New member tractor advice

[RHanna]

Just some observations, I'm not sure if I'm correct.

A lot of times you can guestimate the HP just on the size of the tractor. It isn't fool proof but I'd say it's highly correlated. It does however seem that the older tractors of the same size seem to have more HP for their size.

Do New Hollands have poor resale value or problems? I was following an auction online yesterday and one went for a lot less than I would have expected. It also seems like the going price was more correlated with the hours than the age of the tractor.

 

[paulsharvey]

New Holland is a major brand, and I wouldn't expect them to drop value faster than equivalent Massey, Deere, Kubota. Age vs Hours; its kinda a crap shoot. An old machine with very low hours, too me is suspect. Why does it have only 400 hours over 10-20 years... There could be many good reasons, was it a spare machine, was it unused for 10 of those years, is the hour meter broken, or heck, maybe it was only used to take 1 round ball every 3 or 5 days to cattle, during the winter. Age without hours can still have problems; rodents, dry rotted, rain in the exhaust, ect

 

[BlueKnife]

Any advice welcome.

Consider finding a local farmer to farm the ground. You'll be putting it to good use, keeping it clear, helping a neighbor and saving on your taxes all at the same time.

 

[RHanna]

Can't really rent out the fields for others since nearly every field has CRP. CRP covers the taxes plus a little extra.

 

[BlueKnife]

Can't really rent out the fields for others since nearly every field has CRP. CRP covers the taxes plus a little extra.

Not familiar with the particulars. You can brush hog a CRP field but not bale it?

 

[RHanna]

Not familiar with the particulars. You can brush hog a CRP field but not bale it?

I think it depends on which program you are in, I don't even know how many different programs are available. I called the USDA office and talked to them about it and they told me I could mow it but there wasn't much that was required. I know I can't bale it or farm it. I think all together it's maybe 20 acres.

I appreciate all the suggestions. I doubt that I would be able to do much more than mow it because it's 3 hours from where I live, I have a full time non-agriculture job, I've never really farmed and I don't have any of the equipment.

 

[Flogger]

Not familiar with the particulars. You can brush hog a CRP field but not bale it?

Depends on where you are. I baled mine the last three years of the contract due to drought.

 

[paulsharvey]

If you don't mind backing off the total mowed acres; I kinda go back to a kinda generic starter set up; a Massey Ferguson 135 (165 might be better) with a 6 ft bush hog. Good condition 135s are pretty common around here, cheap, and parts are everywhere. It won't drop in value, the diesel ones really only have a battery to start it, nothing, and I mean nothing, electric. Yes, the gas versions had plugs and distributors, but still, they are about as basic as they get. They offer close to 40 PTO, and they are light/small enough to put on a car trailer. The '2' series are pretty well known for reliability, but by that point, most ag had moved past these small utility tractors, and they aren't nearly as plentiful.

 

[paulsharvey]

Here is a package deal, ready to go, for $6,500 in East Tenn. Once you mow/work for a few cycles, you'll know what you really need, and yiu can sell these old MF'ers for what you bought them for (as long as clutch, and major components are fine).

 

[paulsharvey]

You can also sub Ford 3000 in for everything I said about a MF 135. You probably can spit from your door, and find one. 40 PTO Hp will pull a very common 6 ft bushhog like a breeze, and a harder to find 7 ft, or maybe a 8 footer, but I'm not 100% sure on that, probably borderline, or mowing at 2 mph or overlapping previous pass, for the first couple mow cycles.


Edit: That MF-275 with a loader, should handle an 8-9 footer, with 67 HP.