Comparison Need a ~65-85hp tractor, looking at several options, not sure which is best

[deserteagle71]

My dad had a David Brown 1200 that he bought new and used for 30 years before he retired. That tractor was absolutely dependable - never had a moment's problem with it in all that time. The only complaint he had about that tractor was the way the power steering worked - took more effort to turn the steering wheel than on his other tractors.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I grew up on Allis Chalmers. The 185 is very strong and a great overall utility size. Parts are not an issue. You may have an issue with some body parts. Allis Chalmers were known for slipping out of third gear. The 185 is a strong runner. We sold our 180 to a neighbor farmer that was rebuilt to 185 specs.

The Fords you listed are excellent. I own a nice little 4610 SU. 3000 hours and the third owner. Does not use a drop of oil. Pulls a 6' Brown 472 cutter. Getting ready to purchase a local nice 2010 Bush Hog semi mount to put behind her. I can highly recommend Fords. The 10 series were one of the best tractors ever made and parts are plentiful.

Don't have any personal experience with any of the others. Deere will have the best parts support of those listed.

If you are going to go with an older unit conditions is most important. If you are inexperienced get someone you trust to go with you when looking at these units. Crank it up, look for blow by, look at the overall condition. Check the hydraulics, brakes, hours, bushings, tie rod ends, front end, etc...I prefer to buy off local farmers who have the history. To me that is a big deal.

Good luck in your quest. Keep us updated.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Went through the same thing last winter and it was a pain. Wanted a 75 horse 4mwd with a cab and good ac and looked at a lot of used ones. Nice tractors older than 2005 (there was a rough 10 year span on emissions for diesels) cost as much as a new one, the higher hour tractors were being sold for a reason (something expensive was going wrong), or they were flood tractors or some other big red flag. Ended up buying a new tractor and used implements to try and keep the problems and repairs simpler and so far am happy with my choice. I would like to eventually get an older 110 to 120 horse Deere or Ford, figure if I give it a year or two and work my contacts I will find a good one. If you are looking at one from an unofficial small used tractor lot, really check it out well and count your fingers after you shake anyones hands, there are some shady dealers out there. Looked at a Case and a Deere that looked good online but both showed evidence of flood damage from the hurricanes. When I asked where they came from, neither seller had any real idea, just that they bought them from another dealer. Buyer beware.

 

[Grandad4]

As much as I love those old-school tractors, I'm just not seeing them as being a prime choice for the kind of situation you have. Hilly ground, need decent ground clearance, mostly mowing, 8-10 acres, need a ROPS, maybe loader, maybe cab, not a died in the wool tractor-head owner... those suggest a large frame compact tractor in the 40-50 hp range to me.

What's wrong with going old-school? Just for starters:
A. Big wheels, meant for field work, make some of your picks poor choices for hilly, rough terrain since they are a huge tip-over risk. Thousands of farmers have met their maker in tip-over accidents using tractors meant for field work in the wrong place.
B. Adding a ROPS means finding someone to fabricate something for a 1960's or '70's tractor. More $$$, may or may not be adequate.
C. These tractors rarely (if ever), had a good cab to begin with. If you happen to find one, odds are it's in rough shape now. Adding one on? You'll spend beaucoup $$$ if you can find anyone who even makes such a thing.
D. As noted, loaders for these old gals were crude affairs compared with something modern.
E. Even if you find one, you have a fair chance of spending as much time fixing it as using it. As a spare or specialized use tractor, the oldies can still be useful, but everyone I've seen that is still trying to use one as their primary go-to tractor spends a lot of time with the wrenches.

I don't know if something different is in your budget, but invite you to at least take a look before getting committed to one of the "oldies but goodies" you've identified.

 

[deserteagle71]

E. Even if you find one, you have a fair chance of spending as much time fixing it as using it. As a spare or specialized use tractor, the oldies can still be useful, but everyone I've seen that is still trying to use one as their primary go-to tractor spends a lot of time with the wrenches.

I don't know if something different is in your budget, but invite you to at least take a look before getting committed to one of the "oldies but goodies" you've identified.

^ This. Only reason I bought my Kubota - always something going wrong with my old John Deere. Last straw was finding all the antifreeze in the crankcase this past October.......I DON'T LIKE working on my tractors unless its from the operator's seat!

 

[rgr33]

This isn’t going to be the answer you’re hoping for, but in describing the chores you intend to do with your tractor, and your possible lack of diagnostic and wrenching skills, I would advise getting a low hour used unit.

Considering the hilly terrain that you will be working, roll over protection, and a good seat belt might someday save your life. Also, FWD is a near necessity for braking and control on wet grass or clover on a slope, which can be every bit as greasy as snow and ice in certain situations.

I would think a cabbed model with a/c would be nice, given the heat and humidity during the summer months, old a/c units are finicky, and expensive to repair. Also hard to find on older tractors.
I agree with Jeff’s advice, a tractor the size you want would be a beast to operate without power steering.

This leads me to think the best choice here is a mid sized model, 45 to 70 hp, in good working condition, that doen’t Have more than say, 4500 hours, and is not an orphan. This may be a bit more expensive than you want to spend, but if you needed to take an older unit into the repair shop a couple of times for repairs, you will find out it’s shockingly expensive.


If the tractor that you really need and want isn’t available locally, it might be worth it to branch out a little further, rather than settle. I’m guessing whichever way you decide to go, this will not be the last tractor you buy, as you will find shortcomings in the tractor you have, and began thinking of something better, as with the Kubota you have now.
Just my2 cents, having been in the same situation back in the day.

