What size do I need??

[TripleR]

I am guessing round bales.

Then you are going to have to concentrate on loader and 3-point specs to make sure your tractor will handle them which will rule out your smaller tractors.

 

[flusher]

Hi all,

Just purchased a place over the summer. 40 acres. Pretty flat except the front hill and driveway, of course. Half is cropland and half is woods. We are switching to pastures for the cropland.

Things I plan on doing:

Firewood (dragging logs and hauling cut pieces)
Animals (cows, chickens and pigs)
Grading the driveway
Bushhogging

Trying to figure out what else I might need it for.

I don't want to underbuy but I also don't want to overbuy.

Suggestions?

Here's what I have for haying on my 10 acres of flat (formerly) pasture:

2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny, power steering) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft height).
For field mowing, I have a 6-ft Hawkline brush hog (aka bush hog, shredder, slasher). Something like this new would run about $18K. All of the tractor manufacturers have something equivalent.

Be sure to get chain hooks welded to the FEL bucket (you supply the hooks and your dealer welds them on free of charge)



and hydraulic remotes installed on the rear (and possibly front) of the tractor.



You might also think about getting a skid-steer-type quick attach unit for your FEL (cost is about $1000)



Since you'll be doing a lot of brush hogging, think about installing a protective screen on your ROPs to protect your backside.

[/ATTACH]

Mine is piece of expanded metal from Home Depot held onto the ROPS with hose clamps (don't weld or drill holes in the ROPS--it's a piece of safety equipment that could be weakened by welding and drilling).

Good luck

 

[jlsmith]

If you are going to be moving round bales i would go no less than a 40hp tractor. The MF 1540 would be a good tractor to look at. It bigg enough to move the bales and use 6' equipment. Good luck with your looking and like everyone said sit on the tractor and and choose the right one that fits you. Also it never hurts to get larger than you need, you never know when you might need the extra hp and what you may want to do in the following years.

 

[thesmackdown]

Also it never hurts to get larger than you need, you never know when you might need the extra hp and what you may want to do in the following years.

True. But, the point of this experiment is only to get what we need, not what we might need. That's why I am trying to think of all possible future uses.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

True. But, the point of this experiment is only to get what we need, not what we might need. That's why I am trying to think of all possible future uses.

If this is the case, then get two, everyone NEEDS multiple tractors, most people just don't know it.