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

   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #1  

Doitwithlife

New member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Blanchard, ID
Tractor
Kioti CK30 HST
New guy trying to sort through all the great info to find the right fit

We are in the process of buying an established horse property in the hills between Banks and Scappoose Oregon. Horses we know, maintaining my own place is all new. A tractor is a must and my research has brought me here. I致e read lots but would welcome thoughts specific to our situation and perceived needs.
About 25 acres, half in pasture half still in trees (fir and cedar). Grade runs from flat to slight grade in pastures. 1200 of gravel road, treed area is rough grade with more sizable climbs on the existing logging roads. A few of the acres are hayed by a local guy and I have no plans of doing that myself. We値l have 2 6 horses on the property and expect them to be in pasture day / night in the summer and in winter stalled at night.
Budget is really important as the property purchase is making a huge dent in my already scared wallet
Previous owner had a JD 870 and felt it was fine for his needs

My expected needs:

Carrying - Whatever I pick from a stall in a wheelbarrow is eventually going to need to be picked up and moved in mass at some point. I expect most of this to be in flat areas. A bit of odd hauling around the property and retrieving cut firewood from the timbered area.

Arena Grooming will be done weekly. Sand and hog fuel mix over clay

Rough grass cutting - Horses will handle most of the pasture grass but there are several areas between things that will need to be maintained.

Lawn maintenance I知 thinking of a Craigs list riding mower and leaving the tractor for real work.

Spreading manure and running a drag harrow in pastures

Figuring I use pallets to move feed and more than a couple of bales, etc. Also when moving hay into the loft as a one man project.

Garden is in sizable raised bed which needs to be fenced off from deer and Elk to make it through the night. Other than hauling in and around the fenced area, I don稚 see usage in the garden.

Not much snow (2 4 inches from time to time) here so don稚 believe I have a need to clear road and the I知 hearing that most folks in the area are just topping off their gravel roads without needing to scrape

What I知 thinking:

I知 thinking in the diesel 25-35HP range, more isn稚 going to help and will actually be a liability navigating in the timber and arena.

Implements - FEL, Bush hog (maybe 5? , groomer, forks (perhaps clip on痴?), drag, and manure spreader

I like the idea of a reconditioned 9N , F3000, or older MF. 2WD would be great for making corners while grooming; but I知 not seeing many with FELs that seem usable.

Not sure if 4WD is a must have, if so, then the above models are out and it seems that the used models are prices that don't seem too much off new ones that are coming with 0%. Not sure about the trade-offs in turning are worth it to get more traction while working in the timber which is where I might be most likely to get stuck.

HST or the like as a need? Might be nice if its there, but also thinking I can get used to shifting pretty quickly.

I don稚 need a name brand to make me happy, but not interested in something that isn稚 maintainable long term. When looking around the dealers I seem to like the NH's best

Its a great community and I think that for 1 off needs friends will share. Already got offers to use their brush hogs or post auger. So the occasional tilling might happen but don't think I need to invest in that sort of implement right now.

Would love to hear thoughts and suggestions

Thanks in advance
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #2  
First, welcome to the forum.


You say that you have neighbors who already have tractors. Go see them. Ask them to show you their tractors. Ask them what they like/dislike about the one they have. Most likely, some of them will let you try it out. Nothing like hands-on experience.

Now, a couple of general suggestions from my personal experience:
You probably could use more horsepower than you think. I've never heard anyone complain that, "I bought a tractor that's WAY too powerful." ;)
When using a loader, or ground contact implements, (plow, disc, etc) weight is your friend.
4wd makes all the difference in the world.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #3  
The 870 is what I have. Reliable, sturdy, serviceable. My 2 wd does fine with the loader. I move round bales with my front loader. I move manure from one place to the composting pile every month or so. What it does not do well is pull a subsoiler well. I do not have water filled tires or weights on the tires. As Bigfoot mentioned weight or 4wd can be your friend when digging stuff up via disks and plow or going uphill with a full bucket of manure but on general flats and slight hills 2wd can work. I do have the brush cutter or something heavier when moving the manure pile. I also groom the pretty level gravel road on occasion with a angled scrape blade.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #4  
Hi Im not familar with oregon, but I am with hills, If you have got steep hills , you will realy need a 4wd tractor with a bit more power to come bish a bush hog on uneven ground. You would also need tolook at a tractor with a low sense of gravity.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #5  
While I agree it's rare for anyone to state they bought a tractor too powerful, sometimes they say they bought too large a tractor especially if they are working around buildings and in tight corners. While I agree the HP range sounds about right for you, 25-35HP, I would lean towards the upside of that if you can financially. Also I would look at the any dealers that are close to you with names like Kubota, Deere, Holland, Kioti, etc. Visit and try them on even if you are not going to purchase new, it will allow you to see the subtle differences between them. Talking to others about tractors is like talking about Chevy vs Ford, everyone has their opinion and while that sometimes can be valuable, sometimes it can be a little bias. I have a Kubota and really like it to manage my 80+ acres however I also looked at Kioti as those were the two closest dealers (and previous owned a Kubota). I did not like the Holland dealer and the local Deere dealer was in a court case with Deere HQ and his business was on hold. So I went back to what I knew and liked even though Kioti did look and feel like a nice tractor.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #6  
Hello from southern Oregon. With hills and the amount of mud you will deal with, I highly recommend buying a 4wd machine. Buy as much horsepower as you can with your budget. I also think it is wise to get a tractor that has good parts support in your area. For me, kubota has the best dealer support so that is our brand of choice. IMHO I think you should look at 38 hp+.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #7  
Doitwithlife,
Welcome to the forum:welcome:

Could you clarify whether you will have 2 to 6 horses or 26 horses. That would make a big difference in your needs.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #8  
You have already received some great advice. Take your time and weigh all of your options. A good, local dealer is very important unless you are a master mechanic of sorts and enjoy working on your equipment. Visit with your neighbors that have been doing this for awhile and learn from their mistakes and triumphs. There are values and there is junk as far as equipment goes. Stick with something that has a track record in your area and parts availability. Farming breaks things and if you must order parts from Timbuktu that means unproductive down time. Older tractors are durable and generally reliable, but how do you know how hard of a life it has led, and how well was it maintained? A lot to think about and contemplate, but it can be fun if your are patient and learn during the process. Make some friends and take them to breakfast or another meal and pick their brains about these things. If there are any in your area visit a stockyard and enjoy the atmosphere, a lot of them have on premise restaurants. A good place to meet people and pick up good information. You may want to consider hiring out some of the early work so you can watch and learn. Rural life is a wonderful lifestyle and can be very fulfilling and rewarding, or it can be a nightmare. Good luck with your new adventure.
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #9  
MWFD with FEL and QH bucket and forks and manure forks and brush hog and drag harrow and manure spreader and PHD and tiller and BB and seed/fertilizer spreader and landscape rake and a good line of credit!
 
   / 1st horse property, new to the forum, and new to tractors - Seeking advice #10  
While I agree it's rare for anyone to state they bought a tractor too powerful, sometimes they say they bought too large a tractor especially if they are working around buildings and in tight corners.
Bingo +1000! I went tractor shopping today and took a tape measure along. I have a Kubota L3130 that was "just right" when I bought it in 2003 - but that was when I was primarily interested in horses. We've now moved from "ranching" to "farming" and the L3130 isn't going to cut it any more. My personal experience says buy the most HP you can afford. I was convinced that I'd never need more than the 32HP I have in the L3130 and now I'm looking at 70HP tractors and hoping it will be enough...
 
 
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