Buying Advice Starting with 10 acres. Some clearing needed. plan is to have cattle and horse.

[Scooby074]

Considering your future plans consider a true Ag Utility as opposed to a cut. Cattle, land clearance, possibly haying and or dealing with round bales moves you more into Ag.

Price wise, the larger Cuts with cabs are approaching the cost of a "full size" utility. Case in point, my neighbour just got a Massey 4610 about 1 month ago. Its a real nice tractor, and its a lot of tractor for the money. Bare in mind that its 100ishHp and around $60k. $60k is alot, no question, but the large Cuts are bumping that price, but they are lighter, less capacity and less hp.Less value for dollar imho. Lightly to moderately used ag tractors are an even better deal and something to consider.

Save any money you might be considering for a backhoe and put it towards renting a excavator. You can get a lot of rentals for the $6 to $10k a backhoe costs. Excavators are faster and dig better.

 

[newbury]

Hey Ladies and Gents. I purchased 10 acres recently and would like advice from those of you willing to listen. I need to clear about 5 acres but the end plan is to have a few head of cattle and 2 horses max due to limited space. <snip>

How big a horse?

I plan on using the tractor to clear brush, grade driveway, plow small garden, landscaping. Basically the normal outside honey do list. I also need to dig trenches for water removal.<snip>

First of all most of us are willing to listen, reply, and argue how to spend YOUR MONEY until the cows come home.

What are your CRITICAL parameters?

LIFT/POWER
Reads like the heaviest thing you need to lift is a horse or bovine, or maybe round bales. Everything else can be done with a much smaller tractor.
But round bales can weigh from 400 pounds to 3,000 pounds (google weight of round hay bale). So if you take an educated guess and say the MAX you need to lift is 1 ton (let's keep it simple) now you need to decide WHERE (or with which end) do you want to lift the 1 ton.

I think most tractors around 30 HP PTO can lift a ton on the 3 point, but IF you want to lift it and STACK a ton you'll need it on the FEL and that will take a lot more HP. For example my M4700 (42HP PTO/50HP engine) is rated for 2 ton on the rear and 1 ton on the FEL.

IIRC Kubota rates moderately low on lift per HP, Kioti a fair bit higher

MANEUVERABILITY
Bigger isn't always better. If you need to work in the woods you need a bigger path for a bigger tractor. Cabs, even canopies, may be a pain in the woods.

NON-Routine MAINTENANCE
I'm pretty sure you do NOT WANT TO "fix" your tractor, you don't want anything to need fixing. But when something needs fixing you want parts to be available whether you or a dealer fixes it. "Stuff" wears out. Tires, hoses, belts etc. are common. But if you have a rare tractor parts may be hard to find. That bargain chinese Hu-Mad-it may have saved you a thousand dollars but be deadlined by a small part.

And then for some of us the most limiting factor is $$$$$. There are always bargains to be had when buying tractors, but they don't occur as often in the spring time.

If you are looking at USED tractors things to pay attention to that you might consider differently than a car:
Lights - My lights on my M4700 don't work, and I don't care, besides everybody is replacing them w/ ROPS mounted LED's
Tires - They cost a lot more than car tires, especially the rears
Hydraulic hoses - not uncommon for older hoses to leak, but they are generally easy to replace.
Rear remotes, and extra front remotes - these can cost $1,000 each end

 

[Crelicc]

I was stationed near Charleston for about 6 years. I love sc weather and landscape.

I really loved living in SC. I would like to take my wife on a vacation there some day. Charleston is where I'd go, so much history. She would have to see the peach of course.

 

[Crelicc]

At this point the horse is dwarf. I believe 10-12 hands as last quoted. I plan on stacking two high on Sq bales in small high on the round bales so I need feel lift capabilities. Here most bales are said to be 600 to 800 pounds. Not sure how true that is but was told by part time farmers at work. If I have to go for a larger tractor then it will have to be used as funds are tight with a kid heading to college next fall. I know weight is good when clearing land and that is a concern that I am watching for. I don't want to have to work on it. I know things wear out like my gmc hahaha. I want the normal stuff to be easily accessible.

I think I got all the questions.

How big a horse?


First of all most of us are willing to listen, reply, and argue how to spend YOUR MONEY until the cows come home.

What are your CRITICAL parameters?

LIFT/POWER
Reads like the heaviest thing you need to lift is a horse or bovine, or maybe round bales. Everything else can be done with a much smaller tractor.
But round bales can weigh from 400 pounds to 3,000 pounds (google weight of round hay bale). So if you take an educated guess and say the MAX you need to lift is 1 ton (let's keep it simple) now you need to decide WHERE (or with which end) do you want to lift the 1 ton.

I think most tractors around 30 HP PTO can lift a ton on the 3 point, but IF you want to lift it and STACK a ton you'll need it on the FEL and that will take a lot more HP. For example my M4700 (42HP PTO/50HP engine) is rated for 2 ton on the rear and 1 ton on the FEL.

