TRDdrew's shop updates and improvements- The Cruiser Cottage

[TRDdrew]

Made these Dollys so i can move these axles around while working on them. I assure you the are plenty stable and look sketchier than they are lol

 

[TRDdrew]

Small little project. Decided to finish off the man cave wall. Found a local saw mill the was selling 1x6x8 rough cut pine boards for 3 bucks a board! Gonna use it on the interior wall ( I know it is overkill but the material was cheap) Took everything off the wall and got the insulation done tonight. Tomorrow I'll start the wood work

 

[TRDdrew]

Got the wall all finished up today not a bad little weekend project. Didn't take the wood all the way to the floor mainly just because the tool boxes sit in front of it. May finish it off when I do spray insulation in the rest of the shop. Maybe lol

 

[knuckle47]

We had a room in our house in Vermont that was rough sawn pine and it always felt warm and inviting. If you decide in the future to move ths around, the newer boards needed to finish will be a different color from aging. As long as you’re cool with that… perfect. Job looks great. Nice part is, whenever you need to add something to the wall…no need to look for a stud somewhere

 

[TRDdrew]

Ya I'm very pleased with the outcome, who knows may have more of this in the future. Definitely gives it more man cave vibes

 

[TRDdrew]

was running some errands this weekend and this was sitting on the side of the road. I really would love to have a sub compact tractor and this one was unbelievably clean for the age, it's an 84 but only 2wd. He wants 4500 which I think is fair but I will probably hold out for one with a bucket, something like @ceylonfj40nut "orange peel" tactor would be perfect

 

[knuckle47]

If I may say so….wait for the bucket. My neighbor has several and the L47 is a workhorse for him. I needed a tractor here for over 40 years and finally picked up a 1947 ford 8n with a bucket and a back blade. The bucket has come in handy almost as many times as the tractor has been used. I move my broken up 70’ aluminum radio tower, moved my garage refrigerator to the pole barn, moved my 120 gallon 5HP compressor to the pole barn, plowed snow, spread R blend for the driveway and road, assembled my 4 post tower using the bucket, installed a replacement 8foot wide window in the house lifting the window in place.

Aside from so many other things smaller, it has been a life saver. At my age now a 5 gallon bucket of paint is a slight chore…. Without the bucket, it would be just another 4 wheeled vehicle

 

[TRDdrew]

If I may say so….wait for the bucket. My neighbor has several and the L47 is a workhorse for him. I needed a tractor here for over 40 years and finally picked up a 1947 ford 8n with a bucket and a back blade. The bucket has come in handy almost as many times as the tractor has been used. I move my broken up 70’ aluminum radio tower, moved my garage refrigerator to the pole barn, moved my 120 gallon 5HP compressor to the pole barn, plowed snow, spread R blend for the driveway and road, assembled my 4 post tower using the bucket, installed a replacement 8foot wide window in the house lifting the window in place.

Aside from so many other things smaller, it has been a life saver. At my age now a 5 gallon bucket of paint is a slight chore…. Without the bucket, it would be just another 4 wheeled vehicle

ya that what I'm thinking. The size of my property now doesn't even justify having a tractor lol but I can think of so many times where it would have been very convenient. Plus i can always stick it on my trailer and take it over to family property to make things easier there. Been on the hunt for awhile now, biggest problem is I'm cheap lol

Lucky for me I have a neighbor that has a big John Deer loader that he has let me borrow a few times. I Just don't want to abuse his generous hospitality

 

[1911]

I really would love to have a sub compact tractor and this one was unbelievably clean for the age, it's an 84 but only 2wd. He wants 4500 which I think is fair but I will probably hold out for one with a bucket

If I may say so….wait for the bucket. My neighbor has several and the L47 is a workhorse for him. I needed a tractor here for over 40 years and finally picked up a 1947 ford 8n with a bucket and a back blade. The bucket has come in handy almost as many times as the tractor has been used. I move my broken up 70’ aluminum radio tower, moved my garage refrigerator to the pole barn, moved my 120 gallon 5HP compressor to the pole barn, plowed snow, spread R blend for the driveway and road, assembled my 4 post tower using the bucket, installed a replacement 8foot wide window in the house lifting the window in place.

Aside from so many other things smaller, it has been a life saver. At my age now a 5 gallon bucket of paint is a slight chore…. Without the bucket, it would be just another 4 wheeled vehicle

ya that what I'm thinking. The size of my property now doesn't even justify having a tractor lol but I can think of so many times where it would have been very convenient.

