City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor

   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #1  

lovelyanai

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Jul 16, 2012
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dilliner pa
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Hi,
We just bought 25 wooded acres in hilly WV. We need a tractor that will be used mostly for clearing and building the first couple of years and then basic farm work there-after. Backhoe is top priority. This property will be our homestead and we will be doing all the building and clearing ourselves and there is a fair amount of rocks( not to bug though). My husband has some previous tractor experience but being a woman :cool: I want to add my 2 cents in so I'm trying to get A basic knowledge of what brands/models to look at. Thanks in advance!!!
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #2  
Hi,
We just bought 25 wooded acres in hilly WV. We need a tractor that will be used mostly for clearing and building the first couple of years and then basic farm work there-after. Backhoe is top priority. This property will be our homestead and we will be doing all the building and clearing ourselves and there is a fair amount of rocks( not to bug though). My husband has some previous tractor experience but being a woman :cool: I want to add my 2 cents in so I'm trying to get A basic knowledge of what brands/models to look at. Thanks in advance!!!

I would visit a couple of my new neighbors and see what kind of tractor dealer support you have locally and see who they recommend. They can also give you advice on the size and type of implements that work in your type soil. The implements can easily be shipped in, sometimes for less money that you can find elsewhere. Checkout SWEETFARMS.COM for any implement needs. Ken Sweet
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #3  
Welcome to TBN ! :thumbsup:

Boone
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #4  
What ever you get watch out on those hills, tractors and hills can be a bad combo. Welcome from Va
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #5  
Hi,
We just bought 25 wooded acres in hilly WV. We need a tractor that will be used mostly for clearing and building the first couple of years and then basic farm work there-after. Backhoe is top priority. This property will be our homestead and we will be doing all the building and clearing ourselves and there is a fair amount of rocks( not to bug though). My husband has some previous tractor experience but being a woman :cool: I want to add my 2 cents in so I'm trying to get A basic knowledge of what brands/models to look at. Thanks in advance!!!

:welcome: to TBN! From the sounds of what you need done, I would opt for a tractor in Deere's 4x20 series. They will provide you with the power you need to get things done, yet they are relatively compact and would be easy to maneuver in the woods. Pairing say a 4320 with a 400cx loader w/ skid steer quick attach would defiantly be the way to go, skid steer attachments will greatly widen the amount of different attachments the tractor can take, such as a root grapple which would be perfect for working in the woods. Deere also offers a sub-frame mounted backhoe for the 4x20 tractors which is a much stronger option over a 3 point mounted hoe which has potential to do damage to the back of the tractor. To top it off Deere also has IMO the nicest hydrostatic transmission (ehydro). Ehydro is basically 2 pedals, 1 forward, 1 reverse, located right next to each other so switching between them is simply pivoting your foot left or right, no picking your leg up to catch a reverse pedal towards the back of the platform. Ehydro also offers 3 ranges (A, B, and C) which are high, med., and low for various tasks that will need different amounts of torque at the wheels to just needing speed to travel back to the barn.

Here is the link to Deere's 4320: John Deere 4320 Compact Utility Tractor 4000 Series Compact Utility Tractors JohnDeere.com

I also would go visit all the other dealers around your area besides Deere. Find the dealer that offers the best and will be easy to work with down the road (parts/service). Also try the other tractors, get a feel for every machine, then decide what feels right for you. Hope this helps. :)
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #6  
i have a massey ferguson 1250 30 32 hp w backhoe ft loader canopy very nice first noticed wv fairmont wv 18 yrs now real pleased with it 2years bought another massey 1523 22hp w mower and frt loader advise get frt loader subframe mounted back hoe have other attachments also contact d baker 1 517 627 7914
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #7  
I'm only 20 miles from the WV border and have more than my share of hills. Do watch hills with any tractor. I have 100+ acres, but use the tractor only for maintenance, pulling logs, bush hogging, driveway stuff... So I opted for a smaller CUT that pretty much does what I want and gets in among the trees. But do talk to neighbors with tractors and figure out which is the best dealer with the best service. That will be important. Depending on your finances, check out financing on new units, and the cost of good used units. We went new because few smaller tractors (under 45 HP) are on the used market, and financing packages make the new more affordable. But a lot depends on your dealers. Good used tractors can let you get a bigger tractor, if that's what you want. I'd shoot for a 4WD if at all possible. You may also wish to think of buying a smaller unit appropriate for 25 acres and leasing a large tractor or tracked unit for land clearing ... Depending on what you want to do. Don't buy a unit just for a single use and then get stuck with power (and fuel consumption) you don't need.
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #8  
Welcome to TBN, we have several members from WV that will hopefully come along and tell you what works for them. My initial inclination is the same as Johndeere3720, I really like the 4000 Series John Deeres and Grand L Kubotas as well as the M Series Kubota and 5000 Series John Deere, of course Kioti and others make similar machines. The Grand L has the HST+ dual range, stall guard, auto throttle, here is a You Tube link: Kubota HST-Plus Transmission - YouTube

I can't say one tractor is "better" than the other, so I would look at all of them to see which is the best fit for you and your husband. All manufacturers make budget lines that may work well for you, a lot is going to depend on your needs and the old "need" vs "wants" and $$$$.

Spend as much time on them as your dealer will allow as it takes a while to really get use to them. I was not initially impressed with my Kubota HST+ until I used it for a while and now love it. My wife and I both liked the John Deere 45/4720, but I can't use let foot brakes. The new L60 Kubota has gone over to left foot brakes now, so there is not longer much difference beyond the transmission and that's not a deal breaker. As mentioned, Kioti has some really nice machines as does Massey Ferguson.

My wife is very comfortable operating the mid sized John Deere and Kubota, but doesn't care much for the geared units though they are a good choice for many.

Look around and enjoy the experience.
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor #9  
Welcome to TBN!

There are a number of posts on doing what you plan - developing and building your home/homestead with tons of good ideas, struggles and general advice on doing what you are planning. "At home in the woods" is just one - a long one, there are quite a few similar

I would suggest a basic site plan - house, buildings, septic, well, electricity and access, that will define the amount of land you need to reclaim. Doing land clearing, logging with a tractor will take a long time and is hard and can be dangerous especially on hilly ground.

I would suggest hiring someone for the heavy lifting - clearing, stumping, driveway, and foundation/septic. Then you have the tractor and BH to do the maintenance, planting, tree/stump removal after the big work is complete.

A 30-40HP range should be fine for your needs, with a backhoe, grapple (for trees and brush) and maybe a brush cutter for trails etc.

Carl
 
   / City girl needs advice on buying 1st tractor
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thanks everyone for the great advice. I see that buying from a good dealer makes a difference. Can someone recommend a dealer in the clarksburg wv area?
 
 
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