Whats the budget for this approximately?

JohnBoy

a small tractor with front loader and hire a mini digger occasionally.

a JCB is a big heavy lump of stuff to have around on a job like that.

I've only a half acre and am currently using a grey 20 ferguson, it's great, but I had a ford 2600 before it which was a better job.

the loader was so handy, as is low box and a diff lock.

the fergy is fun as hell though, and parts availability is excellent too.


so yeah, a dexta or twosix with a loader would be my recomendation. a 135 would be sweet, but much more expensive

reilig

JohnBoy wrote: »

a small tractor with front loader and hire a mini digger occasionally.

a JCB is a big heavy lump of stuff to have around on a job like that.

I've only a half acre and am currently using a grey 20 ferguson, it's great, but I had a ford 2600 before it which was a better job.

the loader was so handy, as is low box and a diff lock.

the fergy is fun as hell though, and parts availability is excellent too.


so yeah, a dexta or twosix with a loader would be my recomendation. a 135 would be sweet, but much more expensive

A loader on that size of tractor is a waste of time. You will be constantly putting in wheel bearings and having to have a weight on the back of it for it to be of any use. With his description of work to do above, he really doesn't a loader at all.

I do agree with your suggestion to hire in a mini digger and would add that if you haven't at least 6 month's experience of driving a digger, pay the extra for a driver as well.

cjpm

Nail on the head, the front axles of those small tractors aren't anywhere near strong enough to handle those loads. I know a fella who used to put 100psi into the front tyres so he could shift round bales of silage!!

A tractor, trailer, small mower and transport box should do most of your tasks, hire a neighbour with a JCB to dig your foundations clearing etc...

JohnBoy

I'd both agree and disagree.

in a full time agricultural setting the front loader on a small tractor will cause premature wear on the front axle, although a lot of that is easily countered with a weight out back. (or in this case a transport box of gravel will do just as nicely)

but the OP strikes me as someone who's gonna use the tractor on weekends for clearing his site and not a lot else. in that case if he starts out with a good front axle and fits a loader, odds are, when he finishes his site he'll still have a perfectly fine front axle as he wont have been working it very hard.

ideally though you'd want to get a quickie as they're quite light, the one I had on the twosix was a pleasure to use compared to the MF one that my dad occasionally puts on his 135.

but it was worth it's weight in gold for tidying up bushes and the like, all I had on it was a trip dung fork but it was the absolute job.


as to the mini-digger, yeah a driver will get stuff done faster, but often if hiring a digger for house works you need it for the whole weekend anyway, ie dig then do work in the hole, then fill and level, not ideal to have a man sitting around for a few hours while you do your plumbing. Anyway they're not hard to drive, and they're such great fun too

reilig

JohnBoy wrote: »

I'd both agree and disagree.





but it was worth it's weight in gold for tidying up bushes and the like, all I had on it was a trip dung fork but it was the absolute job.


QUOTE]

Its a lot of extra money to spend on something that will just be used for tidying up bushes. The digger or JCB that he hires in would still be amuch better job for the bushes.

JohnBoy

the reality is it's all a lot of extra money to spend, a man with JCB would probably do 90% of what he wants to do in a weekend.

but yet again, where's the fun in that?


a loader for a small old tractor is only gonna cost a few hundred notes and they dont really depreciate. I sold my loader for what it cost me after 18 months.

powerfarmer

Something like JCB 2D might suit you, its like the JCB 3C just smaller, with a 3 cyl engine, based on a leyland tractor, but the complete backactor and slide unit can be dropped off and the machine used as a tractor loader with 3 point arms and a pto. Or maybe an old Massey Ferguson 203 its like an industrial spec 135 but with a loader and removable backactor, once the backactor was removed it could be used as a tractor . MF made several versions of such machines there was a bigger model too.

However both of those are a bit vintage at this stage and neither were a very common machine.

