whitedogone
Gold Member
Ditto what has been said by a couple of other posters. You need to be thinking in the 50+ hp range.
Buying Advice How can a total noob buy a tractor?
- Thread starter Borfly
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Dang. OK, looking in LS. Never heard of that/them.
Reverend Blair
Silver Member
My point is that there isn't really a ballpark figure. If I drive an hour south of where I am, I'll get a completely different answer than if I drive an hour north. It's more like the difference between baseball and football than the similarity of ballparks.
Hay can be very sensitive to local conditions. You should definitely talk to people in your area. They will also be able to steer you in the direction of what type/size of equipment will work well in your area.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
On a small acreage you may be better off having someone custom bale for you, that is what I would do if surrounded by others in the hay business.
Rather than limit your budget to $10,000 you may find it works better to first figure out what size tractor and equipment would be the best fit. Then work in the direction of making this a reality. I know I would have a difficult time trying to buy all of my equipment at one time, it has been a slow yet planned aquistion for the most part with only a few changes in plans over the last 10 years or so. I would suggest buying a 50hp cab tractor with removeable loader and 6ft brushmower while the 0% financing is available. Then add other attachments over time. Taken care of these new tractors will last you a long time, twenty years or so. This isn't like buying a car every few years.
Rather than limit your budget to $10,000 you may find it works better to first figure out what size tractor and equipment would be the best fit. Then work in the direction of making this a reality. I know I would have a difficult time trying to buy all of my equipment at one time, it has been a slow yet planned aquistion for the most part with only a few changes in plans over the last 10 years or so. I would suggest buying a 50hp cab tractor with removeable loader and 6ft brushmower while the 0% financing is available. Then add other attachments over time. Taken care of these new tractors will last you a long time, twenty years or so. This isn't like buying a car every few years.
:ashamed: I usually drive 20 y.o. cars/trucks... I'm planning for the tractor to last my whole life...
The cost of my tractor was one thing, the implements costs have been about a third of that and that was getting good deals used. If I bought the implements new, it would have been the cost of the tractor. I've looked at haying equipment, price-wise, it's not cheap (even used).
We let the neighbor get the hay off of our land one year... it was like 40 pretty large bales on 12 +/- acres.
NorthernChilli
Bronze Member
The problem when buying used, as you state it, is that you don't know what to check. 6 months ago I was an almost total tractor newbie (my only experience with tractors being about 5 or 6 uses of my dad's pretty old MF tractor which goes pretty well despite it's old age). Being a new land owner, I needed a tractor. After checking TBN forums, classifieds and all for almost 3 months, comparing, reading reviews and advices, I decided on buying a tractor that seemed in pretty good shape and that had the options I wanted. On the peddler's lot, it seemed pretty good.
Since then, the reality check came, and up to now, Even though I would have had things to do for 50 hours or more, I spent about 5 hours working with the tractor, and about 30-40 hours repairing it. The rest of the hours were done with a smaller, older tractor, a UTV and elbow oil...
As of now, I succeeded in making it start after a month not being able to and replacing both batteries and re-making the wire terminals. Currently, the 3p hitch isn't rasing nor lowering, probably because of the 10F temperature we got these days. The adjustable arm of the 3ph is stuck and I cannot by any means adjust it. The hand brake is next to useless, and the right side brake isn't working anymore. The cab ventilation has only two settings, hot and awfully hot, so summer work is a pain. The gas struts holding the rear window open don't hold so natural aeration is impossible. The tachometer works only after the engine is running for a while and the hour counter is dead. I'm not even sure that the 2wd-4wd selector works, I think that it's always in 4wd. Tires are about 20% good so i'd have a 2000$ to shove on them in about 1 or 2 years. The multitude of electrical wires and hydraulic hoses might fail at any time judging by the looks. I'm not even talking about the weird electrical wires, switch or relays that aren't figuring nowhere in the parts books and that I haven't got any idea of what they're accomplishing.
Sometimes I wish to kick myself in the groin for having bought such a garbage and I'm currently working on the psychological process of accepting a 3k-5k loss compared to what I paid for getting rid of it and then buy a shining brand new and fully working tractor, even if it means paying the double. Have I known in the beginning, I wouldn't have loss a full summer and the equivalent of 3-4 implements in money loss and would have got a tractor that worked and that I could have used all summer long instead of always trying to repair something to discover something else not working.
