Compact 4wd v. Larger 2wd utility tractor?

[Beltman60]

with only 15 acres I would go with the smaller 4wd
I have just under 18 acres and went with a JD 3032E
before I bought my tractor I used my dads 70 HP 2wd
It just scared me around the barns and tight places in my smaller fields
I grew up on that thing and in the wide open fields plowing or planting nothing is better
moving horse crap and bush hogging I like the likes of mine
on my 3032E HST was $200. cheaper than gear and my wife and daughter can use it when I'm not around
over 250 hrs on it and never a dealer has been called

 

[agsanders]

Thanks, that's what I've kinda been thinking. You can get one of these package deals around here -3032e, box blade, bush hog, FEL - for around $20k. Or the equivalent kubota. This is mainly a toy for me and I'm not wanting to spend $35k+ on a toy. By the time I got a 4wd utility tractor with its toys, it's well over $30k.

 

[GManBart]

Thanks, that's what I've kinda been thinking. You can get one of these package deals around here -3032e, box blade, bush hog, FEL - for around $20k. Or the equivalent kubota. This is mainly a toy for me and I'm not wanting to spend $35k+ on a toy. By the time I got a 4wd utility tractor with its toys, it's well over $30k.

Well over $30K? You're looking in the wrong places! :laughing:

I got a new LS R4047 Hydro (same as a Boomer 50 with different lights and grill) with FEL, bucket, and forklift attachment for $22,250. I could have dropped down to an R4041H, skipped the forks, added a box blade and bush hog for around $21K total.

 

[dstacy]

Thanks, that's what I've kinda been thinking. You can get one of these package deals around here -3032e, box blade, bush hog, FEL - for around $20k. Or the equivalent kubota. This is mainly a toy for me and I'm not wanting to spend $35k+ on a toy. By the time I got a 4wd utility tractor with its toys, it's well over $30k.

Yeah I'm sitting here cocktail in hand, really enjoying reading your thread, and laughing my a$s off. Your quote above is exactly what I said three years ago when I bought my 3032. It has been a great tractor. ZERO problems. Now you can trust me or not that is up to you....but I promise you you'll find lots of things to do that are more than your 3032 should do. Now you'll find a way to do them anyway and you'll get those jobs done, but you'll struggle a bit. Most of the time all will be well and you'll love your 3032 just like I do. But you WILL say, "you know I sure could use a bigger tractor to get that done."
I won't give up my 3032 because it is the perfect size for a lot of jobs around my place. However I'm in the process of getting my new 5093E with a cab and loader.
The bottom line? 4WD is a must and buy a bigger tractor than you think you'll need because you will end up needing it.

 

[deere5105]

Yeah I'm sitting here cocktail in hand, really enjoying reading your thread, and laughing my a$s off. Your quote above is exactly what I said three years ago when I bought my 3032. It has been a great tractor. ZERO problems. Now you can trust me or not that is up to you....but I promise you you'll find lots of things to do that are more than your 3032 should do. Now you'll find a way to do them anyway and you'll get those jobs done, but you'll struggle a bit. Most of the time all will be well and you'll love your 3032 just like I do. But you WILL say, "you know I sure could use a bigger tractor to get that done."
I won't give up my 3032 because it is the perfect size for a lot of jobs around my place. However I'm in the process of getting my new 5093E with a cab and loader.
The bottom line? 4WD is a must and buy a bigger tractor than you think you'll need because you will end up needing it.

I tend to agree. Went from 2wd drive to 4wd and 50 hp to 64 hp. Enjoying the new tractor much more.

 

[agsanders]

Yeah I'm sitting here cocktail in hand, really enjoying reading your thread, and laughing my a$s off. Your quote above is exactly what I said three years ago when I bought my 3032. It has been a great tractor. ZERO problems. Now you can trust me or not that is up to you....but I promise you you'll find lots of things to do that are more than your 3032 should do. Now you'll find a way to do them anyway and you'll get those jobs done, but you'll struggle a bit. Most of the time all will be well and you'll love your 3032 just like I do. But you WILL say, "you know I sure could use a bigger tractor to get that done."
I won't give up my 3032 because it is the perfect size for a lot of jobs around my place. However I'm in the process of getting my new 5093E with a cab and loader.
The bottom line? 4WD is a must and buy a bigger tractor than you think you'll need because you will end up needing it.