Rujib1

JohnBoy wrote: »

as to the mini-digger, yeah a driver will get stuff done faster, but often if hiring a digger for house works you need it for the whole weekend anyway, ie dig then do work in the hole, then fill and level, not ideal to have a man sitting around for a few hours while you do your plumbing. Anyway they're not hard to drive, and they're such great fun too

Plus you can go cross country to the pub, and beat the cops :cool:

R

PaddyBloggit

Great posts here ... thanks for the info.

Yes a jcb would probably be going over the top.

"A tractor, trailer, small mower and transport box should do most of your tasks, hire a neighbour with a JCB to dig your foundations clearing etc..."

This makes good sense to me.

My scenario (just to clarify a bit more):

The site is approx 2 acres, 2 up/2 down old farmhouse which needs work.

The ditches need rebuilding, stone needs moving, trees need felling and roots need shifting (probably get a local to take them away for dumping).

The area behind the house is on a slight incline but the trees are at the top so fall will be with the load.

The work will mainly be weekend work and machine won't get much abuse but I'm hoping that whatever I get will last a lifetime .... easily maintained etc. I'll probably erect some kind of shed to garage it .... give it a chance of lasting.

The question was asked .... budget .... I'd hope to pick up something for €2,500 (to a max of €4k) .... for the basic tractor/machine .... buying addons like a transport box, log splitter etc. I might be able to manage as cash would allow. I've seen some reasonable stuff on dung deal but reasonable isn't much good when I don't know what I'm after.

I'm partial to Massey Fergusons .... had a summer job when I was in secondary school mowing the local pitch and putt course on one and I loved it.

Hope I've made some sense ....

soon30

There is a fella in wexford i think who imports japanese tractors(low horsepower) second hand dono his name but saw one he had sold.loader and all 4wd and you cant beat the jap stuff he is supposed to be reasonable and id imagine trade has slowed so something like that might be good value

PaddyBloggit

• 4in one bucket at the front .... any chance of being guided to a picture of this?
• Ford 2600. Looks like a nice tractor. Could it handle a loader? What kind of prices are they selling for?
• Ferguson 20. Like the Ford 2600 it looks like it could do the job but same questions as for the Ford 2600.
• Ideally though you'd want to get a quickie as they're quite light, the one I had on the twosix was a pleasure to use compared to the MF one that my dad occasionally puts on his 135. Are the quickie and the twosix types of loaders?
• JCB 2D. Tractor is probably best and just hire a jcb with driver when needed.
• Massey Ferguson 203. Is this the one? This looks good. I like the idea that the back can be used to attach different addons. What's a backactor? I presume it will run a mower, allow for a transport box to be attached etc.? Do they come with cabs? How available are they and what kind of prices do they command?

Attachments:

• Mowers: What's the best type (and cheapest) type of mower to get? At the moment there's one acre of ground fully covered with ferns that need topping and will need to be kept topped until I need to use the ground.
• Transport Boxes: Any advice here?
• What other attachments should I be considering?

I don't want a multitude of attachments. Just the minimum to cover all I need to do.

At the moment I'm veering towards the Massey Ferguson 203, a transport box and a mower.

Thanks!

PaddyBloggit

soon30 wrote: »

There is a fella in wexford i think who imports japanese tractors(low horsepower) second hand dono his name but saw one he had sold.loader and all 4wd and you cant beat the jap stuff he is supposed to be reasonable and id imagine trade has slowed so something like that might be good value

Thanks soon30!

Must do a search ....

JohnBoy

Ford 2600, well the one I had handled the loader fine, not common to find with a loader, but to be honest due to the factors that relig mentioned you're probably better off buying one without a loader and fitting it after. prices are 1000-4000 range, depending on condition/notions of its owner

Ferguson 20, wont take a loader really. they are available for them but the front end is an even lighter setup than the 2600 or ferguson 135, they also lack a diff lock and low box. the diff lock is handy when under pressure and one wheel starts to spin you can lock the two wheels together getting a bit more traction, and low box allows you work at a lower rate and getting more power.

twosix is just another way of saying 2600, some people abbreviate the name down to the first two digits.

quickie is a brand of loader


Transport boxes get a heavy one, they're fierce handy weapons of abuse, the fleming ones are quite light, I'd avoid.


if your budget would stretch to 4k then you're into ford 4000 money, you should easily pick up a tidy one with loader for that kind of money.


