Which Older Tractor - A Few Options I've Found

[California]

I can see in your case where an orchard would speak to a small compact.

Yep. I bought the tiny one after a few years like this.

The little one pulls that same mower with less drama.

If the OP is bringing his firewood out of the woods on trails he pioneered into there, then a CUT no bigger than an 8N might serve him better than an ag tractor. Depends entirely on his application.

 

[4570Man]

I haven't read this whole thread so please forgive me if this has been mentioned. The problem with an ag tractor for me and other members is towing ability. By the time you put on a loader, loaded tires, a good heavy 3 point implement, and maybe an extra implement that thing is pretty dang heavy. My gooseneck with my cut sitting on top of it weighs about 11,000 pounds. My gas ton truck handles it pretty good, but I wouldn't want any more. I don't want to end up in people towing people wrong thread. Once my trailer brake controller failed, and luckily that was on rural roads at low speed. My stoping ability was severely compromised. Needless to say I had that issue fixed before towing again.

 

[jenkinsph]

I haven't read this whole thread so please forgive me if this has been mentioned. The problem with an ag tractor for me and other members is towing ability. By the time you put on a loader, loaded tires, a good heavy 3 point implement, and maybe an extra implement that thing is pretty dang heavy. My gooseneck with my cut sitting on top of it weighs about 11,000 pounds. My gas ton truck handles it pretty good, but I wouldn't want any more. I don't want to end up in people towing people wrong thread. Once my trailer brake controller failed, and luckily that was on rural roads at low speed. My stoping ability was severely compromised. Needless to say I had that issue fixed before towing again.

I tow with an F550 4x4 service truck most of the time. With the 4.88 limited slip rear end it makes towing easy for my small equipment. Trailer with 110tlb weighs about 10,600 so not too bad.

 

[TomSeller]

Running and operating them anywhere but an open field is like trying to drive a school bus in the Indy 500.
.

I didn't know I was such a good driver. With my experience, I could win the Indy 500. Thanks for cluing me in.

 

[TomSeller]

Oh and on the other comments about things like loaders needing and not needing and being in the way when not needed and all, don't be surprised if one day you find that you have half a dozen tractors, each function specific, and half of them that remain connected to a certain implement because it was just too much of a PIA to hook it up every time you wanted to use it.

Multiple tractors? Heaven on earth.

 

[clayrogers]

Agree, I wouldn't want to brushhog 20 acres of open ground. Or any sort of farming across the entire parcel. I was visualizing his goals as snow removal and mowing, gardening etc around the house, and cutting access trails into wherever he is cutting his firewood, maybe pulling his existing utility trailer to get the firewood home. Maybe mow one small pasture. Dry brakes (1 hour & $100 to overhaul) and a pto that can come up to speed before the powershift is shifted from N to forward seem to me to be advantages, not negative factors. In summary I'm suggesting 25~30 hp, any supported brand, if the tasks are as I described and his budget is fixed at $5,000 maximum.

OP, do these assumptions match your intended use?

Yes, what you are describing is more of what I see as my future use. We have 20 acres total including the 3+ that has our house, pole barn, and another small outbuilding.

From what I had seen the only things that seemed to fit my budget were the old ag tractors. At least if I wanted to have a FEL. I didn't know about the yanmar and some of the other gray market brands. Things I had read suggest finding parts and/or someone in the area to work on it are more important than saving the initial cost.

Here is one for example that I thought might do what I needed:
2006 jima diesel 4x4 254xl front loader

The $5000 is not a hard limit. But, you know how it goes...but for $1000 more than budgeted I could get this....Oh look, for only $2000 more than budgeted, I could get this...

I am OK saving up another couple months to buy something for $7000 if it's truly that much better of a fit. It's just hard when buying second hand to know when something better is going to come along.

Thanks again for all the info so far guys. I'm putting together a list of the older ag tractors you guys seem to prefer so I can keep an eye out. Seems like the Ford 3000, 4000, 5000 go for sale but not in my area so far.

 

[ovrszd]

No flame intended toward any brand.

Beware of buying an off brand older tractor in regards to parts availability. You are definitely going to have repairs. Repairs can't be accomplished if your mechanic of choice can't get the parts.

 

[Soundguy]

I tow with an F550 4x4 service truck most of the time. With the 4.88 limited slip rear end it makes towing easy for my small equipment. Trailer with 110tlb weighs about 10,600 so not too bad.

agreed on that 4.88. I have a 99 450 diesel with that rear. don't win any speed contests, but tows great..

 

[Soundguy]

I tow with an F550 4x4 service truck most of the time. With the 4.88 limited slip rear end it makes towing easy for my small equipment. Trailer with 110tlb weighs about 10,600 so not too bad.

agreed on that 4.88. I have a 99 450 diesel with that rear. don't win any speed contests, but tows great..

 

[California]

Here is one for example that I thought might do what I needed:
2006 jima diesel 4x4 254xl front loader

Jinma's first few years earned a reputation for haphazard quality control, like the way a power tool from Harbor Freight can work fine then the next one needs three warranty exchanges before you get one that works properly. Back when that one was sold new, a dealer over in the Yanmar forum said as the supply of good used Yanmars from Japan dried up he started selling Jinmas, then planned to abandon that line as he found he was doing more warranty repairs on the Jinmas than he was doing on 30 year old Yanmars. After a customer's fatal Jinma accident he quit selling them. And I recall a representative of Jinma posted that these were designed as a low cost utility tractor for the weekender, never intended for daily ag use. I haven't kept up with how the early Jinmas held up as they aged but it might be worth your time to read extensively in the Chinese Tractors forum to research this.

These cost around $10k new so CL ads I've seen were a little lower price than the one you found, but those ads generally showed more hours and listed some repairs needed.

That particular CL ad looks good if it is only 205 hours and the owner has worked out the likely bugs over the ten years he has owned it. I think the Chinese Tractors forum has dealers who maintain a complete and inexpensive parts stock for mailorder, so this should be easier to maintain than some antique. The size is what I was suggesting in my posts above, assuming its for utility use and not trying to farm 20 acres.

And this size should be suitable to trailer with an ordinary pickup and borrowed car trailer so you avoid the cost of a heavy towing rig that some are discussing here. That would break your budget before you ever got it home. Hopefully it will never leave your land in the time you own it. That's the case with my tractors, mailorder parts and minor DIY repairs on models designed to be owner-maintained have been a low cost solution.