16 acres and a hobby farm what tractor?

[sea2summit]

Agree. You’ve listed what he needs to look for. Minimum a Kubota MX or equivalent tractors in other colors.

I'd be scared poopless to carry around a 2k lbs bale on the FEL of my MX.

 

[jeff9366]

1) I was looking at the Kubota L tractors. L39 or L4701.

2) Mowing thick heavy grass with a bush hog is how I spend the most tractor time. The b2650 feels under powered seeing as to i only mow around the field once or twice a year along the fence line.

3) The Kubota takes a beating on my ruff yard.

1) L3901 and L4701 are too light and too narrow to SAFELY move round hay bales with the FEL. You cannot enjoy your tractor if you are dead.

Few here would recommend a tractor of L3901 weight, 2,700 bare weight pounds, for working more than ten acres of flat ground.

2) Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog Considerations for Compact Tractors

3) I have a rough forty acre field.........

T-B-N ARCHIVE: smoothing a sloped field site:tractorbynet.com

Sometimes I feel a tractor is the wrong tool for the job.

Plowing and smoothing fields are what tractors are designed to do. Operating experience is important too.

1. Mow field as short as possible. Scalp.

2. When soil is moist, use a Tandem Disc Harrow with 22" diameter pans, 72" wide, set aggressively, to till soil to the bottom of ruts/holes. Repeat in different directions at least twice.

3. Adjust Disc Harrow to less aggressive set. Till once.

4. Adjust Disc Harrow to less aggressive set. Till one or two final times.

5. Drag if you want the field smoother. I recommend a Chain Harrow to drag 40 acres, not an improvised drag.

Grass may regenerate. You may need to overseed.

ADJUSTING Three Point Hitch Mounted TANDEM DISC HARROWS

If you are considering the acquisition of a Disc Harrow, first read this LINK covering Disc Harrow selection: LINK: Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b) The Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrow is a secondary tillage implement. The Disc Harrow is a...

www.tractorbynet.com

Chain Harrow videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tractor+TPH+Chain+Harrow

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR​

 

[jyoutz]

I'd be scared poopless to carry around a 2k lbs bale on the FEL of my MX.

I would do it with the quick attach bale spear (not a bucket mounted spear) and carrying low with good rear ballast. I wouldn’t want to stack those bales with my MX.

 

[sea2summit]

I would do it with the quick attach bale spear (not a bucket mounted spear) and carrying low with good rear ballast. I wouldn’t want to stack those bales with my MX.

Bet it wouldn't even pick up a 2K bale on a bucket spear....now I've got to nerd out and figure out how much that would be equivalent to at the pins

ETA, wont do it. Lift capacity at 500mm forward is only advertised at 1,691 lbs so no math required.

 

[jyoutz]

Bet it wouldn't even pick up a 2K bale on a bucket spear....now I've got to nerd out and figure out how much that would be equivalent to at the pins

I can pick up a 2k pallet with my SSQA forks. I carry low and don’t lift it 9’ high.

 

[jeff9366]

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor capability is more closely correlated to tractor weight than any other single specification.

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

When considering a tractor purchase bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width third, rear wheel/tire ballast fourth.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after eight years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors and qualified to perform their own maintenance.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​

 

[shooterdon]

Before spending a lot of money, get a handle on the weight. I do not know anything about bales, but Google is not coming up with 2000lbs.

Also, are you just moving or stacking as well?

 

[3gunr]

Rear finish mower is the worst attachment I ever spent money on, should have just gotten a zero turn.

If you're serous about an L47 I'd look hard at the MX, way more capability/capacity for not much more money.

I have used a rear finish mower for 25 yrs. Works great unless you have to mow around lots of trees. I now use a zt at my home but i still use the rear mower at my farm.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'd be scared poopless to carry around a 2k lbs bale on the FEL of my MX.

Also noteworthy that very seldom would a 5’ round bale weigh 2000lbs. Never seen anything close to that.
It would have to be soaking wet to weigh 2000lbs.
Ive made about 20,000 super dense 4x5’s in the last 10 years and they were about 950-1050lbs average. Even if it was a 5x5 round bale, it might weigh 1300.

2000 lbs is what my dense 4x4x8 square bales weigh.
If your loader can pick up 1200-1500 lbs, you’ll be fine moving any dry 4x5 bale and almost any dry 5x5 bale.

 

[jyoutz]

Also noteworthy that very seldom would a 5’ round bale weigh 2000lbs. Never seen anything close to that.
It would have to be soaking wet to weigh 2000lbs.
Ive made about 20,000 super dense 4x5’s in the last 10 years and they were about 950-1050lbs average. Even if it was a 5x5 round bale, it might weigh 1300.

2000 lbs is what my dense 4x4x8 square bales weigh.
If your loader can pick up 1200-1500 lbs, you’ll be fine moving any dry 4x5 bale and almost any dry 5x5 bale.

A lot depends on whether we are talking about grass or alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is going to be a lot heavier in the same bale size.