30k tractor budget

[Xfaxman]

Hi all, i got led here while searching for tractors and seemed like a good place for some help.

I will be purchasing a tractor when we get our taxes back next year and i expect to have a budget of 30k. Ive been looking at used but just thought id check if a new tractor is possible. Its hard to figure out prices most of the time it seems and then i know there are better deals once you go to buy.

I suggest looking at a used compact telehandler: Compact telehandler

This is why it is called compact:

I need the tractor so i can run a bigger bushhog and mower as well.

Out front is so much better, this one is 7':

 

[mo1]

The mention of round bales on a goat farm is unusual. Typically goat farmers don't use round bales, they use small squares. A goat will only roughly 3-5 pounds of hay per day and waste whatever hay is in front of it that it doesn't eat, so a 1000 pound round bale isn't a great match for goats. You could tear the round bale apart and slowly feed it as loose hay but that's a lot of work compared to simply putting a small square or two in a bale rack. If you are going to be using one of the foreign small round balers, those bales are about the same size as small squares and you handle them similarly, so you don't use a spear or grapple to move them.

If you are intending to make round bales and sell them to cattle farmers (or if you also intend to run cattle), you may just be able to run a 4x4 round baler with a 50 HP full sized utility tractor but you will really want a significantly more powerful tractor, typically 75 HP minimum and a lot of guys run 100-140 HP tractors for round balers and their hay mowers.

If you want to make small squares for goats, a 50 HP full sized utility tractor would suit you fine as long as you don't want to run a disc mower/conditioner. If you do, you will want 75+ HP and better yet 100+ HP. Some people run a small square baler with a large compact tractor but it would be better to use a larger, heavier full-sized utility tractor if you have a wagon or accumulator behind the baler as the compact would be too light to not get pushed/pulled around too much depending on topography.

A 50 HP tractor would be able to run an 8' rotary mower. A compact would have to use a pull type or semi-mount but a 50 HP full sized utility tractor could run an 8' fully mounted 3 point unit. If your mowing is pasture clipping several times per year, you may even be able to use a 10' mower, that would have to be a semi-mount or pull type. A pull type cutter is a lot less maneuverable than a fully mounted or semi-mounted cutter, just to warn you.

The market is very screwed up right now but 6 months ago you could have gotten a fairly basic new 50 HP open station MFWD full-sized utility tractor and a loader for right around $30k. The large-framed compacts are noticeably more expensive than a full sized utility tractor. Anything in that size range with a cab will be well over $40k with a loader, and probably closer to $50k. There are still some used tractors in that rough size range out there, most of which are 1960s-1980s 2WD utility tractors with many thousands of hours, but there are some newer machines and ones with MFWD as well. Still, used 50 HP MFWD cabbed tractors with a loader will be at least $40k unless it's very beaten up or has 5000+ hours on it.

 

[jmerchant05]

MX5400 ROPS gear shift transmission with FEL is $34k on Kubota site, MSRP. For field work I prefer gears.

Thats very doable, i didnt even look at the smaller mx series, when i was looking for new before i was trying to stay 60hp minimum but im just trying to compromise now as much as possible to get the best tractor and most tractor for my money i can. And the new tractor warranty does hold its fair share of the value in getting new.

 

[cathy liebchen]

I had looked at the mx6000 before, i was highly interested in it but the cab version was in the mid 40s, so the cabless may still be a little out of my reach but something to look into. I did just start looking again and saw in washinton a mx6000 fel, cab 4wd with bucket for 45k. I then saw in indiana the same tractor, with pallet forks and an equipment trailer with 7k axles for 48k.

An MX will need 10k trailer minimum

 

[jmerchant05]

The mention of round bales on a goat farm is unusual. Typically goat farmers don't use round bales, they use small squares. A goat will only roughly 3-5 pounds of hay per day and waste whatever hay is in front of it that it doesn't eat, so a 1000 pound round bale isn't a great match for goats. You could tear the round bale apart and slowly feed it as loose hay but that's a lot of work compared to simply putting a small square or two in a bale rack. If you are going to be using one of the foreign small round balers, those bales are about the same size as small squares and you handle them similarly, so you don't use a spear or grapple to move them.

If you are intending to make round bales and sell them to cattle farmers (or if you also intend to run cattle), you may just be able to run a 4x4 round baler with a 50 HP full sized utility tractor but you will really want a significantly more powerful tractor, typically 75 HP minimum and a lot of guys run 100-140 HP tractors for round balers and their hay mowers.

