Advice needed, which tractor models to consider

[JohnKempf]

Hi Friends,

I have worked on farms for decades, but always with horsepower of the four footed kind, and am very unfamiliar with tractors. I am in need of advice on which tractor models I should consider as possible options to fit our needs. I would love to get your opinion. Thanks!

I expect to use a tractor for the following:

• Moving/ piling/spreading wood chips and compost
• Pulling a trailer carrying 3000-4000 lb weight on highways and off road for 15-20 mile round trips (transporting honeybees)
• Load and unload honeybee hives on trailer
• Planting and frost seeding 60-80 acres annually
• Brush hogging/mowing 60-80 acres once or twice a year
• Possibly, in the future, make hay in between wide orchard rows with small hay equipment. Will need to fit in 10-12 foot row spacing if possible.
• In the future, possibly spraying orchard/tree crops and hauling out harvest

I don’t anticipate using this tractor for tillage or soil preparation work.

Considering that I am moving a trailer or wagon off road with honeybees, it seems to me I will likely want 4 wheel drive.

I will want a loader, ideally one with a larger bucket option for lightweight materials, and forks for loading and unloading.

Given that this tractor will possibly be using for tree crops and orchard in the future, I prefer a lighter weight tractor to minimize compaction from repeat traffic on paths. However, need enough weight to manage trailer on roads, etc.

I have a preference for a tractor that is reliably built, and is relatively easy to work on, with minimal/no electronics, although I am open to a newer model tractor if needed/better.

I have good local mechanics able to repair and service most brands. I have access to dealerships for parts of most tractor brands within 30-60 miles. The closest one is a Kubota dealership, with a reputation of being difficult to deal with. I prefer to avoid them, I think.

I am budget conscious , but I am not sure what to consider reasonably priced.

With this context, what tractor models would you advise us to consider? Do any of our objectives seem out of alignment or in possible conflict? What is a reasonable budget for the tractor model you would suggest?

Thank you!

 

[Torvy]

Welcome. Not sure how much it will matter, but general location information may help. Is your acreage flat or hilly? In the snow belt or the sun belt? I think for compaction, there are options like dual rear wheels that can allow you to have the weight you need for stability while reducing soil impact.

We are shopping for our first, too. Availability is a serious issue right now. I grew up around tractors, but I am no expert...fortunately, there are a lot of experts here.

 

[jeff9366]

• Pulling a trailer carrying 3000-4000 lb weight on highways and off road for 15-20 mile round trips (transporting honeybees)
• Load and unload honeybee hives on trailer

Buy a truck, then add a removable $250 aftermarket, rotating boom pole and a trailer for these tasks. Truck operating cost will be just a fraction of tractor operating cost.

Unrealistic/unsafe application for a compact tractor, most of which have a top speed of <20 mph.

Tractor transmission wear and tire wear would be other concerns.

• Moving/ piling/spreading wood chips and compost

I will want a loader, ideally one with a larger bucket option for lightweight materials, and forks for loading and unloading.

Most tractor producers off a "light material bucket" as an option. It would be a simple task for a welding ship to fab inserts for a standard bucket to increase bulk capacity for occasional use.

Clamp-on, multi-tine forks are an option for occasional use:

Multi-Spear Ultra Fork

tractor round hay bale spear picks up to 2,000 lbs.

bucketsolutions.com

• Brush hogging/mowing 60-80 acres once or twice a year

I recommend a cabbed tractor for mowing. Lovely AC and heat, no bee stings, no spider bites, minimal dust and pollen exposure. (Cab = $8,000)

How much time are you willing to spend mowing?

Here is a mowing calculator:

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

www.landscapecalculator.com

A ten foot wide mower will require a 75-horsepower tractor and cut 4 - 4-1/2 acres per hour.
(Suitable tractors weigh 5,000 to 6,000 pounds, bare tractor.)

A fifteen foot wide mower will require a 100-horsepower tractor and cut 6 - 7 acres per hour.
(Suitable tractors weight 6,000 to 7,000 pounds, bare tractor.)

• Planting and frost seeding 60-80 acres annually

I have no experience with frost seeding in Florida.

