Tow a trailer in the Homecoming parade at your local High School or down Main Street on the 4th of July

"...I'm waiting delivery on a Kioti CK20S HST and I'm looking for projects to do..."

wow... you bought a $10k? tractor and can't think of a use for it?... how about: tear out your lawn and start from scratch. Or dig a pond... maybe put in some fence posts... there is a million things you can do with it - you don't need us to tell you.

quick question: why would you buy a tractor if you didn't have a pre-determined use for it?

cheers!!

"quick question: why would you buy a tractor if you didn't have a pre-determined use for it?"

Oh, so now a guy has to have a reason to buy a tractor? Whose rule is that, and when did it get voted in?

Just kidding, but I think he is asking for other projects BEYOND his intended use, so he can use it MORE. Joe, am I right?

crabjoe -

Did you get a front-end loader for it as well? I believe it was johndeere2210 that broke up and removed his sidewalk with his FEL.

With the tractor itself there isn't much you can do aside from pulling things around. But, the tractor itself serves as the platform and power source for many implements you can use to perform a multitude of tasks. Buy the implements as you need them, or rent them if you can and if it is a one-time use (like a post hole digger for putting in a fence).

They are really good at emptying out your pocketbook and filling a wife with resentment : )

Dave01 is correct. I know what they are normally used for, but wanted to know what other things people were using their tractors for.

The new Kioti is the CK20S HST. I ordered it with the loader, backhoe and a box blade because it's primary task will be to remove rocks in my yard. I'm tired of using a shovel or borrowing my friends skidsteer when he doesn't have it on a job site. Plus, he's 50+ miles from me and it's not easy to pick the loader up in the morning to have to get it back to him before the next morning.

Last year, I removed 6 yards of rocks with the skidsteer in a 20x40 area. Over the last couple months I've been able to remove about a yard with a shovel. Shoveling by hand ain't fun and without getting the rocks out of the yard, I can't get grass to grow.

The grass will grow in the fall and spring, but once the heat comes up, all the grass dies then the crab grass takes over.

Back to the original topic... So other then it's intended us of digging and moving things with it, what else are they used for?? I'm looking for projects to do and if I'm lucky, I'll be replacing my sidewalk with pavers with it next year.

BTW, please keep the ideas coming. I also wish I could find that old sidewalk remove thread. I remember it being very useful.

"They are really good at emptying out your pocketbook and filling a wife with resentment : )"

I don't have to worry about the CFO. :) She was all for it and she's the one that made me get the backhoe. In fact, she wanted me to get a larger sized CUT with more power, but I didn't want to spend the extra cash.

When we moved into this house, we moved from a townhouse to a house on 1 acre. When I was looking at lawn tractors, she told me to get a garden tractor and I said "What for?? All it's going to do is cut grass and my dad's Craftsman lasted for over a decade before he replaced it."

After moving in, I found that I was moving tons of dirt and stone. Then soon regretted getting the Bob Villa special, DYT 4000 because I needed a FEL. Atleast with a GT, I could have gotten a Johnny Bucket. :( Well, regret turned into wanted a Simplicity Legacy with a FEL, but when I looked at pricing and capabilities, it soon looked like a CUT was a better way to go. I already had something to cut the grass with.

To make a long story short, she knows tractors from growing up on a ranch in Texas. She wanted me to get a Massey, her father wanted me to get a Deere. Me .... I'm shopping value for the dollar because I don't plan on getting rid of this thing (resale). That's how I ended up with the Kioti. I looked at Kubota too, but for the money, the Kioti out performed it.

So now I sit here waiting for my new Tractor to be delivered; it's planned for tomorrow. I can't get it off my mind and I'm losing sleep thinking about what I can use it for.

Here is a quick list, with tractor uses:

1. put in a decorative pond & waterfall
- digging
- trenching / ripping
- material movement
2. install sprinkler system for lawn
- trenching / ripping
3. land-scape the heck out of your yard
- material movement
- some digging (to plant trees & shrubs)

Background:
have you considered building a small pond and waterfall... for your wife to enjoy?... will take the edge off the expense of the tractor....
should be easy to do with a loader & backhoe... and with all the rocks you pull, you can save a ton of $$ not having to buy them.... all you'll need is some sand, liner material and a pump. Of course, you'll need to trench or "rip" a groove in the soil to run power down to the pond - that's another use.
{{gwi:320317}}

and don't stop there... get the yard on a sprinkler system - to keep the grass from dying.... tons of trenching & ripping to do...

and finally, landsacaping makes wives happy.

"Tractoritis" is a terrible, debilitating disease. Please give generously as often you can to the Tractoritis Foundation of America. Some day we may have enough spare tractors to bridge the gap for those that are waiting for their new tractors to arrive.

Thank you for your support!

I tore out my sidewalk with my little 2210.

{{gwi:320318}}

{{gwi:320319}}

Cheers

JDFANATIC

jdfanatic,

How did you break up the sidewalk? Was there any rebar in it?

Thanks!!

You can't wait one more day? I have to wait years before I can get one. Congrats! Your wife has the same problem I do...Grow up with a tractor and you can't live without it. My childhood consisted of a community group of tractors, we didn't so much as change implements, we just rotated tractors. Best use for the thing is just knowing its there. Hope you enjoy it.

Rebar in walk will need to be cut with chop saw if there. Also, used a jackhammer attachment on a backhoe once to break up a pool deck. Not sure if those are available for sale or rent for this size or not. In that case, the rebar and farm fence were embedded too deep for chop saw. Jackhammer, then spud bar, then bolt cutters did the trick. (Yes, heavy gauge farm fence and rebar in 8 - 12 inches of concrete. Thats what happens when your boss surveys the pool himself one year, then decides to bring the back of the house out 6' the next.)

Great pictures here everybody. Pond looks great.

PS: In the old days, you could pocket a few hundred burying a dead cow.

Tractor came :) Now I gotta go get some fuel and a tarp to cover it with.

crabjoe,

There was no rebar in this sidewalk. I just dug under it with the toothbar and popped it out. Some of the pieces were as thick as 14" so in a few cases where the tractor was struggling with it, I used the sledge to snap the pieces in two.

Here's the new walk I installed:

{{gwi:320320}}

{{gwi:320321}}

Cheers

JDFANATIC

Sure is a nice looking toothbar on the loader :)

jd2210,

Ha ha! For those of you who are wondering, jd needed a toothbar quickly for a job and Markham was waiting for material. I sent him my toothbar. I haven't gotten around to replacing it, but intend to.

Cheers

JDFANATIC