[jxwilliamson]

Hi All -

Here's my situation and equipment that I have researched and believe could meet my requirements. However I appreciate any and all input that this group might have for me.

I am now the proud owner of 35 acres of land that's mostly wooded with some hills (not mountains but decent size hills) and a 3 acre field. I live in house on the property and my driveway is approx 1,000 feet of gravel. We can get a lot of snow and at times heavy snow for 3 to 5 months.

What I anticipate using the equipment for.
1) Move some dirt around
2) Move some small boulders (could rent a skid steer for this work)
3) Build and maintane 3 or 4 small 1/4 acre food plots in various locations
4) Snow removal
5) Bush hog and till the 3 acre field for additional food plots (could hire a local farmer for this work)
6) Maintain the gravel driveway (spreading new gravel and leveling it off etc...)

The equipment options:
1) Demo 2013 Polaris Brutus HD PTO with bucket, land plane, grapple and snow blade
2) New 2016 LS XJ2025H tractor with loader, rear blade, tiller (direct PTO), box blade and bush hog (direct PTO)

Both packages are almost identical in price and everything is new. If I go with a tractor I will eventually need a UTV or something to buzz around on.

This is all new for me and will be a learn as I go situation. Thank you for taking the time to read this and giving me feedback.

 

[KeviNH]

Toolcat

Have you considered a used Bobcat Toolcat 56x0? It's like the big brother to the Brutus (aka Bobcat 3650).

Unlike Brutus, the Bobcat 5610 has an available bush hog and tiller.

 

[jxwilliamson]

Have you considered a used Bobcat Toolcat 56x0? It's like the big brother to the Brutus (aka Bobcat 3650).

Unlike Brutus, the Bobcat 5610 has an available bush hog and tiller.

That looks like a great machine but way out of my budget. Thank you for the recommendation.

 

[Interceptor]

Without a doubt, get the tractor. The Brutus is pretty good for what it is, but the tractor is better for doing all of those things you listed. The only possible exception being plowing snow, and only because the Brutus will keep you warm and dry and be slightly faster. Brutus is heavy duty as far as UTVs go, but it's still just a UTV. I bought mine because I wanted a UTV with a diesel engine and hydrostatic trans. I wouldn't expect it to do what my tractor can do.

Another bit of advice, decide what size tractor you need, then get the next size bigger. I think the one you have picked out will feel a little small on 35 acres.

 

[Duke Snyder]

I have both a Polaris Brutus HD (no PTO shaft) & a John Deere 1 series sub compact tractor.
A bit like comparing apples to oranges, both have great applications & advantages over the other at times.
SAFETY!!! If you do a lot of work on hills, get the Polaris Brutus as it is much more stable on hills than a tractor!!
I have 3.2 acres here & I use my UTV 4 to 1 over the tractor. For the record I bought (tractor) used & had it first.
Tractor has a large 48" 3 point snowblower, loader, brush mower, land plane, back blade, rake & ballast box.
Polaris has a bucket, grapple bucket with custom teeth, pallet forks & a 65 gal. tank & pump for fires & tree watering. I also use it for trips in town & general work around the area, I also help my neighbors a bit.

Decide what you will be doing MOST of your time, If I could only have one, it would be the Polaris.
Most of the tractor work I could hire out, but I'm retired & have the time.

 

[UhOh]

A tractor with a loader can do a LOT of work. Add in a few implements (cheaper because there's a larger market) and you're able to do even more work.

If you need to shuttle around and or trailer stuff then the Brutus will work great. I've found that while the dump bed is great for unloading it's fairly high up to load: with the tractor you just drop the loader to ground level and roll whatever into it. But if you have things that you need to haul around then it works well to just toss in the back and race off to where you have to go. We have 40 acres and animals- we have to move around quite a bit so the Brutus is making life a lot easier in that regard. It rains a LOT here, the windshield and rear window provide cover (not perfect) that the tractor doesn't. The Brutus will end up hauling firewood and dragging water totes around (on a trailer). Towing stuff is far easier with the Brutus than with our tractor: 3pt hitches are nice in that you can raise and lower, but when towing over rough ground it's a really jerky ride.

I you get a tractor go bigger. We have a Kubota B7800, and while it's not a big tractor it's got 30hp, which (with the hydrostatic trans- that soaks up some final power) puts out enough PTO hp to run a 5' brush hog (through really tall grass and some nasty brush). I cannot begin to list the myriad of tasks that this tractor has performed; it is by far the most indispensable piece of equipment we own. I plan on getting a bigger tractor (after 5 years, but will keep the B7800 (it's been through war and has always come through; just too versatile to let go).

 

[UhOh]

If you do a lot of work on hills, get the Polaris Brutus as it is much more stable on hills than a tractor!!

I'd tend to agree, though there are mitigations that can be made with the tractor. Ballast in the rear tires can do a LOT for stability. Also, one can use an implement or the loader to assist in stabilization. I'm fortunate in that I don't have any substantial hills (just some uneven ground and some HUGE ruts from logging skidders)

 

[Ketchn]

I had the same problem, but what swayed me to sell my sub compact Massy was no suspension (I have a bad back), I had a mower, bush hog, snowblower and rear scraper blade. Sold it and the ATV, bought the Bobcat 3650 with front snowblower, bucket, and mower, the Bobcat came with the full cab and has heat and air. It also rides great while mowing 20-30 acres of old farm fields.
My wife and ride on the atv trails a lot in the summer, and I use it in the winter for snowblowing, we also don't have a lot of space to store lots of equipment so we like only having one machine.
Look at my photos on the gallery tab at the TO of the page.

 

[UhOh]

I had the same problem, but what swayed me to sell my sub compact Massy was no suspension (I have a bad back), I had a mower, bush hog, snowblower and rear scraper blade. Sold it and the ATV, bought the Bobcat 3650 with front snowblower, bucket, and mower, the Bobcat came with the full cab and has heat and air. It also rides great while mowing 20-30 acres of old farm fields.
My wife and ride on the atv trails a lot in the summer, and I use it in the winter for snowblowing, we also don't have a lot of space to store lots of equipment so we like only having one machine.
Look at my photos on the gallery tab at the TO of the page.

I hear you on the lack of suspension on tractors. My body gets royally slammed around: rails on my seat just broke, broke the metal tracks, ripped off chunks of metal; I went ahead and did a bunch more mowing WITHOUT a seat!

After having significant neck problems (due to rapid back-and-forth over rough terrain while mowing) I have slowed down a fair bit.

I don't have any issues with having space for equipment, though only the tractor has any cover (our cars and truck AND the Brutus all live out in the open).

 

[sluggsih]

Tracked skidsteer for all the work and maybe a gas powered golf cart for running around. Just another option. I use my skid steer for just about everything, I just wish it had tracks. My tractors get used only for blowing snow but obviously could be used for other things. Whatever you decide, make sure it has a closed cab with heat for moving snow.

 

[KeviNH]

Having some acreage (and looking at moving to 100 acres of scrubby pines), I still half regret not going with the (twice asexpensive) Bobcat Toolcat instead -- it's just so much more versatile, and with the Bob-Tach attachment system, you can rent specific attachments as you need them. I'd get one just to have the full range front lift arm and 3-point hitch!


Toolcat can also take aftermarket tracks: