Do I really need a tractor on 1.5 acres?

[alexpops]

NEED is a relative term. I bought a tractor w/loader after Hurricane Matthew storm clean-up had me assemble two 300ftx4ftx4ft brush piles with nothing more than my PU/ride-on lawnmower/and back (5 acres). Can it be done without a tractor? yes. But it's a LOT easier with a tractor. Makes helping the neighbors with projects easier as well. How much is your time and physical exhaustion worth? Of course, once I found the tractor, I Needed a trailer capable of hauling it from across the country. Once I had the tractor, I found all sorts of projects to use it for (with new attachments) that I never would have thought of doing without the tractor. When the tractor couldn't do something I wanted done, I lucked out and "found" a used mini-excavator that could & paid less than what a backhoe & sub frame would have run new. When the old craftsman ride-on finally got to where I spent as much time fixing it as mowing lawn, I got lucky again and "found" a used ZT that meets my needs better. Of course, to add usability, the tractor "needed" forks/a grapple/trailer mover/a flail mower/PHD/third function switch for the grapple/quick hitch/and a chipper. Tiller/BB/stump grinder/and landscape rake are still on the wish/"looking to find" list. Of course, now I NEED a new Barn/workshop and lift for storing/working on my previous needs, but that's ok ... I have everything I need to build it ... well, maybe I Need a boom lift to install trusses, but I bet it would make tree trimming a heck of a lot easier. The welders (of course) were needed to work on making/fixing what I couldn't find, and of course new tools (and tool boxes to store them in) are aways needed for the jobs I find myself doing. A mill and lathe (together with all the tooling needed for those) are high on my "want" list, and once something breaks & I need to fab up a part that is on national back-order, they will quickly move over to the NEED list. That may in fact require more land to adequately space out the buildings needed for storing/working on things comfortably. Would it be cheaper to hire out/rent when needed ... almost definitely, but self-sufficiency is priceless.

 

[etpm]

Though I live on 10 or 12 acres less than 2 have been cleared. I have a 42 year old Yanmar YM2310 CUT. This tractor has a 23HP diesel engine, or 23HP at the PTO, I'm not sure which. When I bought it a couple years ago it had an aftermarket Front End Loader (FEL) and came with a 4 foot box blade and clamp on forks. I am 66 years old, my back is fusing itself, and I have bad arthritis in both wrists. I also have a Post Hole Digger (PHD) and I bought a Yanmar 5 foot wide tiller after I bought the tractor.

I LOVE the tractor. It gets used way more than I thought it would. I wish it was four wheel drive but I only paid $2500.00 for it so I can't complain. Even though most of my land is woods I constantly find jobs for the tractor. Like moving rocks, which we have plenty of. Or drilling holes with the PHD for planting trees and bushes. In fact, that is why I bought the PHD. Our ground is full of rocks and my wrists are so bad that digging holes is a slow and painful process. But the PHD drills a hole 3 feet deep in less than 2 minutes. I use a 9 inch auger which drills a hole about 11 inches in diameter. All the soil it loosens up makes for a great environment for new plantings. Lots of our soil is almost hardpan and doesn't drain well so breaking it up with the auger and mixing the soil with topsoil works great.

Since my wrists are so bad I can no longer use a typical rototiller, so I bought the used Yanmar one. It does a great job in our rocky soil. I make a pass, rake rocks to the side, make another pass, rake rocks, make another pass, rake and then put all the rocks into the FEL so that I can dump them out of the way.

I also use the tractor to move wood that I have cut up, from trees that have blown down or that we have had cut. The FEL also moves a lot of wind blown small branches to my fire pit. And the list goes on.

So yeah, you probably need a tractor. 4WD. Cat 1 3 point hitch. Don't get something too small.
Eric

 

[alexpops]

Hi everyone, forum newbie here. Recently I moved to a new property, much bigger than my last. However after seeing our neighbors down the street playing with their bx, I'm questioning if we need one (a subcompact)


We're only on 1.5 acres, it's mostly flat. There are some big dips and ruts down the rear end of the property, but nothing extrodinary. We do have a large garden just above that, and a rocky driveway that I'm considering levelling.

We do use a cub cadet xt2 46in, and this is more than adequate for mowing. However I've found it hard to turn with (seriously who in their right mind decided permanent difflock is good for a lawn mower???) And during the rainy season often times the mower will get stuck,or slide around tearing up the grass. Or most likely just bog down due to the water. Meaning mowing is a chore that will take 2+ hours


I'm planning to start a 120M x 20M garden, however this all clay soil so it's necessary to use a large tiller, of which is extremely expensive.


Preferably something to mow with during the wet, so 4wd is very much preffered.

And planning to modify the garden bed/generally move dirt ect.

