Farm girl needs tractor advice

[tommu56]

Would snow fence help for the drifts?
Just remember to keep them far enough away from the road so drift forms in the field.

Check with the neighbors and see if there is a good contractor that could move snow when it's bad.

I lived on a dead end road and the farmer past me would come clear a spot in the his field next to my house and he and the kids would park their cars up there before the storm and walk out to cars to get to work.when he would get home from work he would work on the drive.


tommu

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

A 2003 tractor may have come available from an exec at my sister's company. It belonged to his father who has had to sell his hobby farm. It has only 70 hours on it. A John Deere 4130 with a front end loader. It is larger than what I had planned and I'm still waiting to see about price. It will have to fit through the doors into my barn as well, or garage, which has a low ceiling.

I'm thinking maybe this would be a Jd 4310 (not 4130). In 2003 the only moniker close to what you typed would be a 4310(unless something much bigger like a sprayer or something). These are great compact tractors because I have one! I'd recommend you look at JD's I-match system or Pat's easy change to help hookup 3point rear implements. If it is a 4310, and it has the ehydrostatic transmission, you won't find anything easier to learn to drive. You can feel comfortable on it in ten minutes. There are many of us online with these. They hold their value quite well and have proven to be very durable with minimal problems. You can lower/fold the ROPS (rollover protection system) down to fit into a garage. Just don't ever forget to lower if you have to in order to fit it under the door.

 

[Nomoregears]

Here's my 2 cents. I live in Upstate NY on 40 acres. I bought a 30hp / 4 wd tractor 3 years ago. Kick myself in the butt for not buying it 10 years earlier. I have plowed my 800' of driveway for the past three winters. One storm was 37 inches of snow. Talk about fun. I did that with a back blade and a loader. I get drifts 5' deep. Not a problem for my NH. I plug it in during the cold weather.
I haul all my firewood in with this tractor, put new material on my driveway, started building a pad for my new barn, haul logs to my sawmill, plow & plant food plots for the neighbors, turn wind rows of compost and mulch, used an auger to put in 100 fence posts, and moved approx 40 tons of rock a year from my fields. This tractor has done everything I have asked it. Other than changing fluids and replacing my front tires, it has remained maint. free. My previous tractor was a Ford 4000 gas which was so temperamental I spent three hours coaxing it to do two hours of work.
Here's another thought... if you plan on having a manicured lawn consider a tractor with less weight(hint hint 30 hp)..They do not tear up a lawn like a 40 or 50 hp. I have turf tires on my tractor and don't see a problem using them. Just my 2cents

 

[kenmac]

Buy from a dealer that is close to you. So, when/ if it breaks you won't have to haul it very far to be repaired. Go to the dealerships & try out the tractors . See which brand fits you, location of controls, shuttle shift , st. gear drive , hydrostatic drive. Which dealer will be there when/if you need him/her ? I wouldn't buy any less than 30-35 hp

 

[Soundguy]

Stay away from grey market tractors such as Chinese,

Chinese does not entail grey market.

grey market means the machine was designed for a domestic market other than our own. there are -MANY- chinese tractors, designed for OUR domestic market.. thus they are not chinese.

However.. on the other hand.. you can find both grey and domestic market kubota and yanmar tractors here.. the grey market ones were not designed for our market... notice that these are jap tractors.. and not chinese.. etc. Other examples exist.. etc.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

If you have a big job that a smaller tractor won't do a few times a year hire it out or find a work around, There are thousands of amish that feed round bales with no front end loader in sight. Like egon said, there are ways to safely move round bales..

There are ways for people experienced and for those with the right extra equipment.. like bale buggies and doodlebugs. If I had to feed rounds with a 30hp tractor.. I'd be getting a doodle bug.. and just use the 30hp tractor and loader to manhandle the bale onto the cart and then tow it out.

