Need some help deciding

Hi guys. I'm a new member in search of my first tractor. We have 12 acres of land with that I need to be able to mow and bush hog (gulf coast so fairly flate with clay soil). We also have a fairly long dirt/gravel driveway to maintain. A small garden is on the agenda for the future as well as tons of road/driveway maintenance, fence building, bush hogging etc on some other rural properties. I've used tractors and bobcats a few times, but will be a first time owner and a definite newbie.

I am really not sure where to begin looking. My only real requirements are reliability, enough horsepower to meet the above demands, 4wd (I have a few wet spots) and a front end loader (a must for my future projects). Off the bat I need the loader, bush hog, and box blade. Future implements would be a finish mower, tiller, maybe post hole digger, etc. I'd like something newer and reliable. I do have quite good access to dealers for the big 3 brands as well as the appropriate vehicles and trailers to transport as needed so I am fairly open to new or used, any brand, etc. I plan on paying cash and staying less than $20,000 but would like the whole package to come in around $15,000 if possible.

Any tips or guidance from you guys? Thanks for taking it easy on a newbie any advice is greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the forum!!!! Lets narrow a few of your needs down a bit. You have 12 acres and mention some other acreage you plan to bush hog. How many acres will you be actually mowing and how often. The rule of thumb is 5 PTO hp per foot of rotary mower. The size mower you need to run will be a guideline to the size tractor you need. And, if you need a 6' rotary mower you are most likely getting into the size tractor that isn't ideal for finish mowing. Box blade is a great tool for the drive. There is a learning curve but once you have it down it does the job.

MarkV

Thanks MarkV for the advice. Doing any work on the other property (other than the drive) is a ways off, but it is 40 acres of very gently rolling forest. I plan to bush hog a few acres at a time and maintain the drive. I also have some projects here and there (fences, etc) to use it for.

70% of its intended use is maintaining the 12 acres, building projects around house, driveways, etc. Finish mower isn't a nessacity as we only plan to have a 1/2 acre or so of grass around the house.

What is the standard size bush hog for what I'm looking to do? 6'?

Any recommendations on models that are beefy but cost effective?

I am still not sure how much of your 12 acres you plan to keep bush hogged. If you are talking 10 acres +/- I would be looking at a tractor in the 35 to 40 hp range so I could use a 6' rotary mower. For a 1/2 acre of finish mowing you can get a rider for about the same price of a tractor finish mower that will do you a better job. As far as brands, well I use Kubota but there are so many good options out there I think you are best off deciding what size your looking for and look at as many as possible. Unfortunately I think you will find it hard to go new, with FEL and "big 3" in your budget. There are some great 0% financing options with many brands right now though. Keep reading on the forum as you look at options. There is a wealth of good information by using the search function.

MarkV

:)I just purchased a new Kubota B3300SU tractor/loader package with 33 hp engine and 25 hp PTO. They have 0% financing for 60 months until the end of this month. It falls in your price range for the tractor/loader ($16,000) but does not include any implements. My 5' finish mower was an additional $1650. John Deere also has a special model 3032E tractor/loader for the same price but it does not have a quick attach/detach loader. They have 48 months financing at 0%. With the cutter and any other attachments the pricing would still fall within your $20,000 range. You may also consider buying used as this would save you some money.
Keep looking and you should find what you want.

Curt

Unless you are really handy and mechanically-inclined, having a solid, reliable dealer should be a big consideration.
Is there a Kioti dealer near to you? A CK35 or DK35 would do the work you outlined really well. I have a DK45S for my hilly 250 ac of fields and woods and it does quite well.
BOB