Think about renting much of the equipment mentioned. I have some of the items because they were always here and haven’t used in 15 years. Our drive is a quarter mile and only once have I had to use the big equipment to clear it of snow.
Acreage tips from the Fanatics
- Thread starter cdnlngld
- Start date
If you are dealing with horses I’m guessing you have a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup. Throw a blade on that. Just have to start with a big push so you have room to keep piling it.
Sparkplug has a good point. If you don't like having stuff around, then renting is a good idea. However:
1) I like being able to say to myself. The weather looks nice on Fri evening and Saturday, I'm going to do X. Try getting rental stuff on short notice OR even when you want it, ever. I'm near a pretty big city and it's hard to get.
2) I honestly would like to know (not in a snarky way, I would really like to know) where you can get 3 point attachments to rent. I've never found it.
3) If you rent most of these items, you'll need to then attach them to something that can drive them AND THAT, is a Skid Steer. Those are readily available along with the attachments you need and there is a reason for that. They are pretty expensive to rent, deliver, etc.
4) I've paid for my attachments 2 to 5 times over rental fees, but I do a LOT of stuff on my property myself. So, you have to take that into account, if you aren't handy, hire someone else to do it and just pay them, then you don't have to look at them all the time either.
If you are not in a hurry and rather careful about your bidding and willing to drive to the contiguous states to Iowa (which might be a big ask) you can get these items pretty inexpensively and never pay to rent them or ever wait for them again.
This is an estimate of what I paid for each of these items: (I'd also say that I spent an average of $50 on gas on top of all of the prices to pick these things up.
Post Hole Digger with 8" Auger -
Need to dig a post hole or plant trees or bushes? Brand New Mahindra, $400
6' Tiller - Got a garden? What else are you going to do with all the mucking?
4 year old King Kutter $1,650, won it on the way to Iowa ISU game, picked it up on the way back in, I think, Green Mountain. (If you are going to garden and you have horse poo that you compost, you should own this, renting one is silly in that case.)
7' down reach back hoe - Not a necessity, but it VERY handy when you need to dig anything. ($3,750, I owned this before the derecho for a construction project, but it made this a NO BRAINER) I'm going to guess I have used it for the better part of 20 full days. BUT, not everyone likes to trench and plant big trees, etc. or has to dig out 15 or so 60 year old trees after they got toppled. So, this is one thing you can rent and make work. Still expensive, but that one could work out. I got lucky and we had a 100 year storm that took out a bunch of beautiful huge trees.
7' Blade - good for spreading and plowing snow, however, don't use as much anymore Like $250, when you need it you need it and they are pretty handy. I'd recommend plowing snow with this before pushing with your FEL. It SHOULD have been closer to $400 - 500, I got lucky on a bad auction day with that one.
6' Box Blade - Very handy for dirt and gravel leveling, although there are some new tools that look pretty nice out there. This is very useful 2 or 3 times a year. I paid probably ~$500 for it, but it is a VERY STURDY model and it was brand new. Never have understood why some new stuff show up at auction, but it does.
HD 12 Post Pounder (if anyone needs one, I've got one cause I am done with pounding posts for a while.)
Don't get one of these unless you're putting in 100 posts, its silly otherwise. ~$3,500
6' Snow Blower - IF you use your tractor, MUCH better than moving snow with FEL (This is not a rental Item and Spark Plug wasn't referring to it I'm pretty sure.)
Middle Buster - Planting and harvesting potatoes, this is the ONLY way. (Not even worth talking about, just buy it if you plant over 100' of potatoes your back will thank you. ALSO, when you are breaking the garden, it can really help if you don't have one.
What
What do you use to clear your drive of snow? I'm thinking of trying to go a little smaller too, just getting ideas. I have .17 mile to clear TOTAL and I need my blower most of the time and use my tractor for that. Most of the time a much smaller blower would work though. What is big equipment you're talking about?
How many people here have had Daughter Went To College But Her Horse Didn't Syndrome? Just checking for a friend.
If you get a diesel tractor, use winter blend diesel from September through April. Or at least have access to a diesel fuel anti-gel additive (like this) and follow the directions for usage. A gelled diesel fuel system is not fun to deal with on a frigid day.
Find out options for propane service, along with their pricing plans. Perhaps the prior property owner can share their use history to help estimate propane needs.
If one isn't already installed, consider installing a generator or other backup power source in the event of an extended power outage. It could be as simple as a tailgate-type generator to run a well pump, or a refrigerator / freezer, or a furnace blower, or other essential electric device.
Find out options for propane service, along with their pricing plans. Perhaps the prior property owner can share their use history to help estimate propane needs.
If one isn't already installed, consider installing a generator or other backup power source in the event of an extended power outage. It could be as simple as a tailgate-type generator to run a well pump, or a refrigerator / freezer, or a furnace blower, or other essential electric device.
I don't think you bought a house, I'm pretty sure this is a cult. You might want to have an emergency evacuation plan.
Just joking, but the reason to buy a place in the country is to get away from crap like that.
LOL most vets I know it's cash up front for their equine clients.
I have 10 acres and bought a kioti with loader, 60" deck. If you don't love the color green, you can save a ton on a nice hydrostatic kioti, Kubota, bobcat etc. My driveway sucked for snow with a bucket, so this year I got a snowplow for my side by side which I also went the cheap lesser name brand and works great for 1/2 the price of a Polaris or other high end ones.
Funny, I've never once had a vet ask me for payment up front. I always get an invoice and pay it.
AND I would refuse to pay cash, I don't like the way it feels in my hand.
The NRCS can help you with tree selection, and maybe draw up wind break plans. Check with the Iowa DNR they sell bare root trees very reasonable.
We have a JD snowblower but because of plantings on the north the drive rarely drifts. We do have four wheel drive vehicles because the county roads do drift
Well it'll be cheaper for you if she doesn't take the horse to college unless she's a good equestrian and on scholly somewhere. Even then it might still be cheaper to pay for school.
The DNR used to run a reforestation program where you could get a bunch of native species as seedlings, taken from Iowa bred trees so well adapted, for like a dollar each. The sold different packages for different types of wildlife that included big hardwoods, smaller fast growing trees and shrubs, some evergreens, stuff with berries and flowers. About half will not survive, but that's expected and part of why it's cheap. They tell you how far apart to plant to have the right density.
If you've got the tractor you can always get a PTO driven one better to have the tractor plugged in before the storm gives you a better chance of the tractor starting before if the power goes out.
Funny, I've never once had a vet ask me for payment up front. I always get an invoice and pay it.
AND I would refuse to pay cash, I don't like the way it feels in my hand.
That's because you pay your bills, lots of horsefolk don't. Hell I quit small baling because it wasn't worth the hassles selling to them.
Ever since I've been gone, I've always said that parts of Iowa, especially the area around Ames (roads leading in and out, for example) should spend more effort in planting trees, beautification.
Think of all the trees taken down over the years to make all of the farmland (in part). Putting some of it back would make the area more appealing.
