New to farm/tractors/living in country.

NSBound · Dec 24, 2005

Chris :

As proof that an old dog can learn by osmosis (I've been reading up here for the day I do manage to buy a tractor, and this site is remarkable as a resource!) :

CUT = Compact Utility Tractor
SCUT = Sub-Compact Utility Tractor

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

dlroy101 · Dec 24, 2005

( Seems to me I've read all sorts of posts by folks with 4 wheelers who tried and did not like the idea of using them as mowers.
)

My situation is different, because I have a larger property and not a lot of mowing. However, I went through a progression on what I was going to get to use for work on the property. I started out thinking large utility ATV. I thought I could use it for some work and some fun. My wife said no ATVs for anyone, she wanted us to stick with dirtbikes for our fun. Then I thought why don't I get one of those utility vehicles (Mule, Rhino, etc.) that have car-like controls. Could use it for work, fun, and my wife would feel comfortable driving it around. Then I looked at the price tags and didn't think I would get enough bang for those expensive bucks. It would be very limited for the kind of work I could do. Then I thought, if I were willing to spend so much money on one of those, why don't I just go ahead and do the compact tractor. There won't be much I can't do with one and with the HST, my wife would feel comfortable operating it. So after much research and info from here I ended up purchasing a B7800. I'm just waiting on it to be delivered to the house.

Darrell

cowboydoc · Dec 24, 2005

I would 100% recommend you getting one of the older tractors for your price range. If you're mechanically inclined and enjoy it you will experience the history and nostalgia of one of the old tractors. Nothing like it to get you going in the tractor world. No doubt the new tractors are a little safer, have more features, and can do more but man once you get a feel for the history and love of tractors it's something you can't just buy in a shiny new tractor with all the bells and whistles. I vote jump in both feet with an older tractor and enjoy working on it and the history and pride that goes with it.

cowboydoc · Dec 24, 2005

I would 100% recommend you getting one of the older tractors for your price range. If you're mechanically inclined and enjoy it you will experience the history and nostalgia of one of the old tractors. Nothing like it to get you going in the tractor world. No doubt the new tractors are a little safer, have more features, and can do more but man once you get a feel for the history and love of tractors it's something you can't just buy in a shiny new tractor with all the bells and whistles. I vote jump in both feet with an older tractor and enjoy working on it and the history and pride that goes with it.

I've got the new tractors but if I had to choose one or two my two choices would be my 50 year old WD AC45 that's been in the family since it was new and my 40 year old 4020. You can have all the rest of them but give me those two beauties, a couple hundred acres and I could live just fine.

flusher · Dec 24, 2005

I went through what you're experiencing about a year ago when I bought 10 acres of grassland (read: weeds) in the North Valley.

I compared new vs used tractors and decided that, since I'm a tractor newby, I would bit the bullet and buy a brand new name brand tractor with all the conveniences and safety features (rollover protection system (ROPS), seat belt). I settled on the Kubota B7510HST (21HP, 17HP at the PTO) with the LA302 front end loader (FEL). It cost $12,600 (10% down, 0% APR for 36 months).

I like the convenience of the hydrostatic transmission (HST) even though it added about $1K to the price. Figured that since Kubota has 60% of the compact utility tractor (CUT) market, I can get most of my money back at trade-in time.

The alternative was the low-cost route. Before I decided on the Kubota, I was all set to jump into a Yanmar 1500 (~17HP) with a Koyker FEL that would have run about $6K. This is a used grey market tractor about 20 years old with under 1000 hours on the engine. Lotsa folks in these forums own grey market tractors (Yanmar, Iseki, etc). and really like them.

I punted on the Yanmar because I'm not a diesel mechanic and, even though these engines are supposed to last thousands of hours (with proper care), you never know for sure how things are under the hood. I want a tractor that runs reliably so I'll be able to build up seat time instead of spending my time with my head poked under the hood.

Also, these tractors don't come with ROPS, but these days it's becoming easier to buy ROPS for these tractors, for a price.

I'm approaching 50 hours on the Kubota and have enjoyed every minute with it.

daTeacha · Dec 25, 2005

Hey Chris! Welcome aboard. It'll further the discussion if you tell us a little about your terrain -- flat, rolling, cliffside, or whatever. Also, a rough geographical location or something about soil types helps a bit -- sand is very different than clay, for example -- when this thing gets to tires and all the details that it could grow into. We love to help people spend their money. I think everyone here is vicariously always shopping for a tractor!

