Buying Advice 1st Tractor: New land, building, growing and boulders

[BeardedJoe]

Like a lot of people that end up here, I'm new to tractors. But I'm buying a decent plot of land where I can see the chore list growing pretty quick over the years. I've read every related thread, now I'm looking at specifics to pull the trigger on a new machine month or so. I think I've included every drop of info that seems helpful.

The land:
Rural Southern California. Because of it's local topography, it's not as desert-like in this canyon as you'd think.
27 acres total but about half is rocky hills that you can ignore. the rest is gentle rolling.
Let's say I'll be managing the 10 gentlest,greenest acres that includes a tree-lined, deep seasonal stream
A short, dirt, poorly maintained driveway is in
There's a few pieces of old barn, a small tiny, old concrete footing
Otherwise, totally raw. The soil in the "meadow" is soft but pretty dark.

The tasks:
-First 12-18 months will just be weekends doing small projects and prepping soils. Then we'll be building and moving out full time and doing bigger projects like garden/small farm. Ultimately we'll be mostly off grid. Well, septic, solar (maybe pay for grid to my future shop/garage)
-500' dirt driveway is in bad shape, it'll need some work, then getting it to gravel and maintenance
-Putting in some basic, rough grades for a cargo container, camper, shed etc (when we build, I'll contract or rent to have proper pads)
-Going to planting a good 50+ trees
-Boulders, lots of them. From 1' to car sized. Granite. The more I can move, the better. I expect even the good soiled to have some surprises
-Brush hogging paths, maybe a small 1/2acre or less of "lawn"
-I'll need to clear brush from a stream/wash bed that's tree lined
-The main meadow is really bumpy - varies 1' easy. Want to leave that out
-Ultimately planting at least 1-2 acres, vegetables, fruit trees. No immediate plans for hay
-Animals are years out

My personality:
I'm ok if something is a bit slow - I've got patience and more time than money. But I hate having to schedule projects around deliveries etc. I'm ok with a learning curve for repairs and operation/technique. I've taught myself to work on both my 1974 VW and my 2005 Wrangler. While I don't have experience maintaining hydraulics, I think I can learn. I'd rather do minor work myself than haul the beast to a dealer for every hiccup.

I'm definitely on board with "the biggest you can afford", but I really don't think I want to go more than 25k-ish new and probably less than half that used/cash (too many things to spend money on right now). I've got a small Mahindra dealer about 45 minutes away, and a bigger one about 2.5 hours away. A couple Kubota/Deere dealers inside an hour. I haven't called around yet, but online it looks like there are a few local places to rent both equipment and implements. I'll plan to fill tires no matter what. 4WD is non-negotiable. HST sounds nice, but I've driven roughly geared cars and could patiently learn tractor gears. Don't know about the wife though.

Given the work, should I prioritize a backhoe? Budget wise, it probably means dropping down a size. Should I be considering older workhorses or will they just be a drain on repairs/maintenance? Seem some good deals on late 90s utility tractors. Seems I could get up toward 50hp in a Ford or even Kubota with a beefy loader for 10k or less. Might be more affordable to get an older model with a backhoe as well.

On the new side, I'm leaning toward Mahindra. At any given price point/hp, their loaders seem to have a bit higher capacity than the Kubotas. Mahindra I'm looking at a 3616 4WD HST FEL (dealer advertises $20k with a couple implements), same package 4010 advertised at $23,500. The 3535 doesn't seem common, but the FEL capacity 2400#. That'ss 400# more than the 4010 and almost #800 more than the 3616. If I go with a backhoe on a new unit, I'd probably be limited to the 3016 pricewise.

Kubota seems like a good fit, but man, in a similar price point, the 3350 just doesn't seem as beefy in any specs. Smaller op weight, smaller load capacity, few hp at the pro, etc.

So, what do you think? Should I make sure to get a backhoe with all those rocks, boulders and tree plantings? Or should I just rent a mini-excavator and focus on the tractor itself? Are my rough grading plans a pipe dream for a tractor this size? And will something in the 28hp range do the rough grading and FEL work, or should I make sure I'm in the mid thirties?

I'm waiting to head to dealers and to get my butt in the seat until I narrow down some of these question. Want to be informed.

I've already gleaned a ton of info from the postings here. So thanks to all the past commenters!

 

[TJP89]

BeardedJoe

I think a 30 to 35 HP tractor would be fine for you, as well as easily in the budget. A backhoe I think would not be necessary, as only the boulders strike me as something you would use it on. Even then, big boulders are tough with a tractor mounted backhoe. I would use a loader and grapple to handle those. Grading is straight forward with 35HP. Mowing is fine too, although I would get cheap riding mower for your lawn and only use the tractor for rough cutting. You could run decent planting and tilling implements with 35 HP too. To sum it up, In your case I would look at 35HP, loader w/ third function and grapple, and a box blade or grader. Mower and tiller could be added later. A grapple could be unnecessary, but would save you a lot of hand work. The few things that setup couldn't handle you could rent for.

With your budget, I think new is better than used. You can everything you need new, so no real need to go used.

In terms of Brand, you have options. As you've seen, John Deere and Kubota have two series, base and deluxe. Deluxe is out of your range (and mine). I'm not impressed at all with the JD 3XXXE series, but some swear by them. The Kubota LXX00 series are a solid, no frills basic tractor, worth a look. Massey Ferguson I found to be too expensive period. Case/IH makes a nice series of tractors, B and C, that are nicely featured and don't seem to highly priced. New Holland I really know nothing about, same goes for TYM. LS makes some very nice tractors, that are both nicely featured and have very good capacities, at a low price point. Mahindra you have explored, I think you're on the right track there. Kioti is what I've found the best value in. Their CK series is a basic tractor with some little niceties at a low price.

