Compact right for me? Thinking of a new Deere.

Hi! Looking for advice on a specific model number of a Deere tractor to buy.

So, we live in WV mountains on 40 acres. We致e been here for 7 years, so we have a pretty good idea of what we need a tractor for on our land. We have had a 1947 Ford 8N that has a PTO and three point hitch and has been a PITA to keep running. We farm goats (and chickens, but they don稚 need tractor work) and keep a couple of riding horses. We use square bales, which we purchase, so we don稚 move round bales around.

We are finally ready to buy a new (or used) tractor, and we壇 buy used if we new more about them, but we are thinking of buying new for the sake of the warranty and the service. The ONLY game in town is a Deere dealership. They are 1/2 hour away, and will service what they sell. The next nearest centers are an hour away over mountains and we don稚 have a flat bed trailer that we could use to haul there for repairs. So, it痴 new from the Deere dealership, or used and we are up the creek if it breaks. We are NOT mechanical.

We need a tractor for the following purposes:

1. MOSTLY mowing, which means bushwhacking, the fields (not mowing the back lawn, but knocking down tall grass with a bushwhacking attachment, one of which we own, though itç—´ pretty old). Our fields are HILLY. And, in spring, it can be pretty soggy ground in places.

2. We also seasonally drag some of our fields, spreading the horse manure around.

3. Occasionally, we move heavy loads様ike you壇 use a front loader forå‚*ut thatç—´ not a NEED. We might plow our drive if we had a front loader, but again, weæ±*e semi-retired and work from home, so don稚 NEED to get out in snow storms. I知 thinking we don稚 really need a front loader. We can稚 muck stalls with a tractor, the way weæ±*e set up. (And don稚 need to, with goats, anyways. Theyæ±*e a light load.)

SO: which model Deere is enough for these tasks and the most stable on hills? (I posted two pics of our farm below.)

What's your budget? New could be in the $25K range most likely at a minimum and will go up quickly from there.

MM - the links to the pictures are not working. I would think something in 40 hp range, 4WD and FEL with bucket. I think you may regret not getting a front end loader with the tractor. Mighty handy for a whole range of chores.

I'm also thinking in the 40hp range with a loader..

Yes, get a FEL. It's so useful. Finding one later on is difficult and expensive.

Many dealers will pick up and deliver machines they sold. Usually for free within a certain radius, otherwise there's a charge. Ask the dealer.

If you can change the oil in a vehicle you can do the routine maintenance on a tractor. Some of the parts and quantities are larger but the concepts are the same. You can also rent trailers if you need to. My dealer's 240 miles away. In two years since I bought the tractor I've been there once, to pick up a used backhoe, using a trailer I rented. They delivered the tractor and implements I bought with it for a reasonable charge.

How steep are the places you want to take the tractor? I have very steep land. There's a lot of it that I wont take the tractor on. I avoid side hilling on grades over about 10%. I only go up and down those. There's one road with a roughly 30% section that I have to take in low range. On anything steep I'm in 4wd so there's braking on the front axle. But a modern 4wd CUT will do better on hills than the 8N. Make sure you get the dealer to bolt the adjustable rear wheels in the furthest out position for stability, and consider getting the tires filled with ballast to lower the center of gravity and increase stability.

The general rule of thumb for mowing is 5 hp per foot of mower width. But if you're not mowing thick tall grass you can get by with less.

Hmmm. Was sure hoping for less... what puts me up in the 25K range?

Am I stupid to be thinking only new? I could BARELY buy a used car. With tractors, there are things like “run hours” that I know can be rigged... I dunno. Hard to figure...?

Modern tractors mostly have integrated dash boards, which makes it harder to mess with or replace the hour meter. Also on modern tractors the hour meter measures hours accurately, while on old machines with an engine driven hour meter hours are proportional to engine rpm, and only at pto rpm is an hour on the meter an hour.

