new and small vs old and big

fried1765 · Mar 20, 2017

Huskerfan said:
If your considering old, have you considered a little newer? I'd look for a circa ~1970s Oliver 55 series, say a 1655. Excellent for loader with the wide front end. 18 forward speeds and 6 reverse (over under hydraulic shift on the basic 6/2 transmission), ps, hydraulic brakes and pto. About 60 hp. Very operator friendly. Huge support network through the Hart Parr Oliver Association

The Oliver is a good old tractor, but is a HUGE tractor for a 3.5-4 acre property

ch1ch2 · Mar 20, 2017

fried1765 said:
The Oliver is a good old tractor, but is a HUGE tractor for a 3.5-4 acre property

IMHO There is nothing wrong with having a huge tractor on a small property.
I ran my 60hp IH on 2 acre water front for several years.
(not the one pictured)

Huskerfan · Mar 20, 2017

fried1765 said:
The Oliver is a good old tractor, but is a HUGE tractor for a 3.5-4 acre property

Ah c'mon. You never can have too much tractor!

JimRB · Mar 20, 2017

In green the John Deere 850, 870 is a fine tractor. Sometimes you see good deals. About 25-28 hp. about 2,500 pounds without loader.

www.tractordata.com is one place to get weights and horsepower info.

moron88 · Mar 28, 2017

sorry for the radio silence folks, life has been happening. after a bit of discussion with my mother and some internal yelling and arguing, i've all but abandoned the thought of old tractors for 2 reasons. first, i dont know what the **** i'm looking at with old tractors on craigslist. only thing worse than buying too small would be buying worn out. second, my mother wants to use it. she's 5' 2" and isn't very strong right now due to some health issues. now there is still a little glimmer of hope for old, and that is 1 local dealer. they have a few older units at reasonable prices. my mother (hopefully) will regain some of her strength this summer, so manual steering wont be too big of an issue for the right deal.

now there has been some talks about financing new, specifically kubota. i've already applied for credit with them but havent been to the dealer yet (only been on sunday when they were closed, looking over the fence at what they had in stock to gauge my mother's interest in a loan) and i need to in order to get an approval/denial. if approved, i have no clue what to get. my problem is that i've priced out 5 or 6 different configurations and they come out to about the same price, albeit with different options. i'll have to talk to a salesman and sit on/in a few to figure out what is best. not really looking for more opinions at the moment, just giving an update. thank you all for your time.

moron88 · Apr 17, 2017

time for closure. wound up buying a new troybilt lawn tractor (specifically the pony) for everyday yard care and just got an older huskee gt out of the back of our minivan (my mom didnt think it'd fit, nor did the guy selling it. i knew it would. after removing the seat and steering wheel, they were both surprised). i'll be tracking down a grader blade for that soon and maybe a front blade too. i plan to use and abuse this one. i think the clock says 4550 hours (dirty and dark outside) so it's seen a fair amount of use but should last me a good long while. i bought it off a recently retired lawn equipment dealer selling his remaining trade-in inventory on his buddy's property because he lives on a major road in that area. saw them saturday as we were heading to visit my grandma and surprise her with a new recliner. went back today for Easter (my sis and aunt had to work yesterday) and i took cash.

thanks to all that gave their opinions. i really wanted a big old tractor-loader but it just wasnt meant to be right now.