Buying Advice Total Newbies have no clue what size tractor to get?

[jenkinsph]

Well, Juanito, the first few posts here suggested you look at a mid-20's hp. tractor that weighs maybe 2,500 lbs at most and now there are recommendations for up to a 50 hp. bruiser that can tip the scales somewhere north of 5,000 lbs. in its usual working configuration... for your 5 acres of Michigan flat land. There was nothing in your original post that couldn't be handled readily by one of the smaller machines. It was when the subject of unloading pallets of patio block came up that the proposed size and power started escalating. Around here, the trucks that deliver stone bring their own forklifts for unloading.


Only you can judge just how much work is needed to whip your place into shape and then care for it. Going a bit larger than necessary is sensible but there is a huge jump in size and cost between a 25 hp rig and a 50 hp one. Just my opinion, but you wouldn't need such a big tractor for anything besides that patio job, and even that's doubtful. If you want a hoss of a tractor and your budget can handle it, by all means enjoy, but there are many thousands of property owners with 5 or 10 acres that do just fine with a 25-30 hp tractor.

I agree with Grandad 4.

I find that most pallets of pavers weighs around 3400 lbs. When these are delivered have them place the pallets where needed around the patio. Rent a plate compactor to work the sand bed down and float with a 2x6 to get a firm flat surface for the pavers. Everything else could be done with a 30hp tractor.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have both Utility LS P 7010 @70 HP and a CUT-B26 Kubota TLB@26 engine HP. I did a lot of work with my utility tractor for the first couple of years on my 11 acres + the 32 adjoining acres of my brother in law. For the last 3 years, my go to is the B26 and it does everything I need done except bush hog and that only because I don't have one for it. It is nice to have two tractors so I can keep the backhoe on the B26 full time and use the other tractor for my 3 PH uses. As for lifting a 3400# pallet of stone, you aren't going to do that with anything less than a full size utility tractor. MY LS is rated at 3500# on the FEL and I don't think that you want a behemoth like that running around on your yard.

Is a backhoe necessary? Well I suppose one has to evaluate your uses and then decide what you want to manhandle and shovel vs using a hoe. I rarely use a shovel now and never a wheel barrow. I use the heck out of the TLB for the first couple years (about 350 hours on the clock) and even though most of the projects are finished, I would never get rid of it because I still get the occasional need to dig, lift etc. The last use was to dig some post holes for my brother in law. He was trying to dig with hand post hole digger and after about 5 minutes of pounding to get about 5" into the rock hard soil, I got the backhoe. Our over 65 bodies don't handle manual labor very well.

I am not saying that you should buy a TLB although they are nice to have, but a nice B26XX series with a belly mower would be all you need for your 5 acres. That is unless you plan to have a heck of a lot of trees, shrubs etc to mow around, then you may want to look at a Zero Turn mower which wont be a lot more than that belly mower. Then you can use your tractor for tractor stuff and mow with the ZT mower. I mow about 6 acres in 2-2.5 hours with my Ferris with 54" deck and I have lots and lots of trees to mow around.

 

[McREBEL]

Something like a Kubota BX or B(larger with more ground clearance than BX) series Kubota w/FEL would probably take care of most of your needs. The digging you want to do is the only thing that prevents me from having more confidence. Depending on the digging required, a BH added to a BX or B might be sufficient. Or just rent a mini excavator for the digging. If you want to lift pallets of pavers.....forget the BX or B Kubota sized tractors.

Other brands similar in size to the Kubota B series are Kioti CK series, LS J/XJ series and Mahindra Max. I was heavily considering an LS J2023 until I found the used Kubota I have.

I would recommend a hydrostatic transmission.

 

[Juanito58]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the continued inputs they are really helping a lot, I didn't realize how much tractor would be needed in order to move pallets of stone
( Newbie !!! ) but I guess your right they should be able to do the unloading at delivery. With all that I've heard I'm starting to lean towards the 30 to 35 hp tractor brand yet to be determined but Kioti is looking good so far. As far as the digging goes most of it will be for slab type foundations with maybe some footer work for the shop, so I don't know about a back hoe, maybe in the future after I get some other projects taken care of. Mowing a big must , Post hole digging a couple of hundred so I will be looking to run a post hole digger and installing and maintaining
a couple of lengthy gravel drive ways. Will a 30/35 hp tractor handle all of that ? Oh and by the wat my wife will have to be able to run this thing
beings I'm at sea a lot of the time mainly for cutting grass. Thanks again for all your help. John

 

[McREBEL]

A hydrostatic transmission would make the tractor easier to operate. Especially so for someone not used to shifting gears.