You can get a pretty good idea how much and hard a tractor was worked by looking at its condition. It there worn and faded paint? Dents and dings? Rubber on pedals worn? Etc. Go to a dealer and examine new and used machines on their lot and you'll see it.

MountainMomma said:

Hmmm. Was sure hoping for less... what puts me up in the 25K range?

Click to expand...

A new JD. Green paint is expensive.

You might check with that dealer and see if they have a good used machine they'll stand behind.

Pictures... work for me? Dunno... just pics of my hills. Probably not that helpful.

Diggin It said:

A new JD. Green paint is expensive.

You might check with that dealer and see if they have a good used machine they'll stand behind.

Click to expand...

I know. I liked the suggestion above about checking with those dealers over the mountain...

SO: if I go tractor shopping for used/new in other brands, what are the features I’m looking for?

So far I see above: 40 hp (why?), 4 WD, and people are saying “get a FEL.” What are a lot of run hours on a tractor, generally speaking? Like, with cars: 80K on a diesel truck is fine; 80K on a gasser is not as great... any rules of thumb with tractors?

Here are a couple of examples:

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...SA&ST=Virginia&ST=West+Virginia&HP=35&HPTo=40

ericm979 said:

Yes, get a FEL. It's so useful. Finding one later on is difficult and expensive.

Many dealers will pick up and deliver machines they sold. Usually for free within a certain radius, otherwise there's a charge. Ask the dealer.

If you can change the oil in a vehicle you can do the routine maintenance on a tractor. Some of the parts and quantities are larger but the concepts are the same. You can also rent trailers if you need to. My dealer's 240 miles away. In two years since I bought the tractor I've been there once, to pick up a used backhoe, using a trailer I rented. They delivered the tractor and implements I bought with it for a reasonable charge.

How steep are the places you want to take the tractor? I have very steep land. There's a lot of it that I wont take the tractor on. I avoid side hilling on grades over about 10%. I only go up and down those. There's one road with a roughly 30% section that I have to take in low range. On anything steep I'm in 4wd so there's braking on the front axle. But a modern 4wd CUT will do better on hills than the 8N. Make sure you get the dealer to bolt the adjustable rear wheels in the furthest out position for stability, and consider getting the tires filled with ballast to lower the center of gravity and increase stability.

The general rule of thumb for mowing is 5 hp per foot of mower width. But if you're not mowing thick tall grass you can get by with less.

Click to expand...

VERY helpful, thanks! I think our bushwhacker mows a 5 foot swatch. So, that would be a 25 hp machine? I am not sure of the degrees of slope... but given what I see of our neighbors making hay on theirs, we might have 20 of our 40 acres that we could knock down in a given year. We would ideally do that twice a season to keep the grass coming up and the scrub cedars from doing same.

Here’s a local ad for a used tractor:

2008 DEERE 3032e 4x4 WITH LOADER , 300 hours , shed kept . one owner hydrostatic trans , 3pt hitch For $15K. Is that a good price?

Diggin It said:

Here are a couple of examples:

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...SA&ST=Virginia&ST=West+Virginia&HP=35&HPTo=40

Click to expand...

VERY helpful! Thanks!

ericm979 said:

Modern tractors mostly have integrated dash boards, which makes it harder to mess with or replace the hour meter. Also on modern tractors the hour meter measures hours accurately, while on old machines with an engine driven hour meter hours are proportional to engine rpm, and only at pto rpm is an hour on the meter an hour.

You can get a pretty good idea how much and hard a tractor was worked by looking at its condition. It there worn and faded paint? Dents and dings? Rubber on pedals worn? Etc. Go to a dealer and examine new and used machines on their lot and you'll see it.

Click to expand...

HELPFUL, thanks!

How do you rate Kubota and Yanmar brands? Are they worth a look, all features being equal?

Both Kubota and Yanmar are excellent quality. John Deere uses Yanmar Diesel engines.

Take a look at Rural King tractors. Good bang for the buck and they use Yanmar engines just like John Deere. RK Tractors