How often do you use your tractor

[Leejohn]

I use at least one of mine everyday. I just know I have used a little over 100 gals of fuel starting in april.

 

[TripleR]

As others have said, if you want it and it causes no financial issues, it is well worth it. We've got tractors that will get several hundred hours a year and others under fifty, none are going anywhere.

 

[STx]

When I'm in the city, only when I have a paying job, probably 2 or 3 times a month. When I'm at my property, it's used every single day we're there, even if its just to carry corn around and refill the feeders. It is, by far, one of the best purchases I've made. I've had it 10 months and have put 120 hours on it, about 1/2 of those paying jobs and the other 1/2 on my place. The stuff I've done on my place couldn't have been done without a tractor and having it sure beats renting it, especially when the monthly payment is about equal to 16 hours of rental or 5 hours hired out.

I only need to about 200 hours of paying work to cover the purchase price of the tractor, so far I've about broken even on fuel, maintenance, repairs and payment vs. what I've earned with it.

 

[Texas Dawg]

Does it put a strain on the budget? If not, then it comes down to how much is your time worth? I use mine on 7.5 acres and spend 50-60 hours a year on it. I may go weeks w/o needing it, but when I do, it is right there ready to hop on and go to work. I suspect, that I would put off or just not do a lot of what I do if I had to take the time to go rent it, haul it home, and then haul it back. In addition, after you have used yours a while, you know where every knob and lever is and what the limitations of your machine are. Occasionally I will have to rent something (attachment or larger tractor) but those are the exception rather than the rule.

 

[4570Man]

If I had to rent a machine every time I needed to do something I would never get anything done. I usually only use my tractor 30 minutes or so at a time which doesn't justify renting a machine. I get more then average seat time ( about 1000 hours a year ) but it is almost all piddly jobs.

 

[IslandTractor]

If I had to rent a machine every time I needed to do something I would never get anything done. I usually only use my tractor 30 minutes or so at a time which doesn't justify renting a machine. I get more then average seat time ( about 1000 hours a year ) but it is almost all piddly jobs.

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

 

[moriboy]

About the same here. I bought a brand new tractor as well, it'll last me for the rest of my life.

About 360 hours in 3 years. Sometimes it sets for a couple of weeks, sometimes I will use it several times a week. Just depends on what needs doing.

 

[Fawken]

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

Yeah, for piddly jobs? I've got almost 4,000 hrs on my 32 year old Ford, but at 1000 hrs a year that would now be 32,000 hours!!! Maybe he meant 100 hrs a year which is about average for most CUT/SCUT owners.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yeah, for piddly jobs? I've got almost 4,000 hrs on my 32 year old Ford, but at 1000 hrs a year that would now be 32,000 hours!!! Maybe he meant 100 hrs a year which is about average for most CUT/SCUT owners.

Yes, that makes more sense.

 

[4570Man]

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

That was divided between about 5 different machines. I am not the only operator of any of the machines, so it is hard to figure how many hours I actually get in a year. 500 hours is more like it.