I can tell you have been watching RFDTV again
Buying Advice What size Tractor do I really need?
- Thread starter Deerlake
- Start date
I can tell you have been watching RFDTV again
Noodles, your "rule of thumb for the farming industry" would put me close to 8k hp.
Honestly if you have no clue about what your talking about please do not try to lend advice. This is not Xbox.
To the op. A 30 hp tractor should suit your needs just fine.
JD6400NZ
Member
Tell me who makes a 7000 horse power then?
BethelHntr
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:2cents:
I am going against the grain here and will say don't buy anything below a 40 HP. I have been watching and lurking and have read many owners going from 25 to 35 and finally to a 40 horse and be pleased as punch, If it were me i'd buy one tractor that could fill many possibilities and be content for many years to come. Just my :2cents:
I am going against the grain here and will say don't buy anything below a 40 HP. I have been watching and lurking and have read many owners going from 25 to 35 and finally to a 40 horse and be pleased as punch, If it were me i'd buy one tractor that could fill many possibilities and be content for many years to come. Just my :2cents:
newbury
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I'd say buy what you think is the right size now and plan on getting something bigger later.
Tractors are like chainsaws, you should always have two, so you can get the first one unstuck
Noodles - I like that rule of thumb, now can that 10HP/acre be split among multiple tractors?
Now I can tell SWMBO I read it on the internet!
Tractors are like chainsaws, you should always have two, so you can get the first one unstuck
Noodles - I like that rule of thumb, now can that 10HP/acre be split among multiple tractors?
Now I can tell SWMBO I read it on the internet!
wcampbell47
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My father put me on a tractor when I was very young - grade school. Of course then there was only gear shift. I bought new in 2007 and stuck with what I knew - 21 hp gear shift. In 2011 I bought a 32 hp HST. If you have never been on a tractor and have 5 acres then a B3200 HST would be a great choice. With a FEL you want 4wd for sure. Improves performance when doing FEL work. You want a 5 ft shredder if your grass is rough. If you have an estate with short grass then a mid mount mower would be my choice. If you are going to have a garden then you want a tiller - no wider than the tractor is my choice. A pair of clamp on forks comes in so handy as well. If you are going to have a big garden then a bedder is nice to have. It is a tool bar with a pair of disks set at an angle like so \ /. Makes great raised bed rows for planting. If you have a long unpaved drive then a land plane will help keep the wife happy because you can keep the drive smooth as a baby's bottom. If you buy Kubota then buy Land Pride implements with it because they qualify for the $0 down $0 per cent interest loan as well as the tractor. I have 800 hours on the B7510 and had one issue with the device that checks all the safety switches. I have 600 hours on the B3200 with one minor issue. Sometimes it wants to creep when idling with foot off the advance pedal. Now I always set the brake or put the transmission in neutral. If there is a remote possibility that you will buy more property or doing large tract mowing for some one else then move up to the L series.
One additional note - whatever you buy sit on it, drive it around make sure you are comfortable with the operation. The other day I spent 2 hours on the 7510 which made me appreciate the comfortable driver station on the 3200. The B2920 might be a good choice as well. There is a B3300 which would be a good match - except that it does not have a mid PTO. If I did only open field work I would want a cab, but I work around a lot of trees where the cab would be in the way much of the time.
Left out an important note. Acquire a quick hitch. On the 7510 I have the type that is shaped like an upside down U where the hooks for the draw pins are 26 inches apart. Constant. On the 3200 I use the type that attach to the end of the lift arms (Pat's style). I must say I am preferring the latter to the former, especially when it comes to attaching the PTO shaft to the mower. On the B series the lift arms tend to swing to the middle of the tractor. I use a pair of bungee cords (the flat rubber type) attached to the tractor just behind the driver station and to the end of the arm. As the arms go down they are pulled apart allowing me to attach the implement from the drivers seat - almost.
Cheers and hope you glean some info.
One additional note - whatever you buy sit on it, drive it around make sure you are comfortable with the operation. The other day I spent 2 hours on the 7510 which made me appreciate the comfortable driver station on the 3200. The B2920 might be a good choice as well. There is a B3300 which would be a good match - except that it does not have a mid PTO. If I did only open field work I would want a cab, but I work around a lot of trees where the cab would be in the way much of the time.
Left out an important note. Acquire a quick hitch. On the 7510 I have the type that is shaped like an upside down U where the hooks for the draw pins are 26 inches apart. Constant. On the 3200 I use the type that attach to the end of the lift arms (Pat's style). I must say I am preferring the latter to the former, especially when it comes to attaching the PTO shaft to the mower. On the B series the lift arms tend to swing to the middle of the tractor. I use a pair of bungee cords (the flat rubber type) attached to the tractor just behind the driver station and to the end of the arm. As the arms go down they are pulled apart allowing me to attach the implement from the drivers seat - almost.
Cheers and hope you glean some info.
TripleR
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Some helpful advice and some...
Choosing the "right" tractor is often a lot harder than it seem like it should be. I have seen all of the formulas etc. and while they may be OK, there always seems to be exceptions.
While acreage is a consideration, of more importance to me at least are the tasks to be performed, how much will you be lifting with the FEL etc. You may need a bigger tractor if you are unloading pallets or handling round bales than would be indicated by how much you will be mowing.
If you are new to tractors, it might be helpful to rent the size you think you might need and use it on the actual property for a weekend. This will give you a baseline for comparison.
I personally prefer an independent PTO and position control on the 3PH, several of the B Series Kubotas don't have this though, so check to see what they have and if it is important to you.