IIRC Kubota rates moderately low on lift per HP, Kioti a fair bit higher

MANEUVERABILITY
Bigger isn't always better. If you need to work in the woods you need a bigger path for a bigger tractor. Cabs, even canopies, may be a pain in the woods.

NON-Routine MAINTENANCE
I'm pretty sure you do NOT WANT TO "fix" your tractor, you don't want anything to need fixing. But when something needs fixing you want parts to be available whether you or a dealer fixes it. "Stuff" wears out. Tires, hoses, belts etc. are common. But if you have a rare tractor parts may be hard to find. That bargain chinese Hu-Mad-it may have saved you a thousand dollars but be deadlined by a small part.

And then for some of us the most limiting factor is $$$$$. There are always bargains to be had when buying tractors, but they don't occur as often in the spring time.

If you are looking at USED tractors things to pay attention to that you might consider differently than a car:
Lights - My lights on my M4700 don't work, and I don't care, besides everybody is replacing them w/ ROPS mounted LED's
Tires - They cost a lot more than car tires, especially the rears
Hydraulic hoses - not uncommon for older hoses to leak, but they are generally easy to replace.
Rear remotes, and extra front remotes - these can cost $1,000 each end

 

[Crelicc]

I wish my pockets were deep enough for more than one tractor. Unfortunately I have a daughter that cashes her 'daddy please...' check quite often. I want one multi purpose beast.

The thing you will be doing most is mowing / slashing so consider a dedicated unit for that alone so you can leave it set up and just jump on when you have a spare 1/2 hour ( Har har har ).
That way you can get an older smaller unit for mowing & a bigger newer unit for multitasking.
My land lord has 5 tractors , a dozer & a loader/backhoe
The tractors are left with a single impliment on most of the time and are all 60's/70's 40Hp bought with the impliment usually for peanuts
He has 1 big draught tractor a 100Hp Oliver from 1969 also bought for a song. That pulls the flail mower , rotary hoe, harrow, compressor , log splitter & seeder.
Pulls out bogged tractors & other vehicles, crosses the creek when flooded & drags logs.
The old Inters have a slasher on one , boom spray ( insecticide ) & fork blades on another , a boom spray for herbacides & blade on the 3rd.
The 4th currently has the fire tank & pump on it and gets used for the concrete mixer, post hole digger, ripper & pipe ripper as it does not have front hydraulics on it.
The dozer was bought to do the fence line when they moved in which was 1/3 the quote of haviing it done by an earth moving company.
I think they used it to level & compact the block for the house, packing shed, storeage shed & machine shed but that was all before my time on site.

The farm is 105 acres and they run yearling cattle , horses, alpacas ( fine wool ) olive trees , Chrismass trees & figs.

The other good thing about multi tractors is you are never held to ransom by the tractor mechanic when your 1 and only units packs it in Sunday at dawn.

 

[bertsmobile]

I wish my pockets were deep enough for more than one tractor. Unfortunately I have a daughter that cashes her 'daddy please...' check quite often. I want one multi purpose beast.

Horses for courses.
He spent less on all 5 tractors than a new 40 Hp JD would have been.
All have old 4 cylinder mechanical fuel pump diesels so are a doddle to work on as there are no "anti-Darwin" electrics to do battle with.
The dearest was $ 600 and it had 4 good tyres on it ( which was the original reason for purchase ) which had a replacement value of over $ 3000.
Not "sexy" to look at.
Not comfory to use
Dirt cheap to run.
Got to be thousands of 400 & 500 series Internationals sitting around in the States.

 

[mike69440]

The: Plan: Starting w/10 acres. Some clearing needed. Plan to have cattle & horse.

I wish my pockets were deep enough for more than one tractor. Unfortunately I have a daughter that cashes her 'daddy please...' check quite often. I want one multi purpose beast.

I speak from experience See http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...weekend.html?highlight=busy+wife+this+weekend

Get a big boy,TLB a full size industrial Case or Terex etc. that can be had for about $30K. (be careful with JCB)
The machine has to be in working order, but can have a lot of wear.

Three things could happen.

1.) The machine breaks and will need major repair, your screwed.
2.) You spare killing a smaller trator, even large Ag suck at land clearing, sell it for what you paid for it, buy small tractor and live happy ever after.
3.) You keep it because you fall in love with the brute, and save for that small tractor. (Daughter will eventually move out and just visit.)

 

[Roadbuilder6]

Why buy new? Buy a used 75HP New Holland or something similar. The biggest mistake people make is being stuck on buying something new, and they can't afford what they need so they buy something too small. I have made this mistake, don't get hung up on buying new. Used is never bad.

 

[terryknight]

there is a used JD 5045E (though i would want a little more power) with loader on ebay right now for a good price, doubt it stays this low 17.6K

2011 John Deere 5045E Tractor Loader 4x4 279 Hours No Reserve | eBay

used is fine if you can work on it and deal with some of the problems that comes with it.

 

[TomSeller]

Used is never bad.

True as long as you do your homework.