Buying Advice 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice

[GManBart]

I think if you have 10k that would be a good down payment towards a new tractor. You could probably get a mid 30 horsepower tractor for around 20k with 0%APR.

Out the door, my LS R4047H (47hp, 4wd, w/FEL and forklift attachment) was just over $22k.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

As a neighbor on the other side of Portland let me put in my 2 cents. First you will use a loader in ways you never even thought about. put a hook on it and with a chain you will lift every thing. Yes, some of that can be done with the 3 pt but not as well or as easily. In this area if you have a loader you need 4wd. We have mud and slick stuff for 9 months of the year. When you pick something heavy up you take the weight off the rear wheels. You can pick it up but you can't back out with it. $10,000 should get you something nice if you keep your eyes open and are ready to be first there when it comes up with cash. Last year about this time I bought a Kubota B7520 (25hp) with hydro and loader with 500hrs from a closing boat yard (it had never been off the pavement) for $7500. I found it on Craig's list. Be very careful about tractors that are not supported by a major dealer. I have a Landini and parts can be a problem. Some of the Lesser brands would be worse. You may find an independant dealer selling an unknown brand today and next year they are gone or don't support that brand anymore. Good luck and if you want to talk to me send me a private message.

 

[JimRB]

Again the biggest thing is even if you do not buy new, you may want and need a dealer who can service or sell you parts. Some generic tractor may not have a quick parts line which could be frustrating. That said My JD 870 has not had any critical part required in 13 years and 500 hours. Yeah I use the tractor when I need it and it sits otherwise. Over 400 feet of fence installed racked up a few hours. Horses eating down the pastures keeps the hours off. I did have a few bouts of clogged fuel filters so I have spare filters about but other than that my tractor has only needed one replacement hydraulic line that the local auto parts store made up in 15 minutes.

 

[vtsnowedin]

After you sort out wants from needs and settle on what you should BUY take a look at all the brands that have dealerships within a reasonable distance. You might talk to the neighbors about any dealers to avoid and take note of what tractors they have in use.
When I went through this process last year I was set on getting the best 4WD 40 to 55 HP tractor I could get for reasonable money. I found that the often stated big price difference for JD wasn't really there in utility sized tractors but it was in the implements. After driving several machines of all the usual colors and talking price on all of them I settled on my JD5045E. I put $3000 down and the payments are $446.20 a month for 60 months at 0% This is for an open station (No cab) with 553 loader and 6ft rotory cutter with filled tires set wide and third function on the loader plumbed in.
I have 85 hours on it now and am very satisfied, it works great in the timber and pulls the cutter with ease. I know my bias is showing but at least set on one of these before you by any other 45HP tractor. The weight to power ratio is right and it is in a different class from other 45HP machines weighing over a 1000 lbs less.
Good luck with your search.

 

[rider0]

As for budget, as little as we can get away with. There is a ton of other stuff that screams out for money as well. If paying cash $10K for the tractor with FEL and would be looking to get used attachments wherever we can. I'm seeing a huge price difference between that green or orange colored hardware and the generic brands that I see at the implement or farm supply stores.

As you ponder the decision between new and used, top tier and "generic" brands, keep well in mind the old mantra "The bitter taste of poor quality lingers long after the sweet taste of low price is forgotten."

Right now you have many great 0% finance options from major manufacturers that might allow you to get a new machine in great shape without draining your savings account right now.

You may well be better off with a 500 hour Kubota (for instance) than a random unsupported brand. If you are going to rely on the tractor, ensure that you have good service and parts support.

There is a huge difference between Kubota, Deere, Mahindra, LS, Kioti, and the random Chinese tractor sitting on a farm store lot.

Whatever you do, go out and test drive a bunch of tractors, both new and used, and get a feel for what your budget can buy you. It is also difficult if not impossible to get an idea of what the numerous frame/size classes of tractors equate to on the ground if you haven't driven them.

HP needs can easily be overestimated. I think for most people, a small horsepower deficit can be overcome simply with a slightly slower ground speed. Figure out how often you will be doing things that truly depend on overall horsepower- brush hogging (PTO), maybe. Pulling a drag harrow and most of your other stated uses can easily be done with a 20hp tractor.