NOT going to get into the HST/gear, I operate both, but find the HST is very handy for new users as well as experienced and is really handy for frequent direction changes, loader work etc. My son is about as fast with one as the other, but he is a lot younger and is a lot more tired at the end of a long day using gears if frequent directions changes/loader work is involved.
There are so many variables beyond HP including FEL/3PH lift, tractor weight etc., I hate to set a HP rating, but tend to think we often need more than we initially think we will. We traded a 70HP in on an 80HP within two weeks many years ago, but on another tractor 72HP is ideal. I use a L5740 to do the same jobs my L5030 did, so HP is not really an issue.
I really like the Kubota GrandL Series, but Kioti, John Deere and others make really good tractors and advise people to look at all of them to get the right fit.
Hope this helps and not confuses.
Choosing the "right" tractor is often a lot harder than it seem like it should be. I have seen all of the formulas etc. and while they may be OK, there always seems to be exceptions.
While acreage is a consideration, of more importance to me at least are the tasks to be performed, how much will you be lifting with the FEL etc. You may need a bigger tractor if you are unloading pallets or handling round bales than would be indicated by how much you will be mowing.
If you are new to tractors, it might be helpful to rent the size you think you might need and use it on the actual property for a weekend. This will give you a baseline for comparison.
I personally prefer an independent PTO and position control on the 3PH, several of the B Series Kubotas don't have this though, so check to see what they have and if it is important to you.
NOT going to get into the HST/gear, I operate both, but find the HST is very handy for new users as well as experienced and is really handy for frequent direction changes, loader work etc. My son is about as fast with one as the other, but he is a lot younger and is a lot more tired at the end of a long day using gears if frequent directions changes/loader work is involved.
There are so many variables beyond HP including FEL/3PH lift, tractor weight etc., I hate to set a HP rating, but tend to think we often need more than we initially think we will. We traded a 70HP in on an 80HP within two weeks many years ago, but on another tractor 72HP is ideal. I use a L5740 to do the same jobs my L5030 did, so HP is not really an issue.
I really like the Kubota GrandL Series, but Kioti, John Deere and others make really good tractors and advise people to look at all of them to get the right fit.
Hope this helps and not confuses.
Gary Fowler
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I first bought a Yanmar 45 HP to maintain my small 12 acres and then decided I wanted a cab so I went shopping for a 50 HP and ended up with a 70 HP with 4 WD and FEL. Lots of tractor which I used a lot moving dirt, building some ponds, moving large rocks etc. A year or so later, I wanted a backhoe so I found a good deal on a used Kubota B26 (thanks to a TBN member) so rather than keep 3 tractors, I sold the Yanmar to a family member. I still find uses for the 70 HP since much of the equipment is too large to use on the 26 HP but I do like the "smallness" of the Kubota since I have a lot of trees to mow around so I may end up getting a small mower to use with it.
Summing it all up, there is no real size of tractor needed based on acreage, only tasks that you wish to do. While my Kubota could do most everything needed with a 5 foot mower, I still use the big one lots of times because 26 HP is just too small to move anything more than about 1000 pounds and the HVAC cab with stereo is nice on those hot, cold rainy days. 2 tractors is nicer to have than one, just like automobiles. Never hurts to have a spare especially in tractors since there is always a possibility of getting stuck in the mud even with 4 WD and a backhoe, you can still get mired in the mud.
Oh and my big tractor is gear and small one is HST. Love the HST for maneuvering with the FEL, but the gear is best for mowing in open spaces since you don't have to keep one foot on the go pedal all the time. I don't use any of the tractors for yard work, preferring to use my Craftsman ZTR and JD 332 for mowing since that is what they are designed for.
Summing it all up, there is no real size of tractor needed based on acreage, only tasks that you wish to do. While my Kubota could do most everything needed with a 5 foot mower, I still use the big one lots of times because 26 HP is just too small to move anything more than about 1000 pounds and the HVAC cab with stereo is nice on those hot, cold rainy days. 2 tractors is nicer to have than one, just like automobiles. Never hurts to have a spare especially in tractors since there is always a possibility of getting stuck in the mud even with 4 WD and a backhoe, you can still get mired in the mud.
Oh and my big tractor is gear and small one is HST. Love the HST for maneuvering with the FEL, but the gear is best for mowing in open spaces since you don't have to keep one foot on the go pedal all the time. I don't use any of the tractors for yard work, preferring to use my Craftsman ZTR and JD 332 for mowing since that is what they are designed for.
GManBart
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scoutcub
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Agree with Gary that acreage doesnt necessarily dictate HP. Is it all flat ground? What kind of dirt work? You never mentioned budget.....?? I would daresay you could do a lot of work with a 24HP subcompact that might suit your property, and save you $$$. The 30 HP sized machine is probably the most popular sized tractor, as many tbn'ers own this size....but more $$$ to buy, and implements as well.
It really boils down to what you want vs what you need, and the tasks you need to accomplish. I own a 24 HP and a 32 HP (and 49) tractor, and they are different animals for capabilities. Just try to figure out what you reaaly need to do, perhaps giving us more specific tasks can narrow down the choices. Have fun shopping!
It really boils down to what you want vs what you need, and the tasks you need to accomplish. I own a 24 HP and a 32 HP (and 49) tractor, and they are different animals for capabilities. Just try to figure out what you reaaly need to do, perhaps giving us more specific tasks can narrow down the choices. Have fun shopping!