Tractor size for 17 acres?

[rScotty]

Pretty flat terrain, river bottom land with soft soil and no rocks.

I know I'm no expert, but I really can't see the need for a 40 horse. I'll keep looking though, I've got time to find a deal.

Do dealers run specials at certain times of the year?

The reason for the 40 horse is only partly to do with the horse power. Horsepower in tractors also is the way that tractor manufacturers decide on a whole raft of other things like traction, transmission type, loader capability, stability, ground clearance, 3pt category, accessories, PTO type, instrumentation, and even convenience features like space for your feet and lunch bucket, weather protection, and even the quality of the seat. When the horsepower doubles, all these other things do too.....as does the cost and the reliability. That's why several people have recommended going larger and used. That's because the main downside to larger is the cost.

To your questions: Soft soil often requires more power and traction. That absolutely means 4wd, power steering, and an increase in horsepower. But soft soil without rocks also says that the post hole drill you mentioned will work very effectively for you. Note that a 3pt post hold drill is driven by the PTO - Power Take Off - so the tractor needs to have what is called a "live" or variable speed independent PTO of the kind that is controlled by it's own PTO clutch. The post hole drill is raised and lowered by a 3pt hitch so it sure helps to have quite a bit of range and lifting ability - both of those abilities are much improved when the tractor has the capability of a category II 3pt hitch. Plus the tractor needs enough weight and stability to resist the torque of the auger. You will occasionally "stick" the auger. Everyone does... A heavy tractor and strong 3pt hitch will come in very handy when that happens. Sure beats a shovel...
None of those things are directly related to horsepower, but all of these things are features you will find commonly in tractors having 40hp and up....but they are question marks in smaller machines.

Dealers do run specials at certain times of the year, but not as often as car dealers do. After all, car dealers have to move models based on model years. For them, turnover is everything.
Tractors are different. They don't have model years. Their "year" is based on when they are sold; not when they were made. So tractor dealers expect to keep unused inventory warehoused longer. Much longer.
Rather than look for a special time of the year I would look for a dealer whose philosophies match your own. That will save you more money than special deals.
luck, rScotty

 

[Gary Fowler]

I agree with much of what has been said. As for what size tractor for acreage, acreage has little to do with what you need, it is what you plan to use the tractor for and what implements you want to use. As stated by others, used implements in the 6 foot wide range are pretty common and therefore fairly cheap. I would size my tractor to fit the common implements available. There is really no use in spending $2000 for a new bush hog when you can find plenty of lightly used ones with just some faded paint for $500. This goes for just about any implement used by CUT tractors. I would never suggest a SCUT for any one with acreage over 5 acres. A 30 HP @ PTO will do about anything you want to do except maybe lift large round bales. You really need to set a limit on what you want to lift with FEL and 3PH and let that be a guide to the size tractor needed. HP is not your primary consideration since many, if not all modern CUTs have a series that can vary by 10HP or more with the same frame size, weight and capacity of lifts.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Pretty flat terrain, river bottom land with soft soil and no rocks.

I know I'm no expert, but I really can't see the need for a 40 horse. I'll keep looking though, I've got time to find a deal.

Do dealers run specials at certain times of the year?

The answer is "sometimes, depending on the dealer.

The problem with HP size is that most brands run a series (like JD series 3, 4 or 5 for CUT) that is around 30HP and up to 40+Hp with the same identical tractor except for some engine tweaks AND there isn't a lot of difference in the price when new. Just look at the specs on different models and you will find the same weights, engines and lift capacity within a few pounds with the difference in weights mostly attributed to different sized tires. I wouldn't recommend getting much smaller than 30 HP in order to run 6 foot wide equipment which is a common size for CUT usage.

 

[TheMan419]

That's good solid advice. [Although I was going to report the blasphemy. ]

I'll compare myself to TheMan419's situation as they're somewhat similar (horses and such). For all of my tractor needs I could easily utilise a 25hp tractor... except I store & feed-out round bales of hay. For that, I require at least a 40hp tractor + a FEL that can handle the rounds. Fortunately I was able to find a tractor/FEL combination that fit my needs.

If my needs had required a heavier lift capacity FEL for, say, rock shifting or a lot of grapple work then I would have had to up my tractor hp requirement and suitable FEL model.

