Dlroy, Wow! You must feel like a yo-yo with all of the advice given so far. Bigger, no smaller, no bigger, no smaller ... ; it really makes me shake my head. I didn't read any of your post in Down to Orange, but one of the posters here reiterated what your intended uses might be. So from that I'd say that a tractor as simple and compact as the L3400 would do great!
Have you ever seen a tiny little Farmall? They once made a tractor called the Cub. About 11 or so hp on the pto and weighed in at around 1600 lbs. Once upon a time, my dad ran 125-acre farm with one of these. That was row cropping, cattle, hogs; it did it all. Now it probably took a little time to complete all of the chores. This was long before my time, but as my dad often said, it was far better than any mule he ever worked.
You asked if a smaller tractor would get the job done, once you are settled in. Sure it will. It will do the big jobs too, just not as fast. That is the ONLY difference.
Here is another story that illustrates just how strong these small CUT's are. A couple of years ago my brother purchased a New Holland TC33, cute little tractor. Kind of like the L3400, they are about the same weight and hp, though the TC is on a more compact frame. This TC33 I'm referring too was not the fancied up one, as they have now become. It doesn't have synchronized gears or an independent pto. It is a simple, small, CUT, yet very powerful, as I was to discover.
So I had it out in a 10-acre field. Imagine that! A tractor this small on 10 acres and that's not to mention the 20 or so acres sitting beside this field that it often bushhogs. I hitched this little guy to a 2500 lb duel axle spreader loaded with 3000 lbs of fertilizer. And then I pulled this 5500 lb sled through a powder soft, plowed field. Sure, I had all 4 tires engaged, but it pulled it with hesitation. I was simply amazed. This, even considering that it had R4's instead of Ag tires. It actually handled this load up the slight slopes far better than a Ford 2000 we also have. Now the Ford 2000 is slightly over 1000lbs heavier, but its Achilles hill was that it is only 2wd. This little tractor, that looked only half its size, spanked its butt.
So do I think a smaller tractor will do you. You bet. If you are not paying someone to operate your machine, and you have time to devote to your projects, buy the tractor that fits your budget. It WILL get the job done. Of those you mentioned I favor the l3400. Weight and power combination on this tractor is perfect. Plus, it is just a little more than those a bit smaller and actually less expensive than those cute little fancied up ones.
Can't wait to hear what you go with. Hope this helps some.
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