Some of these brands may not have dealers in your area. Look at every option around. Drive every tractor you consider, ergonomics will make you love or hate your tractor. Take your time and don't rush.

 

[TSO]

Congrats on the property and on your upcoming tractor purchase.

Ok, be aware that boulders are deceivingly heavy due to their density... If you plan on moving them around with a loader (I'm talking 3' size +), you'll probably need a loader that mates up with a 40-50+ HP machine.

Or, a more commercial grade unit like a Kubota L35. I think, since you aren't looking for a cab, that a dedicated TLB (Tractor-Loader-Backhoe) would be a good fit. The backhoe can be removed fairly easily and a 3pt & PTO are present for use.

With the backhoe off, it will be like any other tractor, it's just built heavier and offers more capabilities and likely longer life. That might work for you since you like maintaining your own equipment.

 

[varmint]

I'm finding these "new- what should I buy" threads are great reading. Deep discussion now can save a lot of remorse later, but then again, if you buy something in good shape that's used, for a fair price, you should be able to later sell it and recover your investment. At least that's been my experience. Buy new, and you will take a hit if you resell in a year or two, after you've gotten some experience and have a more informed idea about what you do want and do not need.

 

[ultrarunner]

Often it seems to be a two part question...

What do I need for initial property work and what do I need for ongoing maintenance.

I've owned my BX23 for 10 years and if I only had one tractor for maintaining my property... this is the one I would keep... I like it that much.

For initial work I bought a CAT D3 and later sold it when I ran out of work... I would do it again.

Also have a Deere 110 and my brother and I have a Deere 350C and L3800 out at his place... all have earned their keep... we've talked about maybe selling the 350c later... even with 65 acres it doesn't take long to run out of Dozer work.

Buying new with a warranty provides piece of mind and not a bad way to go... Kubota and others have special financing and we were able to buy the L3800 as a harvest return with 100 hours and full Kubota warranty...

Dave in northern CA sells a lot of Mahindra and has built a nice business with a good following because he takes care of his customers...

Having a good Dealer that will be there for you should not be underestimated...

 

[davrow]

Big question... do you intend to have fun on your tractor, or are you going to consider it work?

If fun, you can easily get by with a smaller tractor - if work, you need to concentrate on the biggest you can afford while leaving budget money for renting and contracting services out.

I 'just had to have' a backhoe. New that means 7 grand, which knocked me down 1 or 2 tractor sizes.

I have a CK27 open station and think for that much acreage you need at least 35HP (not for the horsepower, but because of the size that HP generally represents). Personally, I wanted a Kioti DK45 with a cab. Budget determined what I could actually have.

Oh, and we went new, both for the warranty and because I figure as it ages things will go wrong one at a time giving me time to learn how to fix them. Buying used you might face several simultaneous problems and the symptoms might mask each other.

 

[oosik]

I have moved boulders with my tractor & grapple. Be advised - there will ALWAYS be a boulder or two that are too big. There are just some jobs that a tractor is not designed to handle. I would look at your list and determine those tasks that you can/want to do and those best contracted out. One time jobs - driveway construction, digging a foundation etc, etc probably are best contracted out. I would definitely contract out any backhoe work. I see very few homeowners that need/use a backhoe on an ongoing basis and a backhoe implement would be a MAJOR investment. There will be many other implements that you will use much more frequently.

I would suggest buying new - 35-45hp and with FEL and box blade to start with. Time will dictate any additional implements.

 

[varmint]

Maybe I've been lucky, but in 15 years of messing with tractors, I have never had a problem with a used tractor that I couldn't fix myself, and those were minor. IMHO the money buys a lot more in the way of used machine/implements, and if a problem then crops up, you pay to fix it. But problems are few and far between based on what I have seen.

 

[kevin37b]

I would suggest a contractor with a trackhoe and dozer for the initial phase , road , boulders , clearing . You are going to kill a small tractor attempting this . A backhoe for these tractors is a 5000.00 attachment . A respectable contractor ought to work a week for that money , and get much more done . Just a thought , Kevin .

 

[BeardedJoe]

Wow, great replies in just a day. Thanks everyone.

davrow, your point about fun vs work is well taken. Not gonna lie. I was once a little boy too, and owning a backhoe OF COURSE sounds pretty great. But the reality is I need to be practical and get my work done (and getting a big stinkin' tractor isn't too bad). Based on everyone's response, I think I'm dropping the idea of a backhoe in favor of more actual tractor. Stay up above that 30hp cut off.

Was thinking last night that I could even use the biggest auger bit 12"+ I can run on a post hole digger to help with planting younger trees if I have a lot of them. Might take some fiddling, but fiddling with an implement for <$1k is more my speed than the extra $7k on a BH. One thing I'm learning from these forums and watching youtube etc: There's always a great tool that will make a job easy for $$$, but you might have another tool that will get it done for $. And to those who said get a contractor instead of beating on the tractor for big work: Fair point. One BH attachment is the price of a LOT of dirt work.

I think I'm at minimum of something like the Mahindra 3616. Maybe look for good deals on the entry L series Kubotas. It's easier to investigate at a dealer, so I'll probably do that before seeing what I really like and if I can find something competitive used. Interesting the difference between "got new so it wouldn't break while learning" and "got used and put the extra money toward cheap repairs and then projects". Not sure which side of that I'll land on. I can only see myself wanting bigger down the line and with not much more budget. May do new now, figuring I can go big and used when I've got my hands dirty.