Sadly the massey's are much more popular with the vintage users and as such attract a premium. tractors like the 35 and 135 are great machines,but not cheap.

PaddyBloggit

Any opinions on Landini's?

PaddyBloggit

JohnBoy wrote: »

Ford 2600, well the one I had handled the loader fine, not common to find with a loader, but to be honest due to the factors that relig mentioned you're probably better off buying one without a loader and fitting it after. prices are 1000-4000 range, depending on condition/notions of its owner

Ferguson 20, wont take a loader really. they are available for them but the front end is an even lighter setup than the 2600 or ferguson 135, they also lack a diff lock and low box. the diff lock is handy when under pressure and one wheel starts to spin you can lock the two wheels together getting a bit more traction, and low box allows you work at a lower rate and getting more power.

twosix is just another way of saying 2600, some people abbreviate the name down to the first two digits.

quickie is a brand of loader


Transport boxes get a heavy one, they're fierce handy weapons of abuse, the fleming ones are quite light, I'd avoid.


if your budget would stretch to 4k then you're into ford 4000 money, you should easily pick up a tidy one with loader for that kind of money.


Sadly the massey's are much more popular with the vintage users and as such attract a premium. tractors like the 35 and 135 are great machines,but not cheap.

Thanks JohnBoy

soon30

do a google search for 4in1 bucket pictures. plenty show up a handy tool too as it can grab logs grab heaps of earth so you dont need to do as much hand shoveling to get things tidyed up. some have forks on them too but normally not the smaller ones.the type on 3cx does normally

PaddyBloggit

I am a duh .... googling .... the most basic effort.

Thanks soon30

powerfarmer

The unit shown at the link below is a MF 702, the older version of the 203,
the backhoe, the JCB style digging part at the rear, is shown fitted in this case but can be removed to allow use as a tractor,
however removal of the unit isnt a job I'd like to have to do too often!

http://www.quefaire.be/annonces/tractopelle-massey-ferguson-778645_1602.shtml

if you probably dont need the backhoe then a standard small tractor like the Ford 2600 suggested or similar would probably be ok.An old small zetor or david brown shouldnt be very expensive.

As regards a mower something like a small topper or as the americans call it "a bushhog" (google it) would be fine if your not looking for a super smooth finish.

PaddyBloggit

Thanks powerfarmer.

I'm ringing a local dealer today to see what he's got in stock.

Like Arnie .... there's no doubt that I'll be back!

reilig

soon30 wrote: »

There is a fella in wexford i think who imports japanese tractors(low horsepower) second hand dono his name but saw one he had sold.loader and all 4wd and you cant beat the jap stuff he is supposed to be reasonable and id imagine trade has slowed so something like that might be good value

Is that the guy that imports the TYM / JCB tractors??????????

soon30

reilig wrote: »

Is that the guy that imports the TYM / JCB tractors??????????

not sure only heard of him from a fella that bought a kubota tractor i was impressed by it i saw him pulling a tripple k harrow the tractor which is fairly small looking not a bother to it.I think he sells a lot of landscaping machinery but couldnt say for sure

JohnBoy

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trucks/1016251

soon30

they are known to be troublesome tractors but the price,loader and back actor its a hard call if the engine is poor id stay clear but couldnt see too much giving you trouble for what you would be at

soon30

nice digger on that site too and cheap ford 550 if any one interested 3650 euro

PaddyBloggit

Must check it out ..... thanks lads!

soon30

let us know what you decide on

PaddyBloggit

Nothing bought yet.

Rang dealer .... he had lots of stuff listed on farmandplant.ie ..... but most of it was gone with ages and he had very little in stock.

The search continues. I'll come back to the thread when I see something that might be suitable.

Thanks!

Dromardabu

Hi
can anyone tell me what average cost of hire is for High Mac (track machine) per hour with driver these days.
Am wondering what i could get done in a few days with one on a site for clearance, demolishing an existing dwelling and to dig foundations.

