Buying Advice Best tractor for 300 acres in Kentucky

[jeff9366]

60 acres max, not less than 50.

The entire 50 acre field is sloped running from a hill down to a creek, none of that is steep. I would like to be able to drive it up a steep hill on a trail (an old logging road) to get to my cabin area sometimes.

new holland work master 70 4wd ********************5,000 pounds, Category 2 TPH
Kubota m5660 4wd *********************************5,000 pounds, Category 2 TPH

Either of these will be fine.

VIDEOS: Kubota M566 Walk Around/ Driving Demo - YouTube

Kubota M76 Walk Around and Driving Demo - YouTube

new holland workmaster 7 - YouTube

 

[rScotty]

The problem is that I really don't know what I'm going to do. I bought this land for purely recreational purposes, now I'm finding that I can't enjoy it fully without being able to do basic chores on it. Will it ever evolve into a profit motive? Perhaps. So, I don't want to underbuy, but I don't want to go crazy, either.

The price is also a consideration, I don't think I'll be able to spend over $35,000 on this, and I would like to buy new.

Hello m0darn01,
Maybe we should back up some here and get some basics going. Your original post fascinated me mostly for the shear size of the acreage. Frankly us TBNers don't often think in terms of really big acreage. There's some variation, but you should know that basically tractors come in 4 size ranges: sub-compact, compact, utility, and full size. The larger two sizes have category II 3pt hitches, and that's real important. Respective HP's are roughly sub-compact to 25hp, compact to 35, utility to 60, and full size tractors range from 75 to 175 hp. Weight of a tractor goes up with HP size as does the ability to do harder work, faster, and cover more ground. These are all roughy proportional to HP.

The tractors you mentioned looking at are in the compact to Utility class. Here on this TBN forum are a few hundred - maybe thousands - of owners who know a lot about those and can help. This forum is more about compact and utility tractors because that is where the main interest is for most homeowners with small acreage... from a couple of acres to maybe 40 acres. And even people with much more land will often have a compact or utility size tractor as their everyday "chore" tractor for use around the homestead. So we see them here on TBN as well.

But with more acres even small chores take a long time using only a compact or utility tractor.... too long. That's why there is also the full size tractor class. They aren't huge, just more capable.

I recommend that you go back and take another look at Richard's reply to your original post. It's reply #3. Google the tractors he uses. Those are full size tractors and his land is less than half the size of yours.

BTW, there's a handy way to look up any tractor on Google. For example.... Richard's tractor is an "International 1066". so Google International 1066 and then select the info from "Tractordata.com" Up will come a photo of his machine and all the data. It's a remarkable service, and free.

A similar size tractor to Richard's International 1066 from the same era that is still in common use today is the John Deere 4020. That one is still so popular that there are dedicated internet forums for them. Probably for the 1066 as well
Full size tractors last a long time & retain value. Good old ones are still expensive.....but within your price range. Barely. Some have 4wd and a front end loader.

Alternatively, if tractors and tractor work seem like nice hobbies to you, then go ahead and pick a new compact or utiliity size - and chose your favorite 20 to 40 acres and have at it. Enjoy spending the time with your new hobby. Those size machines will do the work; it just takes longer. But who cares how long a hobby takes?? A compact or utility size new tractor is an excellent way to get your feet wet with tractor chores, it will do real work, and resale value is good. - especially for the more common "name brands"
And the compact/utility tractor market looks pretty stable right now.... unlike a larger tractor market where a novice can really take a price beating, both new & used.

rScotty

 

[kthompson]

No idea what leasing is like today but first tractor I had was leased and was a very good decision. It served our needs very well till the end of the three year lease and realized my needs need larger tractor. You might do well to see options there on renting to get idea of the ability of the different size.

rScotty comments on size is good info. Currently own three and first one of them is Kubota M6800, (68 hp) basic two wheel tractor. Bought for farming row crops. Then bought Kubota B2710 (27 hp) for mostly yard work. Mistake did not get front end loader with it. Last one if JD 5525 (91 hp) for more ability in the field and with fel. Oh it has cab and four wheel drive. Use the B2710 with 55 gallon sprayer and mowing. Finish and rough cut. Use the M6800 for some tillage (left row crops to raise only hay), some spraying and mowing. I put as many hours per year on the JD as the other two combined. Due to the cab, a/c and fel. In hay operation do a good bit of spraying and fel work. Use the JD for spraying due to cab on it.

As rScotty talked about smaller tractor taking long, yep. It is easy for say mowing you think well a four foot mower only takes little longer than a six foot. I think you will find it takes twice the time. It is easy to miss the over lap you need to prevent skipping streaks as you mow. The same is true with such as disking or leveling land. Depending on your ground larger slower is more stable than smaller running faster due to terrain changes such as holes, ditches and changes in direction.

Take your time, ask questions as your are, listen, think, and you will do well.

 

[TnAndy]

With 250ac of timber, assuming it's reasonable size, I'd buy a Woodmizer sawmill too ! Mine has way more than paid for itself on my little 70ac over the years. My house, barns, sheds, rental houses, etc, all came from lumber off my place, and I've barely put a dent in the timber here.