I'm thinking of a sub compact but would this be the best choice? I have a Massey furgeson gc1705 with a midmount in mind, that's at a very nice price,and a loader is the cost of a new mower. Therefore I'll end up buying the loader for certain with the machine, and thankfully they are cross compatible.or should I just save my money and rent one when necessary? Hopefully with the tractor I'll sell the lawn mower, but I'm not certain yet

Since I'm not in the market currently, I'm not sure of "used" tractor pricing these days, (or your mechanical skills). In the past, I was able to buy at auction with enough of a discount to more than justify getting more machine/implements even if I had to do some repairs. If the economy takes a nose dive, AND, you can wait without impacting your plans, you may see decent auction pricing coming back in the latter part of the year. Interest rates should keep rising, inflation will impact people's discretionary income, so you may be in a position to find a better fit cheaper later (assuming you have cash). If you need to finance, or need a warranty to handle repairs/maintenance, however, a good dealer and manufacturer incentives are hard to beat. My biggest concern with the 1705 would be the hydraulics (6.3 gpm total flow) and the pto drain of the hydrostatic transmission (18.7 HP at PTO claimed). Only you know if these will be enough to do what you want, for me (knowing how easy it is to want to do MORE) I'd be concerned about breaking stuff because I always would exceed the design specs.

TractorData.com Massey Ferguson GC1705 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

 

[Thomas]

Your bones and muscles will be thanking you in years to come.

 

[GeneV]

Hi everyone, forum newbie here. Recently I moved to a new property, much bigger than my last. However after seeing our neighbors down the street playing with their bx, I'm questioning if we need one (a subcompact)


We're only on 1.5 acres, it's mostly flat. There are some big dips and ruts down the rear end of the property, but nothing extrodinary. We do have a large garden just above that, and a rocky driveway that I'm considering levelling.

We do use a cub cadet xt2 46in, and this is more than adequate for mowing. However I've found it hard to turn with (seriously who in their right mind decided permanent difflock is good for a lawn mower???) And during the rainy season often times the mower will get stuck,or slide around tearing up the grass. Or most likely just bog down due to the water. Meaning mowing is a chore that will take 2+ hours


I'm planning to start a 120M x 20M garden, however this all clay soil so it's necessary to use a large tiller, of which is extremely expensive.


Preferably something to mow with during the wet, so 4wd is very much preffered.

And planning to modify the garden bed/generally move dirt ect.

I'm thinking of a sub compact but would this be the best choice? I have a Massey furgeson gc1705 with a midmount in mind, that's at a very nice price,and a loader is the cost of a new mower. Therefore I'll end up buying the loader for certain with the machine, and thankfully they are cross compatible.or should I just save my money and rent one when necessary? Hopefully with the tractor I'll sell the lawn mower, but I'm not certain yet

Edit: forget you.

 

[ning]

Most of what I use my tractor on is one acre.... though it's not a contiguous acre

 

[BX23S-1]

I don`t have much land, 1/2 of the property is all woods, other 1/2 of the property we mow, but after buying our BX23s, you will never believe how much harder life would be, without it. You will find so many more uses for a tractor after owning one for awhile. I can`t even imagine living without my BX today. I think the most handy attachment we bought for ours, is the pallet forks. No more heavy lifting for this guy! I even use our pallet forks to raise most of all of our tractor implements up in the air to power wash them. Like i said, you will find so many different things you can use a tractor for that WILL make YOUR life easier. Just make sure you buy more tractor than you really need, so that you won`t be sorry later. Buy once cry once. Then start having fun!

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Mid mount mowers are a headache. I have a [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] GR2120 diesel lawn tractor that does a decent job of cutting - the deck hangs from the tractor so it can't match the quality of a good RFM or the old WheelHorse we had here, but the 54 inch mid mount deck is extremely heavy to remove and work on. The machine is a joy when it works as far as cutting because it's fast and has all wheel drive - much easier on grass than 4 wheel drive because it disengages when you make turns, and it can turn nearly zero degrees. BUT there are downsides besides the heaviness of the deck, and I've had a lot of problems with the gear box the drive shafts and other items on the machine. It's MUCH safer on slopes than my old New Holland TC26DA, which was the smallest frame SCUT, just a little bigger than the SCUTS like the BXs.
There is no simple solution to it all, really. I sincerely do wish they still made the WheelHorse tractors which were built like tanks, and though no power steering and no front wheel drive, I'd take them over any lawn or garden tractor available today. If you have an orchard, as we do, cutting under fruit trees is a nightmare with any Hydro lawn tractor (forget even SCUTs) and one of the reasons I bought the [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] was that the Deere tractors were a little bit higher. The Wheehorse 8 speed sat several inches lower than the [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] and even without the tight steering or power steering was far better under the dozen or so semi-dwarf trees we have.
So, to get decent safety on slopes you need either something like the GR2120, or a larger tractor (SCUT) with a wider stance. But then you have more weight, and using a RFM has plenty of issues as well.
Long story short, if you can get by with one of the less expensive zero turns for mowing, get a small compact, something like the [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] B2601 or whatever is in that size now, and forget about mowing with it if you're only cutting an acre or two. That's my suggestion, but there are variables. For example, if your lawn is fairly smooth, even with hills, a hanging deck will cut pretty well, better than here with our irregular surfaces that scream for a mower that sits on the ground like the Wheelhorse or the RFM do. I have seriously considered a walk behind to cut the 5 or 6 acres I do, but have far too much invested in the GR to even think about it. I really do wish they made a quality GEAR lawn or garden tractor that sits low to the ground, but the only gear machines are the cheapest ones now, and they'd fall apart here inside of 2 years. If you have to mow with a tractor, consider an RFM, and be ready to do some extra string trimming.
Most importantly, no matter what tractor you buy, your dealer will recommend you buy it with a loader. That might be the best advice he ever gives you.

