1.5 acres. Am I nuts for thinking about a tractor?

[bdhsfz6]

I started out on 6 acres using a Kubota B7100 with FEL, backhoe and 60" 3 pt mower. Only 2 acres were maintained with the rest being natural woodland. I found that little 17 HP tractor to be very helpful in maintaining those 2 acres as well as aiding in the construction of my house. I consider it one of the best purchases I've made.

Well, I'm now up to 25+ acres and two Kubota's, a MX5800 and a L6060. My only regret is not buying a larger tractor to begin with. Although the smaller machine did the job, it took far longer.

Regardless of the size of your property, my advice is to get the largest tractor you can afford and properly store. If well maintained, it will hold it's value for many years.

 

[mwayne]

Of course you need a tractor! A person living in an upstairs apartment doesn't need a tractor but you do.

 

[mojojo]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a bit but I've yet to see a use case quite like mine.

We recently bought a large ~1.5 acre property and historic home in a small town center in Maine. Originally a small horse farm, it was at one point extensively landscaped like a park, with lots of garden plots and about 60 old growth maples and while it's not a big property, it's been a fairly high maintenance one for its small size. The whole property is on a gently sloping hillside with about an acre of lawn, which currently takes me about 90+ minutes to mow with a commercial walk behind (there's a ZTR in our near future). On top of that, it had been neglected for a couple of decades when we bought it, and we're in the process of digging it out from the overgrowth and restoring it to its former glory.

We've got a long list of major landscaping projects planned, including building stone stairs and doing a lot of terracing/retaining wall construction to build foundations for an outdoor dining pavilion as well as a workshop/sugar shack/garage for the ZTR. In addition, the 60 maples generate about 20 cubic yards of leaves every year, which has been "fun" to manage and sustains a leaf pile that's about 45'x25'x6' deep. We're also doing the millennial hobby farmer thing and expanding a large vegetable garden and I'm growing a large hobbyist/small commercial scale maple syrup operation.

With the cost of getting any work done these days, I figure I'm easily at $30-40k or more to get all of the outstanding landscaping projects done, and between moving sap barrels around the yard during syrup season, gardening/landscaping odds and ends, and turning over our large compost pile, a loader would be nice to have. Am I crazy for thinking that a tractor more than pays for itself with the landscaping/earthmoving projects and afterwards becomes a useful tool for managing a small but high maintenance property while raising a growing family and often being pressed for time? What size/hp range should I be considering?

The only rear implements I'd likely be running are a box blade, a small rotary cultivator, and probably a wood chipper. I'd like to be able to lift/move ~800lbs for the landscaping projects. I was thinking that a 25hp emissions-exempt compact with loaded tires would be a good place to start. My local dealerships sell Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Massey Ferguson, and Yanmar, and they all seem pretty decent. If I even need a tractor, what should I look for?

Hi,
We live near Spartanburg, SC and own +- 3 acres. About one acre is wooded but we like to keep the rest mowed. We have a lot of landscaping and are always into projects. We bought a TC33D "boomer" (New Holland) 20 years ago and have NEVER regretted it. The only problem I have is I can't keep my husband from buying attachments for it ; ) You are probably right to be thinking 25hp. Best of luck and enjoy your new "toys"!

 

[Hoobie]

Need and want are two different things. If you want it and can afford it go for it.
With a loader you will find more uses for it too.
You can rationalize any decision.

 

[Thomas]

If you should purchase tractor your to do list will be easier also longer.

 

[2manyrocks]

Generally, buying the largest tractor needed to start with is the best $ plan because you don't want to buy too small and then have to buy again. The concern I have is it being 1.3 acres and how much space there will be to operate with the structures and other improvements on the site?

 

[bx2350tim]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a bit but I've yet to see a use case quite like mine.

We recently bought a large ~1.5 acre property and historic home in a small town center in Maine. Originally a small horse farm, it was at one point extensively landscaped like a park, with lots of garden plots and about 60 old growth maples and while it's not a big property, it's been a fairly high maintenance one for its small size. The whole property is on a gently sloping hillside with about an acre of lawn, which currently takes me about 90+ minutes to mow with a commercial walk behind (there's a ZTR in our near future). On top of that, it had been neglected for a couple of decades when we bought it, and we're in the process of digging it out from the overgrowth and restoring it to its former glory.

