Buying Advice What to buy?

[Jag9454]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for some advice on what would be the right peice of equipment for me to buy. I have three acres but only about 1 acre is cleared to mow but I am going to begin to clear the rest pretty soon. I also have a lot of steep slopes an hills throught the property. I plan on doing the landscaping over which will involve lots of flattening of hills and moving large rocks etc... I'm not sure a to wether I should look into buying a small utility tractor or stick with a lawn tractor and rent other equipment as needed. If anyone has some advice for me an possible models to check out that would be great!

Thanks
John

P.S.-- I am looking to keep the cost down here I don't have a whole lot to spend on this my maximum is about 2500-3000

 

[TripleR]

I would either rent or hire someone; probably hire someone as it will take them a lot less time since you are not experienced. We had a Bobcat 864 on our farm for a while and while my son is an all around pretty good equipment operator, the owner could work circles around him and one of my sons could barely use it. We won't even go into how well I could use it.:laughing::laughing:

 

[MESSMAKER]

Your budget will not buy a lot, so I would say look at renting.
don't plan on doing too much with a lawn tractor. The tranny will not hold up. 3 rough acres with hills will bring sure, quick, death to most lawn mowers. A solid garden tractor might be ok. I suspect that a used farm tractor and the impliments you will need will be hard to find for less than $5000, and that is without a loader.

 

[Jag9454]

I think I will go with renting the equipment since I won't be using the tractor in the winter because I have a plow on my silverado 3500. Any recommendations for a good garden tractor that will be able to handle the land for many years?

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Any recommendations for a good garden tractor that will be able to handle the land for many years?

For your budget, you'll be looking at a used one...

 

[NOTV8]

Your budget not even enough for the tractor implements you'll need if doing by your self....

 

[Jag9454]

Okay...I knew nothing about tractors to begin with so I wasn't sure what to budget for this. Thanks for the advice so far...out of curiosity how much would I be looking at to get quality equipment for the jobs I need to do?

 

[whistlepig]

Sounds like you may need to some loader work and brush hogging. 30HP is enough tractor to do a lot of loader work and brush hogging. Actually 30HP is the minimum I would recommend for working these types of attachments. A Kubota tractor (new) in the 30HP range will run $12,000 to $13,000. A loader is about $3,500 additional. Brush hogs are $700.00 to $1,600 new depending on the brand. I paid $1,200 for my Land Pride RCR1860. A far cry from your budget. We all start our way small and work our way up. There is wisdom in that.

 

[Jag9454]

Wow. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into here. I guess I'm going to have to do some more saving to male this dream a reality. Thanks for all the advice I'm sure I'll be back for more!

 

[foreman Etexas]

Probaly can get you an old 8N or something like that for that money!!Maybe even get a old shredder with it.

There not going to be able to do everything but you can hirer the stuff out that you couldnt do.But its a start!!!

 

[Jag9454]

Where shouldni start to look for used tractors?

 

[dntfxr]

I'd recommend a kubota b7100. You can find them used for just a little more money than you mentioned. They are very tough little tractors and will do work all out of proportion to their size. They will last a long time if properly maintained and not abused.

 

[whistlepig]

Wow. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into here. I guess I'm going to have to do some more saving to male this dream a reality. Thanks for all the advice I'm sure I'll be back for more!

Do some snooping around. I started out with a used 20 year old Massey135 diesel that I paid $5,500 for. It was a flawless tractor for the additional 25 years I owned it. And was still worth $4,000 when I traded it for a new Kubota. Tractors are expensive to get started with. But it gets much much better down the road.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Try craigslist.com in your area,or tractorhouse.com

 

[whistlepig]

Where shouldni start to look for used tractors?

I sat down with a phone book and called every frigging dealer in the state of Ohio. I told them the size and hours I was looking for and how much money I could afford to spend. It took a while but I ended up with a tractor that served me flawlessly for 25 years. You have to know what your are looking for. If the tractor looks trashed it probably is.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Try craigslist.com in your area,or tractorhouse.com

TractorHouse is great.

 

[Soundguy]

landscaping? steep slope? hills?

a scut with 4wd, QA loader and hst would be my guess.

soundguy

 

[foreman Etexas]

landscaping? steep slope? hills?

a scut with 4wd, QA loader and hst would be my guess.

soundguy

I agree but for $2500 to $3000?

 

[flusher]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for some advice on what would be the right peice of equipment for me to buy. I have three acres but only about 1 acre is cleared to mow but I am going to begin to clear the rest pretty soon. I also have a lot of steep slopes an hills throught the property. I plan on doing the landscaping over which will involve lots of flattening of hills and moving large rocks etc... I'm not sure a to wether I should look into buying a small utility tractor or stick with a lawn tractor and rent other equipment as needed. If anyone has some advice for me an possible models to check out that would be great!

Thanks
John

P.S.-- I am looking to keep the cost down here I don't have a whole lot to spend on this my maximum is about 2500-3000

Well, if you don't mind getting into vintage iron, $1300 will get you a running 1951 Farmall Super A with 3-pt hitch, mid-mount sicklebar mower and rear scaper blade--that's what I paid for this one that I found on craigslist in Janesville, CA, about a 100 miles from my place.




A tractor this size will handle mowing with mid-mount mowers and also some landscaping work with the rear blade. You can get mid-mount cultivators for the Super A for gardening/landscaping.

For heavy earth moving, I'd rent a Bobcat or a tractor with an FEL or hire someone with a tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) to do that work.

Good luck

 

[Soundguy]

i would have loved to suggest vintage iron for this guy.. but neededing a scut and laoder and working on hills.. that tells me hst, 4sd, and really.. rops..e tc. all stuff you are not as likely to find on old iron.

me personally.. in hs place.. would liekly be using old iron.. but then.. I like a challange..

and.. I'm cheap...er.. frugal too..

soundguy

Well, if you don't mind getting into vintage iron, $1300 will get you a running 1951 Farmall Super A with 3-pt hitch, mid-mount sicklebar mower and rear scaper blade--that's what I paid for this one that I found on craigslist in Janesville, CA, about a 100 miles from my place.

View attachment 223396View attachment 223397View attachment 223398


A tractor this size will handle mowing with mid-mount mowers and also some landscaping work with the rear blade. You can get mid-mount cultivators for the Super A for gardening/landscaping.

For heavy earth moving, I'd rent a Bobcat or a tractor with an FEL or hire someone with a tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) to do that work.

Good luck