Tractor Sizing what size tractor for the Ozarks

[jocko165]

hello all. brand new to forum. did a search and didn't really get an answer to my question. I just purchased 160 acres between Marshall and Leslie in Arkansas.it has about 30 acres of pasture that a neighbor makes hay on. another 20 that was pasture but has been allowed to become overgrown again. I want to put in foodplots for wildlife so I will be pulling a 2 bottom plow and a 5'-7' disc. also a 6' bushhog, digging out stumps, cutting, splitting wood, hauling wood and feed, 6' box blade for driveway work, and pretty much anything else I can use it for. I don't have any experience with pulling plows and not much with discs. our ground is pretty rocky. I just want to make sure I get enough tractor w/o paying for way more than I really need. land is hilly and steep and I want 4wd. I would love a new tractor but used is probably more realistic goal. looking for advice on hp, brands,model #s, accessories,etc...anything yall can tell me to help inform me will be GREATLYappreciated. Thanks

 

[HCJtractor]

Congrats on your land. I have about 300 acres, mostly forested. I have about 15 acres of plots, miles of trails and primitive roads to maintain. I use a rotary cutter ( 6 foot heavy duty), a 3 bottom plow, a big disk harrow, a grapple on my FEL, a box blade, a no till drill, and a fertilizer spreader.

Assuming your not going to farm all that hay, I would go with a heavy utility tractor, from 50 to 75 horse, with a FEL, four wheel drive, loaded tires, Ag tires. If you're a newbie, I would stick to a newer tractor with more amenities, say something made after 2000, but that's just arbitrary. My Kubota M 6800 would easily do all you need. But there are lots of choices. I would think you could find something from $15000 to $20,000 easily. Of course, you could go older, but for instance, my 1988 Massey 240 two WD which cost $9000, really can't come close to doing what my Kubota can. Definitely get four WD.

You also have to figure what implements you need.

Now if you're going to handle those pastures, that may change things.

 

[HCJtractor]

Oh, for removing stumps, that's tough for any tractor. That may require a dozer rental, rather than using a tractor.
I definitely recommend a grapple. I never use a bucket. It's worthless for what you describe, in my opinion. The grapple is invaluable for clearing smaller saplings and chain saw debris. So look for a tractor whose FEL is " skid steer quick connect compatible". That's important. Older ones usually were not. Therefore any grapple will fit, rather than having to buy an expensive adapter or have custom work done.
As far as plows, make sure it has a trip mechanism. Your rocky ground will trash a plow w/o that feature.

Get the absolute heaviest disk you can afford and pull.

And as far as a rotary cutter, also go heavy duty. I prefer one with replaceable skid shoes, like on my Woods 720. The rocks really wear down the skid plates, so being able to bolt on new ones is a nice feature.

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[HCJtractor]

And lastly, used certainly is cheaper, but the zero percent financing offered by major dealers makes new ones attractive. My payment was small, and my cash I used for buying implements. I would also buy the rotary cutter new, if possible, then buy used for everything else. Most used cutters are beaten to death, and more expensive to repair, whereas plows, disks, etc are more simple and with new replacement parts, are as good as new.

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[4570Man]

You never get 0%. They just added that on to the original purchase price.

 

[HCJtractor]

You never get 0%. They just added that on to the original purchase price.

Not sure about that. Guess you could dicker about the price and then ask for factory financing. I not know how much of that is absorbed by the dealer. All I know is I made monthly payments that were affordable, and unless I had $25,000 cash, I couldn't get any decent rates for a used tractor from a lending source.

what size tractor for the Ozarks

 

[MF283]

Not sure about that. Guess you could dicker about the price and then ask for factory financing. I not know how much of that is absorbed by the dealer. All I know is I made monthly payments that were affordable, and unless I had $25,000 cash, I couldn't get any decent rates for a used tractor from a lending source.

what size tractor for the Ozarks

Right now is a good time to look new with model year closeouts. I bought a new JD ZTR last year because they had 6 of the same unit within a 75 mile radius at the(conglomerate) dealer, saved 2k right off the bat.
Some brands are going in as multi state dealerships & when they have to many of one unit, money can be saved.
Ronnie

 

[Gary Fowler]

For the tasks that you listed with the equipment, you wont need anything above 40 PTO HP to pull them.

One thing to look at when buying a new tractor is where will you store it. If you have existing sheds and plan to park the tractor under one of them, check the height of the tractors high point (top of ROPS or Cab) to make sure it fits. I didn't think about this when I bought my LS but lucked out that it had plenty of clearance on one side of my shop. I would hate to have had to build another shed just for the tractor. Of course if you plan to build a storage shed to fit, this isn't a problem.

If you plan to dig out stumps, you will need a backhoe. It just isn't the right thing to do with a FEL. Look at the Kubota commercial grade of TLB tractors. They aren't cheap but they are strong. I would look for a slightly used one to get a good discount on the price. John Deere made a 110 series that was great (from all the TBN sources) but they discontinued it so I don't know how long parts for them will be available.

 

[flusher]

Tractor: 50-60 hp (engine), 4WD, power steering, shuttle shift transmission, dual rear hydraulic remotes (triple is better), FEL with 6-ft wide bucket, chain hooks, skid steer quick attach, backhoe attachment for digging stumps, trenching, etc.

Brands: start with those that have dealers near you and check their used tractor inventories. If you don't have the equipment and experience for major tractor repairs, then go with the dealer who has decent service and parts departments.

Good luck

 

[HCJtractor]

Ive never used a backhoe attachment on a tractor. But it seems that it adds lots of expense, more complexity, and at 40 or 50 horsepower, does it shine as a stump removal tool? I would doubt it. It seems that if he has an area of stumps needing removal, either hiring it done or renting a bigger machine would be wiser than spending a large sum on a backhoe. I'm sure they are occasionally handy, but I would hesitate to ever buy one expecting it to be an effective stump remover. But I'm just speculating. As far as horsepower, I still think 50 minimum. My 40 horse is adequate, but not as effective as my 68 horse in pulling, grappling, or any ground engagement task.

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