I recently bought land in TN for a vineyard....mountainous and mostly wooded with a few old logging trails throughout the 35 acres. After researching and studying tractors for about 3 months (even had John Deere out to the property), I came to the conclusion that a tractor would not be best for me and a CTL or skid steer would be a much better purchase for starting the vineyard. I joined this forum with the hope others can help me choose the best unit for my property. All of the sizes and models and variations can be a bit overwhelming. Glad to be here.
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A question that has come up as we are doing our research is if it is better to get a skid steer and then add tracks when needed or to get a CTL. Will a skid steer with tracks be as capable as a CTL? Or, would you recommend someone starting out to just get a CTL?
Another question that came up is how much power we would need to both auger 2' diameter holes for the orchard and run a fence post driver? Can we go with a smaller unit like an ASV RT-25 or would you need something big like an ASV RT-75?A question that has come up as we are doing our research is if it is better to get a skid steer and then add tracks when needed or to get a CTL. Will a skid steer with tracks be as capable as a CTL? Or, would you recommend someone starting out to just get a CTL?
The downside to tracks on a steep angle is that they can walk out of the tracks and they are a pain to put back on , Cat uses a double grouser to keep it from happening, so it is something you need to address And as power goes you are gonna need a big boy to use a 2 ft. auger in Tn. hard ground. Where are you in Tn.? reason I ask I am in Cleveland,Tn.Another question that came up is how much power we would need to both auger 2' diameter holes for the orchard and run a fence post driver? Can we go with a smaller unit like an ASV RT-25 or would you need something big like an ASV RT-75?
Thanks a lot for the info. I guess the small ASV RT_25 is out of the question or me then. I am in Clinton, TN.The downside to tracks on a steep angle is that they can walk out of the tracks and they are a pain to put back on , Cat uses a double grouser to keep it from happening, so it is something you need to address And as power goes you are gonna need a big boy to use a 2 ft. auger in Tn. hard ground. Where are you in Tn.? reason I ask I am in Cleveland,Tn.
As for HP to run a 2' auger, just about any machine will have enough power to drill a hole, an auger doesn't use a lot of HP, the main area you need more power is driving and pushing into piles of dirt, your drive system uses lots of power and if you ran a slasher, it will also need lots of power to spin a blade and keep it moving.Thanks a lot for the info. I guess the small ASV RT_25 is out of the question or me then. I am in Clinton, TN.
The hardest part of using an auger is having enough down pressure. Skidders are great at lifting, not as great with pushing down on the ground to drill holes. In softter soils, they are fine, but i was drilling through rock, i had a bottle jack under the back of my machine to give me a little more pushing power as it moved the pivot point from the nack wheels to the back door.
