Smaller than a 743? Rent? Compact tractor?

[dirtyb115]

Hi all, its been a while since i have been here, but had a few questions. So previously i have owned a 763 and a 743 b. I actually liked the 743 a little better as it was lighter, and did everything in needed it to. Well i ended up selling the 743 because i sold the acreage i used it on. We just purchased a new home that is on about 6 acres and it needs a lot of cleaning up. (Mostly clearing out honey suckle and other brush, some of it pretty big.) I know the 743 would be capable, but i am wondering if a smaller 6 series would be up to the job? The other option would be to rent something for a couple of weekends, then buy a small tractor instead for upkeep, but i have never been on a tractor so not sure how practical that would be. At any rate, any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

 

[SkidRoe]

Welcome back!! I think an S130 would be the closest modern machine to your 743b. I like your idea about renting one, that way you could see for yourself whether the machine is right for the job before laying out the cash to buy. You could also check out what attachements are the most applicable for your needs (I am thinking grapple bucket to start). The only advantage that I see with a compact tractor is that 3 point hitch implements are everywhere and cheap, compared to SSL attachments. But if your principle machine need is going to be for loader-related work, you can't beat a skid steer. My $0.02.