1.5 acres. Am I nuts for thinking about a tractor?

[Kennebec_Guy]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a bit but I've yet to see a use case quite like mine.

We recently bought a large ~1.5 acre property and historic home in a small town center in Maine. Originally a small horse farm, it was at one point extensively landscaped like a park, with lots of garden plots and about 60 old growth maples and while it's not a big property, it's been a fairly high maintenance one for its small size. The whole property is on a gently sloping hillside with about an acre of lawn, which currently takes me about 90+ minutes to mow with a commercial walk behind (there's a ZTR in our near future). On top of that, it had been neglected for a couple of decades when we bought it, and we're in the process of digging it out from the overgrowth and restoring it to its former glory.

We've got a long list of major landscaping projects planned, including building stone stairs and doing a lot of terracing/retaining wall construction to build foundations for an outdoor dining pavilion as well as a workshop/sugar shack/garage for the ZTR. In addition, the 60 maples generate about 20 cubic yards of leaves every year, which has been "fun" to manage and sustains a leaf pile that's about 45'x25'x6' deep. We're also doing the millennial hobby farmer thing and expanding a large vegetable garden and I'm growing a large hobbyist/small commercial scale maple syrup operation.

With the cost of getting any work done these days, I figure I'm easily at $30-40k or more to get all of the outstanding landscaping projects done, and between moving sap barrels around the yard during syrup season, gardening/landscaping odds and ends, and turning over our large compost pile, a loader would be nice to have. Am I crazy for thinking that a tractor more than pays for itself with the landscaping/earthmoving projects and afterwards becomes a useful tool for managing a small but high maintenance property while raising a growing family and often being pressed for time? What size/hp range should I be considering?

The only rear implements I'd likely be running are a box blade, a small rotary cultivator, and probably a wood chipper. I'd like to be able to lift/move ~800lbs for the landscaping projects. I was thinking that a 25hp emissions-exempt compact with loaded tires would be a good place to start. My local dealerships sell Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Massey Ferguson, and Yanmar, and they all seem pretty decent. If I even need a tractor, what should I look for?

 

[tacticalturnip]

You're coming to a tractor for to ask if you should purchase a tractor? Do you think we're going to try to talk you out of this?!



We're nothing more than a collection of enablers.

 

[Peter 315]

25 hp should be fine for you. Go and test drive a few.

 

[paulsharvey]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a bit but I've yet to see a use case quite like mine.

We recently bought a large ~1.5 acre property and historic home in a small town center in Maine. Originally a small horse farm, it was at one point extensively landscaped like a park, with lots of garden plots and about 60 old growth maples and while it's not a big property, it's been a fairly high maintenance one for its small size. The whole property is on a gently sloping hillside with about an acre of lawn, which currently takes me about 90+ minutes to mow with a commercial walk behind (there's a ZTR in our near future). On top of that, it had been neglected for a couple of decades when we bought it, and we're in the process of digging it out from the overgrowth and restoring it to its former glory.

We've got a long list of major landscaping projects planned, including building stone stairs and doing a lot of terracing/retaining wall construction to build foundations for an outdoor dining pavilion as well as a workshop/sugar shack/garage for the ZTR. In addition, the 60 maples generate about 20 cubic yards of leaves every year, which has been "fun" to manage and sustains a leaf pile that's about 45'x25'x6' deep. We're also doing the millennial hobby farmer thing and expanding a large vegetable garden and I'm growing a large hobbyist/small commercial scale maple syrup operation.

With the cost of getting any work done these days, I figure I'm easily at $30-40k or more to get all of the outstanding landscaping projects done, and between moving sap barrels around the yard during syrup season, gardening/landscaping odds and ends, and turning over our large compost pile, a loader would be nice to have. Am I crazy for thinking that a tractor more than pays for itself with the landscaping/earthmoving projects and afterwards becomes a useful tool for managing a small but high maintenance property while raising a growing family and often being pressed for time? What size/hp range should I be considering?