Thanks,
Dromardabú

soon30

anywhere beyween 40 and 60 an hour depending on the machine
you would want to be well used of driving one if you hire it and drive it yourself especially for foundations

PaddyBloggit

Got a MF698T .... UK import, low hours ..... and it has a radio so I'm set!

Thanks lads for all your help

massey woman

Whats the cab like are the doors rotten is the handbrake seized is the pin at the front worn
I have all those bits which fell off mine
otherwise a good tractor

mossfort

is your 698 a 4wd?

massey woman

yes

PaddyBloggit

massey woman wrote: »

Whats the cab like are the doors rotten is the handbrake seized is the pin at the front worn
I have all those bits which fell off mine
otherwise a good tractor

It's in pristine condition. Only issues are a bit of rust on top panel over engine and rust around rear light casing.

I'll be storing it under a roof so it should last ...

martblue

Just spotted this and your situation not that different to mine a few years ago, I had bought an old house with a bit of land, house is restored now and living in it after a lot of work!!
But I had lots of clearing etc to do, I bought an old tractor a mf 65 and a transport box, tractor was fine at start but started to give a little bother so sold it on and got a David Brown 995 brilliant machine for its age years ahead of any other machine of their time,the 2 speed pto was handy as I got a cement mixer for it too.:) very good lift which is operated on spool valve. They are very cheap to buy and very reliable..aprox€1500-€2500 should get one.
The amount of work I have got through, everything that involved cement or concrete been mixed with it, all the clearing ,moving ,lifting..All with a simple transport box on the back, its shifted about 40 tonne or more of gravel,blocks etc..You name it..:P Always starts even if it has been sitting a while..
Any other work I got a man and machine in..

Not sure you got anything sorted yet but from what you say tractor is all you will need, transport box best to start with if you find you need anything else after that then its easy enough to get.

PaddyBloggit

Sorry massey woman ... I missed your posts.

Yes it's a 4wd.

The body is in perfect condition. Only places where rust has appeared is on top of front panel and area around back right light casing.

The person who sold it to me is sorting this. As I type he has the radiator taken out to get reconditioned as he wasn't happy with it.

The tractor is a UK import, brought in to do similar work like I'm hoping to do, but it was parked up and water got into it.

The person selling it, bought it cheap, stripped it down and rebuilt it.

I have now worries about the seller ... he was referred to me through a friend who does a lot of business with him and finds him 100% honest.

If my friend had work for the tractor he'd have snapped it up himself.

martblue: excatly what I'm hoping to do. Tis downsizing I'll be in a few years time .... a simple two up/two down, bit of a garden, lots of animals, a view of the sea and the mountains and I'm set.


I should be getting my hands on the tractor over the Christmas .... then the real work starts!

As an aside .... I've been looking at backactors ...... worth investing? or a complete waste of money?

I've seen prices ranging from €1,000 to €1,700

martblue

Depends on what your hoping to do but you can get a lot of work down with a man and track machine for that money and in a lot less time!! A hydraulic box would be a very good addition a lot better than the standard one, but in saying that mine has down all I ever wanted to do or will prob ever do!! But as you have more power and 4wd it would be a wise move as they are a lot stronger.

You place sounds very like mine mountains etc.. what part of the country are you in?

JohnBoy

jaysus paddy, a 698T 4wd for the garden, nice one

you'd realistically want to get a dumper and a 13 tonne track machine to match it

get the powerbox first as you'll probably end up buckling a regular box with a tractor of that size.

I know I suggested the back actor, but I dunno, some days I reckon one would be the job, then others I reckon it'd be a pain in the ass, hooking it up, taking it off, I'd imagine they could be a pain.

but tomorrow I'll probably think it'd a great idea again.

PaddyBloggit

Tis decided .... I'll stick with the tractor and the box (came with the tractor). If I mess up the box I'll go for a power box.

For all other 'digging' jobs I'll bring in yer man with de jcb!

Thanks for all advice ... it's much appreciated.

(No doubt I'll be back for more advice later)