We've got a long list of major landscaping projects planned, including building stone stairs and doing a lot of terracing/retaining wall construction to build foundations for an outdoor dining pavilion as well as a workshop/sugar shack/garage for the ZTR. In addition, the 60 maples generate about 20 cubic yards of leaves every year, which has been "fun" to manage and sustains a leaf pile that's about 45'x25'x6' deep. We're also doing the millennial hobby farmer thing and expanding a large vegetable garden and I'm growing a large hobbyist/small commercial scale maple syrup operation.

With the cost of getting any work done these days, I figure I'm easily at $30-40k or more to get all of the outstanding landscaping projects done, and between moving sap barrels around the yard during syrup season, gardening/landscaping odds and ends, and turning over our large compost pile, a loader would be nice to have. Am I crazy for thinking that a tractor more than pays for itself with the landscaping/earthmoving projects and afterwards becomes a useful tool for managing a small but high maintenance property while raising a growing family and often being pressed for time? What size/hp range should I be considering?

The only rear implements I'd likely be running are a box blade, a small rotary cultivator, and probably a wood chipper. I'd like to be able to lift/move ~800lbs for the landscaping projects. I was thinking that a 25hp emissions-exempt compact with loaded tires would be a good place to start. My local dealerships sell Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Massey Ferguson, and Yanmar, and they all seem pretty decent. If I even need a tractor, what should I look for?

I have 5 acres and mow/maintain about 2. The other 3 just have some paths cut. I use a small Kubota BX series diesel to mow, do landscape work, clear snow, etc. I can't imagine maintaining my place WITHOUT a small tractor of some sort.

 

[wjeffres]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a bit but I've yet to see a use case quite like mine.

We recently bought a large ~1.5 acre property and historic home in a small town center in Maine. Originally a small horse farm, it was at one point extensively landscaped like a park, with lots of garden plots and about 60 old growth maples and while it's not a big property, it's been a fairly high maintenance one for its small size. The whole property is on a gently sloping hillside with about an acre of lawn, which currently takes me about 90+ minutes to mow with a commercial walk behind (there's a ZTR in our near future). On top of that, it had been neglected for a couple of decades when we bought it, and we're in the process of digging it out from the overgrowth and restoring it to its former glory.

We've got a long list of major landscaping projects planned, including building stone stairs and doing a lot of terracing/retaining wall construction to build foundations for an outdoor dining pavilion as well as a workshop/sugar shack/garage for the ZTR. In addition, the 60 maples generate about 20 cubic yards of leaves every year, which has been "fun" to manage and sustains a leaf pile that's about 45'x25'x6' deep. We're also doing the millennial hobby farmer thing and expanding a large vegetable garden and I'm growing a large hobbyist/small commercial scale maple syrup operation.

With the cost of getting any work done these days, I figure I'm easily at $30-40k or more to get all of the outstanding landscaping projects done, and between moving sap barrels around the yard during syrup season, gardening/landscaping odds and ends, and turning over our large compost pile, a loader would be nice to have. Am I crazy for thinking that a tractor more than pays for itself with the landscaping/earthmoving projects and afterwards becomes a useful tool for managing a small but high maintenance property while raising a growing family and often being pressed for time? What size/hp range should I be considering?

The only rear implements I'd likely be running are a box blade, a small rotary cultivator, and probably a wood chipper. I'd like to be able to lift/move ~800lbs for the landscaping projects. I was thinking that a 25hp emissions-exempt compact with loaded tires would be a good place to start. My local dealerships sell Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Massey Ferguson, and Yanmar, and they all seem pretty decent. If I even need a tractor, what should I look for?

Not going to say about equipment, but how is your health? If older or closer to senior years I pick tractor with FE loader. I had massy to35 for 35 years w/o loader. Had 20 accessories too, but only need mower, loader, roto-tiller snow blower. I'm 64 Now. I have Cerbral palsy from birth but my dad taught how to think, plan, a build or modify equipment for me to use. I do it all again. Welding,lathe,mill work and fabrication. Priceless. Bill Jeffres

 

[pughde]

I have almost 5 acres and use 2 tractors. So, I say go for it. I used the BX2380 for 3-point work and the L4701 has a grapple and back hole.

 

[2506REM]

You need a Kubota L2501 with front end loader, third function kit, quick attach, a set of forklift forks, a grapple, at the least.