Tractor for dragging ring?

What size/type of tractor does everyone use to drag your ring? My tractor is great for daily chores (B series Kubota - older) - mucking stalls, moving trash, moving jumps, etc… - but isn’t powerful enough to drag the ring (especially if the footing is wet) and struggles to get the job done … let alone quickly. We currently have an Arena Rover drag.

Any suggestions? Pros/cons? Thanks!

We use an atv with a 350 engine.

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How wide is your drag ? More width = more horsepower

I use a newer B series Kubota (23 HP) with a 6’x8’ chain drag and it does a great job. I’ve never felt that it lacks power.

23 HP Ford 4x4 tractor. I use a Parma arena drag. We get the job done in third gear as a steady pull.

Ours is a 30 HP 4x4 Kubota with an 8’ harrow that is similar to a Parma I think.

if we’re dragging extra hard or the footing is extra wet/heavy, we’ll use the pickup truck for the bulk of it and then finish with a lightweight drag on the tractor. Not ideal, but works for us and a new bigger tractor isn’t in the budget right now.

If you like your Kubota, the next size up would work. Any of the L series.

It depends how big your rake is. 30hp would be fine for a 6’ one. 50hp would be fine for an 8’ one. Maybe go up a bit if you want it to be easy when the footing is very wet.

We had to get an ATV with 4 wheel drive to drag our ring. The John Deere would pull the drag but it couldn’t turn in the sand.

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It makes no sense to me that your B-series can’t do this job unless your drag was meant for a much larger tractor. The barn we used to be at uses BX series tractors, which are smaller than yours, to drag, both with a chain harrow and a modified rake. No issues.

When I looked up your Arena Rover, they are showing it hooked to a tractor that may very well be larger than you are using…so I’m thinking that it’s too much drag for your ride.

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70hp

Yeah that Arena Rover looks like a pretty sizeable piece.

Have you contacted them to see that you’re using it appropriately and how much tractor is recommended?

I have a 20hp Kioti 4x4 tractor and I pull a 5’ EZ Groomer drag. I had to get the smaller drag for the smaller tractor.

Kubota L series … works great for everything around the farm.

I’m having troubles too, my kubota is a 2015 25hp, and my drag is 4x4 (the lawn mower can pull it so not heavy ) but my kubota can’t drag more Thabo a few times around the round pen, it can’t seem to turn in the sand. Any suggestions? The lawn mower can’t pull it hardly at all in the round pen, but shouldn’t the kubota be able to? Even put it in 4x4 and it struggled the tighter the turns were. Should the sand be wetted?

40 hp John Deer

I always used my small B series Kubota. Not super fast but did an awesome job. Not sure why yours couldn’t?

In a round pen though? That’s what I’m wondering if it just doesn’t like tight turns? It pulls the drag no problem but the traction seems to be an issue

The Arena Rover looks like it needs more horse power than the average drag. Have you contacted the company for reco’s?

www.arenarover.com contact info at the bottom of the page

In a tight turn, the 4x4 works against you. The front wheels need to cover more ground than the back wheels so
the tires MUST slip. So you lose traction. Try increasing the weight on the rear wheels. Either wheel weights, loading the tires with fluid, carry something heavy on the 3 point while the drag is attached to the tow hitch.

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