crazyal
Super Member
I would sit down and try and make a wishful thinking list of the things I might want to do or do now that could be much easier with a front loader, a pto, and a 3pt hitch. It sounds like you've started but it's not as easy as you think. Do you have a garden or is it one of those things you would like to have? If so a tiller could be a nice future option or something you may want to rent.
Do you landscape your yard? A front loader makes a very easy way to move bags of mulch, stone, and bark to where you need it. Plus they are real nice for moving rocks. The front loader is one of the few options that really should be purchased when you buy the tractor.
If you're thinking of moving up from a lawn mower into a small tractor then it's worth figuring out the less obvious things it can do. That way you can make a much better choice. Most of the attachments can be bought afterwards but a LOT of people here have bought a tractor only to sell it to upgrade a few years later because they just didn't realize how much easier they can make life.
I wouldn't be worried about going from 25hp gas to 18hp diesel as the torque is more important than HP. Torque is a measurement of real force while HP is a calculated number (basically how much work can be done in a measured amount of time). For example if you try to remove a screw with a screw driver as you try to twist it you are applying force (torque), if the screw doesn't turn then you have made 0 hp. If it spins very fast then you've made lots of HP.
Torque in a small gas engine starts low raises up as RPM increases, peaks around 2400 rpm, and then drops off. What that means is a 25hp engine needs to be running at peak RPM (usually 3600) to make 25hp. When the gas engine starts to bog down, say to 2400 rpm where it reaches it's peak torque the HP will drop, it could be as low as 15hp to 20hp but with the torque increase the engine still has plenty of power. But if the gas engine drops further the HP drops like a stone because the torque drops off quickly.
A diesel engine makes a lot of torque. It starts off at low RPMs and goes up to the point at where the gas engine hits it's peak torque, 2400ish, then it drops off very fast. So diesel engines don't rev up as high as gas engines, the very low torque at higher more than offsets the higher HP. So diesel engines usually run at a point just a little higher than where the torque starts to drop off so as they start to load they hit full torque.
Now what this means is if a gas engine is running at full RPM then you're not using it's full torque and are not using the full potential of the engine. If you load it down enough to hit it's full torque then it's now equal to a smaller diesel engine. If you load it down even further the torque drops off so quickly the smaller diesel engine now outperforms it.
Do you landscape your yard? A front loader makes a very easy way to move bags of mulch, stone, and bark to where you need it. Plus they are real nice for moving rocks. The front loader is one of the few options that really should be purchased when you buy the tractor.
If you're thinking of moving up from a lawn mower into a small tractor then it's worth figuring out the less obvious things it can do. That way you can make a much better choice. Most of the attachments can be bought afterwards but a LOT of people here have bought a tractor only to sell it to upgrade a few years later because they just didn't realize how much easier they can make life.
I wouldn't be worried about going from 25hp gas to 18hp diesel as the torque is more important than HP. Torque is a measurement of real force while HP is a calculated number (basically how much work can be done in a measured amount of time). For example if you try to remove a screw with a screw driver as you try to twist it you are applying force (torque), if the screw doesn't turn then you have made 0 hp. If it spins very fast then you've made lots of HP.
Torque in a small gas engine starts low raises up as RPM increases, peaks around 2400 rpm, and then drops off. What that means is a 25hp engine needs to be running at peak RPM (usually 3600) to make 25hp. When the gas engine starts to bog down, say to 2400 rpm where it reaches it's peak torque the HP will drop, it could be as low as 15hp to 20hp but with the torque increase the engine still has plenty of power. But if the gas engine drops further the HP drops like a stone because the torque drops off quickly.
A diesel engine makes a lot of torque. It starts off at low RPMs and goes up to the point at where the gas engine hits it's peak torque, 2400ish, then it drops off very fast. So diesel engines don't rev up as high as gas engines, the very low torque at higher more than offsets the higher HP. So diesel engines usually run at a point just a little higher than where the torque starts to drop off so as they start to load they hit full torque.
Now what this means is if a gas engine is running at full RPM then you're not using it's full torque and are not using the full potential of the engine. If you load it down enough to hit it's full torque then it's now equal to a smaller diesel engine. If you load it down even further the torque drops off so quickly the smaller diesel engine now outperforms it.
