Tractor Needed But Where Do I Start?

[Younggun]

Plus 1 on ratcheting boomers. I've seen cracked ribs and broken faces from guys pulling them over only to have them pop back and throw a cheater bar in to their ribs/face.

Ratcheting boomers might be slightly slower (I don't find them to be, but it's the argument often used against them) but the are 100 times safer.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Just my .02,
I haul around a 300 hp deutz tractor with a rotary rock crusher attachment on a weekly basis. Yes, it's very DOT regulated. Being a business it is more so.

Tie down with 4 points of contact for the machine and 1 chain (2 points) for each attachment.
On the tractor, the draw bar below the pto output is the best tie down I've found. On the front if you've got a set of counter weights or a weight mounting point, they work well. I try to avoid chains around axles due to axles being sensitive to binding force. Once you get it on the trailer just look under the nose and tail and I bet you can find something to throw a chain through without ripping out sensors, just make sure when it bites, it bites around solid mass, not pistons, plastic, u-joints or any moving part.

As for tie down tools, mine takes 6-25' 1/2" chains and 6 ratcheting boomers.
yours may not take near as much but plan on minimum of 3- 25' 3/8" load bearing grade chains and I just prefer ratcheting boomers for safety. I've seen more than one busted face over binders (folding boomers).

On a side note though, have you given consideration to getting a smaller motor grader? A lot of the drainage work you described can be done well by one blade, a garden hose and something heavy to roll down your layers as you blade them up into a diversion or drainage out.

on a side, side, note: we own a bobcat 763 and I will vouch for how perfect they are in so many ways, for one, it just made a dangerous daylong job of moving a lathe into a long drive and 30 minutes of work, most of which we're tying everything down for the drive back.
Anyhow, while they're handy and compact, all that you see in a tractor sized equivalent is packed in 6 cubic ft. I absolutely hate working on ours when things go wrong. Got a busted hydraulic line? Plan on multiple shaved knuckles and yoga lessons to get it changed out of the abyss under the seat.

i know, a lot of rambling. Hopefully something in there helps. If I were closer I'd be more than happy to give you some pointers on dirt work.

The work close to house is being done by hand, mostly. But the soil is not conducive to really do anything about the drive way. It's 10 years of packed road base, clay, crushed concrete, and sand stone and over 300' with ruts deeper than my car tire. It'll be a workout for the tractor let alone me and a pick axe (I tried that and after 4 hours of work I figured I'd move before attempting by hand any further).

Plus 1 on ratcheting boomers. I've seen cracked ribs and broken faces from guys pulling them over only to have them pop back and throw a cheater bar in to their ribs/face.

Ratcheting boomers might be slightly slower (I don't find them to be, but it's the argument often used against them) but the are 100 times safer.

I would not use the crank binders (that's what we called them). I've seen a cheater bar through a window of a car because the guy lost grip and it slignshotted the iron bar through it (the car was not as close as you'd think).

Good tips, except now it's a freaking monsoon out there and today is my only day to pick it up. *sigh*

 

[Whistler]

I know you're buying but for reference of others following the thread - I called on a rental, 40HP w/ 5' shredder is $349 for 8 hours on the meter or 24 hours possession. A trailer to get it home is another $35 or they'll deliver for $3/ loaded mile. Think I'll follow your lead and start shopping the packages...

 

[TeXJ]

What about the rear?

It's been a few years but I want to say there was something to attach to by the 3 point hitch, i think there was an actual trailer hitch...but I cant remember now, sorry.

 

[Dawico]

I can't tell you how many come alongs (what we call flip boomers) I have seen on the side of the road. Or how many times I have had to retighten a load while using them.

If you do it right you can get away with only one ratcheting boomer. Put one chain on, move machine to tighten that chain, then ratchet down the second chain.

Just be careful with ratcheting boomers, they are strong enough to break stuff.

 

[TeXJ]

A lot of times we just used the one chain and flip boomer but when we would latch it down we used a cheater pipe and then checked it about a mile or two down the road.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Guy threw in straps so I got three 3333lb working load straps. Only used two because it was raining so bad. I got it home, unloaded and went to work in the pouring rain. Things a beast. Box blade is an art I will need to master. I was told by a bunch of people that running it would bring gravel up... I think I just buried it further. Yikes. Was able to get some ruts leveled, got really wet, and cracked open a beer with dinner.

 

[Dawico]

Guy threw in straps so I got three 3333lb working load straps. Only used two because it was raining so bad. I got it home, unloaded and went to work in the pouring rain. Things a beast. Box blade is an art I will need to master. I was told by a bunch of people that running it would bring gravel up... I think I just buried it further. Yikes. Was able to get some ruts leveled, got really wet, and cracked open a beer with dinner.

Nice. Did you mess with the box blade adjustments much? Tilt it down to dig more and up to just level what is already loose. Probably not much good while muddy though.

You need a roof. A piece of plywood and two C clamps will tide you over until you can get a good one.

 

[motorcarman]

That ROPS is tall. My tractor was a mower tractor (5 foot brush hog) so the previous owner cut it down to fit under trees without catching and flipping it. I can duck under trees and miss limbs MOST of the time.

A canopy will work if you don't have too many trees. I just wear a hat because I have about 6 acres of TREES.

Good looking rig. Hope you get the water diverted. Water from the sky is starting to ANNOY ME!!!!!

bob

 

[Governors20]

Congrats!

 

[Vaquero]

Yep. Good looking rig.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Nice. Did you mess with the box blade adjustments much? Tilt it down to dig more and up to just level what is already loose. Probably not much good while muddy though.

You need a roof. A piece of plywood and two C clamps will tide you over until you can get a good one.

I didn't want to do too much because it was so muddy, but it had to be done quick. I will play around with the top link and side link to get the grade I need.

Thinking I'll get a roof eventually but I don't don't.

That ROPS is tall. My tractor was a mower tractor (5 foot brush hog) so the previous owner cut it down to fit under trees without catching and flipping it. I can duck under trees and miss limbs MOST of the time.

A canopy will work if you don't have too many trees. I just wear a hat because I have about 6 acres of TREES.

Good looking rig. Hope you get the water diverted. Water from the sky is starting to ANNOY ME!!!!!

bob

It's at least foldable if I had to.

Congrats!

Yep. Good looking rig.

Thanks and all the help from here made me confident I made the right decision. Of course that is until the first payment is due!!