Thanks for the candid reply. Buying tractors is worse than buying a new truck. I can't give my wife **** anymore about how much looking and shopping she does. I'm gonna start test driving some. Knowing me, I'm gonna blow my budget quickly. I was looking online at the 4 series John Deere as well as the 5 series. Why is the bigger 5 series less money than the smaller 4 series? It's counterintuitive.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I was looking online at the 4 series John Deere as well as the 5 series. Why is the bigger 5 series less money than the smaller 4 series? It's counterintuitive.

-Aimed at a different market
-More basic transmission options
-Less amenities
-More simple design

 

[jenkinsph]

I would suggest you look into a Deere 3520 with ehydro, good size for mowing the trails and light dirt work. With lots of work in the woods I would prefer the 3 range hydro and split brakes which isn't available on the 3032 model. If you aren't opening up fields and will remain mostly wooded I don't think the 4000 or 5000 series is needed. I also suspect you will find the hydro models easier to manuever around in the woods and for loader work.

 

[JimRB]

Thomasville, GA is practically in Florida. It is the land of peanut and cotton farming and pine plantations. The soil is sandy as it is below the fall line by more than a 100 miles. You might call it gently rolling if you consider 30-50 foot elevation changes over a few miles rolling. ;-) I am a contrarian here. My JD 870 2 wd (28HP) does plenty of work but I wish I had wheel weights or filled tires but I am too cheap to do either. My tractor will not pull a subsoiler through red clay with rocks in it. Not enough traction. It does pull the bush hog and finish mower. It does move the manure pile and then a year later move the compost pile back out. It does push brush piles around. It does not see trips to the dealer as it has not broken down in 15 years. I have changed the oil, battery and fuel filters but other than that I just use it when I need it. I do not buy and sell cars and tractors. I buy something and use it until it is worn out or the deer, teenage drivers or some other disaster have destroyed the tool. Resale is not an issue for me. I have 9 acres. I have been cleaning fence lines across the dirt street during the winter the past few years (poison ivy does not have leaves in the winter so I am slightly less inclined to get that nasty rash, plus I can burn in the winter) and mow that 40-50 foot strip so I could say I maintain about 15 acres. I also scrape the 1/2 mile of gravel road once or twice a year.

There are lots of agricultural dealers down there. Some folks on this forum would get quite excited seeing tractors in stock with 6 tires and all wheel drive, or tractors with tracks. Nothing but a six figure check to write.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thomasville, GA is practically in Florida. It is the land of peanut and cotton farming and pine plantations. The soil is sandy as it is below the fall line by more than a 100 miles. You might call it gently rolling if you consider 30-50 foot elevation changes over a few miles rolling. ;-) I am a contrarian here. My JD 870 2 wd (28HP) does plenty of work but I wish I had wheel weights or filled tires but I am too cheap to do either. My tractor will not pull a subsoiler through red clay with rocks in it. Not enough traction. It does pull the bush hog and finish mower. It does move the manure pile and then a year later move the compost pile back out. It does push brush piles around. It does not see trips to the dealer as it has not broken down in 15 years. I have changed the oil, battery and fuel filters but other than that I just use it when I need it. I do not buy and sell cars and tractors. I buy something and use it until it is worn out or the deer, teenage drivers or some other disaster have destroyed the tool. Resale is not an issue for me. I have 9 acres. I have been cleaning fence lines across the dirt street during the winter the past few years (poison ivy does not have leaves in the winter so I am slightly less inclined to get that nasty rash, plus I can burn in the winter) and mow that 40-50 foot strip so I could say I maintain about 15 acres. I also scrape the 1/2 mile of gravel road once or twice a year.

There are lots of agricultural dealers down there. Some folks on this forum would get quite excited seeing tractors in stock with 6 tires and all wheel drive, or tractors with tracks. Nothing but a six figure check to write.

I agree you can get by with alot less tractor no kidding aside. Depends on whether the OP wants a new toy or used toy. We can all get by with less for a fact, I have for most of my life anyway.


I have friends who farm about 9,000 acres of peanuts near Columbia Alabama and would think this is similar soil.