Is bigger ever a problem?

[knute_m]

First, yes. Bigger can cause all kinds of issues, depending on what you might be doing.

But, primarily, I think a lot depends on your age.

When I was young, I couldn't afford big unless it was old. In the middle I could afford more, but I began to see that finess outwits size, anyday. Now that I'm old, I don't need big. Actually, small is really great.

My little tractor does all I ask of it. I maintain about 32 acres with a little 20 hp 4WD diesel. My property includes over a half-mile of steep driveway.

My knees were bothering me with my last two tractors, but my present tractor is low, and has lots of leg room. My knees don't bother me anymore. My little tractor, which includes a front end loader and backhoe, plus all the normal implements, like post hole digger, box blade, grader blade, plow, disk, brush hog, etc., always fits where a bigger tractor can't. I do a lot of logging with it. It is also real stingy when it comes to fuel.

Knute

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Let's be sure that all is in perspective. small is not always less $$$$. Here is an extreme example. Let's say that a person has 10,000 cubic yards of soft dirt to be moved a short distance to fill in a large crevasse in their property. While a 20hp tractor will do the job in x amount of days and use x amount of fuel, I am fairly certain that a very large loader that uses 20 times more fuel per hour will get the job done using less fuel and countless times faster. Every machine has its intended purpose. That's not to say that one won't work where another one does. Just that one may be better at it.

I have several tractors, but for this example I will use my Mahindra 7520 vs my Sears garden tractor. To grade around my storage trailers and sea container I could use my Sears garden tractor only and get the whole area real nice, in about 3-4 hours. Or I can use the 7520 to get the open areas and use the garden tractor to get in close to the trailers and sea container all in 60-90 minutes. Now this job can not be done with the 7520 alone, it simply is to big for some of the areas that I need to get into. I think that this is a good example of where 2 different sized tractors work well together. Yes the small one will do the job, if you have a lot of time and no the bigger one simply can not do the job because of its size. But two different sized tractors work well together.

 

[sandman2234]

I had a Ford 1100 4x4, that I trailered all over town, or put in the back of my p/u and hauled it that way. Same p/u will barely haul the newer JD 2555. It will not even attempt to haul the newest tractor, a Ford 7710 so in order to transport them, I have to pay someone, or buy a larger truck. So in my case bigger wasn't completely better.
David from jax

 

[john_bud]

I have just noticed that it becomes easy to push a machine to it's limits. So is bigger always better, or does that just mean I would likely tackle larger tasks?

Maybe it's like never having enough money, but it's a power thing. What do you think?

Bigger is a problem when you can't turn it around on the property!

Fuel use is about the same on a large tractor as on a small one, when doing the same exact chores.

So if you load an extra 5000# on a 30 hp tractor and mow with a 5' deck, it will use about the same fuel as a 60 hp tractor mowing with a 5' deck. It's a diesel thing as that can't be said with a gas tractor. Naturally, you wouldn't add 5000# extra pounds to a 30 hp tractor any more than you would use a 5' deck on a 60 hp!

Often, you will find that it is more economical to use a large tractor as you use it for less time with a larger implement. Still, it's best to size the tool to the job.

jb

 

[Soundguy]

I agree, at least 2. Possibly more.

Andy

For sure!

soundguy

 

[lawn_king]

Multiple tractors is the way to go if you can afford it!

 

[wolc123]

Multiple tractors is the way to go. I use 100 hp total with 4 tractors of aprox 10,20, 30, and 40 pto hp, from a little Farmall cub, up to a JD 4120 and they do a near optimum job at any task I require at my place. I wouldnt want to cultivate sweetcorn with the JD, and I wouldnt want to run a 6 ft rotary mower with the little cub, so tractors of every size have thier place. Using a tractor too large for a task is difficult or impossible at times and wastes fuel, while using one too small wastes time. There is a perfect size for every job and the more sizes you have, the better you can approach that perfection.

 

[MasseyWV]

I tend to look at things from a simple viewpoint so I will add my simplistic way of seeing it.

You could drive a thumb tack with a sledge hammer but you could never drive a railroad spike with a tack hammer.

You could empty a swimming pool with a teaspoon but a bucket would be faster.

It all depends on the circumstances. Smaller can sometimes do the job that bigger can do, it just takes longer. On the other hand, bigger is just too big, heavy or expensive.

I see the most important factors as being time, size, and cost.

 

[dillo99]

The other thing to consider is the cost of the implements. Bigger tractors require heavier duty implements and this will raise costs. That is not a problem if you need the power and the heavy duty implements but if you over buy on horsepower it will cost you every time you go to purchase an attachment - of course you will get the work done faster!

For me, smaller works well because about 25 of my 27 acres is wooded.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Along with the fuel consumption of the tractor in question, if you are towing it around on a trailer you may want to think about the effect of the added weight on your trucks fuel consumption.
My new MF-1540 with forks on front and rear AND trailer combo weighs 8800#


I suppose I could have gone a bit smaller, but certainly do not need larger for my uses.

We still love our '42 Ford 2N for mowing ect....

You may consider finding a vintage tractor for utility use to keep the hrs low on the new one. Parts are REALLY CHEAP and repairs are easy and many if them are infinatlly rebuildable.