My tractor has been some of the best money I have ever spent, and I use it all the time. A lot of the time, it is just a motorized wheelbarrow for things like @knuckle47 mentions - so handy and easy to move bulky/heavy things around. I initially resisted spending the money for the front-end loader but the dealer I bought it from talked me into it, and I'm sure glad he did.

With all of the different attachments available, you can do so many things with them. You will always find a use for a brush hog and a box blade on the rear three-point hitch, and pallet forks on the front.

Buying second hand is fine with a good brand like Kubota; as long as it has been reasonably well maintained, they will last nearly forever. Kubota is like the Toyota of tractors - not the cheapest option, but the Japanese build quality is there.

Good luck in your search!

 

[TRDdrew]

My tractor has been some of the best money I have ever spent, and I use it all the time. A lot of the time, it is just a motorized wheelbarrow for things like @knuckle47 mentions - so handy and easy to move bulky/heavy things around. I initially resisted spending the money for the front-end loader but the dealer I bought it from talked me into it, and I'm sure glad he did.

With all of the different attachments available, you can do so many things with them. You will always find a use for a brush hog and a box blade on the rear three-point hitch, and pallet forks on the front.

Buying second hand is fine with a good brand like Kubota; as long as it has been reasonably well maintained, they will last nearly forever. Kubota is like the Toyota of tractors - not the cheapest option, but the Japanese build quality is there.

Good luck in your search!

Kubota is absolutely at the top of the list

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

was running some errands this weekend and this was sitting on the side of the road. I really would love to have a sub compact tractor and this one was unbelievably clean for the age, it's an 84 but only 2wd. He wants 4500 which I think is fair but I will probably hold out for one with a bucket, something like @ceylonfj40nut "orange peel" tactor would be perfect

View attachment 3851793

Kubota is where its at! The bucket is a huge plus. Would not buy one without it.

 

[LDowney]

was running some errands this weekend and this was sitting on the side of the road. I really would love to have a sub compact tractor and this one was unbelievably clean for the age, it's an 84 but only 2wd. He wants 4500 which I think is fair but I will probably hold out for one with a bucket, something like @ceylonfj40nut "orange peel" tactor would be perfect

View attachment 3851793

ya that what I'm thinking. The size of my property now doesn't even justify having a tractor lol but I can think of so many times where it would have been very convenient. Plus i can always stick it on my trailer and take it over to family property to make things easier there. Been on the hunt for awhile now, biggest problem is I'm cheap lol

Lucky for me I have a neighbor that has a big John Deer loader that he has let me borrow a few times. I Just don't want to abuse his generous hospitality

You clearly stated your interest is in subcompact sized tractors; but if you would consider larger, you could probably get more for your money going up in size-capability.
Based on my experience growing up on a farm, I would stay away from the vintage tractors (Ford 8N/9N, two-piston John Deere, ...). The chore tractors from the 1960s would be my preference. By then, live PTO / live hydraulics / 3pt hitch were all standard features. The engine and drive lines were still heavy duty and built to last (stout and repairable/rebuildable). They would not have the hydrostatic/shuttle type transmissions which could have benefits when using a loader. From the prices that I am seeing in my searches, a $3-4k budget probably could get you into a very nice machine that has a loader. Also, you may want to look for examples that have been refreshed/restored. Feedback I have gotten from guys that restore tractors (as their hobby) is the additional value from a restoration typically only covers parts/material (i.e., new tires for example might not be fully reflected in the price), so locating a labor of love might seal a deal for you.

FYI One of my addictions (in addition the obvious Cruiser addiction) is Allis Chalmers. Specifically, I have hopes of picking up later examples from the D line (D10, D12, D14 and D17). Currently, I don't have purchase approval but I keep looking

My apology for going off on a tangent with info that you might not be interested in.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I bought a new Kubota MX5400 a couple of years ago and use it way more than I ever thought I would. Having grown up on a farm, I just couldn't see spending similar money for a mini tractor. I have certainly tested it's max capacity both with the bucket and the grapple. Also in the used space, the mini tractors often bring more money than the farm size tractors. So you might consider widening your search criteria upwards a few HP. Just my thoughts FWIW.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Looks like @LDowney beat me to it this morning!

