First tractor

[riptides]

With three acres, I'd rent out equipment to clear and stack, then rethink what you plan on doing with the property. A smaller tractor could suffice for any remaining projects.

 

[Newbie2024]

I can say most of the suggestions and comments here have been helpful. Seems

Is raising crops still part of "homesteading? That's a lot of work.

Yes, I would typically say so.

 

[paulsharvey]

Unless you really plan to use that back hoe a lot; I wouldn't spend the $6500-8000 for it. It seems most other people disagree with me on that. I would save the BH budget, let the actual hoe jobs pile up a bit and rent a mini. A JD-35 mini will do approx 5-10 times the work in the same time as a CUT with a back hoe. If you let 8 hours or so worth of hoeing build up, and rent a machine for a single day; that's like $650. You could easily do that 10 times for the price of the less good CUT BH.

Nothing you described implies you need more than a larger model 25hp machine, which can be had with a loader, 3 range HST, for around $21,500-24,000 from Kioti/TYM/LS/Massey. If you got $25-30k for machine; you can add Kubota L2501 or JD of similar size. Locally, for some reason, compact Mahindras costs are on par with Kubota?

Nothing wrong with getting a grapple, but if money is tight, you might be able to get by with just forks?

Nothing you mentioned really needs high PTO HP, so loader capacity sounds like a key comparison point.

 

[Carl_NH]

There are a number of nice and lightly used (under 200 hours) Kubota's and Kiotis with backhoes, L2501 3901 and CK 26 and DK Kioti too for sale in ME and NH at the moment.

Two years ago there were none, it seems some were bought and barely used during the covid era.

 

[Newbie2024]

Unless you really plan to use that back hoe a lot; I wouldn't spend the $6500-8000 for it. It seems most other people disagree with me on that. I would save the BH budget, let the actual hoe jobs pile up a bit and rent a mini. A JD-35 mini will do approx 5-10 times the work in the same time as a CUT with a back hoe. If you let 8 hours or so worth of hoeing build up, and rent a machine for a single day; that's like $650. You could easily do that 10 times for the price of the less good CUT BH.

Nothing you described implies you need more than a larger model 25hp machine, which can be had with a loader, 3 range HST, for around $21,500-24,000 from Kioti/TYM/LS/Massey. If you got $25-30k for machine; you can add Kubota L2501 or JD of similar size. Locally, for some reason, compact Mahindras costs are on par with Kubota?

Nothing wrong with getting a grapple, but if money is tight, you might be able to get by with just forks?

Nothing you mentioned really needs high PTO HP, so loader capacity sounds like a key comparison point.

Excellent information and reasoning passed on thank you. More and more I am going away from the bh, big expense and do not believe it will pay for itself. With other attachments I can most certainly compile what needs excavation. Working around it with what i have, tractor,loader, root grapple and rent a ditch witch. Think I am picking Kioti ck 2620. Cheaper by more than 10k over jd and can do more by a lot over the jd. About 8k cheaper than kub and i have 5 dealers within 100 miles of me. I have done a bit of shopping around, in person and internet. A less expensive machine that out preforms the other major brands sounds like a company actually doing something for the consumer. Not taking advantage like green and orange do.

 

[Newbie2024]

These prices are with back hoe included, which I believe is going to be omitted, loader, loaded tires, hst and grapple, sub 25hp.
>JD near 55k and by far the machine that can do the least. Per the numbers from brochure, salesperson and internet (as is the case with all information given.)
>Kubota just under 50k still can't do a much a the TYM or Kioti.
>TYM just under 36k and seems like it may claim to actually lift more with its loader.
>Kioti is just over 37k claiming 1800 and change loader lifting at the pins. I am very excited to actually drive it this coming week. Dealer i went to in NH, so no sales tax, just got a ck2620 in. Suppose to be assembled before mud week and ready for me to see Thursday. I do not see any reason this will not be my new tractor. u
Unless a whole lot of comments come out with evidence of why I shouldn't. Thank you all again for the input. It has most certainly been a tremendous help.

 

[CliffordK]

What are you hauling with the front end loader?

A small tractor 20 to 25 HP will struggle if you are moving heavy logs.

Or is that only a short term need?

 

[chim]

We have a few acres, but no projects like you have planned. I can't add much to what has already been said. When we built, I had a subcontractor do all the excavation. Never had anything that needed excavated since so never considered having a backhoe (either as an attachment or as a separate machine). If faced with the need to do some digging, a call to a small local excavator would be easy - or a piece of rental equipment might be fun.

After the first couple tractors, we finally got one with a loader. I'd suggest getting one with a QA mount because there will be other attachments you'll discover are quite useful. Being able to remove the entire loader and frame makes it nicer for using the rear finish mower. It's more nimble and the front tires don't dig stuff up.

Determining size sometimes isn't easy. I guessed wrong a few times before arriving at what for me is ideal. It's a whole lot nicer to have a loader with an excess 500# capacity than to have a loader that's 500# short. The PTO and general robustness dictate what implements it will handle. There's a whole bunch that believe staying below the Tier IV HP is a good shopping parameter. That depends on what you want to do with the tractor. If you want to pull a 90" RFM and have a cab with A/C, it takes more than 25 HP. If an open station suits you and you don't mind using smaller implements a 25HP unit is fine. I had a 32 HP tractor that handled a 72" RFM OK, but I'd think at 25 HP or less a 60" mower would be about the limit.

A cab is great when it's hot or cold or dusty. While some don't care for them, I'm thrilled to have one. I can plow snow without a coat. I can mow 3 acres on a hot dusty day and step out of the tractor fresh and ready to head to the restaurant.

Be patient. It took around a year to find our current tractor. We were looking for a nice used pre-Tier IV unit. Found the L4240HSTC with 977 hours that would pass for brand new back in 2018 for $26K. It's like my Grandad once responded to a car salesman when Grandad told him what we were hunting. The salesman said "You aren't going to find many like that". To which Grandad said "We only need to find one".

 

[edgarrian]

Id get a tractor and rent an excavator as needed.

 

[rScotty]

Excellent information and reasoning passed on thank you. More and more I am going away from the bh, big expense and do not believe it will pay for itself. With other attachments I can most certainly compile what needs excavation. Working around it with what i have, tractor,loader, root grapple and rent a ditch witch. Think I am picking Kioti ck 2620. Cheaper by more than 10k over jd and can do more by a lot over the jd. About 8k cheaper than kub and i have 5 dealers within 100 miles of me. I have done a bit of shopping around, in person and internet. A less expensive machine that out preforms the other major brands sounds like a company actually doing something for the consumer. Not taking advantage like green and orange do.

Pay for itself? No.

Less expensive? Yes.

Outperforms? Debateable, doubtful.

Taking Advantage? Tractors don't do that, salesmen do.