If you want to make small squares for goats, a 50 HP full sized utility tractor would suit you fine as long as you don't want to run a disc mower/conditioner. If you do, you will want 75+ HP and better yet 100+ HP. Some people run a small square baler with a large compact tractor but it would be better to use a larger, heavier full-sized utility tractor if you have a wagon or accumulator behind the baler as the compact would be too light to not get pushed/pulled around too much depending on topography.

A 50 HP tractor would be able to run an 8' rotary mower. A compact would have to use a pull type or semi-mount but a 50 HP full sized utility tractor could run an 8' fully mounted 3 point unit. If your mowing is pasture clipping several times per year, you may even be able to use a 10' mower, that would have to be a semi-mount or pull type. A pull type cutter is a lot less maneuverable than a fully mounted or semi-mounted cutter, just to warn you.

The market is very screwed up right now but 6 months ago you could have gotten a fairly basic new 50 HP open station MFWD full-sized utility tractor and a loader for right around $30k. The large-framed compacts are noticeably more expensive than a full sized utility tractor. Anything in that size range with a cab will be well over $40k with a loader, and probably closer to $50k. There are still some used tractors in that rough size range out there, most of which are 1960s-1980s 2WD utility tractors with many thousands of hours, but there are some newer machines and ones with MFWD as well. Still, used 50 HP MFWD cabbed tractors with a loader will be at least $40k unless it's very beaten up or has 5000+ hours on it.

Theres actually a lot of goat farmers using round bales, for the same reasons im sure, not having to keep up with throwing square bales out so much. Now what size they do im not sure, they may use any of them. I wouldnt really need to use over a 4x4 or 4x5 right off the bat until i get more land and the herd grows but i want to be able to safely maneuver any size id like.

Now i dont have enough land to benefit from doing my own hay right now but i also dont want to have to go buy another tractor once we do get more land and if i decide to. Between that, bush hogging, the heavy work to be done with clearing out woods on our hilly terrain, gravel, etc. Thats mostly where my 50hp minimum comes from. If i was staying at 14 acres, feeding square bales, and knocking down the grass id of stuck with a mid 30hp just to run a bigger mower.

And thats what confuses me when im searching, the big frame compacts overlapping with smaller utility tractors, i mean i would say it would be better to have a utility tractor, it just doesnt make sense to pay so much more for a compact style tractor of the same power. And every make seems like they have multiple series of tractors in the same hp range so its trying to find out which one is right and should i be paying more for the same hp for some reason.

 

[jmerchant05]

An MX will need 10k trailer minimum

Its a 14k gvwr trailer, that leaves 10-11k lbs payload which should be more than enough

 

[IndyIan]

Theres actually a lot of goat farmers using round bales, for the same reasons im sure, not having to keep up with throwing square bales out so much. Now what size they do im not sure, they may use any of them. I wouldnt really need to use over a 4x4 or 4x5 right off the bat until i get more land and the herd grows but i want to be able to safely maneuver any size id like.

Now i dont have enough land to benefit from doing my own hay right now but i also dont want to have to go buy another tractor once we do get more land and if i decide to. Between that, bush hogging, the heavy work to be done with clearing out woods on our hilly terrain, gravel, etc. Thats mostly where my 50hp minimum comes from. If i was staying at 14 acres, feeding square bales, and knocking down the grass id of stuck with a mid 30hp just to run a bigger mower.

And thats what confuses me when im searching, the big frame compacts overlapping with smaller utility tractors, i mean i would say it would be better to have a utility tractor, it just doesnt make sense to pay so much more for a compact style tractor of the same power. And every make seems like they have multiple series of tractors in the same hp range so its trying to find out which one is right and should i be paying more for the same hp for some reason.

Go drive the bottom end utility tractors and see how you like them, my neighbor has a low end MF one and its nice if you need the hp and pulling power, but without any type of shuttle shift for forward to reverse, its no fun using the loader on it. My tractor will work circles around it for most jobs I do, just not ones that need 50 pto hp. Their tractor is built to be functional, but as simply and cheaply as possible so everything is manually operated (4wd, pto, ranges, fwd, reverse) and ergonomics is something for wimps. Mine has switches for the 4wd, pto, cruise control, and the loader control is on the fender, not on the loader, better suspension seat, all the 3pth hook up aids, rubber floor mat, single ssqa lever, etc.
If I was buying today for a expanding goat farm though, I'd have a hard look at the 60hp hst(or one with a good shuttle shift) tractors as they will run a small round baler in case I get into hay and still be maneuverable enough to clean out the barn yard, or I'd might just keep my current tractor for loader work and buy a big 2wd 60-70hp field tractor if I decide doing hay is profitable. Having two or more tractors is handy anyways.