• Possibly, in the future, make hay in between wide orchard rows with small hay equipment. Will need to fit in 10-12 foot row spacing if possible.

Micro scale hay is unlikely to be economically viable. In Florida, where multiple hay crops per year are possible, it takes 300 flat acres to raise hay as a living.

Tree branches means the rows would have to be very wide.
If the orchard is to be a revenue source devote your time and energy to the trees.

• In the future, possibly spraying orchard/tree crops and hauling out harvest

Tractors are made to pull, so hauling harvest trailers is easy with a tractor wide enough to be stable.

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread, sometimes adjustable, is a critical factor increasing compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. Rear axle is the tractor component on which rear wheels/tires mount. A 6" to 10" wider rear axle substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

Larger wheels and tires permit heavier tractors to bridge holes, ruts and tree debris permitting higher ground speed with less operator perturbation

Tractors are equipped with hydraulic pumps with just enough flow to power steering and on/off tractor functions, not continuous spray pressure. PTO (power-take-off) mechanically driven spray equipment may be out there. I do not know.

Deere and Kubota both produce or import Orchard & Vineyard specialty tractors with a low center of gravity and high flow hydraulic pumps for spraying. Specialized O & V tractors are very expensive. No Loaders with O & V tractors.

 

[jeff9366]

I am unfamiliar with tractors.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor weight is more important identifying compact tractor capability than tractor horsepower.

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.

A spread of 60 to 80 acres is considerable. I recommend a tractor with a bare tractor weight of 5,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds, the heaviest segment of the compact tractor category.

Bare tractor weight is a fundamental tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used. 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 which cuts through specification clutter. I have a column for cost per pound.

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.

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.​

 

[Diggin It]

Rear duals might help with traction, but will add to soil compaction and width which might be an issue in orchards.

There are specific models made for orchards, but they might be too pricey.

 

[JohnKempf]

Welcome. Not sure how much it will matter, but general location information may help. Is your acreage flat or hilly? In the snow belt or the sun belt? I think for compaction, there are options like dual rear wheels that can allow you to have the weight you need for stability while reducing soil impact.

We are shopping for our first, too. Availability is a serious issue right now. I grew up around tractors, but I am no expert...fortunately, there are a lot of experts here.

We are in NE Ohio, with the terrain being slightly rolling, right on the edge of the snow belt.

 

[sea2summit]

I have worked on farms for decades, but always with horsepower of the four footed kind, and am very unfamiliar with tractors. I am in need of advice on which tractor models I should consider as possible options to fit our needs. I would love to get your opinion. Thanks!

....

I am budget conscious , but I am not sure what to consider reasonably priced.

With this context, what tractor models would you advise us to consider? Do any of our objectives seem out of alignment or in possible conflict? What is a reasonable budget for the tractor model you would suggest?

Do you still work with horses doing real work? I would imagine that is a very marketable thing just for school groups and other special interests. Good on you.

I read the post yesterday twice and again this morning, you're going a lot of different directions and there's been some good feedback on that already. Beyond that "reasonably priced" doesn't help any. A reasonably priced old 100 hp tractor may be cheaper than a reasonably priced newish 25 hp sub compact tractor. Really we need an actual price range then try to match that up to what you want to do. Just spitballing because you asked for a budget but for a reliably sized tractor (~75 HP) with FEL (material bucket, forks, bale spear), haying equipment (hay rake, mower, baler), sprayer (boom? 2PT mounted <200 gal), root rake for spreading materials listed (~7-8'), and brushhog (6') in a very used but workable condition you're looking at ~$45-60K. Newer gently used (say less than 2k hrs and less than 20 years old) probably $60-100k, new you're probably $50-100k just for the tractor and very base model hay equipment would be another $40k++++, the whole list would probably reach $200k.

Few points I'll highlight:
As Jeff said, you should really think about a truck for bees. 15-20 miles round trip might not sound like much but once you see the difference in your $3k tires that 5-10 miles of pavement makes (which will be a major part of the investment if you buy an older tractor) you'll probably make the jump to a truck.

