2-wheeled or compact tractor?

[wyndsurfr]

Too old for a tractor would be (for me) parts availability... There are some parts for my 1960 model massey 65 that I just can't get, they aren't commonly broken parts though... It really pays to do some research as some tractors are super expensive to fix and some are cheap, I have no clue why... I can say that this old antique of mine is the finest machine I've ever been on, and while I haven't owned as many tractors as some, I have been through quite a few of them... The Kubota however does NOT have a live PTO, it turns of when the clutch is pressed in (single stage clutch instead of double stage clutch), ideally I would want it spinning while I change from forwards to reverse but it's not too big of a deal.

We're pretty broke, definitely at or below national poverty level so I fully understand what you mean by being on a budget, if you can find one tractor to do it all, the only advice I'll give you is pay particular attention to fuel consumption, that really will matter with the kind of mowing you're doing. The only reason I said to start with the smaller one first is any implements you buy can then be used by the larger tractor, but not the other way around. Some of the implements for my massey, the kubota can't even move from one side of the yard to the other haha... Again though, your piece of ground will be different than mine so, it may have different needs. If you really care about a pretty yard, then tires make a difference, industrial tires aren't bad on a yard, but AG tires are, however... even a 4x4 with industrial tires won't do what a 2 wheel drive wearing ag tires can do... haha, always have to give something up to gain something else... I'd say buy something that is a good deal, and then guage your needs off of that, 2 tractors might sound silly and I would have argued against it forever, till I actually owned two and saw the plus side... Kinda like having a little gas saver car to do all your running around in, but you still have to have a big truck to do the serious farm work with.

 

[farmerboybill]

Considering the amount of acres, if you're on a budget, buy a ride-on tractor now. Once you've absorbed the cost of that machine, look into buying a good two wheel machine later. On smaller acreage, you can do it all with a two wheel tractor, but 10 is getting past the limit for getting stuff done in a reasonable amount of time. A walk-behind will far outperform an ride-on tractor when it comes to lower fuel consumption and maneuverability, but the ride-on will leave the walk-behind in the dust if the areas are open and maneuverability isn't an issue.


I'd avoid tractors like the 9n, though. They may have been good or great in the 40's, but they're poor at best by today's standards. Best left to collectors. Live PTO is a must for both convenience and safety. The 9ns have a transmission driven PTO. That means that the mower can continue to drive you forward with the inertia built into the spinning blade, even with the clutch disengaged. people have been pushed through fences, into ponds, over ditches by this. an overrunning clutch can be installed between the machine and the tractor, but that's a poor substitute for live PTO. (I wish there was an affordable way to have live PTO on the Grillos)

Hydraulic capacity is very important if using a loader. I have a late 1970's 2040 with a loader on it, and it's painfully slow. Neighbor has an early 70's Ford 5000 that he bought a loader for. Inside of a year, he took it back off and traded it for a loader for his 4240. Now we're both "big" farmers and demand a lot out of our tractors, so maybe you'd be happy with something considerably slower, but 9n's were glorified scoop shovels and I don't think many of them even had a hydraulic bucket (you pulled a lever to "trip" them). In fact, most 9ns have a separate hydraulic pump off the front of the engine because thier internal hydraulics were just inadequate.

What I'm saying is you can do a lot better for not a lot more money than a 9n. Like a Ford 2110 on Madison CL for $4000 Live PTO, rops, reasonable hydraulic capacity, DIESEL for about $1500 more than a 9n. No, it's not my tractor nor do I know the seller... Ford 2110 Diesel tractor

 

[Flatlandfarmer]

My thinking is, I'll keep my eyes open for a small tractor circa late 1970s to mid 1980s, live PTO, etc. Since that won't mow flush with the fences, I'll need to get either a walk-behind or at least a good trimmer (or a scythe!) to keep the edges mowed. But the 4 wheeled tractor will have enough HP to work soil without being overwhelmed, it'll handle most of the grass in wide swaths, and be flexible enough to do things I haven't had the foresight or experience to think of yet.

 

[wyndsurfr]

you can push a 3 point implement over to one side to get up flush to your fences You can't move them over a bunch, but putting the u-joints on the pto shaft at a little bit of an angle is just fine.

You'll really enjoy your new toy Like farmerboybill said, I got the 2 wheeled tractor for the tight areas on my farm and that's about it

 

[mpapiary]

Hi All,

We are buying a 10 acre farm and I'm in the process of researching equipment. I'm a bit of a newbie so I wanted to ask for some input from you all.

Right now, there are four acres in fenced pasture, with the buildings and lawn on one acre of grass. In addition, there are five acres tillable that are currently being rented by a farmer but next season, I'll probably tackle that land too. Right now, thinking that may be 1/2-1.0 acre market garden, an acre or so in hay, and the rest in green manure. I'm trying to be low-impact and minimal tillage. In addition, I do have a day job so I'll only have two, maybe three days a week (plus some time before/after work) to handle this.

Is a 2-wheeled tractor (Grillo G107 or BCS 853) up to the task or am I better off looking to a compact 4-wheeled machine for the sake of efficiency? I'm a middle aged guy is reasonable shape, but don't want to overwhelm myself...too much.

Still deciding on implements that I'll want to get started too. Budget is a bit of a concern (which is part of the reason I liked the idea of a two-wheel tractor) but I don't want to cut corners I'll regret in a year or two.

