First tractor:need help !

[eyi]

Ok I am in market for my first "machine". I am fortunate I found TBN, read many many threads, it is very helpful.

Here's my situation:

- 100 acres, mainly wood
- Began doing small food plots and want to continue
- Already have chain saws, brushcutter, ATVs
- Small sugashack.

My land include a 10 feet width 1 mile road right in the middle. It is fairly flat and the maintenance of it is the main reason actually to buy a tractor. Definitively need also a bush hog or a finish mower or both. Also around my buildings I have a mix of weed and clover that I need to maintain. So actually the primary task is mowing the road and the food plots.

For sure in addition I want a tractor which is perfectly capable of doing much more tasks in the future, I am thinking about: A little bit of plowing for future plots, moving a variety of things with the FEL, snow blowing, some logging, etc.

In fact I think I need the smallest, stable and safest machine that is capable to do a little bit of everything but will mow almost all the time. Which machine would be great ? I have my ideas but don't want to influence...I have Kubota, MF, Mahindra and Kioti all at the same distance. Thanks !!

 

[eyi]

Sorry guys I forgot to mention my buildings are 1500 feet from the main road so I'll have to snowblow that long myself 2-3 times a year. I think I need a machine I can install a snowblower in front.

TKS

 

[stuckmotor]

If it comes down to a bushhog type rotary mower or a finish mower. I'd go for the bush hog. I've mowed the lawn with one many times. It needs to be good and sharp for that kind of work.
Even if you're your own mechanic, nearness to the dealer, for parts, is a big plus.

 

[flusher]

Ok I am in market for my first "machine". I am fortunate I found TBN, read many many threads, it is very helpful.

Here's my situation:

- 100 acres, mainly wood
- Began doing small food plots and want to continue
- Already have chain saws, brushcutter, ATVs
- Small sugashack.

My land include a 10 feet width 1 mile road right in the middle. It is fairly flat and the maintenance of it is the main reason actually to buy a tractor. Definitively need also a bush hog or a finish mower or both. Also around my buildings I have a mix of weed and clover that I need to maintain. So actually the primary task is mowing the road and the food plots.

For sure in addition I want a tractor which is perfectly capable of doing much more tasks in the future, I am thinking about: A little bit of plowing for future plots, moving a variety of things with the FEL, snow blowing, some logging, etc.

In fact I think I need the smallest, stable and safest machine that is capable to do a little bit of everything but will mow almost all the time. Which machine would be great ? I have my ideas but don't want to influence...I have Kubota, MF, Mahindra and Kioti all at the same distance. Thanks !!

With 100 acres and a lot of current and future chores in prospect, I'd reverse my thinking. Instead of focusing on the smallest tractor, I'd look at identifying the largest tractor that I could fit into my budget. That means looking for the dealer with the best financing deal and picking out a tractor there. I would lean toward something in the 50-60 hp (engine) class like my 2008 Mahindra 5525 (55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, partially synchronized gear tranny 8F/2R, power steering, triple rear hydraulic remotes) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft height, skid steer quick attach bucket). Cost: $19K new.

I've never used a front attached snow blower which I assume is operated via a front facing pto. My 5525 does not have this feature. I assume there are tractors in the power and price range I mentioned that would handle such a blower.

Good luck.

 

[Grandad4]

That road is going to dictate how big you'll need to go, and it seems to me you'll want to run 6 ft implements... snowblower, blade, bush hog, etc. Particularly with the snowblower, the more hp you have the better... probably 40 hp is a minimum. As flusher notes, not every tractor is equipped to run a front mounted snowblower. So that gives you a starting point for shopping... go to each dealer and ask what they have with at least 40 hp that will run a front snowblower. I will say, brace yourself for some sticker shock... that will be a very nice, but very costly package.

If the budget doesn't allow that, you could downsize to a smaller tractor with 5 ft implements, which does give up some capability and productivity of course.

Just to add more ways to lighten your wallet, tractors with all weather cabs are pretty popular in snow country for some reason.

