60 HP tractor big enough for 200 acres?

[vanskills]

Howdy,

I have been reading this site for a few months before joining, really like this community so hello!

I purchased about 200 acres in Montana a few months ago and never had a tractor before, im pretty handy and can run equipment but never owned a tractor.

Property is about 50% wooded and 50% pastures with some rolling hills here and there...I plan on doing some hobby farming (in the future/maybe), food plots for deer, build and maintain some roads, clear snow, move rocks, logging (lots of logging) and just whatever else comes up

I currently leaning towards the Kioti NX6010 but am fairly open to a good machine at a decent price. The reason i stoped looking at bigger than 60 hp is the lack of Hydrostatic transmisions on them, once o drove the hydro i knew i HAD to have that, I want my wife to be able to use it also, hydro is MUCH easier

included a few pics of the property so you can see what ill be dealing with

 

[TSO]

There's a member on here, "Onceacop" that has a similar setup in Minnesota to yours. He does it with a Massey 1758 ... Same size as the NX6010. You should be OK with that size.

Check for his threads/posts.

 

[vanskills]

Massey is one of the tractors i havent looked at yet, ill take a look this week

Massey dealer is pretty close to me (70 miles in Billings Mt) I live pretty deep in the country, haha

The Kioti dealer is 2.5 hours away

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Gosh that is beautiful country!
The NX6010 would be an great choice IMHO. The comparable Kubota would be the L6060. Find the best dealer. You'll need good dealer support (esp on the phone).

 

[TSO]

I've personally owned Massey and Kioti (and others...) and i feel that Massey (actually, Iseki in Japan builds these machines for Massey/Agco) are of higher quality than the Kioti. But that's not saying anything bad about Kioti, they're both nice machines. Good luck.

 

[nybirdman]

Plenty of tractor at 60HP.I wish some-one would make one 75-80 HP with the HST.

 

[Deerherd]

I have been down this road. That will be a nice tractor until you save up for what you really need. You have 100 acres of pastures and you are getting a 40 something HP at the PTO tractor?

I really don't know what everyone on here thinks is so hard about a power shuttle. Push or pull a lever in the direction you want to go and you don't even need a clutch. No high pitch whine to deal with (at least from the tractor, your spouse may vary...) You want 70 hp min at the PTO, the more the merrier.

If you are really smart you will get a small tractor with HST with R4's with a backhoe that you and momma can run around the homestead digging holes and planting posies.

For planting food plots, cutting pastures, plowing and discing, running a forestry winch and grapple, building and maintaining roads (all things you say you want to do) get the bigger cabbed tractor.

That's a great looking place!

 

[jeff9366]

SPECS: TractorData.com Kioti NX6010 tractor information

Over 4,000 pounds, bare tractor.

FINALLY, someone considering ENOUGH TRACTOR at time of initial purchase.

Consider a PTO powered Logging Winch early on: tractor logging winch - Google Search

 

[vanskills]

SPECS: TractorData.com Kioti NX6010 tractor information

Over 4,000 pounds, bare tractor.

FINALLY, someone considering ENOUGH TRACTOR at time of initial purchase.

Consider a PTO powered Logging Winch early on: tractor logging winch - Google Search

That PTO winch is awesome, thanks for that info

 

[Rustyiron]

I'll back up Deerherd with the transmission question. Todays "gear tractors" with a hydraulic shuttle have no clutch! They are almost as simple to operate as a hst, only your using your hand to reverse and a tractor (in that HP range, your foot on the throttle). Unlike a hst, you are locked into a gear unless you shift up or down, but again in that HP range, you're generally have a pretty wide speed range (in each gear) with your throttle. Try one out, this will free up your HP constraints if you can do without the hst transmission. I would also guess that in your area, if you were to want to up size (sell/trade it) or what ever, a gear tractor might be preferred by the "old school" farmer/rancher that view a hst tractor as an overgrown garden tractor just because of the pedal transmission *(like me)
I believe that the higher HP tractors are not offered with hst by the manufacturer's for a reason. They likely have 16 or many more gears or a CVT trans. but not a hydrostatic.:2cents:

* I would like to have a 40hp tractor with a hst myself, just not my only tractor for 200 ac.!