Another "What should I buy?" thread

[jtcweb]

I have 9 acres and will be building a house this year. I plan to hire out all the major dirt moving, but will need to do all the finish grading & landscaping myself. I will only be finish mowing less then an acre, but rough mowing (brush hog or flail) 4 or 5 acres. The budget will not allow the purchase of a new tractor, but I figure I need a loader, box scraper & brush hog.

Now to my actual question: What size tractor should I be looking for? I would assume one of the newer 20-25 HP 4WD diesel would do the trick, but I expect I'll need to go older and I don't know if I need to look for a little more HP if it is a 2WD gas.

I don't see many used tractors with loaders on them for sale, but I do live in Ypsilanti MI, 25 miles west of Detroit next to Ann Arbor so it might not be the best area to look. My finances should be changing in about 3 years and at that point I will be getting something with 4WD as the back part of the property is marsh, therefore I can't see buying a used tractor and adding a new FEL and selling it in 3 years.

I have no objection to an old tractor, age honestly doesn't matter as long as it can do what I need it to do. If anybody knows someone that deals in small used tractors in my area let me know.

[rf33]

Sounds like you have been doing your homework already. I agree that something in the 20-25 HP 4WD would be ideal for your needs. Depending on your financial situation, you might want to check out some of the financing that the Kubota / deere / NH (and I am sure some of the others too) are offering on their equipment. As you have probably seen from the used pricing, these things do not depreciate much, and sometimes the used ones cost just about the same as new ones. I think that you might just be better served by making payments for a few years (If you can) on a new tractor, and if you should need to get out from under the payments, then you could (reluctantly I am sure) sell the tractor taking very little loss (I would hope) due to the strong resale value. If you need to go used, I would recommend staying with a diesel since they really have much more useable power in the RPM range in which a tractor operates.

As to the implements, I think that you have hit the nail on the head as to your needs. You might want to check out the King Kutter line of implements as they seem to be very sturdy, low price, but perhaps lacking in some of the fit and finish of some of the other, more expensive brands. To me, fit and finish means little on something I am going to be subjecting to bush hogging or dragging through the dirt.

[RichZ]

You can do very well with an older tractor. They may not have the bells and whistles of a new tractor, but they are sturdy and reliable. I have a 1951 Ferguson TO-20 that I use for mowing, brush hoging, field plowing, raking, snow removal, etc. It's very reliable, and the few times it needs work, it's so simple that even I can fix it, and I'm no mechanic. It is gas, and is more than powerful enough, in fact I think it's more powerful than a new 25 hp tractor. As far as two wheel drive, I've brush hogged some very steep hills, and some pretty marshy areas, and have never gotten stuck. If you have agricutural tires, you'll do well. For what you need, I'd reccomend a Ferguson or the Ford N series (or Golden Jubilee) or something like a Massey Ferguson 135. I feel in most cases, you can save a lot on a vintage tractor, and they'll get the job done. In fact, I've expanded my farming and just bought a 1967 Oliver 1550 with a loader to do haying with. It's gas and 2wd also, and it will more than serve my needs.
Good luck, and post any questions, the TBN brain trust will help you through everything!

[Woodbeef]

hey jtcweb,

Where abouts in Ypsi-tucky are you? I grew up in Belleville.

Take a trip over to the NH tractor dealer in Saline on Michigan Ave and State St(used to be called Saline Ford Tractor Sales). As soon as you go in the door there is a rack of papers,get a copy of the Farmers' Advance. It is full of tractors. Also pick up the truck trader type magazines. Buying from over here in Canada is also a very good option with the strenght of the Yankee GreenBack vs our FrostBack. Check out www.agdealer.com

[ronjhall]

Jerry
Welcome to TBN. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]
You’re right about high prices in your area. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif[/img] A couple of places to consider looking for tractor are Carleton Mi and Monroe Mi. Try Carleton Farm Supply (734-654-8222) and J& R Farm Tractor (734-241-2433).
I found good prices and a large selection of used equipment.
Foote Tractor in Novi (248-348-3444) had a couple of used Massey Ferguson for sale the last time I was there.
Also try Boullion Sales & Service in Dexter (734-426-8527).
There are some dealers in Adrian, but I don’t have any names for them.
Enjoy your search for a tractor. TBN will be a good resource in finding the right tractor. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[PTRich]

Perhaps a "grey market" tractor would suite your needs. There are some places on the web that sell them. My cuisin has had a Yanmar for 11 years, 20hp 4wd, and it still runs great. It has a loader, brush hog, york rake and wood chipper and handles all of them very well. A lot of people tell you to decide what your needs are first but I think getting a cheap tractor first would help you decide what your needs truly are.
PTRich

[Worksmart]

Dan's Farm Supply is one place I know of in Adrian. I was also going to suggest Carleton. They had what I believe was a Kubota 6100 on the lot when I was there two weeks ago. I'll probably be there today so I'll double check. C

[DocHeb]

The magazines are a good suggestion, but Saline Equipment closed about a year ago. This leaves a hole in Southeast Michigan for New Holland equipment. The closest to Jerry would be in Ecorse, while other NH dealers are in Fowlerville, Lake Orion, and Coldwater.

[Woodbeef]

Thanks did not know about the NH dealer in Saline. What about the old Oliver dealer on the other side of town? There also used to be a tractor jockey west of town too. Is Wm. Sell&sons still on Telegraph and Sibley? Not sure if it would be Taylor or Romulus?

[jtcweb]

There is a guy just west of Saline that deals in Ford N's, but he said he rarely gets them with loaders on them. Does anybody know what it would cost if I would have to get a new loader?