Thanks.[/QUOTE

There is a lot of good advice here over the last three pages. I would definitely proceed into this slowly and see what you will be able to realistically handle and how much interest you have in continuing with small scale agriculture. Working a full time job is going to prohibit how much time you have to devote to this project for sure. Even the acre market garden you mention is going to require quite a bit of time to maintain and then you need market time to sell your produce. That adds up to a lot of time you could be spending on other hobbies or with your family and not breaking your back.

Used equipment is always out there and there are some great deals if your patient. I would highly recommend an FEL for your tractor purchase as it will probably the biggest single handed time saver you can get. Finding one machine to do every task needed is a challenge and even if it can there will be compromises with how well or how fast. Two wheel tractors are really versatile, but are small and do things at a reduced rate. Even a compact four wheel tractor will save you alot time. Also you might want to consider a zero turn mower to cut your acre of grass. They are fast, maneuverable and can get the mowing out of the way quickly.

I would suggest you stay away from the hay making for just one acre. Generally it is much more cost effective to just purchase such small quantity of hay than to invest in the machinery needed to produce it and the end product you get will probably be better quality than you can make. If you really want to hay that section another option is to have some hay it for you.

Good luck with your new farm. I'm sure it will turn out to be everything you are hoping it will be.

 

[Flatlandfarmer]

There is a lot of good advice here over the last three pages.

I would highly recommend an FEL for your tractor purchase as it will probably the biggest single handed time saver you can get.

Also you might want to consider a zero turn mower to cut your acre of grass. They are fast, maneuverable and can get the mowing out of the way quickly.

I would suggest you stay away from the hay making for just one acre.

That's for sure. This is a great forum. Everyone is being helpful and not laughing at my lack of knowledge!

Your not the first to recommend a FEL, but what all would I use it for aside from hauling manure/compost? Our land is flat, not a bunch of trees or rocks. Since mowing will be the main use and discing the second, I'm concerned the FEL would just be a pain since I'd want to take it off for the other tasks. Also, I'd assume a FEL would mean I'd need four wheel drive.

If I had a small four wheel tractor (JD850, etc.) with a mower attachment, would something like a Gravely walk-behind be a good complement to reach the places the tractor misses? Regardless, I'll still need a trimmer for the fence lines.

My hay idea was basically just to grow enough to feed a couple critters. Hand raking, no baling, etc. Just cut, dry, and put it in the loft. Very low pressure.

 

[TomSeller]

10 acres with a BCS would be very difficult as others have mentioned, but you will need a machine of that type mostly for tilling. I have a BCS and a Troybilt Horse and use them a lot. But as others have said, you will need a 4 wheel tractor and are getting good advice. I would start in the 20 to 25 HP range and select a used Kubota with FEL and 4WD. I would not go grey market or with the odd brands that you don't see any longer. They should easily be under 10k and run forever if they have not been abused. Try to get one with a removable FEL.

 

[jeff9366]

You REALLY need 4-WD on a small tractor. The tractor is light and the implements are light. The tractor Three Point Hitch transfers weight from mounted implements to the rear wheels, increasing traction; but with a small tractor you are still short weight for traction.

I spent one year with a JD750 with 4-WD plus King Kutter 48" Rotary Cutter. Even in flat Florida I needed 4-WD. I needed 4-WD every time I skidded logs. You will need 4-WD to pull a Disk Harrow heavy enough to mix and smooth soil.

 

[SageBrush]

Time is money in the end, so buying the most reliable small tractor in budget is best. I wouldn't get some 20 plus year old set up myself. I hate fixing other peoples projects. Look at a 30hp or bigger compact tractor thats a 4x4, get the best you can. If your serious long term, look at the finance deals.

In 2003 we bought a L4330GST Kubota with a FEL, our first ever "new" tractor after years of old antiques and even a Russian piece of crap. The Kubota has never needed anything, so far so good. Just normal grease, oil, filters and one battery finally died this year. There are cheaper options, cheaper brands, but Kubota has strong financing and a well proven product. I like the L series, not too big and not so small you feel like your on a riding lawn mower. I would get at least 30 hp, 40 hp is much better because the torque increases a good bit when you go to a 4 banger or larger displacement engine. The small step up to 40hp helps big time when running a rotary cutter like my 286 BushHog. The really small tractors are not much better than a Grillo 107D. In reality its best to have both. After the crops get too tall for the tractor to cultivate and hip, I have the Grillo with the tiller to lightly cultivate. Works great around peas, beans, peppers, tomatoes, okra and etc. Our soils are poor here, so we always have to loosen things up or the ground turns into concrete in some areas. Don't have much bottom land here that I can plant.

 

[farmerboybill]

Don't get your mind set on 4wd only. Guys running around in 4wd pickups and SUV's that never leave pavement like it on their tractors as well because it's a status symbol to them.

I own tractors from 40 hp to 130 hp and none of them are 4wd. It is a nice feature, and very useful with a front end loader, heavy tillage, and pulling heavy loads, but a 2wd tractor is not a deal breaker. I'm gonna go look at a 135 hp tractor on Tuesday, and intend to put a loader on it to feed cattle all winter. It doesn't have 4wd. A properly ballasted 2wd tractor will perform better than a non-ballasted 4wd tractor. 4wd adds cost, turning radius, and decreases ride comfort. It also will tear up lawn when turning very short. I'd far prefer a 2wd tractor for any type of haying or mowing operation - including on the loader tractor hauling bales.