A 30/35 hp should have no problems with everything except possibly digging footers. I have a 29 hp with a FEL (no BH). Where I live I might still rent a mini excavator to dig footers but I have heavy clay soil with plenty of rock mixed in. I just don't see a FEL bucket being the ideal tool for digging footers. Not that it can't be done.

 

[aeblank]

Exclude the pallets of stone, and buy based on everything else. I have a pallet of left over retaining wall blocks. Hasn't moved in 5 years cause nothing will lift it. For my 88,000lb (I think that's what it was) retaining wall project I had him put the pallets out of the way. Then 1/4 or 1/3 of a pallet went in the bucket and to the work site. It was easy to slide them into/out of the bucket. I could get it closer than I could ever get a full pallet anyway. Eventually the pallet was liftable and we used the forks to move it. Those pallets are stupid heavy, compared to what tractors can handle. Period.

 

[Grandad4]

Juanito, you're making headway here. Now it's time to realize that horsepower isn't the only way to size up a tractor. You also need to consider physical size and weight and hydraulic capacity, because not all 30 hp tractors are alike. Even within one brand, you'll find lighter and heavier models as well as basic and deluxe models to choose from. Your mowing needs will aim you toward a tractor with a lighter footprint, the better to avoid soil compaction and ruts in your lawn. On the other hand, while grading and levelling are basic tractor chores within the capability of even a lighter tractor, dirt work is the sort of thing where a heavier machine pulls better and can be more productive.

Digging trenches for footers, etc., is best done with something like a mini-excavator or a backhoe. If you have one such project, you're usually money ahead to rent a mini-ex for a day or a weekend - few hundred bucks - instead of dropping $ 6-8k into your own personal backhoe attachment. If you have recurring need to dig, it's a different situation, obviously.

As for brands and models, my only advice is to hold off making any decisions until you've actually sat on and operated the different machines. How a machine feels and handles makes a big difference in how productive and comfortable you will be its daily operation and that's something you can't read from a spec sheet or judge based on a price quote. Considering how many hours you or your family will be spending on it, you want to have something you like.

 

[jenkinsph]

Might also suggest that if you are having a contractor do the slab construction that he does it turn key. Digging a footer correctly and accurately isn't a newbie project imo.

 

[TJP89]

I think that 25HP is too small. However, 50HP is too big. I would go with 28 to 30HP, that'll be fine. Unloading pallets of bricks is something you need a heck of a loader, and a heck of a tractor for. Most delivery people have a forklift with the truck too unload for you, as most don't have a 50HP tractor with pallet forks lying around. At this point a backhoe seems a bit extravagant. What is your budget, as that can decide tractor size real quick.

 

[Juanito58]

I agree with all the feedback I've been getting My starting budget is about 20k I have been looking around and have talked to a local dealer last time I was home and he showed me a Kioti tractor I want to say it was a 30 HP but I had no clue what I was looking at. Wasn't sure how Kioti stacked up to better known tractors such as JD and Kubota. I remember it had a FEL ( I actually understand what that is now !! ) and I believe he quoted me a price just north of 16k. I 'm not sure if thats good or bad. I have also seen some models like New holand 40 hp with a fel with less than a hundred hours on it for just over 17 k. I'll be leaving th ship I am currently sailing on with in the month and plan on checking out dealers throughout northern Florida to see what is available at what price. As far as the footers go I will probably rent the equipment I need beings it will be a one time event. The rest of the foundations will be just slab. My main cocerns are still Mowing post holes and driveway creation and maintenance. So if I need to wait and save a little longer I'm willing to do so. Is there a site I can go to to do side by side comparisons on tractors available in the 30 to 40 HP range?. Thanks again everyone your combined knowledge and input are really helping a lot. Thanks to all