Buying Advice Rookie here...am I crazy? Help needed...quick!

[def]

So, as the title suggests, complete rookie here...never owned a tractor, never drove a tractor but I did work for William McCormick Blair who's relatives founded International Harvester. Blair was a descendant of Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the reaper. There were Farmall tractors all over Blair farm. I never so much as rode on one.

So, now that I have retired and have a few acres (about 8), I'm going to plant an orchard, garden, put in a drive and dig a swim pond.

Question is how much tractor and what brand do I need (I have been looking at Mahindra and New Holland)? Also, I am thinking that used equipment would be fine for my projects. Your thoughts here please.

Here are some details;

1- Land is mostly flat with a steep ravine (I believe the locals call this a "holler" or "crick").
2- Currently the land is overgrown with brush (3-5 feet high), wild grass and some small saplings (2-3 inches).
3- Some lawn currently maintained with a 42 inch riding mower.
4- Some mature trees that will be cut, the stumps pulled with chain and tractor or ground out with a rental grinder.
5- The soil is somewhat rocky and most of it never tilled.

Here are the tasks I see for my project;

1- Clear the land of brush and saplings (flail mower with mulching duck foot blades?)
2- Cut med medium and large trees and remove stumps (pull or grind them?)
3- Grade land and establish drainage (box blade with rippers, FEL?)
4- Break up and prepare soil for planting (What implement(s) do I need?)
5- Spray trees for disease and spray property for bug control (homemade sprayer; gasoline powered pressure washer and 55 gallon plastic drum).
6- Maintenance and mowing. (Flail mower with mowing blades or belly mower, or both?)

So that's pretty much it.

Am I crazy? Or am I on the right track or should I just ride my motorcycle off into the sunset or buy a boat instead (retired US Navy) and sail off into the sunset?

I used to repair RADAR until they did away with vacuum tubes. Now, I repair my own equipment which includes a diesel motor home, two automobiles a BMW motorcycle and other various mechanical gear. A diesel tractor would not be a challenge.

I'll await with interest all your comments and suggestions. Thank you in advance.

 

[Bird]

I usually tell people you can never get a tractor that's too big.:laughing: But I'll start by suggesting something in the 30 hp range, plus or minus a bit. I think John Deere, Kubota, & New Holland are still the big 3, but as you can see on Tractorbynet, there are lots of other brands with happy owners, too. And while you may never have to go to a dealer for parts/repairs/service, I'd prefer owning a brand for which there is a local dealer.

And while I've never been in the Navy or repaired RADAR, I HAVE fixed TVs in the days when they had vacuum tubes, I've owned 2 motorhomes, but both were gasoline powered, and I've owned one Zundapp, one Yamaha, three Honda, and one BMW motorcycle.

When I had 10 acres in Navarro County, I bought a new Kubota B7100 (13hp), later moved up to a B2710 (27 hp) and found the 2710 to be great for my uses.

 

[vtsnowedin]

It sounds like you plan to make the whole eight acres into one big lawn.:thumbsdown: Those mature trees provide shade and cooler temperatures, help hold soil moisture and prevent erosion. If they are in good shape and not in the way of an important pursuit I'd leave them be. If they happen to be on the steep sides of the holler that goes double as that is probably the best and highest use of that ground. Also controlling bugs on eight acres is a fools errand that will do more harm then good. This is not a navy ship or base. Keep them out of the buildings and the patio but outside of that they belong there as much as you do. As to tractors any used or new tractor capable of running the shredder /cutter you want to use should also get all you other tasks done. 30 HP sounds about right.

 

[kneedeep]

Buy from a local dealer that is established in case you need parts and or service. front wheel drive, loader, backhoe are very useful for projects like you stated. 30+ HP will do a lot of dirt work with the right implements.

Good Luck!

 

[/pine]

I would visit all the dealers and take a hard copy of your OP with you...test drive all their recommendations...see what you do and don't like...if your budget allows rent a few different (sized) tractors with different attachments and spend a day on them getting a feel for the working end...

good luck...

 

[GPintheMitten]

Buy a motorcycle and a sailboat. That's what I had before I bought a tractor. Now I don 't have either.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Here are some details;

1- Land is mostly flat with a steep ravine (I believe the locals call this a "holler" or "crick").
2- Currently the land is overgrown with brush (3-5 feet high), wild grass and some small saplings (2-3 inches).
3- Some lawn currently maintained with a 42 inch riding mower.
4- Some mature trees that will be cut, the stumps pulled with chain and tractor or ground out with a rental grinder.
5- The soil is somewhat rocky and most of it never tilled.

What do you term a "mature tree"? Big oaks and maples push 80' tall, 4 or 5 feet DBH in Alabama.

Here are the tasks I see for my project;

1- Clear the land of brush and saplings (flail mower with mulching duck foot blades?)
2- Cut med medium and large trees and remove stumps (pull or grind them?)
3- Grade land and establish drainage (box blade with rippers, FEL?)
4- Break up and prepare soil for planting (What implement(s) do I need?)
5- Spray trees for disease and spray property for bug control (homemade sprayer; gasoline powered pressure washer and 55 gallon plastic drum).
6- Maintenance and mowing. (Flail mower with mowing blades or belly mower, or both?)

Hire a crew w/ a dozer to do the big trees and grading.

Let us know what you want to plant, trees, vegetables, what?

Give us some pics of what you have to tackle and what your resources are.

Without knowing more I'd say start looking in the 35HP range.

Good luck. It gets warm in the summer there - I've my land in NE Mississippi.

 

[def]

Great stuff so far. Please keep it coming.

As for the garden, vegetables mostly plus some potatoes and some tomatoes. But, the main thing is the orchard. Peaches, lemons, grapes.

 

[deerseeker001]

Welcome from Wisconsin

 

[grm61]

Get you a Kioti DK 40/45/50 with a backhoe.

A smaller tractor you could get by with with, but with Kioti for instance, by moving up to the 40 horse frame size gives you over twice the lift capacity for about 4000.00 more than the 30 horse frame size.

The DK series will lift 2765lbs to full height, most 30-35 horse tractors range from 1100 to 1400 lbs of lift.

You never know what you might want to do, or build, or lift someday.
Better to have to much than not enough...Safer too:thumbsup:

Good luck