 

[Siorus]

Thanks for the input, guys, I appreciate it.

I agree with all of you that've said that a smaller machine would have some material, significant advantages over most of the stuff I've been looking at. Totally, completely agree. I just don't believe 40-50hp is sufficient to do what I expect; namely, pulling an 8ft flail or a 10-12ft rotary cutter, set at its minimum cut height, uphill, through 24-30" of dense, wet, green clover, weeds, and grass, at 7-10mph+, and doing so effortlessly. As though the mower isn't even there.

Most mower manufacturers I've consulted recommend 50hp minimum for a mower of that size, and I suspect my expectations are unreasonable enough to mandate considerably more than the minimum recommended power.

On the basis of that reasoning, 65hp is about the least power I'm comfortable with, I'd rather be closer to 80.

With respect to the issues of buying old equipment, while I haven't done any significant wrenching on tractors, I am a car guy; I've got a pretty diverse garage that includes everything from a '60 Buick to a Corvette Z06, a BMW M5, a turbodiesel Mercedes, a Subaru STI, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm pretty comfortable turning wrenches, and I'm pretty familiar with the decay and deferred maintenance that tends to afflict any older mechanical equipment. That being said, while I fully expect to throw parts at anything this old on a regular basis, I'm not looking to turn it into a whole full-blown restoration, and that's always a possibility with an older machine, no matter how well-cared-for it was.

To that end, if you guys have suggestions for newer machines that could be had with cabs and MFWD/4WD in this power range, I'd be open to hearing them. I don't really want to spend more than $15-20k if I don't have to.

Is there anything in the ~65-85ish horsepower range that I absolutely should not buy? Specific models with known issues, expensive and time-consuming problems, etc.?

Went through the same thing last winter and it was a pain. Wanted a 75 horse 4mwd with a cab and good ac and looked at a lot of used ones. Nice tractors older than 2005 (there was a rough 10 year span on emissions for diesels) cost as much as a new one, the higher hour tractors were being sold for a reason (something expensive was going wrong)

Yes, that's one of the reasons I haven't pulled the trigger or even bothered to go look at anything in person yet; everything I'm seeing looks to have been beaten like a rented mule. People don't take care of their stuff. Applies to cars, apparently it also applies to tractors. What a pain.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Thanks for the input, guys, I appreciate it.

I agree with all of you that've said that a smaller machine would have some material, significant advantages over most of the stuff I've been looking at. Totally, completely agree. I just don't believe 40-50hp is sufficient to do what I expect; namely, pulling an 8ft flail or a 10-12ft rotary cutter, set at its minimum cut height, uphill, through 24-30" of dense, wet, green clover, weeds, and grass, at 7-10mph+, and doing so effortlessly. As though the mower isn't even there.

Most mower manufacturers I've consulted recommend 50hp minimum for a mower of that size, and I suspect my expectations are unreasonable enough to mandate considerably more than the minimum recommended power.

On the basis of that reasoning, 65hp is about the least power I'm comfortable with, I'd rather be closer to 80.

With respect to the issues of buying old equipment, while I haven't done any significant wrenching on tractors, I am a car guy; I've got a pretty diverse garage that includes everything from a '60 Buick to a Corvette Z06, a BMW M5, a turbodiesel Mercedes, a Subaru STI, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm pretty comfortable turning wrenches, and I'm pretty familiar with the decay and deferred maintenance that tends to afflict any older mechanical equipment. That being said, while I fully expect to throw parts at anything this old on a regular basis, I'm not looking to turn it into a whole full-blown restoration, and that's always a possibility with an older machine, no matter how well-cared-for it was.

To that end, if you guys have suggestions for newer machines that could be had with cabs and MFWD/4WD in this power range, I'd be open to hearing them. I don't really want to spend more than $15-20k if I don't have to.

Is there anything in the ~65-85ish horsepower range that I absolutely should not buy? Specific models with known issues, expensive and time-consuming problems, etc.?




Yes, that's one of the reasons I haven't pulled the trigger or even bothered to go look at anything in person yet; everything I'm seeing looks to have been beaten like a rented mule. People don't take care of their stuff. Applies to cars, apparently it also applies to tractors. What a pain.

If you want a suggestion on a new one, I went with a Kioti RX7320 with the power shuttle transmission and cab. Tractor is rated at 73HP but it pulls a 12" John Deere disc way better than it should on hard ground and damp clay soil. The loader is very stout, unloaded a 10' double row cultipacker (about 2500 pounds) from the trailer and never took the tractor off of idle rpm and it lifted it just fine. Handles a jumbo rock grapple and 10' Shulte mower without problems. So far I am very pleased with this tractor.

 

[WVH1977]

This is not a brand name tractor but should do the brush cutting you want to do.

Long 261 dtc Tractor 4wd w/loader 72 hp - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[Grandad4]

According to your original post you have 8 + 10 acres to mow. You started out telling us it was hilly, rough ground. Now you're telling us you want to run over it at 7-10 mph, effortlessly cutting a 12 ft swath. And you'd like it to have 4wd and a cab, all for under $20k max. However you are willing to buy used and willing to turn some wrenches.

OK. Here's a search some equipment for sale in Missouri that meets your criteria.

TractorHouse.com | 4 HP To 99 HP Tractors For Sale In - 8 Listings - Page 1.

List includes two cab models with about 5,000 hours.

The cutter or flail will probably be another $5k on top of the tractor cost.

Good luck with mowing rough ground or slopes at 7-10 mph with any of this equipment.