 

[jmerchant05]

Go drive the bottom end utility tractors and see how you like them, my neighbor has a low end MF one and its nice if you need the hp and pulling power, but without any type of shuttle shift for forward to reverse, its no fun using the loader on it. My tractor will work circles around it for most jobs I do, just not ones that need 50 pto hp. Their tractor is built to be functional, but as simply and cheaply as possible so everything is manually operated (4wd, pto, ranges, fwd, reverse) and ergonomics is something for wimps. Mine has switches for the 4wd, pto, cruise control, and the loader control is on the fender, not on the loader, better suspension seat, all the 3pth hook up aids, rubber floor mat, single ssqa lever, etc.
If I was buying today for a expanding goat farm though, I'd have a hard look at the 60hp hst(or one with a good shuttle shift) tractors as they will run a small round baler in case I get into hay and still be maneuverable enough to clean out the barn yard, or I'd might just keep my current tractor for loader work and buy a big 2wd 60-70hp field tractor if I decide doing hay is profitable. Having two or more tractors is handy anyways.

Yeah the tn75d i worked with was straight shift, using the loader was a task in itself to learn for anything past scooping dirt and dumping it. When i got my rk25 with the hst and loader, oh man the difference lol. But although a luxury id like that is probably out the door to get more power for the same money.

I wound up looking on fastline, tractorhouse and some other website, theres a ton of tym and mahindra in that price range lol, but for that much tractor for that much money id rather go with something i can be more sure of. I did see obviously some mx series in that price, the MF 2606h, mcCormick x1.55, new holland boomer 55 and workmaster 60, ls mt350e, and even the jd 5045e fell in at 35k or under. The lowest being the ls at 24,800. Im not sure which would be the "top rated" option, jd obviously has the name, im just use to NH from petsonal use and my inlaws are ford/nh people, ls is basically the same thing, and not much knowledge of the others.

What i also wonder is how much wiggle room there could be on pricing, i know right now isnt ideal but may if things get better or given ill be paying cash maybe more give than normal.

 

[mo1]

Theres actually a lot of goat farmers using round bales, for the same reasons im sure, not having to keep up with throwing square bales out so much. Now what size they do im not sure, they may use any of them. I wouldnt really need to use over a 4x4 or 4x5 right off the bat until i get more land and the herd grows but i want to be able to safely maneuver any size id like.

Now i dont have enough land to benefit from doing my own hay right now but i also dont want to have to go buy another tractor once we do get more land and if i decide to. Between that, bush hogging, the heavy work to be done with clearing out woods on our hilly terrain, gravel, etc. Thats mostly where my 50hp minimum comes from. If i was staying at 14 acres, feeding square bales, and knocking down the grass id of stuck with a mid 30hp just to run a bigger mower.

And thats what confuses me when im searching, the big frame compacts overlapping with smaller utility tractors, i mean i would say it would be better to have a utility tractor, it just doesnt make sense to pay so much more for a compact style tractor of the same power. And every make seems like they have multiple series of tractors in the same hp range so its trying to find out which one is right and should i be paying more for the same hp for some reason.

A larger compact can handle round bales but getting enough ballast becomes much more important with those versus a utility tractor. My Dad has a 50 HP compact and I have used it to move 800-1000 lb bales. The loader picked them up easily but you could tell there was quite a bit of weight out front compared to me using my 75 HP utility or he using his 83 HP utility handling bales made by that same baler. A compact would not be my choice if I handled hundreds of round bales per year, especially on hills. But a few every now and then it is fine.

70 acres is enough to make haying worthwhile. You won't need to hay all 70 acres for goats though, that would be a couple hundred tons of hay! 14 acres is not though.

I absolutely would recommend a full sized utility tractor if you get the other 56 acres. You would have 70 acres which is plenty of space as well as perhaps wanting to run hay equipment, which is going to be much easier on a utility tractor than a compact. It takes a little experience to feather a clutch to use a loader but if you can feather the gas or brake on your car and not just floor it, you can do this. Personally I dislike the hydraulic reversers' wet clutches as the clutch pedal has zero feel and is nothing more that a switch to tell the computer to dump the clutch.

If you just stick with the 14 acres you have, keep your current tractor and feed small squares.

 

[jmerchant05]

I believe after looking ill be really leaning towards the MF 2606h or 2607h, i cant believe they are at the price points for the amount of tractor you're buying. At about 32-34k i think they may be close enough cash could talk. If not i could be there after another week or 2. Now if tax returns dont come out like im calculating i may still be looking at used but come about February ill be getting something or ordering one way or another.