Tractor hours - why so low?

[Solo]

I've had my TC18 for 8 years and have only put 46 hours a year on it. I take care of my driveway and bushhog 10 acres with it twice a year. I think that alot of my hours come from idleing while i'm loading up my carry all with brush.

Solo

 

[LBrown59]

As a "for instance", I use my trusty old MF150 to take care of my 45 acres. I cut hay off more than 20 acres, bush hog, work 2 big gardens, push snow, mow grass around the house, ect, and just BARELY accounted for 70 hours of use last year.
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That's a lot of work for 70 Hours.

 

[jas67]

As a "for instance", I use my trusty old MF150 to take care of my 45 acres. I cut hay off more than 20 acres, bush hog, work 2 big gardens, push snow, mow grass around the house, ect, and just BARELY accounted for 70 hours of use last year.
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That's a lot of work for 70 Hours.

Yes, it is, and that is with ONLY ONE TRACTOR!

 

[JayDavis]

The 90hp Hesston we use out here has 2770 hours it has accrued in 22 years. That is about 125.9 hours a year, which is about right considering what I've done the past 2-3 years I've taken operation of it over. It's main duties are to stack/put out hay in the winter, shred 100 acres 2-3 times a year, and plow the garden as needed. The rest of the hours are filled in by stuff that just comes up.

I feel I should also add something I've heard told to me several times. Letting machinery sit for long periods of time between uses can be harder on it than running it a lot. With regular use fluids get circulated, changed out. Some equipement can go months between uses and years between services. It will run ok, but the minute you start really using it things that were marginal but operational at low use will start to go out. In other words, time whether ran or not still has an effect. Nothing you should be scared of, but still something to consider in your search for a tractor. If it is older but has low hours check it over just like you would if it had a lot of hours, time wears on all things whether it is running or not.

 

[firemen122]

I usually average around 200 hrs a year. It would seem better to rent a tractor if you put less than 30 or so hours a year to me.

 

[jas67]

I usually average around 200 hrs a year. It would seem better to rent a tractor if you put less than 30 or so hours a year to me.

A CUT rents for about $200/day around me. I often only need to put a an hour or two on my machine on a given day. The $200 + having to go get it, and drop it off is not worth it. I paid $6500 for my machine used, with a snow blower and mower deck. That $200/day only covers the tractor, no implements. I won't take long for my investment to be cheaper than having rented. I used it almost every weekend last year from July until Nov., but sometimes only for a few hours. At $400/weekend that would quickly be more than I spent in buying. Plus, if I decide I'm not using it any more, I can probably sell it for what I paid for it (or more).

 

[newbury]

A CUT rents for about $200/day around me. <snip>

I was figuring I'd be using one for about 80 hours a year or so, but with my job/travel schedule I can't plan on getting to use one for more than 1 weekend a month. However I do need the training, my back is not getting any stronger, and I've got those ditches to dig and stumps to pull.
It's good to see the value of the CUT's maintain themselves, or even rise.
I put off buying an L39 from Brady for 19.2, and the price went up to $21.5, but it's bigger than I need.

 

[Zephrant]

Don't underestimate "convenience". I live in the country at the end of a 1/4 mile drive. I have to be able to clear it when needed, and can't always wait for a hired plow to get up here. (That worked for a few years...) The good people have bigger jobs to do then drive out here and do a driveway...

I bought my tractor because my Jeep/blade was getting tore up. Safety and time was a big consideration too. I figured I'd wreck the Jeep some day by rolling it off the hill trying to push back berms, so needed something safer. A walk behind would be too much for me. I almost got a small 300/500 series with a blower, but the lure of a loader and a PTO was too much.

So instead of updating my 22 year old car (which was next on my major purchase list), I got a used tractor, and I'm having more fun with it than a newer car would have been.

But as mentioned above, if I should become unemployed it's the first toy to go.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree. there's alot to be said about convienience.

Personally I'm working on not having to change rear impleements on a tractor too much.. ( just takes a few extra tractors to accomplish this! )

soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

As a "for instance", I use my trusty old MF150 to take care of my 45 acres. I cut hay off more than 20 acres, bush hog, work 2 big gardens, push snow, mow grass around the house, ect, and just BARELY accounted for 70 hours of use last year.
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That's a lot of work for 70 Hours.

Advantages of not using a toy tractor. You can actually get a fair amount of work done in an hour with a full sized tractor. Combine that with the fact I'm not trying hard to justify spending time on a tractor just for the sake of spending time. I've got enough time in over the years where I'm looking to get done, not spend time playing.