AZ 10 acres prairie land-Tractor needs

Briana03 · May 19, 2011

Hello & WELCOME to TractorByNet.com!

I have moved your thread to the Attachments Forum. You'll get a better response there.

bigbull338 · May 19, 2011

i think you would also want an HST tractor insted of a gear if your going tobe driving it the most.

prescottvalley · May 19, 2011

bigbull338 said:
i think you would also want an HST tractor insted of a gear if your going tobe driving it the most.

Hi BigBull,

I'm so glad you mentioned HST... what the heck does that mean? As I've been looking online, no one has spelled that out. I just ordered a book from a horse person about farm equipment. Hopefully that will give me a better understanding of tractors. I am fairly mechanical and I worked on a horse farm in my late teens and drove that tractor all over the property doing the ranch chores. I do remember it had a PTO that you engaged when... ok I'm 55 now and I feel pleased I even remembered that it HAD a PTO. I believe the tractor was a Massey Ferguson.

kebo · May 19, 2011

HST = HydroStatic Transmission. A HST tractor uses hydraulic pressure from a pump inside the transmission to make it go. Simple and easy to operate... crank it up, run up the throttle some, release the brake, select the range, and press the pedal to go. Much like driving a car with an automatic transmission.

A gear driven tractor means operating a clutch pedal, just like in a car with a straight drive (manual) transmission. A lot of tractor clutches are two stage with a clutch for the tranny and a second integral clutch for the PTO. Some of these clutches can be pretty hard to push down,especially for those with weak legs, just to change gears. So, that would be one advantage of a HST tractor.

prescottvalley · May 20, 2011

QUOTE= HST = HydroStatic Transmission. A HST tractor uses hydraulic pressure from a pump inside the transmission to make it go. Simple and easy to operate...

Kebo, HST sounds like a very beneficial option on a tractor for us, because unlike me, my husband isn't getting any younger... Thanks for explaining the two types of training. Sounds like you have had both types of tractors. How long have HST transmissions been around? The Massey Ferguson I used when I worked in Aiken SC had a clutch. This was back in early '70s although I think the tractor was an older model even at that point.

mjncad · May 20, 2011

Welcome PV, and that area of Arizona is one of the few places in AZ I like.

Anyway, I'd go 30 - 40 HP (no one gripes about having too much HP), a HST for ease of use, a loader, a rotary cutter (a.k.a. brush hog, bush hog [actual brand name] for the tumble weeds. We have them in Colorado too. If you don't think you'll use a backhoe often, I'd rent a mini-excavator as a backhoe is a pricey toy, and a mini-ex is far more versatile. Make sure the tractor has four-wheel-drive (a.k.a. MFWD). A rear and/or box blade may be useful. I have a rear blade. A landscape rake may be useful; but I don't know in your case. If you can afford a cabbed tractor...GET IT! I'm tired of dirt and dust in my face in the summer, and freezing my butt off in the winter. A quick-hitch for your implements. Deere calls their version iMatch; but there are many manufacturers making them...some good, some crap. A set of pallet forks will be handy too.

At the risk of bursting your bubble, finding good used equipment may be difficult in AZ. Based on what I've seen at Used Farm & Agricultural Equipment - John Deere MachineFinder and Used Tractors For Sale at TractorHouse.com: John Deere Tractors, used farm tractors and farm equipment, tractors for sale, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Kubota you will find that east of the Mississippi river, used stuff is plentiful; west of the river, it gets scarce. Therefore you may end up buying new whether you want to or not.

Test drive machines at the dealers and see which ones fit you and hubby well. Get a feel for whether the dealer is good or a jerk. You will need them for parts, and possibly service unless you like wrenching on your equipment.

Unless you like wrenching on your tractors, I'd avoid the cheap Chinese ones (a.k.a. Nortrac sold by Northern Tool, et al) as parts and service will probably be hit or miss.

As for the tumbleweeds and the fence-line. Yep, that happens here too. Fences make good neighbors; but they are a maintenance headache as far as I'm concerned.

Please post pics of your property! How else can I spend your money? :laughing: