Looking to start a small beef farm- need tractor advice.

[Hay Dude]

Make sure you explore AGCO tractor brands. I am extremely satisfied with them. I have replaced one Kubota with an older, heavier AGCO and am in the process of selling my final Kubota and replacing it with an AGCO or CNH.
After many years of use, I have found Kubota makes a decent tractor, but the legacy brands and the European brands are better. The newest M series Kubotas are an improvement, but are much too expensive and complex with their DPF/DEF systems

 

[redman135]

A contrarian view. Would it be more cost effective if you used a hay contractor to make your hay and avoid having to buy bigger gear?

 

[MechanicalGuy]

@MechanicalGuy - that's one heck of a hobby. I'm afraid to ask what you do for your 'real' job

Well I'm just the in-law son. Not my gig really. I help out a lot, but my real job takes most of my time.

 

[antoninomubarik]

That's my only tractor regret, not buying the cab. I'd also get just one tractor, unless you really like to work on older stuff.

snaptube vidmate​

 

[MechanicalGuy]

That's my only tractor regret, not buying the cab. I'd also get just one tractor, unless you really like to work on older stuff.

snaptube vidmate​

I absolutely love my open cab tractor, but if you got to depend on one year round probably should be a cab.

 

[RustyA]

So here is our progression of starting a small scale hay operation for 40 acres of our land and 60 acres of neighbors... John Deere 1070 compact tractor, New Holland 489 haybine and New Holland dolly wheel rake pulled by arctic cat ATV. Used curl circuits from loader joystick to run rear hydraulics, baled with neighbors new Holland square baler and placed bale's on car trailer pulled by pickup. Then added a Vermeer rebel 5400 round baler with gathering wheels and 8 wheel v-rake that made a perfect windrow for baler. Tractor labored with baler but it's designed for 40 hp pto. Graduated to 57 hp cab utility tractor and it was perfect for baler, raked with the 1070. For the twice a year we made hay up north this combo got our budget and our needs. When we sold the hobby farm we got more for each piece of equipment than we paid for them used. Lots of hobby farmers looking for 40 hp hay equipment.

 

[RustyA]

Moral of the story is it doesn't take 75-100 hp equipment and 100k in equipment to make a few hundred 4x5 bale's of hay every year for a small scale hobby farm. The smaller equipment just takes a little longer, especially the haybine. V-rake cut our raking time in half and could be adjusted for baler throat so no weaving to make a perfect bale. Used rebel balers are around for 8-10k.