Haying in the orchard with 10' width. I'm not sure what types of trees you're talking about, but I'll assume you can get your tractor all the way against a tree and not worry about damaging limbs for 10' or 10' is between the drip edge. You're limited to a newer inline square baler or you'll have to round bale, older small square balers are all offset and your width will instantly go from a ~6-7' tractor wheel width to ~15' width with an offset baler. If you round bale it will be very difficult to pick them up, you'll likely need a grapple since spearing the side of a round is VERY difficult if not impossible. Next problem is raking, most rakes are offset as well and if you do a four basket rake you will probably stay within your 10' width but the windrow wont be centered where you can pick it up with the baler. You'd have to semi custom a rake yourself I'd imagine to get the windrow to set dead center of a 10' space either by shortening a towed rake or removing a wheel on 3PT rake. Finally, depending on what you're spraying the trees with you may or may not be able to market the hay.

Last point, if your spraying with the tractor I would really want a cabbed tractor with "overpressure" myself. I know that XYZ chemical is perfectly safe for humans but so was agent orage in the 60's and more recently round-up.

 

[Doughknob]

Consider them all......

 

[s219]

My gut reaction is that 15-20 mile trips with a tractor will not be practical. I have to road my tractor 3-4 miles when mowing fields about once a month, and even that is tedious.

 

[Jchonline]

Hi Friends,

I have worked on farms for decades, but always with horsepower of the four footed kind, and am very unfamiliar with tractors. I am in need of advice on which tractor models I should consider as possible options to fit our needs. I would love to get your opinion. Thanks!

I expect to use a tractor for the following:

• Moving/ piling/spreading wood chips and compost
• Pulling a trailer carrying 3000-4000 lb weight on highways and off road for 15-20 mile round trips (transporting honeybees)
• Load and unload honeybee hives on trailer
• Planting and frost seeding 60-80 acres annually
• Brush hogging/mowing 60-80 acres once or twice a year
• Possibly, in the future, make hay in between wide orchard rows with small hay equipment. Will need to fit in 10-12 foot row spacing if possible.
• In the future, possibly spraying orchard/tree crops and hauling out harvest

I don’t anticipate using this tractor for tillage or soil preparation work.

Considering that I am moving a trailer or wagon off road with honeybees, it seems to me I will likely want 4 wheel drive.

I will want a loader, ideally one with a larger bucket option for lightweight materials, and forks for loading and unloading.

Given that this tractor will possibly be using for tree crops and orchard in the future, I prefer a lighter weight tractor to minimize compaction from repeat traffic on paths. However, need enough weight to manage trailer on roads, etc.

I have a preference for a tractor that is reliably built, and is relatively easy to work on, with minimal/no electronics, although I am open to a newer model tractor if needed/better.

I have good local mechanics able to repair and service most brands. I have access to dealerships for parts of most tractor brands within 30-60 miles. The closest one is a Kubota dealership, with a reputation of being difficult to deal with. I prefer to avoid them, I think.

I am budget conscious , but I am not sure what to consider reasonably priced.

With this context, what tractor models would you advise us to consider? Do any of our objectives seem out of alignment or in possible conflict? What is a reasonable budget for the tractor model you would suggest?

Thank you!

As Jeff mentioned, definitely a truck for pulling the trailer. A tractor 15 miles on public roads is a very bad idea. If all you need to unload are beehives it seems some kind of truck or trailer mounted boom is a better idea.

Your issue is you want a machine with enough HP to bale hay, but one light enough to move through the orchard. These are in conflict. In general the more HP, the more the machine weighs. If you forget about baling hay…then the HP requirements go down. I would hate to think about how difficult it would be to find haying equipment (cut, rake/ted, bale, stack) to fit between 10-12 foot rows. If you are willing to forget this, we have a much better shot at finding 1 machine to do most of your tasks.

If you Want to avoid electronics and emissions stuff, try and find a used machine made prior to 2014. If you stay under 25HP with a current machine it will also be emissions equipment free…but you cannot do what you Have listed with 25HP.

You picked the worst time in History to buy a tractor. Prices are up, inventory is way down. Used market is very hot (no machines available, or they go in a day).

If you want a used machine you need to be very patient, very thorough, and very quick to jump on an opportunity.