OT - (new Small Tractor question) Snow/Ice removal

[Alan Wood]

... and be sure you know where the phoneline is..

No problem; I located it a couple years ago, with a rented backhoe...

Wait a minute if you weren't probing for buried utility lines what where you using one of them for?

[AJMD429]

Whenever I bury a water line or electric line (and if that is less than 100 ft. long, I'll do it in conduit), I fill in carefully to about six inches above the line, THEN lay in a 3" wide strip of yellow "caution" tape, or a strip of the blue foam coil used to seal roof edges and so on. THAT WAY when I'm later digging and trying to find, or trying to avoid, the lines, I'll know I'm "close" when I get to my marker.

When I was using the big rental backhoe, we had to dig a 12" wide trench under a buried phone-line, and transformer-to-house line, and the good news is that the telephone line was the one on top.

[homefront]

By far, the best source of info before you sign the paperwork: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/

Farm tractors are industrial equipment. They are designed and engineered to stand up to hard work, abuse and negligence more than most anything else you can buy. The only brands I would stay away from are the Chinese units typified by Northern.

TYM and Kioti are tremendous machines, built in (south) Korea. A bit more bang for the buck than Deere or Kubota.

The single most important aspect of this purchase is dealer support. Find a dealer with a good reputation for service and you have it made, regardless of make.

About 6 years ago I picked up a Kubota L2800, 4wd gear tractor. The machine has been as reliable as an anvil. I run an 8' backhoe, a loader, a 5' mower, a 6' rake and a 6' boxblade. At first I was concerned about having a mid-mount PTO, but not any more.

The boxblade has been a most useful implement -- I regraded my entire property with it.

I also use the boxblade for most of my snow moving, pushing most of it backwards. I seldom use the loader for snow anymore.

Oh yeah, get a toothbar for your bucket; it will be nearly useless for digging without one.