Believe me, a costlier but working tractor is worth infinitely more than a old piece of junk that you don't know how it was treated before and that doesn't start when you need it.
As for me, never again will I buy used crap from someone I do not know personnaly.
Phil
Since then, the reality check came, and up to now, Even though I would have had things to do for 50 hours or more, I spent about 5 hours working with the tractor, and about 30-40 hours repairing it. The rest of the hours were done with a smaller, older tractor, a UTV and elbow oil...
As of now, I succeeded in making it start after a month not being able to and replacing both batteries and re-making the wire terminals. Currently, the 3p hitch isn't rasing nor lowering, probably because of the 10F temperature we got these days. The adjustable arm of the 3ph is stuck and I cannot by any means adjust it. The hand brake is next to useless, and the right side brake isn't working anymore. The cab ventilation has only two settings, hot and awfully hot, so summer work is a pain. The gas struts holding the rear window open don't hold so natural aeration is impossible. The tachometer works only after the engine is running for a while and the hour counter is dead. I'm not even sure that the 2wd-4wd selector works, I think that it's always in 4wd. Tires are about 20% good so i'd have a 2000$ to shove on them in about 1 or 2 years. The multitude of electrical wires and hydraulic hoses might fail at any time judging by the looks. I'm not even talking about the weird electrical wires, switch or relays that aren't figuring nowhere in the parts books and that I haven't got any idea of what they're accomplishing.
Sometimes I wish to kick myself in the groin for having bought such a garbage and I'm currently working on the psychological process of accepting a 3k-5k loss compared to what I paid for getting rid of it and then buy a shining brand new and fully working tractor, even if it means paying the double. Have I known in the beginning, I wouldn't have loss a full summer and the equivalent of 3-4 implements in money loss and would have got a tractor that worked and that I could have used all summer long instead of always trying to repair something to discover something else not working.
Believe me, a costlier but working tractor is worth infinitely more than a old piece of junk that you don't know how it was treated before and that doesn't start when you need it.
As for me, never again will I buy used crap from someone I do not know personnaly.
Phil
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TripleR
Super Star Member
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Unfortunately your situation is not all that unusual. I have been around tractors almost all of my life, but will not buy used without having it checked out by a mechanic.
We also wound up with a POS by buying new and this year after 12 years of sinking money into it traded it in for a new Kubota. We made sure the dealer knew of ALL the problems even though it cost us several thousand dollars. The tractor was then sold to a tractor mechanic.
Used or new, don't keep sinking money into them.
Qapla
Veteran Member
You have indicated that you have a budget of 10K. Is that as a cash purchase? or are you looking at payments based on a 10K loan?
Keep in mind, a tractor is not a truck or house - many of the brands offer 0% financing making what would be a 10K truck loan into closer to a 15K tractor loan when you don't have to pay interest.
Sounds like something in the 35-50 HP range is a good starting point - but you have to consider that you don't trade tractors in every 3-5 years like some people do cars. Get what you need up front even if it does cost a little more, it will be less expensive in the long run.
I would avoid the Fartrac and the Montana tractors - as Farmtrac is out of business and Montana is heading that way.
Keep in mind, a tractor is not a truck or house - many of the brands offer 0% financing making what would be a 10K truck loan into closer to a 15K tractor loan when you don't have to pay interest.
Sounds like something in the 35-50 HP range is a good starting point - but you have to consider that you don't trade tractors in every 3-5 years like some people do cars. Get what you need up front even if it does cost a little more, it will be less expensive in the long run.
I would avoid the Fartrac and the Montana tractors - as Farmtrac is out of business and Montana is heading that way.
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Yeah, that's cash. I'd like to avoid debt if possible, but I see the widsom of maybe spending a bit more. Particularly at 0%.
The thing is- I could shovel the driveway (or get a snowblower) and shovel the manure and hire neighbors to do the bigger jobs and it would take me a long time to reach 10K. On the other hand, if I pay myself the hourly rate I earn at non-tractor activities, the tractor rapidly pays for itself. The property will be better with a tractor, for sure.
Yeah, that's cash. I'd like to avoid debt if possible, but I see the widsom of maybe spending a bit more. Particularly at 0%.
The thing is- I could shovel the driveway (or get a snowblower) and shovel the manure and hire neighbors to do the bigger jobs and it would take me a long time to reach 10K. On the other hand, if I pay myself the hourly rate I earn at non-tractor activities, the tractor rapidly pays for itself. The property will be better with a tractor, for sure.