 

[tacticalturnip]

If you can remotely justify a tractor, you'll never regret purchasing one.

 

[shouldibuy]

I live on 3 acres but mow about the same amount as you. If all you will use it for I’d say maybe. If you will use it for other things, for sure yes. For example I use mine for handling fire wood, gravel, dirt, landscaping and other tasks. I had a [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] BX for 10 years and now a John Deere 2025r. I look at it as a long term investment you won’t regret.

That's what I'm thinking, and with my parents both rapidly pushing 70+, it would have useful if they ever needed help with something

And from what I've seen, they really don't devalue as much as something like a car would. It's surprising how well they hold value

 

[shouldibuy]

OP, sounds like you have enough uses to justify a sub-compact tractor purchase. And, you’re already heading in the right direction, the MF GC1705 is a fantastic tractor. However, I’d go with the GC1723.

Mike

Haha I certainly looked at the GC23s they're actually what caused me to begin looking at Massey's. However my wife would be just mildly angry if I decided to come home with 30'000 less than I left with

 

[JasperFrank]

No. You do not.

 

[BX23S-1]

No. You do not.

Says whooooo.....

 

[elias2]

You don't need a new tractor, but a used one in good condition wouldn't be a bad idea in my opinion

 

[shouldibuy]

You don't need a new tractor, but a used one in good condition wouldn't be a bad idea in my opinion

Oh yeah no way I'm buying new lol, with prices nearing 30K it's not feasible, but I can get the same setup used for 60~% so I'm definitely going with that

 

[GeneV]

Me personally, it's a pet peeve of mine when somebody comes here asking questions, with some of us spending some time answering in detail...and for that not even a hey thanks for that post or whatever.

 

[Fixastuff]

No.

 

[shouldibuy]

Me personally, it's a pet peeve of mine when somebody comes here asking questions, with some of us spending some time answering in detail...and for that not even a hey thanks for that post or whatever.

My friend I have a wife and kids, aswell as a full time job and still settling into our house. I personally did not expect this thread to get this large, nore do I know how to write thoughtful replies to every single person without repeating myself. I am sorry for not personally responding to you, but believe me I'm doing as much as I can with the limited free time I have

 

[2manyrocks]

A tractor isn't the ideal lawn mower, but tractors can do work that lawn mowers and zero turns can't. The cost of a lawn mower or a zero turn would be a substantial down payment towards a small tractor with a diesel engine. If maintained property, a good tractor is going to last a very long time.

 

[ljjhouser]

Don't know if it is necessary. But if it is not a financial drain, then yes. If you decide no, then how do you manage a 120 m x 20 m garden? Or road work on a gravel driveway? The question is not how bad you need it or how much will it be used, but how will you manage those jobs without it.

I live in the Ozark Mtns. - Near Branson Mo. It is rocky and nothing much is level. Not a good place for any tractor. EVERY year, I would buy 40 tons (two loads) of rock. Then shovel it into 5 gal buckets and load them on a trailer. Then take them up the road and repair the road. In 2017, a friend came over and helped after a washout. Took 2 weeks of shoveling. The next week, it rained 4 inches - washed out.

That year I was 73 years old. I had to end the shoveling. It was too much. I looked at tractors and finally bought one.

Since that time - 5 years ago, I have bought only one load of rock and the road does not washout. I can do any road repair in about an hour.
Do I use it all the time? NO. Can I do without it? NO Was it the right thing to do? Absolutely

It cost me 30K for the purchase. When I re-purchased the insurance, it was appraised at 29K after 5 years. I follow the Maintenace schedule and the oil and filters do cost, but not much over 5 years. I have 350 hours on it. Our road is about 700' and 104' vertical from beginning to end.

Those are decisions you will have to make.