12 acres tractor sizing

[SOS]

I bought a NH 45-A this year for 13 acres and I don't consider it to big. I move a lot of wood and dirt around and do heck of a lot of wood chipping and don't worry about not enough power. I propbably could have went with a 40 HP but I see me working my 75% wooded lot for quite a few years and did not want to limit what I could do -- the power makes up for my lack of skills .

I looked at the 4400 and liked it but went with NH (dealer, options and ergonomic).

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

I use a NH 7610s ( ~90pto hp ) on 13 ac... not too big for what i use it for...(mowing).

Soundguy

 

[Builder]

Buy a decent used 40-45 HP with a 6'-7' bushog for the big stuff and a new or clean used garden/lawn tractor with a 60" + deck for the 3 acres of fine grass.

It'll be cheaper than one swiss army knife new tractor that's too big/heavy for the fine lawn.

 

[canoetrpr]

Another tractor to consider is the L3400. Great tractor for the price. I pull a 5 ft Woods BB60 cause thats what the dealer said it would be able to handle - he was dead wrong. Should have gone with the recommendations on TBN. The 6 ft would have been just fine.

I've got 14 acres of pasture and the L3400 is a great all round machine.

To me the only reason to not get a L4400 is lack of HST. I LOVE the HST but if you don't care for it the L4400 is a super tractor for not much more than the L3400.

The Grand Ls are al so great machines.

For the lawn, I would get a dedicated machine like a ZTR or a lawn tractor. I have a 1.5 acre lawn and got a Husky 15hp lawn tractor. Does a great job. I would have struggled with a larger tractor and a MMM would have cost more than the Husky.

Some other things to bear in mind:
- Get remotes and a hydraulic top link installed out the door.
- Consider getting tires loaded (if you are are going to go with a separate machine for the lawn).
- If you get one of the basic models like the L3400 get a toolbox put on (or plan to put one on yourself).
- Get chain hooks welded onto the loader.
- Get a toothbar put on the loader.
- If there are a few implements that you think you will need, consider getting them upfront with the machine.

This stuff is easier to negotiate into the deal (and to swallow the bitter $$ on) when you are making the purchase than it is to get done after.

I don't think you will regret buying bigger but I think that a L3400 will do you well for your needs. You can save some money and buy implements and that ZTR.

 

[scott_vt]

For the lawn, I would get a dedicated machine like a ZTR or a lawn tractor. I have a 1.5 acre lawn and got a Husky 15hp lawn tractor. Does a great job. I

I don't think you will regret buying bigger but I think that a L3400 will do you well for your needs. You can save some money and buy implements and that ZTR.

Afternoon canoetrpr,
Agreed ! I was going to get a 6 ft finish mower for the tractor, and last minute changed my mind and bought a small 42" Toro ZTR for the acre or acre and a half of lawn around the house ! I change implements often enough now ! I liked the idea of a dedicated mowin machine !

 

[JJester]

Have a similar situation as the OP, only with 18 acres of brush and a good number of tree and bushes we want to keep.

The largest DR Field and Brush mower works well for the initial clearing. In our case, we have to stop regularly to pull out a buried cinder block or piece of metal.

Once we have it cleared, we have a 60" front mower and a tractor with a 60" belly mower that do a good job of keeping it clear.

 

[Stampeder]

I agree with Builder.
I have 15.5 acres with about 1.5 in lawn. Out here in East Texas is gets pretty hot so I bought a 50 HP cab tractor complete with FEL. I also bought a JD LA190 with a 54inch mower deck for the lawn. The two are a great combination. I mow the fields with a 5 foot King Kutter and also borrow my neighbours 7 foot shredder for some of the other field mowing. I have a grapple on my loader as well I bought a set of pallet forks. I listened to the guys on this forum who recommended these and I have been delighted with the results.
When I come home from the hardware stores or local lumber yard, I never hand unload. I usually have the stuff I bought loaded onto pallets. Last unload was 15 only 50 lb bags of readi-mix concrete. My back is very thankful I didn't have to unload by hand.
One of the fellows that advised me on the forum said get the biggest hp tractor you can afford and he was right. You won't regret it.

Good luck and have fun with your toys.....er farm implements.

 

[JLudwig]

Just to update - placed an order today for a JD3520, should be here in a few weeks. In the end, it came down to a decision (almost a coin flip) between the GrandL3540 and the JD3520.

Thanks for the help everyone, I'm sure you'll hear from me again....

Jeff

 

[IslandTractor]

Rule of thumb - pick the biggest you think you'll need, then buy the next one bigger.

.....

The only downside of a bigger machine is manuverability, but if you're primarily maintaing fields, that won't be a concern.

JayC

I don't agree. The other downsides to consider with bigger tractors are extra weight (not good for an application that is primarily mowing), extra fuel use, extra maintenance costs (more oil/hydro etc), bigger storage space needed and of course somewhat higher initial costs of the tractor and the upsized implements necessary to take advantage of that tractor.

Spend some time balancing your maximum need with your routine need for hp and be williing to compromise. Buy a machine and implements that do 80-90% of what you need done easily but are capable of getting the other 10-20% done if a little more slowly than ideal and I think you'll be happier overall.

 

[Soundguy]

My 15' batwing actually takes up slightly less 'footprint' area than my 10' fixed 3pt mower.. (wink ).. course it cheats by keeping 10' up in the air when not in use...

Soundguy

bigger storage space needed .