Whatever you do, don't underestimate the usefulness of a front end loader and 4wd.

 

[Turbys_1700]

What is your budget?
All the info here is great...

 

[Fred Barbour]

You mention you are going to keep horses on your property. Your decision on hay (small squares or large round or square bales) will determine the size of your tractor to some degree.

I have 5 acres and keep 10 horses. I initially started out with a B7100 Kubota (16 hp, 1,700 lbs with loader). This tractor was a real workhorse but over the years I found it too small. I upgraded to a 35 hp Bobcat Ct235 (3,800 lbs with loader) and have not regretted the decision. This tractor pushes any amount of snow and moves the manure without any problems. It is small enough to get in the paddocks in the spring and with a box blade does a great job cleaning up. I use a 5 ft. finish mower for the lawns. I swap the tires from R1 (winter) to Turf (summer) every year.

The lift capacity of the loader is around 1,000 lbs and therefore would not be up to the mark for large bales. I use 40 tons of hay every year (small bales), half of which goes up in the barn with a hay elevator and the other half in a shed at the back of the property. Large squares would be cheaper but the tractor front end loader won't do it! If I upgrade to a tractor with the muscle to heft the big bales I probably wouldn't like the size for all the other applications.

Plan carefully!

Fred

 

[Guesseral]

We have 5 horses and 10 acres of land i want a smaller tractor to maneuver around things and go into the woods whenever I want to, but I also want the horse power for other work. My two 1950's tractors were the perfect size and one had good horse power but they were both two wheel drive and didn't have power steering to put a loader on them. My new tractor is basically the same physical size but it is 50 HP diesel, 4wd, has power steering, and has a loader way different than what I had before. I still have the old fords I restored them and keep them in the garage they come out to get washed and sometimes to pull a wagon or something stupid like that. My tractor is a Montana R4944 (short story it's an early version LS R4047) works great for for a small farm even one that would be quite a bit larger than what I have, I mean 50 HP is a pretty good size tractor, and all of the previously mentioned manufactures have something comparable. But all that said new costs more.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Lots of good advice on here. I am a fellow neighbor to you, maybe 20 miles away at most? As far as arena groomers go, I sell new and occasionally used arena groomers in Banks, you are welcome to come out and see some units as well as possibly demo one if time permits. (send me a PM if interested). I personally would look at a 30 hp tractor, that will run a 6 ft arena groomer, 5 ft bush hog/tiller, easily pull a manure spreader, etc. That Yanmar up at Dan's tractor in BattleGround, WA is a sweet deal, you can get a cold water loader for that 336D for around $1800, that puts you @ $7300 for a tractor w/4wd, a FEL and ROPS (if you didn't negotiate). That free's up the rest of your budget for implements, you can get several implements for the remaining balance (roughly $2700+ or -). I would not get a 2wd tractor for your primary work machine, you will regret it with the mud we get here in Oregon, plus it is invaluable in the arena as well as in the woods. Watch craigslist for deals on used implements, I have bought most of my equipment of CL for great prices, people sometimes just want to dump nice equipment for cheap or it just needs a little work to be perfect.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Often there is a threshold in tractor size where the lift capacity jumps suddenly. If you are likely to deal with large round bales or timber, getting over this threshold can be handy.
If your tractor will be living outdoors, a cab is especially nice, but adds a lot to the price.
I agree with others that 4WD is very desirable, especially on any but totally flat land.
It sounds like you will be doing considerable loader work, so I'd suggest HST would make your user experience a bit easier. Unless you are mechanically adept, and have a place to work on your tractor out of the weather, I'd suggest you bias your search toward tractor brands with a nearby dealer (with good reputation!!).
I have a Kioti DK45 cab for our 250 ac. and do a lot of manure moving, pasture mowing and dragging, and arena grooming with it. It also spends a lot of time in the woods, making & maintaining trails and collecting firewood.
I am jealous. I've been trying to convince my wife to relocate to southern Oregon or northern California to get away from our interminable winters here, but so far no luck!
BOB