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Donkey farmer in MA
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2003-03-17          51345

Yes, another "greenhorn". I have owned my 38+ acres of rocks and trees for 18 years. I have a VERY rough 1/4 mile driveway in need of some serious help, and currently keep 4 large equines (900 lb Mammoth Donkeys). What do I REALLY need to repair a bad driveway (consider it an access road), possibly clear some land that has 3" saplings, and groom the acre of open land, removing rocks and boulders if needed.

Am I completely unrealistic in regards to rocks and smaller stumps? SHould I be looking for a bull dozer to start!?

Deb


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dcsmith01
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 25 ohio
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2003-03-17          51348

What do you do with donkeys? Are they like pets or beast of burden or something? ....

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marklugo
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 281 Tifton, GA
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2003-03-17          51360

Honestly, you will have a lot of people who may reccommend a smaller tractor here, but having had similar situations in the past(cows and one burro), a larger one will deal nicely with a lot less work. 38 acres generally requires a 35-60 hp to take care of routine farm chores. Feeding out hay and grading long drives with heavy roots and stumps will trip up the smaller tractors. Take a look at the Eichers to the right. They are economical to operate and buy. 9995 for 35 hp and 13400 for 51 hp with everything. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-03-18          51375

I'm with MarkL here unless there's finish mowing to be done and then smaller might be better. I'd probably use a 24 pto hp tractor, but then that's what I have. I would realize that doing it with my tractor would take a lot more time and I might have to build something like a stone-boat, depending of the size of rocks.

The main thing about a larger tractor is they would run a heavy-duty rotary cutter for whacking 3" saplings--if that's an approach you could tolerate. It would leave the stumps and a heavy-duty cutter probably would only be needed once. Larger also would give an ability to move large round hay bales, which give even mid-sized compacts a lot of trouble. For smaller, a back hoe for digging out rocks and maybe stumps would be good. I would keep in mind that some of the work sounds like one-time projects. A tractor to do some of the work might end up being bigger and more expensive than is necessary for the on-going work.

If the road is like some of our logging roads, there may be exposed rock faces and eroded washes. Turning those into real roads could use a dozer minimum and probably blasting as well. There are some old threads in the archives that talk about bush roads. What happens here is that logging roads and skidder trails turn into regular routes that provide new drainage courses and erode into real messes. I might think in terms of designing such a road rather than just improving what's there.

For a traditional approach, maybe the donkeys could help, although for some reason I think of donkeys more as carrying stuff and mules as pulling stuff. There is a guy up the highway who still keeps a skidder team. They're mostly pasture ornaments now and old guys. He still uses them occasionally to skid logs for people who don't want their bush cut up with skidder trails.
....

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WillieH
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 543 New England
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2003-03-18          51387

Tom...great idea with the donkey's.

When I raed the original thread, I was thinking why not attach a boat of some style to the donkey team a drag the drive. They are work animals, and as you mentioned with a small tractor getting tripped up, the donkeys won't. That is why they are used / were used in rough terrain a long time ago. A farmer out my way, has a team kept along side a river bed. He uses them several times a year to reset the banks by dragging a gravel pile and rocks for him where his FEL can't get.

Willie H. ....

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marklugo
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 281 Tifton, GA
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2003-03-18          51388

Tom, 38 Acres is a lot of ground. There used to be a rule of thumb for determining hp requirements that tractor dealers used to help determine a customers needs. It was 20 hp for the 1st five acres and then 7 hp for every five acres thereafter. You must remember that the compacts are more expensive to maintain than the larger tractors. The Japanese manufacturers keep replacemnt part costs high. Generally you can buy replacement parts for the larger tractors cheaper and less often than on the compacts. As far as the difference in fuel costs, it would not be noticible only at most a .5 gallon an hour more consumption up to 50 hp. Its the old theory that a larger engine that doesn't have to work as hard is more economical to operate than a smaller one ( to an extent). Also service intervals are generally extended on larger tractors. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-03-18          51394

Yes, but I like the idea of those democrats, whoops I mean jackasses.... whoops, DONKEYS, actually pulling their weight. ....

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dcsmith01
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 25 ohio
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2003-03-18          51420

When you are talking about bigger machines you may as well look at a Ford 2000 series tractor. You can find MANY of them out there(used) at very reasonble prices. I once owned one, their reliablity, parts availability are unequaled. You can buy a good, reliable machine for around $5000. I think they will do more large scale work than a compact. ....

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marklugo
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Posts: 281 Tifton, GA
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2003-03-18          51424

The problem is is that a 2000 (3 cylinder models; the four cylinders started in '60)was first made in '64 and somewhere the last ones piddled out in the early 70's. Many had no power steering. Repairs to these tractors of any nature start around 1000 dollars because of their age and relative scarcity. Most need some sort of work by now unless it is a cremepuff, then Methinks you will pay much much more than 5k. I think for 3000 or 4000 more for a new tractor with a warranty, saftey features and powersteering is well worth the difference. Their longevity is not questionable. However, if money is a problem,(when isn't it?) then financing is available at low rates on most new tractors. Bank rates on used ones begin at 8% and are financed for short terms. ....

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dcsmith01
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2003-03-19          51436

Thats a good point about them being older. When I owned one it was 14 years ago. My memory of the late 80's keeps me thinking that it was only a couple years ago. There are some nice non-compact that are very much affordable. ....

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mab007
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2003-04-03          52513

20 plus horsepower with a front loader and a box scraper suits me fine ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-04-04          52567

Looks like some fun could be had here! I would move straight to 30 plus horsepower with a loader and b-hoe package. Add a brush-hog and you should be fine. Many of the tractor companies build in different chassis sizes like Kubota with the B series and the L series. I would not stop at the B series as the additional weight of the L series would be a benifit for the removal of the rocks and stumps. I would shot for a Glideshift transmission but a hydro would also work. With either of the transmissions mentioned it would give you easy forward and reverse operation for quick cleanup. ....

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Todd-AgEquip
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2003-04-04          52582

I would say no less than 35hp You will be glad to have the extra hp in the long run. You can fine some good used tractors out there. Plus I would get a tractor with a loader, cutter and a box blade and you would be about set ....


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