you should realy sell that quad and by something like this ,someone might just swop / trade you at no cost foe a decent small four wheel drive tractor http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/grd/4561359802.html

yeah....a good tractor most likely would pull it free....maybe that would have been a better choice than the ATV?

A tractor would probably be significantly heavier than your ATV. And the smaller ones are usually rear wheel drive only. And because of the big wheels, the COG is higher than on an ATV, so tipping one over is not all that hard. At a guess, the ground pressure from a tractor would probably be larger, than that of an ATV.

OTOH, the larger weight and wheels of a tractor should help with traction. And it usually has a power take-off that could come in handy. And usually you can attach shovel blades and other tools.

But if it's muddy enough, even a tractor will get stuck.

most of the old tractors have a foot to 14 inch ground clearance ,. yup you can roll one but you can roll ayrthing if you try hard enough , even a quad bike can kill you if it pins you underneath , a tractor with a roll bar is safer than a quad bike and a helmet . I use a 50 year old ford 2000 its a lot stronger than i am , with a dirt scoop a grading blade and some time you could make a "decent " road in.

With a tractor you could build a better laneway

Maybe a winch and block and tackle would be less expensive than a tractor. Harbor freight has them not sure of the quality or how long they would last. I believe it would be better then the ATV. Attach it to your truck and use a tree??? I agree with most others that a tractor would be a better tool for you guys even for hauling.

would creek rock or gravel work to cut the mud in that area that you keep getting stuck in?

Get a horse! Although it looks like it would take at least two to get that truck out of the mud. Actually, the money you would save on vehicle insurance alone would pay for hay for a year. Maybe you really should consider it?

The obvious answer is one day saving up and having some dozer work done and a proper driveway put in that works all seasons. How did the previous owners, the ones that built the old house and tobacco barn, access the place? Was there a bridge long since collapsed?

But here I am, living in the suburbs, owning two farm tractors stored at other people's houses in two different states.

Most get the farmstead, THEN the equipment! I should let you guys use my 1951 Case since my inlaws in Wise on Tacoma mountain have bought a new Kubota and don't use my cool vintage Case. My dad gave me a nice 1950 Ford 8n and that is in Minnesota.

Either one should pull out an S10, or we could end up with an S10, the ATV, and two tractors all stuck at once.

You should really look into a http://www.power-trac.com/hclass.htm#422 , 4-wheel drive, pretty light, and the buckets would surely help move stuff around! Best of all, YOUR truck could probably haul this thing easily.

Also, try buying tire chains for the truck, they can REALLY help in the mud.