Since feeding will be a year round task.. I wouldn't count that as one of the big jobs to hire out.. since she didn't mention any other big jobs... that kind of leaves here with few choices on a minimum sized tractor...

soundguy

 

[Gary Fowler]

Someone mentioned getting a SCUT so you wouldnt tear up your lawn with a larger tractor, I cant agree with that. You need to get the tractor big enough to handle your farm chores. Buy a riding lawnmower for your yard if it is that large and dont mess with Mid Mount or rear mount finish mowers that cost more than a 20 HP riding lawn mower.
Sit down and list your needs and get the equipment needed for your ranch chores. You may want to visit your neighbors and discuss these issues with them. One of them may even volunteer to help you with some of your once a year tasks for free or very reasonable pricing. NO piece of equipment will do everything, so you have to pick the one that matches your daily/weekly chores, not the once / twice a year stuff. Soundguy offered that the doodle bug (large round bale hauling trailers) would allow you to haul round bales with a much smaller tractor, so keep that in mind also. I cant believe that you will find a tractor small enough to muck out a stall and still do any ranch work, but a good FEL will at least load it and move it out of the barn once it is moved from the stall. A skidster would to the task, but way out of your budget and the attachment are outrageous in price. A 20-30 HP 4WD compact tractor would do all your ranch work easily
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree about getting a tractor small enough to muck a stall. at best I'd get a tractor that could drive thru the breezeway and park the loader bucket at the door for emanual labor to load it.

soundguy

 

[KML]

I respectfully disagree that a tractor small enough to muck a stall wouldn't do farm chores. I think something along the lines of a John Deere 2520 (or comprable from another manufacturer) would fill the bill fine. Horse stalls tend to run big, with big doors. This tractor would fit in many a horse stall and be capable of most all chores on a modest farm. It's suprising what some of the smaller machines and some finesse can accomplish. I also feel that for a new tractor owner a smaller more refined machine would offer a better experience than a larger more basic tractor. Keeping in the same price point gets you two completely different classes of tractor between a 20 - 30HP SCUT and the 40 and larger CUTS.

And I'll stress again, it's easier to trade up than down. If you shop at reputable dealers you can by all means ask to use the machine for a few days. This would be a better way to get a feel for what is right for you as a tractor is a very personal thing. Many people love Kubotas, and on paper and by reputation I think they are a great tractor, but they just don't feel right to me. It's important that your choice is comfortable for you.

The best advice I can give is get out there and drive some tractors, maybe even rent a few of different sizes. Remember, you've lived your whole life without one, you don't have to bring one home today....take your time and find one that fits for you.

Good luck!

 

[Soundguy]

My stalls are 12x12 with 4' double buck doors.. Nothing bigger than a scut would fit insid ethe stall.. that said.. i don't wan't a tractor INSIDE the stall.. if it can drive the breezeway.. that's fine... ya got to muck-rake it anyway..

soundguy

I respectfully disagree that a tractor small enough to muck a stall wouldn't do farm chores. I think something along the lines of a John Deere 2520 (or comprable from another manufacturer) would fill the bill fine. Horse stalls tend to run big, with big doors. This tractor would fit in many a horse stall and be capable of most all chores on a modest farm. It's suprising what some of the smaller machines and some finesse can accomplish. I also feel that for a new tractor owner a smaller more refined machine would offer a better experience than a larger more basic tractor. Keeping in the same price point gets you two completely different classes of tractor between a 20 - 30HP SCUT and the 40 and larger CUTS.

And I'll stress again, it's easier to trade up than down. If you shop at reputable dealers you can by all means ask to use the machine for a few days. This would be a better way to get a feel for what is right for you as a tractor is a very personal thing. Many people love Kubotas, and on paper and by reputation I think they are a great tractor, but they just don't feel right to me. It's important that your choice is comfortable for you.

The best advice I can give is get out there and drive some tractors, maybe even rent a few of different sizes. Remember, you've lived your whole life without one, you don't have to bring one home today....take your time and find one that fits for you.

Good luck!