NICKB304
Silver Member
i don't know what loader is on that tractor but it is probably rated to lift around 1000#ish. you would have a hard time moving big square or round bales if it would do it at all.
Thanks for all the input. Here is my dilema, I have a neighbor looking to sell a 1999 John Deere 4300 with a loader. It appears to be around 32hp and weight of only 3000#, but it is a 4wd. Would I be better off passing on this for a larger tractor or trying it and hopefully not losing too much money if I need to sell it.
I anticipate using the tractor mainly around the homestead (snow, mowing, general moving stuff) and trails through the woods as I won't be doing any haying. I will need to use it to move purchased hay which would probably be big square or round bales. Ideally I would like to stay around 20k as I need to get other things for the farm as well.
Thanks for all your help and input as I am a complete newbie.
Todd
A 4300 is way too small for your needs, it would be a good size for a second tractor for smaller jobs. Budgets can be tough, for most of us it takes time to build up a variety of equipment, join the club. One solution is to hold off on having the livestock till you are prepared for them, you could use a smaller tractor such as the 4300 for fence repair and work around the house. Get as many things done as you can do with what you have. There are a lot of things you can do with a small tractor and there is no end to the work that needs to be done.
If you keep livestock over the winter they absolutely have to be fed no matter what the weather conditions are. A larger tractor and implements are invaluable for making improvements on a farm but understandably they aren't cheap either. When you need to move a large bale and the snow is deep you will need a medium sized utility tractor to do it.
Todd,
Curious about the conversion of the crop land to pasture, do you plan on hiring this done or doing it yourself? How many acres do you need to convert?
This is the exciting part for me. There is about 50 acres that have been row cropped for years, but was originally part of an oak savannah. My plan is to plant native grasses and legumes that can ge used for the pasture. I am planning on hiring this out as I don't have the tractor yet and the native grasses also require a special drill to plant them with that I don't have.
I looked at a few John Deere tractors today at a dealership and am now more confused if a 3000, 4000 , or 5000 series type tractor would be the best choice. I will need to do some more research.
Thanks, Todd