 

[oosik]

I have 80 acres and a mile long gravel driveway. I upgraded to a brand new Kubota M6040 in 2009. It's 62 hp( 56 pto hp) - 4WD - has FEL with very HD grapple and a very heavy rear blade on the 3-point. All tolled - with Rim Guard in the rear tires this unit weighs - 10,100 pounds.

I started out with a Ford 1700 4WD. This unit worked fine until I determined that there were much larger projects to do. That's why I upgraded.

My decision to upgrade to a heavier tractor was because - 1) I needed a tractor capable of handling a really heavy rear blade. My driveway turns to concrete in the summer and the Land Pride RB3596 @ 565# simply would not "cut it". My new Rhino 950 @ 1100# and 96" wide WILL penetrate the summer driveway. 2) I move really big rocks - size of an office desk. The hydraulics on the Ford 1700 simply weren't up to that. The Land Pride SGC1560 is a truly heavy grapple. With the upgraded hydraulics on the M6040 and this grapple I can move these rocks. Like most all things - if I'm stacking rocks, the higher the stack the lighter the rock. All is within the lifting load parameters of the heavy lift charts. 3) the same with my lifting and moving large chunks of my Ponderosa pine logs.

I would suggest that you purchase a 4WD tractor with cab and horse power capable of managing hay crops ( cutting, baling, moving, stacking). From what you indicate - that could be your most demanding task.

 

[flusher]

Hi,

I am looking at buying a new tractor. I'm not really into farming, but who knows what the future holds. For now I just want to be able to bush hog my large fields, pull my truck out when it gets stuck, haul mulch/rocks in the loader, etc. The land is very hilly and my current tractor (ford 1700 2wd) once rode down a hill backwards while I was riding up after a rain. I want to minimize my risk of anything like that ever again.

I've priced a few different tractors:

new holland work master 70 4wd w/loader: $27,000
Kubota m5660 4wd w/loader: $36,500
Mahindra 2555 4wd w/loader: $26,600

Should any of these be ok for my needs? I guess overall I'm looking at the new holland, it looks the best to me so far.

Since you're concerned about working on slopes, I'd look at the Case/IH JX straddle tractors. These are designed with a low center of gravity and wide track width, which is what you want when working on non-level surfaces.

JX Straddle Tractors | Case IH

One of these babies with a 6-ft wide FEL, 4WD and their shuttle shift transmission at 70 hp (engine) would handle all your needs.

Good luck

 

[MESSMAKER]

Since you're concerned about working on slopes, I'd look at the Case/IH JX straddle tractors. These are designed with a low center of gravity and wide track width, which is what you want when working on non-level surfaces.

JX Straddle Tractors | Case IH

One of these babies with a 6-ft wide FEL, 4WD and their shuttle shift transmission at 70 hp (engine) would handle all your needs.

Good luck

Most tractors give you the ability to widen the stance.

 

[radios1]

it seems that for 300 acres, even mowing grass would need a full size tractor, that's a LOT of acreage!!.. you don't want to be on the tractor for a full week, every week or 2, depending on how fast your grass grows!..

 

[tradosaurus]

I would figure out how much you will ever have to mow and how fast you want to mow it and then buy the size of tractor and implement to make it happen.

 

[nards444]

No idea what leasing is like today but first tractor I had was leased and was a very good decision. It served our needs very well till the end of the three year lease and realized my needs need larger tractor. You might do well to see options there on renting to get idea of the ability of the different size.

rScotty comments on size is good info. Currently own three and first one of them is Kubota M6800, (68 hp) basic two wheel tractor. Bought for farming row crops. Then bought Kubota B2710 (27 hp) for mostly yard work. Mistake did not get front end loader with it. Last one if JD 5525 (91 hp) for more ability in the field and with fel. Oh it has cab and four wheel drive. Use the B2710 with 55 gallon sprayer and mowing. Finish and rough cut. Use the M6800 for some tillage (left row crops to raise only hay), some spraying and mowing. I put as many hours per year on the JD as the other two combined. Due to the cab, a/c and fel. In hay operation do a good bit of spraying and fel work. Use the JD for spraying due to cab on it.

As rScotty talked about smaller tractor taking long, yep. It is easy for say mowing you think well a four foot mower only takes little longer than a six foot. I think you will find it takes twice the time. It is easy to miss the over lap you need to prevent skipping streaks as you mow. The same is true with such as disking or leveling land. Depending on your ground larger slower is more stable than smaller running faster due to terrain changes such as holes, ditches and changes in direction.

Take your time, ask questions as your are, listen, think, and you will do well.

I will further this, and I always like to be the guy to point this part out. It has been mentioned in terms of what you need. But think of the items that might be a one time use only or something done once a year. Will it be easier, cheaper, or just plain cost effective to rent for that one task or hire someone to do that one task. I know there's a lot of pride in here on doing things yourself and owning your own equipment. Sometimes that pride is misguided and often times cost more money and or time. So once you get that nailed down, maybe you can pinpoint a implements better and the machine you need to do it.