As between the brands you mentioned, they all offer well-made products that should do you work reliably. Check out the dealers and find the brand and model you like best. Remember these tractors last a long time... a few bucks difference in initial price is not that significant over the life of the tractor.

 

[jeff9366]

With 100 acres and a lot of current and future chores in prospect, I'd reverse my thinking. Instead of focusing on the smallest tractor, I'd look at identifying the largest tractor that I could fit into my budget.

I'll second this comment from 'flusher' with the caveat that maneuverability should also be considered. I use my B3300SU in the woods most of the time, for me maneuverability is a key issue, however for your tasks my 1,900 pound B3300SU tractor/loader, pulling 60" implements, is insufficient.

"Large" can have a lot of definitions in tractors. I think your minimum weight should be 2,500 pounds and minimum horsepower 38+, in order to pull 72" implements. Minimums.

Four wheel drive is essential for moving snow. Industrial Tires and HST transmission are default selections with an FEL order.

Yes, you need a Bush Hog type Rotary Cutter, or a Flail Mower, not a Finish Mower.

Almost no one plows for food plots. A pass or two with heavy, 3-Pt. hitch mounted Disc Harrow is usually sufficient to cut up the surface in preparation for seeding and then, ideally, a Cultipacker is used to roll in the seed and prevent erosion. Plows are not that easy to find and not that easy to adjust. A Disc Harrow is suitable, relatively easy to use, faster and half the price of a GOOD plow. It can take two seasons to develop a lush food plot.

Road implements to consider are: Box Blade, Rear Blade, Landscape Rake and/or Land Plane. You can really get OPINIONS on which are best for road maintenance on T-B-N. If your road is 3"-6" gravel, consider an easy-to-use Land Plane first. With a one mile road a Land Plane would be worth its cost in time saved and ease of use.

~I do not understand "mowing" the road.~

I am a great fan of the Ratchet Rake. Consider this $300 attachment for your FEL bucket both for food plot preparaton and road maintenance.

If you have not operated a tractor before you are likely to find tractor-ing intimidating the first 200 hours. Go slow; think SAFETY. The Operator is the most important safety feature on any tractor.

Consider a MUTS Trailer for the ATV:

MUTS - Multi-Use Trailer System for your ATV, Quad and 4 Wheeler - Welcome

http://www.kubota.com/product/L3200/L3200.aspx?

 

[eyi]

Thank you very much for your advices so far guys, this is exactly the kind of things I need to know. So because I want to limit my spending on it let's assume I would not go with the front blower. Hence in term of "economic" small but "heavy" machines, I am considering Kubota L3800, MF 1532, Kioti CK35, Mahindra 3616. Case Farmall 35 could also be in the race, the dealer is very nice but much farther than the other ones. All those machines fall in the same price range in the low 20 000 $, HST and FEL.

Sounds good or too small ?

Thanks again

 

[murphy1244]

Thank you very much for your advices so far guys, this is exactly the kind of things I need to know. So because I want to limit my spending on it let's assume I would not go with the front blower. Hence in term of "economic" small but "heavy" machines, I am considering Kubota L3800, MF 1532, Kioti CK35, Mahindra 3616. Case Farmall 35 could also be in the race, the dealer is very nice but much farther than the other ones. All those machines fall in the same price range in the low 20 000 $, HST and FEL.

Sounds good or too small ?

Thanks again

Try to go with the DK series on the Kioti

 

[Grandad4]

Considering what it does, the snow blower needs plenty of power regardless of whether it's in front or in back, so the power issue is the same. However you expand your range of models to choose from by putting it in the rear, and that could save you money. All the machines you listed will do your basic work, although their size would become a limiting factor sooner than a larger unit if/when you got into more and heavier work on your 100 acres. That kind of "mission creep" seems to happen a lot with rural properties. But if things don't evolve like that and you end up keeping the property in a more rustic state, any of these tractors should last you for a long time.

 

[eyi]

the road I am refering to is easily large enough for a F150, for example. And it probably used to be a logging road a long time ago. The surface is a mix of clay and black earth so yes it is covered with grass. Not a gravel road. It is very nice when freshly cut. This is my problem actually, my neighbor no longer can mow it.