Tractor Sizing 100 acre playground

[CJerry]

Hello! Im looking for tractor advice. Ive recently purchased 100 acres of old family farm property. It is about 20 years untended, grown in with scrub and trees, relatively flat. Located in southeast Michigan.

I intend to build a house and shape the place into a private park/hobby farm.

So far ive hand cleared 1400 feet of driveway and ive been dragging it smooth with a 9n and back blade. Now i need to step into something with some real utility. I will need to brush hog many paths and fields, build and maintain the driveway and whatever trails i can create. Also typical small farm chores.

Ive been pricing ~38 horsepower machines- NH workmaster 37, mahindra 2538. Etc - trying to figure out if these will do the job. Price is an issue.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[John Fitzgerald]

You are going to need a bigger machine, maybe one of those approx 80 hp tracked skid steers with front brush cutter, six way blade attachment, etc. A neighbor of mine has one of those, and it's really nice.

 

[txdon]

I have a 50hp with 100+ acres and it ok for maintaining. The 80 hp will allow a larger brush hog, but if 8' is wide enough try for a 50-60 hp. Look at the width of the brush hog recommendations in the owners manual of the tractor you are going to buy. A 38hp will most likely recommend no larger than a 6'.

 

[CJerry]

You are going to need a bigger machine, maybe one of those approx 80 hp tracked skid steers with front brush cutter, six way blade attachment, etc. A neighbor of mine has one of those, and it's really nice.

I started looking into those types, would have to be well used obviously. I kind of concluded that it wouldn't really have the overall usefulness that a utity tractor would

 

[CJerry]

I have a 50hp with 100+ acres and it ok for maintaining. The 80 hp will allow a larger brush hog, but if 8' is wide enough try for a 50-60 hp. Look at the width of the brush hog recommendations in the owners manual of the tractor you are going to buy. A 38hp will most likely recommend no larger than a 6'.

The machines ive been looking at do list the 72" rotary at the recommended. I figured it would be enough.

Im having a tough time finding a 50hp machine in the $25k area. New at least.

 

[Creamer]

I am not sure what your plans are for the 100 acres but to keep that all mowed in your area you are going to want at least 50 hp. I would tend to take the project in steps and get a nice smaller utility tractor of 30-40 hp and create your living space and then in a few years when you are ready for the next step get a larger older farm tractor and the implements to do what you want with the rest.

 

[aczlan]

If the 12 acres that you need to know is a large field, I would look at getting a 50-ish horsepower tractor and a Batwing Turf mower. Those will usually have three mower decks that are four to six feet wide tied together so that you can lift up the outer two when you aren't mowing.

Aaron Z

 

[Tractorable]

Given the size of your property and that you're in Michigan, ideally, you should be looking at 60-ish horsepower cabbed tractors like a Kubota Grand L6060 or a Yanmar YT359. But given your budget constraints you could dial it back and consider something like a Kubota MX5800 or look into the Korean made tractor options from Kioti, Branson, TYM, LS, New Holland, etc.

I once considered a used New Holland Workmaster 55 which might fit the ticket for you and be affordable.

 

[Grandad4]

So you're getting basically two kinds of recommendations here: 1) Get a tractor in the 40-50 hp range, which is capable of doing most of your work with 6 ft implements (give or take a foot), and 2) Go up to larger equipment that will do more. I think your $25k budget makes either approach unrealistic unless you can find some good used equipment that won't nickel and dime you to death with repairs and downtime.

It's not clear to me just what you'll be getting into clearing your open spaces. If the saplings in your fields have grown into trees that need to be cut or bulldozed, you have one big job ahead of you that probably is better done with heavy equipment. If most of it can be cleared with a heavy brush cutter, you'll be able to do it, but you should be looking at option #2 above. If you've got 2" and smaller saplings, option #1 is do-able.

For all your other work the option #1 equipment is very adequate.

 

[Todd727]

Rent a decent sized CTL with a heavy brush cutter for a week. You can easily get everything roughed in and then a 50-60hp tractor with attachments will be enough to maintain it. Just make the trails wide enough and use a large enough radius in the turns to accommodate a tractor and bush hog.