 

[TRDdrew]

As i agree completely with both of you @WarDamnEagle @LDowney a bigger unit would probably be more cost effective and I'm leaving my options open. The two top contenders would be an a Kubota B6200 or similar and a Allis Chalmers 5015 or similar. Just because they are smaller more compact units, again my property is only an acre of land so the justification of a tractor really isn't even there. The other constriction is going to be height. My son will be getting his license soon so his vehicle will be coming out from under the overhang leaving me a open parking space ( might as well fill it with a useful tractor instead of another cruiser ) but the overhang does have a fairly low roof so I cant get something to big. But my neighbors bigger John Deer pictured earlier in this thread does fit under there (sorry cant remember the model number )

My Great Grandfather plowed Tobacco down here in southern MD with a 1940-50 something Farmall H. I toyed with the idea of one of those just for the nostalgic factor and while you can get them cheap, they are just too big for what I need and its more of a piece of farm equipment vs. something i can actually use around the house

Ultimately I'm not sold on anything but if the right deal comes along ill jump on it. This most likely isn't our forever home I have no plans of moving anytime soon but eventually more property would be nice and already having a tractor would be Ideal

....... wait I don't need to sell this idea to you fine folks, maybe I should go have a talk with my better half

 

[prwillard2]

....... wait I don't need to sell this idea to you fine folks, maybe I should go have a talk with better half

"Darling everyone online says this is a great idea and will be super useful"

 

[EWheeler]

was running some errands this weekend and this was sitting on the side of the road. I really would love to have a sub compact tractor and this one was unbelievably clean for the age, it's an 84 but only 2wd. He wants 4500 which I think is fair but I will probably hold out for one with a bucket, something like @ceylonfj40nut "orange peel" tactor would be perfect

View attachment 3851793

So, on top of my landcruiser problem, I also have a Kubota tractor problem. The older L series tractors are fantastic. I would recommend holding out for an L305dt or L345dt (dt=dual traction=4x4). My first tractor was the L305dt, and I've put 100 trouble free hours on it in 2 years. I decided I needed a "bigger" tractor, and ended up purchasing an L345dt (along with two additional 345dt's for their attachments and spare parts). The loader that fits the 305/345 is a bit large for the 305 chassis and wheelbase IMO. My neighbor has a L245dt, and it just seems too small to me, but its certainly better than a shovel and a wheelbarrow. I believe the L295dt is nearly identical to the L305dt, I'd have to do some reading in my literature to figure out the primary differences. Not sure if it was the same tractor just different power rating methods or if there were actual differences......

Mini Tractors - lets see um

Hanging a deer for processing. Did you run over it or someone else?

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[TRDdrew]

"Darling everyone online says this is a great idea and will be super useful"

I'm sure she will understand this completely logical argument

Mini Tractors - lets see um

Hanging a deer for processing. Did you run over it or someone else?

forum.ih8mud.com

I've been though that forum front to back lol, mostly in envy. I'll look L305dt and similar models, always appreciate the recommendations

 

[EWheeler]

I'm sure she will understand this completely logical argument



I've been though that forum front to back lol, mostly in envy. I'll look L305dt and similar models, always appreciate the recommendations

Also, the little Ford diesel tractors seem to be a great value. Another neighbor of mine has one, a little 2 cylinder. Its smaller than I'd want, but again, better than a wheelbarrow and a shovel. He has a loader, a box scraper and a little 4' mower that he drags behind. One nice thing about the early L series Kubotas is that they have an independent PTO, so you can use the pto for auxiliary functions like a post hole digger, a wood chipper, etc, where you do not want the tractor moving while you are utilizing PTO power. Some tractors only have PTO function when the tractor is in gear and moving, which would only allow uses like a tiller or mower.

 

[LDowney]

...

My Great Grandfather plowed Tobacco down here in southern MD with a 1940-50 something Farmall H. I toyed with the idea of one of those just for the nostalgic factor and while you can get them cheap, they are just too big for what I need and its more of a piece of farm equipment vs. something i can actually use around the house

......

Very familiar with H's and appreciate the possible connection with your grandfather / family heritage.

Some background info for your consideration - The Farmall line included multiple models very similar looking to an H with some being slightly larger geometrically. The Super H was an up-powered variant from the early 50s. However, the M was the big brother to the H and it went through a series of upgrades and name changes with a longer production life. The M-family went through significant enhancements (live power, power, pwr steering, transmission, torque amplifier, wide front ends being more common, plus more diesel example built) which culminated with the 450 and 460. The 450 and 460 tractor were effectively the final tractors that looked like an H (or M). This could be helpful in maintaining a family connection while balancing other considerations.