Compact Tractor

[thetoolnut]

I'm looking into buying a compact tractor and PTO wood chipper, I'd need the tractor to be powerful yet portable. I'm thinking of a John Deere or a Kubota tractor say around 30hp with maybe a 6'' Timberwolf P.T.O driven chipper. I'd need a trailer as well to bring them around to jobs. Any advice would be welcome, Thanks.

[dig-dug-dan]

I run a kubota stv32, and it fits nicely on an ifor tilt bed. The best chipper for it is the greenmech. have tried both and it works much better, though i have yet to save up for one!

the kubota has been ultra reliable. not missed a beat in 7 years so far, and its a fast tractor on the road which is a good thing

[wrsni]

I'll give another vote for Kubota either ST or newer STV depending on your budget.

 

Don't think you get anything else as narrow with the levels of horsepower, our ST30 measures up at 4ft 7ins wide with grass tyres and drives a 6ft roller mower comfortably. Excellent pulling power as well although that's probably not going to be as much of an issue for you as the PTO performance.

Edited December 30, 2014 by wrsni

[hedgesparrow]

have to agree kubota. or look for a yanmar very good tractors and as reliable as a kubota had a 20 hp with loader it had so much grunt.

other good tractor shibaru japenese not chinese well built.

think your find latter two as not as well known may pick one up cheaper than a kubota. as for trailer get a full ramp not the slide out jobs nasty and dangerous in wet seen a few near misses with compacts nearly fallen off due to no grip and sliding off ramps.

as for chipper timberwolf doing a good pto chipper up to 7inch.

[GA Groundcare]

Kubota's are well built, very reliable, priced well and the second hand values are excellent.

[wrsni]

have to agree kubota. or look for a yanmar very good tractors and as reliable as a kubota had a 20 hp with loader it had so much grunt.

other good tractor shibaru japenese not chinese well built.

 

Iseki is good as well, in fact you probably wouldn't go far wrong with any of the Japanese stuff as far as working goes.

 

But none of them come close to having the parts back up that Kubota have, my ST30 came in from England with a knackered clutch but despite it being an older model and him not even having supplied it, once I knew what was needed my local Kubota dealer had all the parts for me next day.

[thetoolnut]

Thanks for all the advice lads, Kubota seem to be the way to go. I've heard some concerns about p.t.o chippers being a bit weak compared to a road towable or a tracked model. Any truth to this? Would a Timberwolf or Greenmech 6' 'pto driven chipper be able to go all Day every Day?

[Matthew Storrs]

Just remember that you will lose a few horsepower through the PTO, so a 30hp tractor will probably produce 27hp at the PTO, so on that note I would say 30hp is a bit on the small side to power a 6 inch chipper and definiatly if the chipper doesn't have a no stress control, 40-45hp would powera 6inch chipper more comfortably.

I ran an 8inch of a 70hp tractor and wouldn't have wanted any less hp.

[thetoolnut]

So a 35hp minimum to run a 6''? It's a fine line between portability and power.

[Rkd]

Has anybody tried the pto choppers that chop decent size sticks into small logs or smaller stuff to kindling?!?!

 

Seams less of a waste than chipping and they fall straight into a bag so could be stored dried n maybe sold easier than chip ??????......

 

I can't remember what the chopper is called tho!!!