Correct. My 3 point will lift like 1300 lbs. So I could do a round if I had to. However I could never do it with the FEL so no stacking. Wife only does small squares for the horses so I am set there.

It is a matter of figuring out what you are going to do and getting the right tool for the job.

If bigger was always better we would all have 400 hp monsters...... wait that doesn't sound like a bad thing.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Correct. My 3 point will lift like 1300 lbs. So I could do a round if I had to. However I could never do it with the FEL so no stacking. Wife only does small squares for the horses so I am set there.

It is a matter of figuring out what you are going to do and getting the right tool for the job.

If bigger was always better we would all have 400 hp monsters...... wait that doesn't sound like a bad thing.

If only my barn could house a 400hp tractor or above.



That's exactly what I need for my place. I wonder if I can fit a FEL on one?

 

[BlakeJ]

Ok well thanks for all the info, that's what I was needing. I'll continue my search, and will most likely go used so I can get a bigger tractor. I'll keep my eyes out for a 30-40 horse and will probably be bouncing some deals that I find off you guys. I was really wanting try to spend around $10k, but I guess I'll play it by ear with what I find.

 

[TheMadOne]

Ok well thanks for all the info, that's what I was needing. I'll continue my search, and will most likely go used so I can get a bigger tractor. I'll keep my eyes out for a 30-40 horse and will probably be bouncing some deals that I find off you guys. I was really wanting try to spend around $10k, but I guess I'll play it by ear with what I find.

10K is a really small budget for a tractor with FEL. Tractors hold value stupidly well. Still, you should be able to find something from the 70s/80s at that price point with a FEL and decent(30-50) HP. Pretty much forget about 4X4 though.

I will say that if you decide to buy new and go over the 40HP mark then going up in HP becomes a fair bit cheaper. The difference between a 40HP CUT(L4060) and a 60HP Utility(M6060) is only about 6k, MSRP. And you get a **** of a lot of tractor for that 6K. Not just the HP and weight, but a turbo, a fairly hefty bump in 3pt and loader lift, a free Hydraulic Remote, and I'm sure there's things I'm not even thinking of. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Texasmark]

Pretty flat terrain, river bottom land with soft soil and no rocks.

I know I'm no expert, but I really can't see the need for a 40 horse. I'll keep looking though, I've got time to find a deal.

Do dealers run specials at certain times of the year?

Like boats and cars and trucks at the end of the season.....have inventory that is probably "floor planned" (financed by a bank) and the longer the unit sits on the lot the higher the rate. Besides, in Texas, Jan 1 is inventory day and you have to pay taxes on certain commodities in stock on that date so it's best to be low in stock and fill up on Jan 2 for the coming season. Grin On that accord, not much use for a tractor in the winter, and especially over the Christmas holidays other than feeding stock so good time to dump for that reason too.

 

[WVH1977]

If you are trying to stay in the 10,000 dollar range, think about this:

Auger - 700 to 1500 dollars.
Tiller - 1500 and up.
Rotary Cutter - 1500 and up.
(All of the above are rough estimates)

On the cheap side and if you can find used attachments in good shape,you are potentially looking at 3000 dollars just for the attachments you are going to need. That will leave 7000 dollars for the tractor. I traded in my 5' tiller for a 6 ft' tiller and the dealer gave me 1500 dollars on the trade-in. The tiller was 8 years old. I looked for used rotary cutters but could not find what I was looking for for the price. The used ones for sale in good shape were still expensive. I ended up buying new and a good quality rotary cutter is not cheap. Just some info to give you an idea of attachment prices used and new.

Bottom line, an older 2 wd tractor will do more work than you can. Trying to find a good one with decent attachments you are looking for might take
a while and depending on the tractor size might not handle the attachments you will need very well. Also, you need to be prepared for maintenance costs and finding parts on an older machine in that price range. Nothing worse than a broke down tractor when the work needs to be done.

As always, money is the deciding factor in all of our decisions when purchasing equipment. You have to live within your means and buy what you can afford to live with. It would also suck to have a brand new 4wd tractor that you can't afford to make payments on or sucks up all of your extra spending money for other items you need for maintaining your house and property because of the big monthly payment.

 

[jimmysisson]

Not sure I get the math. 17 acres, minus building and drives and landscaping, minus hay land, minus food plot. How much area are you talking about brush hogging? I can't see 50 hp for that, 30 seems plenty. Just curious...
Jim