Tractor Sizing Tractor size vs. use

[EnviroEd]

I am in the process of inheriting 78 acres of WV hillside which has been a beef farm in our family for 4 generations. I am now looking for equipment to operate and use on the farm (I get the farm my bro gets the equip.). All of the past tractors have been 2 wheel drive and we have been able to use them on 85% of the property. I would like to go to round hay bales and luckily have a neighbor who will roll them for me but that makes me ask the question "What size tractor do I need to move these bales around?" He says they will weigh appx 1000 lbs. I'll also want to cut, tedd and rake the hay with this tractor. The meadows are appx 25 acres and I'll want to cut the filth on the rest of the property with a rotary mower plus other uses I'm sure that will show up. I really don't care what color it is but do hope it will be reliable. Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to help with my situation.

 

[dgl24087]

Personally, I wouldn't go smaller than a 45 PTO HP Utility tractor. I have a 1975 JD 1530, it's a 45 PTO HP 2wd diesel, and it will do a tremendous amount of work, handles a loader well. A cousin has the same tractor and loads round bales of approximately the same weight. There are several options, are you wanting new or used? Also, where in WV are you located? PM me if you like.

 

[EnviroEd]

I'm in north central WV close to Buckhannon and I've been looking at new tractors in the 45-55 hp size. Then I thought that if a 35 hp tractor would handle the bales I'd save some money but if I got a 50+ hp I'd be able to roll my own hay eventually. Money is of a concern since I'll also get the 150 yo house that's on the property and in need of improvements (as per my wife!) A used tractor would be fine but I've been looking around and it seems they are hard to find in my area.

 

[dgl24087]

Used equipment in good condition is a tough thing to locate. You may want to check with Hayhurst in Pennsboro, they sell Mahindra, NH, and Deere, seem to be very good to deal with. Lockard's in Flatwoods sells Deere and Montana, don't know how pricing is there. L & T in Buckhannon is very high priced, but service is excellent. Burr, the Kubota in Buckhannon, is pretty good to deal with as well. Don't know about Parcs in Salem.

 

[EnviroEd]

Do you know anything about Johnston's in Weston? I looked at a new Koiti DK55 w/loader there that he quoted at $21,500 cash (seems like a good price but still alot of money). I've also been to Burrs and they seemed good, really liked the service man he took the time to really help me (looking for a lawn mower at the time), stopped at L&T and got sticker shock, priced a 50+hp JD @ Lockards pricey too, heard too many stories about the servicr @ Parcs. I've read a lot of the threads in Koiti wish I had an idea how the long term reliablity is.

 

[dgl24087]

I'm not real familiar with Johnston's, I've heard good and bad. The DK55 seems to be a well built tractor. L & T is strictly list, very hard to bargain with, and used equipment from them is awfully high as well. For used equipment, if you don't mind a little travel time, check Quarrick Equipment & Auctions, Inc. in Uniontown, PA. Most everything here seems to be in pretty good condition most of the time. They eBay a bit as well. There's also a Montana dealer in Cedarville, outside Glenville on the way to Spencer. It's off the beaten path past Cedar Creek Park.

 

[dgl24087]

I saw an ad online for a DK55 4wd at $27,495. Comparatively, that's a heckuva price. Weight and power are comparable to my JD, I have bigger rear tires and no 4wd.

 

[EnviroEd]

The price for th DK 55 was $26,500 if I financed through him. I've also seen some of Quarrick's equipment on Ebay and have really considered a couple of theur tractors. But I'm waiting for the final deed to go through before actually buying, just trying to get my ducks in a row. Thanks for the help.
Ed