The only rear implements I'd likely be running are a box blade, a small rotary cultivator, and probably a wood chipper. I'd like to be able to lift/move ~800lbs for the landscaping projects. I was thinking that a 25hp emissions-exempt compact with loaded tires would be a good place to start. My local dealerships sell Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Massey Ferguson, and Yanmar, and they all seem pretty decent. If I even need a tractor, what should I look for?

I use my Kioti Ck2610 on 2 acres. I wouldn't think it's a bad idea. I know conventional wisdom is too load the tires; but I don't know if I would do that immediately. Weight is great, but once it's in the tires, it pretty much there, and not easily removed, when a lighter machine would be good. I looked at the Kubota L2501, RK25, Tym 2515, Massey 1526. Tires, I got and like the R14s; but you might be better suited with turf or ag or R4s depending on what exactly you want to do. The Massey 1526 is dang nice, but its like half a size category smaller then the 2515/ck2610/L2501, which might suit you great.

 

[Carl_NH]

Of course you need a tractor and welcome to TBN! For your tasks I would look at a little TLB (tractor-loader backhoe) - Kubota BX23s, Deere 2032, Yanmar 324, Kioti makes one too.

What about snow and leaf removal too? The BH will enable you to lift rocks, build walls, dig small foundations, plant and remove shrubs etc.

Good luck in your search and try them all out and see which one fits you and your budget.

 

[2manyrocks]

Besides tractors, you might consider something like a Power Trac PT425 25hp articulating machine for a smaller size property. The advantage would be a tight turning radius, excellent front implement visibility and smaller size. The disadvantage is it has a gas engine and doesn't accept rear 3pt implements like a plow.

 

[sea2summit]

Be careful, it’s a slippery slope. First comes a tractor for 1.5 acres, then a 20 acre hunting lease and a larger tractor, and….

 

[Streetcar]

Besides tractors, you might consider something like a Power Trac PT425 25hp articulating machine for a smaller size property. The advantage would be a tight turning radius, excellent front implement visibility and smaller size. The disadvantage is it has a gas engine and doesn't accept rear 3pt implements like a plow.

Moss road has power trac and likes it
have Deere 1025r with backhoe. It is very useful on small property

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

If I was doing just a few projects, I would rent the specific tool for the job.

Mini ex for digging.

Bobcat for moving matieral.

Large tractor for trees.

My buddy has a sub compact and all he uses is his baby back hoe. He had a skid steer for when he did loader work and sold it when done

If you plan on doing any real lifting , I would look for a 5000lb plus machine. it may advertise 800lbs but by the time you stack bags of material, load up logs or what ever, you run out of tractor fast. I have a 50hp 7000lb machine and wish I had more most days

 

[Kennebec_Guy]

I use my Kioti Ck2610 on 2 acres. I wouldn't think it's a bad idea. I know conventional wisdom is too load the tires; but I don't know if I would do that immediately. Weight is great, but once it's in the tires, it pretty much there, and not easily removed, when a lighter machine would be good. I looked at the Kubota L2501, RK25, Tym 2515, Massey 1526. Tires, I got and like the R14s; but you might be better suited with turf or ag or R4s depending on what exactly you want to do. The Massey 1526 is dang nice, but its like half a size category smaller then the 2515/ck2610/L2501, which might suit you great.

Going off of what I've liked at ag fairs, it seems like it's going to be a grudge match between the CK2610, my current favorite for a lot of reasons, the L2501, and Massey 1825E, the Deere 3025E. The Kioti is definitely the one to beat though and from going over them it seems like a really well engineered and well built piece of hardware for the money.

Be careful, it’s a slippery slope. First comes a tractor for 1.5 acres, then a 20 acre hunting lease and a larger tractor, and….

Wife also has long term plans to possibly buy major acreage up north and build a summer property there, we're already halfway through there. Lots of local family who will need tractor work on their properties, too.