Tractor Sizing first time tractor buyer

[rookiefred]

bought 22 acres in May '10. 10 acres was in rye, rest in woods. I am looking for any information/advice on what horsepower tractor to buy. So far I want to reclaim the crop field and keep it cut for now. I'm thinking I need a quality RFM for that part and a rotary cutter once in a while. The field also needs to be turned and worked for our future yard, garden and playgrounds. How can I find out what is best, disc harrow or tiller and what size tractor do I need . Also need to knock some saplings down to make trails for our grandsons and their toys in the woods. We will also have a 600 foot gravel driveway. They (grandsons) also think I need to build a baseball field, skate park and dirt bike track (not kidding). My greatest fear is buying a tractor too small to do these things. I have looked at the green and orange under 2000 pounds and the over 2000 pounds and not sure what to do. I have 2 lawn tractors to mow around the house, etc. I have a hundred questions, help point me in the right direction. I've been reading as many of posts on this site as I can and it has helped get me to the under and over 2000 pound tractors. Thanks for any and all advice. Fred

 

[johnrex62]

Since you already have riders for the lawn, I would focus on the heavier duties you mention. I would recommend getting the biggest tractor you can afford and still be able to navigate the tighter areas you need to access for those big jobs.

I have an orange, L3700SU, and use it for many of the tasks you listed. I am not doing any plowing or disking, so I cannot tell you how good or bad mine works for that. I think it would do fine.

I have brush hogged through some very thick bunches of saplings up to 3" without any difficulty. The racket it makes chopping the trunks up is a bit intimidating, but so far no damage to anything as a result. I have pulled out small trees with a chain fairly easily.

I use a 60" rotary cutter and find it works well enough on my country yard that I don't bother running my riding mower over the back yard anymore. I just use it for the obstacle infested areas that the tractor and shredder don't fit easily. I don't have a manicured lawn, but am not sure it wouldn't do a decent job on that even as long as the blades are in good shape.

A lot of your maintenance and build jobs listed can be done readily with a boxblade and front end loader. A landscape plane/grader might make finishing the drive and baseball diamond easier, but the boxblade will do the job.

I have not needed to put the engine above the minimum rpm for the 540 pto on any task I have done, and have always had plenty of power. I have R4 tires because of the woods work I do and they are easy enough on my yard and still have enough traction to pull out the small trees. I am thinking on getting them filled to give a bit more bite on the larger stuff.

For the number of acres you have, I would tend to go at least 30hp, maybe up to 50hp for the groundwork but not sure how critical the higher end is. Someone else can chime in on how many horses for field renovation.

 

[Baby Grand]

I'd like to second what johnrex62 advised. With what you have stated, I'd think 30-35 HP in a large frame would be a good place to start. I'm thinking along the lines of a Deere 3320, Kub L3240 or something similar. HP is only a starting metric - pay careful attention to tractor weight and hydraulic pump capacity when comparing different brands and models of similar power. Also consider available FEL and 3PH lift capacities for these models - you should get an FEL when you buy.

Weight is required for traction which is critical to ground engaging work. Consider ballasted tires if you're thinking about using a turning plow, subsoiler or a disc plow' If your brush hogging area is large, you may want to go with a 6' cutter.

To determine if you'll need more power we need more particulars: the dirt bike track sounds like it could turn into an earth moving job of grand proportions, depending on the size of the hills. What are you planning for this? It might pay to hire the rough earth moving out and focus on doing the finish work instead of sizing your machine for this one (I presume) one-time task.

What is your budget?
Will you need a backhoe?
Any plans on haying part of the field?
What is your land like - flat/hilly, soil type - loam, rocky, wet.
Does it snow much where you are?

-Jim

 

[fredhargis]

Last April we bought 15 acres, and found ourselves in a similar situation. I wound up with a Kubota B2920, and I'm not doing a lot of the stuff you mention. So I would agree with the heavier frame 35 HP or so models. One thing you cannot do too much of is read the threads here...I wish I had spent a little more time here before I bought. I may well have made the same choice (I'm quite happy with the equipment I purchased) but I would have been a much more educated buyer.

 

[Porkie]

Even bigger tractors seem to shrink once you've used them for a while. Remember, you can always throttle back on a larger HP tractor and let it live longer. A smaller one may work but you may work it to death.

I believe that 4WD is a must on a compact tractor. Also something to consider is the type of transmission you end up with. Some like myself love the HST-automatic type and some love the geared type.

Make sure that you get a front end loader because it is the one thing that you will use most--believe me.

My suggestion is 40 horsepower to maybe 50 or so.

Consider dealers that are close by for parts and service.

Have fun! Be careful!

Sam

 

[TripleR]

We have tractors from 23 to 85 HP and for that, I wouldn't go under a 40 HP; preferably 50. There are times I will park my 50 HP and go to an 85 HP on dirt work/heavy brush pushing.

My sons built a Moto Cross track as well as berms for a shooting range and it took a long, long time with an 80 HP tractor and one working days and one at nights. Of course a lot depends on how much dirt you need to move and how high the jumps. We will get a dozer the next time.

Yes, you "can" do it with a smaller tractor, but I personally wouldn't want to.

 

[ArtMech]

We will get a dozer the next time.

.

TripleR,
I've read some of Your statements. Had a nice reading.
But what I'd like to ask You is, are You planning to attach a dozer blade to one of Your tractors or You're gonna buy a complete dozer machine?
I'm asking, 'cause I'd like to fit a heavy duty front dozer blade on my M tractor and seeking for some experience probably already available

 

[TripleR]

TripleR,
I've read some of Your statements. Had a nice reading.
But what I'd like to ask You is, are You planning to attach a dozer blade to one of Your tractors or You're gonna buy a complete dozer machine?
I'm asking, 'cause I'd like to fit a heavy duty front dozer blade on my M tractor and seeking for some experience probably already available

We barter equipment/work with a friend of my son's who owns a small construction company. My son has a firearms and paintball facility on one of our properties where he teaches CCW, Executive Protection, Police Sniper etc. We have access to a Bobcat 864 and Mini excavator. The friend buys a dozer when needed for a job then sells it, so we will catch him when he has one.

Some things like berms etc. are just a lot easier to build with a dozer. Even our M8540 runs out of traction pretty quick when trying to push a lot of dirt and of course the dozer is a lot more stable.

 

[rookiefred]

My budget is $20k. I've been looking at the L3700SU and 3038E. Our soil is clay. The woods were timbered in the early 90's and now have mostly poplar and red maple saplings. Had only planned on having a garden. No hay. If I need dirt for berms, etc. folks are always looking for a place to take their dirt when they dig basements. The field is rough around the edges where the farmer turned around with his seed drill for the last couple of years. Don't know when the last time the field was turned. The dirt bike will just be an area defined to keep them out of the yard with some berms and and mudholes. The dirt bikes and 4 wheelers I bought keep them busy so a ballfield won't be a big deal. They start the tractor shed Nov 15, so I'll be buying before Christmas. Fred Brockway

 

[ArtMech]

Even our M8540 runs out of traction pretty quick when trying to push a lot of dirt and of course the dozer is a lot more stable.

I know exactly, what You mean saying "...M8540 runs out of traction...". But that depends on design and works to do. I need dozer for road repairs, some landscaping, rocks pushing ... well, snow is the last thing I need it for.
Talking about dozer I mean similar like in the following video:

YouTube - คู โบต้า / KUBOTA M5000 Tractor , Koh Samui Thailand