Farm girl needs tractor advice

[kmully]

I've just purchased my dream farm. 50 acres of hay fields leased to a farmer to take off hay. The house and barn are on 4 acres, about 2 acres of lawn to mow, 100' of gravel drive in a very snowy drifty area.
I will want to:
put in a good size veggie garden
put in 5 paddocks about 2 acres each (post holes)
work the area behind the barn (60'x200') into a riding arena, now gravel.
Move hay bales, manure other stable things.
My first priority is going to be snow removal/plowing, then other attachments as needed.
I first thought of getting an large ATV because it would be fun after working all day. Now after reading this forum I think I will need a compact/subcompact tractor.
Any advice for my situation appreciated!

 

[deereguy]

Welcome to TBN!! Congratulations on your purchase of land.

There are so many attachments and brands of tractors out there- find a tractor you feel comfortable on (at a dealer) and go from there. They have so many new features and creature comforts available.

Good Luck!!

 

[RWolf]

First welcome to the TBN. You have quite a wish list to fill. Also you are going to see many approaches to what you want to do and I'll start with what "I'd" do in your situation.

I don't know where you are at but based on that you said you are going to do snow removal here goes.
Start with a utility tractor about 40+ "PTO" horse power, most likely a 4wd
FEL - front end loader
HD Box blade
front mounted bale spear
front blade or snowblower
rotortiller for garden
PHD - post hole digger
Mower will depend on whether you will do your own baling or will you contract it out.
If doing your own baling operation you will need to up the HP of your tractor to about 60+ PTO HP because of the baler, mower etc. If you are going to contract it out then a 6ft rotory cutter for initial prep work.

For lawn work a riding lawn mower.

Other considerations a cab for your tractor. You are only saying you have 100ft of driveway and unless you really enjoy the winter weather a cab would be nice.

As far a brand most major brands are of good quality. Here's where a good dealer would be more important.

I hope I've covered most of your requirements and like I said you will receive many good posts from people a whole lot more knowledgable than me.

Good luck.

 

[2YD]

What is you past experience with tractors?

What area of the country are you in?

 

[Egon]

Depending on the size of the bales this may be a deciding factor on the type and size of tractor purchased.

You have to remember that one size may not fit all the needs. Thus a prioritizing of need may be required.

 

[triumphtbone1]

How exciting for you to be able to "live" your dream!! WAY TO GO.

I married a farm/ranch gal and now oversee 1100 acres....thank goodness the farming is leased out...my chores are keeping the out ground cleaned, mowed, fences intact and in general play like I know what I am doing. y 43 year old Ford tractor took a turn for the worse in August and I set out to find a replacement...narrowed choices to 40-45 HP range w/4wheel drive and loader. Looked at Mahindra, New Holland and Kioti. I fell in love with the Kioti...great 4 year warranty, wonderful dealer, super fit and finish, great standard features others did not have and was outstanding for me ergonomically..."FELT GOOD".

The advice given you thus far looks terrific.....I like the size I bought...strong enough to do the chores I do....6 foot mower, grapple attachment for the trees I seem to be cleaning up constantly and snow removal(did lots of blading of snow with the ol Ford last winter(40 Hp)...looking forward to the 4 wheel drive...though never got stuck with the 2 wheel drive Ford....just lots of spinning!!

Good luck in the search....look at the Kioti when you do your comparison shopping.....and find a great dealer......Royce

 

[Bird]

You also didn't say what your budget is, but my first thought was a Kubota B3030 with a cab to make that snow removal easiest.

 

[kmully]

Thanks for all the responses!
I'm in Ontario, very little tractor experience.
Near to the new farm is Kubota and New Holland Dealerships. Probably JDeere but I haven't looked one up.
I've only used an ATV for snow removal, manure handling and pull behind mowing.
Budget is about 15,000 for a tractor with snowblower or blade included. I'm wondering which would suit our drifting blowing snow on 100' drive (very much out in the open except right next to the house)
Would a Kubota B or BX series be right? No haying for me, will lease land. There is about 7 acres of bush but otherwise very flat open land, no slopes of any kind, boggy in the middle.
Once again, thanks! I'd like to buy once and hopfully have no regrets and something I can build on as required.

 

[irwin]

Sounds like you've got some fun times ahead of you..also lots of hard work, a good tractor will help with the hard work and increase the fun.

You could start out small like Bird mentioned and get a 30hp tractor.. a B3030 can be outfitted with a factory cab..(snow, cab,heat )that will handle your driveway and most snow removal needs, plenty of power for a post hole digger and will do a 100 foot driveway no problem.....but if you're talking 1000lb round bales? you need something that will do bigger jobs without complaining.
Start small, find new uses, realize it's not big enough, then you can trade up..like so many of us did.

Many of us bought used (I bought 3 used tractors, still have 2) and have been very happy with the decision. When I traded up I lost no value when I sold it, it was like borrowing a tractor for a couple years putting a deposit for the use and getting all the money back when you're done. Lots of low hour smaller used tractors 20-45 horse power, the big tractors get more use generally, so when they're sold they can have 3000 to 7000 hours on 'em.

Good luck finding the right one.

edit: I missed your post while writing mine..for $15,000 you might want to look at used, although it's enough for some new tractors.

 

[burnetma]

OK, I am going to take a little different angle at this problem.

First, if you are going to make five 2 acre turn-outs do yourself a big favor and rent a skid steer with a hydraulic post hole digger or a post pounder depending on soil type. This is the best way to complete that task. Helpful hint, lay-out your paddocks in advance and move your posts close to the holes. Then rent the unit for a week.

If you have time left on your skid steer rental, return the post pounder/digger for a roto-tiller and prep your garden site. Plant a winter crop if doing it this fall.

With your fencing project completed and not having to make your own hay, you can likely get away with a smaller tractor. Your budget will be limiting regardless.

Note that a snow blower would probably work better for clearing the driveway, but you will certainly want a cab tractor for that job. A tractor with a back blade and front end loader will also do the job of moving your snow, but on a smaller budget as the cab becomes optional. I have used the later and it has worked for me here in upstate NY for many years.