If you don't have too many trees, the 2/9/8N is not too bad a choice. They're set up so you sit lower on them than some of the newer iron, are pretty wide, but easy to work on. The newer ones have a side distributor, which is something to look for if you decide to go that route. Those front distributor models are a little tricky to tune. The same size can be found in the Ferguson Ford, which has an OHV engine instead of being a flathead like the Fords are. Inspect any of them carefully for cracks in the block that may have been welded. Avoid a loader, since these machine do not have power steering and a loader adds quite a lot of weight to the front end.

I have a late 70's or early 80's Kubota B7100 with a loader. No power steering, but it's steering is geared low enough and the loader is small enough that I don't need it. I pull a 4' bush hog with it, and a 6' back blade. I live on a hill of about 3/12 to 5/12 slope and find the narrow little Kubota a little tippy, so I got here a while ago looking for just the perfect thing to replace it. I paid 4300 for it at a private auction about 7 or 8 years ago, have been told by dealers that if I trade it in on new I could be looking at 4 or 5K for it.

You can check Ebay for prices, but don't pay any attention to the auctions that seem to have incredibly cheap prices and don't want you to contact them through ebay. There are a lot of scammers working the tractor market there. Just use it for price references.

PapaPerk · Dec 25, 2005

4 to 5 K....hmmm...

If you plan to use the tractor regularly and need to depend on it, I would buy a 25+ HP Kubota used. Of course the machine would need to have some life left in it. But the modern tractor is really the way to go in my opinion. Save the antiques for the parades and shows. Thats what I do!

kozak · Dec 26, 2005

I agree with PapaPerk,

You want to make sure you get something big enough the first time. Of course there's always the trade-off between a smaller tractor for tasks around house & larger for some of the other tasks you mentioned. Believe me, the larger the tractor the easier the task becomes. I myself have a 14 HP ACCO Allis for the smaller chores around the house & then a much larger 35HP NH for barn chores & landscaping on 2.3 acres. Initially was trying to do everything with 14 HP ACCO which of course was not up to the job. Not enough weight & back wheels were way too small.....kept getting stuck even with wheel weights & chains. You don't need to go as large as 35HP, but I would say in the range of 24 to 29 HP or Class II Boomer would be my recommendation. If you go used try to get something under 1,000 hours. As for the really old tractors...(older than 20 - 25 years) you are really getting into antiques which are more in the collectors realm. Nothing wrong with getting something that old if you don't mind working on it but in my opinion you will be paying a premium because it is OLD. You may need to spend a little more for something newer & bigger but in the long run it will be worth it.

Vic

3RRL · Dec 26, 2005

Chris,
I re-read your original post where you describe (among other things) your situation, property and personal experience. ( I have zero experience with tractors nor do I know the first thing about them. I'm a novice welder, and am experience auto mechanic, though, so I think I could transfer some skills over.)

I saw that you looked at an older tractor but did not specify "old" as being the main ingredient for your purchase. ( I found an old 1952 Olver Row something (I forgot the name).)

With that in mind, this statement seemed to be the only stipulated requirement and why my original post referred you towards a new (newer) tractor in your price range.( I'd like to keep it around $4 to $5k.)

You have several good responses that will help you make a decision. I would also suggest you look into Muhammad's book to get more information before you purchase anything. Here's the link to it.
Muhammad's Book
I hoping that will help too.

40Kchicks · Dec 26, 2005

I have been in your shoes before. Unfortunately I made a couple of big mistake. My first mistake was buying a small oliver dozer. I owned it for about three years, poured money into it and NEVER got any work out of it. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gifThe second mistake was buying an old Massy with a loader and backhoe. I owned it for a couple of years got it to run OK but it wasn’t very useful because the backhoe was too big for the tractor. The lack of power steering made it hard to operate in tight areas and it was not an enjoyable tractor to use.

I learned a lot from working on this old junk but I have to say that all in all it was a negative experience owning that old equipment. When I bought my poultry farm I started looking at used equipment. I knew that I was going to have to finance it. I was amazed to see that new equipment with low interest rates were about the same payment as the used equipment with higher interest rates and a year shorter term. I bought new and have loved my equipment since.

My advice is that you get something new enough to at lease have hydraulic steering and a good running diesel engine. Also I know that new equipment will give you sticker shock but you need to at least look at the new stuff, talk to a dealer and pencil out the numbers. That way you can be a well informed buyer.

Eric