That is roughly the same total acreage that I take care of with about 13.5 hp per acre. Mine is also about half regularly maintained and half-wooded, or totally non-maintained. I would definitely recommend more than one tractor for that much acreage. I use a total of 6 tractors: (2004,open station, JD 4120, 4wd with loader - 43 pto hp, diesel), (1951, Ford 8n, 28 pto hp, gas), (1941 Allis Chalmers "C", 20 pto hp, gas), (1990, JD 750, 20 pto hp, diesel), (1951, JD "M", 18 hp, gas) and (1951, Farmall Cub, 10 hp, gas). I am taking my best educated guess at the hp on some of these but I should be fairly close. A few of the older machines have been rebuilt, and stepped up a bit in hp over the years, so the numbers I listed may not match the reported "Nebraska Test" numbers exactly.
I firmly believe, you will be making a big mistake, if you "put all your eggs in one basket" and try to get by with a single, 80 hp tractor, which is the size I would recommend if you do choose a single one. What is your wife, kids, friends, etc. going to do while you are operating the only tractor at the place? What happens when you get it stuck? What happens when you break down, as happens almost as often on brand-new ones as ones that are purchased in good, used, condition. "One tractor" is definely a "dumb move" in my book, and I have seen a good number of folks hurt by that. I cant tell you the number of times I have been called up by neighbors to yank their "only tractor" out of the mud, or help rake some hay, etc., when their brand-new tractor needed to go in for warrantee work. Certainly that don't make much sense to me. Also, I have found that less overall breakdowns are experienced with multiple tractors, as long as they are all in good condition and properly maintained, than with a single machine. Multiple tractors can also let you have the "near perfect" size for almost every job. For example, It is tough to run a single row cultivator in your garden with an 80 hp, but that is the job the 10 hp, Farmall Cub was designed for. Also, it takes a good bit less fuel to rake hay with an 18-20 hp tractor than it does with an 80, whether we are talking gas or diesel. I could go on and on about the advantages of multiple tractors, and there will always be plenty of folks on this site who "just don't get it". Most of my tractors are antiques, but they are all in excellent shape, and in general, have required less money in repairs than the few newer ones. I certainly would not be afraid to purchase an old tractor, and getting a few of them might be a good idea for you. You could probably even find (2), 80 hp, machines, in good shape, for less than a single new one of that size, if you put in a little time on craigslist, etc.. As you can probably see from my list, I don't have a lot of brand loyalty, but JD is my favorite these days, mostly due to excellent performance, since my granddad replaced a team of horses with that "M", brand new, back in 1951. Also, I have always found excellent parts support from local dealers, and the internet. I do have a love for the old Fords however, and the 51 or 52, 8N (that I still use regularly), was my first tractor, and is my favorite tractor of all time, by any manufacturer. I also like a lot, and have owned multiple IH, and AC tractors, both of which I would highly recommend, along with the JD's and Fords. The only problem with them other brands (Ford, IH, AC) is that they have all gone out of business. Because they were so popular in the day, parts availability is not too bad, but certainly is not in the league of the "still made in America" John Deere. I would go with a used and in good shape, 3 plow tractor (in the 50 hp range). If you are not comfortable determining if a tractor is "in good shape", bring a trusted friend along before handing over the cash. I would also go with a second used and in good shape, 2 plow tractor (in the 30 hp range). This will give you your recommended "13.5" hp per acre and you will be all set to pursue the "country life", like my family has done on our farm since just prior to the Civil War. My dad still talks about the "horse power" days (real horses) prior to 1951, which I can not imagine. By the time I was born (1964), we had a Allis Chalmers D-14 (1960 something), in addition the JD "M", all the land was handled my that little, 18 hp "M" between 1951 and 1963.
I bought the farm from my grandma about 15 years ago, long after the cattle were all sold and the "real farming" was given up about 30 years after my granddad passed away. I have an office job in a nearby town and I usually spend all my weekdays there. I am getting a break from that now, stuck at home, while recovering for the next 3 months at least from some major surgery. My doctor will not let me operate a tractor now, and I sure do miss that. He also will not let me do any oil changes on them, at least 4 of which are badly in need of that, and another job I like doing, at this time of year, in my heated shop. I do love the country life, and it is kind of nice to experience it full time for a while, as I am now. I do miss the folks at work however, and it has only been a couple weeks. It sure will be nice to at least be able to operate an automobile or chainsaw again. A good beer would also really hit the spot, and that may take 6 months based on all the meds they got me on. Oh well, it sure is better than 6 feet under where the doc says I likely would have been today, without the operation.
One last thing on your tractor(s) purchase, Stay away from cabs which lots of the folks on this site will try and talk you into. There is a place for them, but definitely not for the "hobby-farmer". I will list the many disadvantages that you will get from them: First, and most significant, 2-5 thousand more dollars in purchase cost., Second, greater hp draw, fuel usage running an effective AC., Third, higher ground clearance, making roll-over more likely, Forth, less overhead clearance, which makes woods operation tough as well as fitting it into a shop or garage door. Fifth, blockage of implement sounds. I can't recall how many times I have been doing something, especially with pto tools like bush-hogs and hay-bailers, when I noted a subtle change in the operating sound of the tool. That usually indicated some type of breakage, but the change in sound often let me catch the break early enough to prevent extensive damage. Again, advantage here for the open station tractor. And finally, Sixth, and probably the biggest disadvantage, for me at least, of an Air-Conditioned cab, was that I usually spent all day in an air conditioned office. The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to get into another, similar, boxed in, air conditioned environment. I love the fresh air out there on the open station. If you are worried about the heat, I built a simple, big canvas covered, wood-framed canopy, from material I had laying in the barn (old boat cover canvas and 2x2 pine boards), which works better than the large, fiberglass, factory canopy that I had on my previous primary tractor (Ford 2000). I wish you the best in pursuit of the "country life", which is all I have ever known, and wouldn't have it any other way.
