sweasel.com

Should be happy, but they finished the shell on our log cabin escape plan home.

Now someone has to build out the interior, stain the exterior, build a retaining wall, put in a solar system, plant deer proof (and hog proof) gardens, fix up the 1940’s boxcar to make it into a ‘she’ box, buy a tractor, mulch 3 acres, mow 3 other acres, put up a fence, put in a gate, plant trees….OMG…..

there’s a reason Pintrest is known as PinCrack around these parts because it fuels someone else’s imagination.

@durnedyankee — Get the tractor first. (-:

Seriously, a good tractor with a few attachments for the PTO and out of the 11 projects you mention it’ll help with seven of them. Auger, loader, backhoe…

Makes you wonder how French farmers’ wives have managed to grow capons all these generations.

I imagine it’s all in the poignet.

@uncle Al – any manufacturer recommendations?

I lean towards a Kubota, new.
But I can be persuaded by someone who knows tractors better than me, which is almost everybody.

The Jungle that we had cleared a year ago is back, and it tasks me, it tasks me and I shall mow it!

durnedyankee – July 5, 2021, 9:59 pm:
@uncle Al – any manufacturer recommendations?

I lean towards a Kubota, new.

There was a discussion about tractors among some friends, recently. IIRC, one fellow celebrated his Kubota ZX-22 – which, however, he has had for quite a while. And there was other discussion to the effect that Kubota quality had gone way down since.

This family seems happy with their Tym tractor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9-RNbOO-SE&ab_channel=LumnahAcres

They are going to multiply …

@Rich Rostrom – I’d been looking into – what else – one of the smaller John Deere tractors, but there seemed to be a number of implications that their quality was suffering as well.

and I keep hearing complaints related to “computerized” from the older (my/our) generation about having the machine break down and not getting it moving till some overpriced booby shows up to put in a new chip.
I prefer my mechanical things to be mechanical and not talk to me, or play my stereo, connect to Google or run my engines efficiently.

Which leans me towards older and used. Like me.

@durnedyankee — Sorry, but my exposure to things tractor-y was long enough ago that all the newer stuff is unknown to me. Over the years, acquaintances have had both good and bad things to say about most of the manufacturers.

I do have one related recommendation, though. Be sure that there’s a good reputable mechanic nearby. He may also be a good source for recommendations and even info on used gear in good repair on the market which could save you some bucks.

@Uncle Al – thanks for reminding me with that last recommendation.
The folks we had build the pad are good old East Texas farm folk, who run heavy equipment.
There’s more work to do and I can ask them what their tractor opinion is, and see if there are any places they know of that sell reputable used gear.
And I suspect I’ll be getting them to do a mulch run on the Moby Jungle because I don’t think I’ll have a tractor till that’s more out of control than it already is.

@Mark Matis Al is what I call an enthusiast. Watching him build with wood is educational and entertaining. He has a Kubota, but the heftier Tym was promotional, and not being stupid he accepted.

Daniel Arms also accepted a promotional Kubota from a local dealer… he got all the things. I guess it’s “Awesome”.

And Justin Rhodes was just presented with a Kubota too…and Generac gave them a whole house generator last year.

The equipment dealers have noticed that homesteaders are a growing demographic online and quite a few have half to a million or more subs. That’s a lot of eyeballs and wallets.

@Durned Whatever you decide to buy…do get the grapple attachment…it is the best thing we ever bought for handling trees, lumber, fence posts, landscaping pipe, and firewood.

The first tractor we bought was a JD, we were underwhelmed and sold it. We found a used, well cared for 30 yr old Belarus…nuttin’ fancy about Ivan. He’s had to pull the Kubota out of the mud a couple of times…and a couple of delivery trucks. Brute power.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you
actually realize what you are talking about!
Bookmarked. Kindly additionally consult with my website =).
We may have a hyperlink alternate agreement among us