My idea of a trailblazing machine

[Geo-TH,In]

Find me a trailblazing machine that has full protection, rollcage while operating hoe, a topper and a seat belt.
I used 16 g

galvanized round duct work. I also wear safety glasses because I'll get smacked in the face with small branches. Happens all the time. Before safety glasses, I got smacked in the eye, hurt for days. Lesson learned.

Seatbelt is very important. Lesson learned, I came very close to flipping it. It was on 2 wheels, I had one leg on the ground and one on the tractor. God only knows why it landed on all 4 instead of on me. Glad it did or I wouldn't be posting this.

I want 20-25 hp and around 3000# so it doesn't leave ruts in the yard. In the past, Diesels under 25 hp had no regulations on emissions 13 years ago when I bought my first Terramite. I can't stand the smell of diesel unless they are EPA compliant or clean air compliant. I can't smell the exhaust of my L3560 Kubota. Not sure if or when diesels under 25 hp will have to clean up the exhaust.

So find me a trailblazer that is:
around 3000#
Gasser or no smell diesel.
Build from the ground up as a compact loader/hoe.
Full protection, roll cage, even when using hoe.
Heat, radio and air would be nice too.
It has to be under 7 ft tall to fit in a garage
and a full 360 view.
Terramite is made in the USA. West Virginia.
Made in USA would be nice.
The company still has to be in business.

The only thing terramite doesn't have is dealer support.
That would be nice. I'm getting old and would like a
dealer to fix it sometimes. Like the time I had to rebuild
the Dana 411, which is still working on the trailblazer.

So please tell me where I can buy a better trailblazer that fills my wish list. .

 

[Peat]

 

[Peat]

Holder C9700h
Doesnt meet you spec but does great job for us.
72 Hp Perkins diesel
Front 3 pt and pto will handle a 4 -5 bush hog no worries
Differential lock in both axles
Articulated
Dump Carries tools or stone or ?
Heated, ac in cab
High range speeds to 22 mph
48 wide
Creeper gears with controls for high rpm for low speed high power requirements ie snowblower


Made in Germany
Parts available in NE US but not always available
Being narrow and articulated never want to make a downhill sharp turn - rolling hazard
Many electrical circuits control vital controls
Doesnt float : )

 

[Jim.ME]

You have your idea of your ideal trail blazer, and no one is going to change your mind. Great, it works for you. Some use machines that will really blaze a trail, like this or similar. Each to his own.

 

[john in la]

The ultimate land clearing machine is a dozer with a root rake and a tree spear.

 

[the tractor vet]

My idea of said machine is a dozer with limb risers and brush cage and a winch for when i think i can does not work out in a size of between 22 ton to 35 ton and Hp. of 150 to 350 hp. I have cut many lease roads for drilling locations with D 6's and D 7 along with my favort of them all either a 750 Deere or 850 Deere . And for the smallest of them would be the 650 Deere , a vary impressive little tonka toy when weighted with a winch rops brush screens and a 6 way blade and will move just about what ever you come up against . No playing in the woods with a wheeled machine for me .

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I would say a skid steer with a front mounted bush hog or an attachment made specifically for clearing small trees and brush. I see ads all the time on Craigslist showing the equipment and the results of their work-very impressive. Grinds the the wood up and leaves a mulch like looking residue. Very clean end result. The absolute right tool for the job you are doing.
In my opinion, if you had skid steer, you would throw your terra mite away. They are so easy to operate, infinite speed control with the hydrostatic drive, very safe, and have great visibility of your bucket, or grapple, or whatever implement that you are using. Mark.

 

[VicS]

Sounds like it fits you. I almost got a 110 John Deere backhoe. But bought a 480E Case backhoe. Weights 10000 lb. So my 15000 lb. Trailer will haul it, fits me.

 

[Crookedwrench]

This one works for me! Not for sale
Don

 

[Billy NY]

Were these the older JD 750's and 850's with the unique hydrostatic drive ? We had an 850 at one place, certainly different in how you can spin the tracks opposite each other. $$$ to repair these according to other owners of them.
I've run a mid 2000's 650, pretty nice machine actually.

One morning as I approached the job site which was the side of a sloping field, the young foreman was running the 850 for some reason and it was like a silhouette in the morning sun. He went over a small berm and when it nosed down, it tossed him from the seat onto the hood and into the stack! Good guy, was so glad he did not get hurt, no burns either. Hard to forget seeing him launch out of the seat on the JD 850.

 

[johnofnewhaven]

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Mark,
Skidders tear the crap out of lawn.
Not gassers.
They do a great job with a gizmo that turns wood into chips. So far no one has an answer that meets all my criteria.

 

[cjunrau]

Have you ever watch a good operator on a tracked skid steer. Some of those guys can work on your lawn without messing it up. May not be as good as a terimite as I have never seen one in Operation.
I like all the attachments available for skid steer loaders and think that might be as good as you can get.

 

[Mike M]

try this ?
Untitled URL Link

 

[mtf]

I don't have one, but one of my landscapers has a ventrac. Look it up. Tons of attachments.

 

[SVcummins]

Ive always wanted a Teri mite

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Actually, you can turn them without tearing up the lawn. If you turn in the same radius as your tractor, instead of the abrupt 90* turn the skid steer is capable of, it won't hurt the lawn. Just takes a little practice and skill. Mark.

 

[John M]

Does it matter what others think?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

John,
Does it matter what others think?
Doesn't really matter. However everyone who recommends a trailblazing machine fails to read my requirements.
And I have a limited number of local tractor dealers.
Kubota, New Holland, John Deere. None of these come close.

 

[SVcummins]

4620 under the tarp ?

 

[Peat]

Thats a 4520 SV, 23 hours on out of frame OH getting 165 HP from orginal 404 w/ new injector pump system. Spent some $$ but sure runs sweet!