Buy big or small?

[willysmb]

I have been researching and thinking for two months on what I wanted for a tractor but I couldn't make a final decision until we bought a house. We finally placed an offer and had it accepted on a great house for my family. Its not on acreage like I wanted but its a great house with an awesome barn and I have the go ahead to buy acreage up North so it will all work out.

I can't make the decision for the life of me on what I want to buy. The house is only on 1.5 acres so its not going to make sense to try and drive a big tractor around the house. The property I will eventually buy will likely be between 40 and 80. The property will be a mix of crops and some spots left to hunt. I would guess between crops and food plots I will plant about 20 acres of it.

The sensible solution for home is to get a small 20-30 hp FEL tractor that can handle mowing, FEL work, moving pallets and stuff in the shop, snow blowing, etc. However, if I buy a small tractor I am certainly not going to have the money to buy a bigger one as well which leaves me purchasing an older tractor for plowing/planting the 20 acres. I could probably use the smaller tractor for planting food plots and doing stuff in the woods preparing for hunting so it would have some advantages being small.

The alternative is that I could just mow my yard with a lawnmower, snow blow with a push snowblower, etc. I could then get a bigger 40-55HP tractor for the fields and skip the older tractor altogether, or even if I did get one, not have to rely on it.

I just cant decide!

 

[dickfoster]

I have been researching and thinking for two months on what I wanted for a tractor but I couldn't make a final decision until we bought a house. We finally placed an offer and had it accepted on a great house for my family. Its not on acreage like I wanted but its a great house with an awesome barn and I have the go ahead to buy acreage up North so it will all work out.

I can't make the decision for the life of me on what I want to buy. The house is only on 1.5 acres so its not going to make sense to try and drive a big tractor around the house. The property I will eventually buy will likely be between 40 and 80. The property will be a mix of crops and some spots left to hunt. I would guess between crops and food plots I will plant about 20 acres of it.

The sensible solution for home is to get a small 20-30 hp FEL tractor that can handle mowing, FEL work, moving pallets and stuff in the shop, snow blowing, etc. However, if I buy a small tractor I am certainly not going to have the money to buy a bigger one as well which leaves me purchasing an older tractor for plowing/planting the 20 acres. I could probably use the smaller tractor for planting food plots and doing stuff in the woods preparing for hunting so it would have some advantages being small.

The alternative is that I could just mow my yard with a lawnmower, snow blow with a push snowblower, etc. I could then get a bigger 40-55HP tractor for the fields and skip the older tractor altogether, or even if I did get one, not have to rely on it.

I just cant decide!

It looks to me like a SCUT for the house and a Utility for the acreage when you get there.
Lots of snow in MI so depending on how much drive you have to deal with maybe a SCUT mounted blower and mower would be the way to go.
If you were local I'd make you a screaming deal on a walk behind JD TRX24 blower with electric start. It came with the house but I've never used it nor do I intend too. I've got it all setup to run if need be but think I'll be using the tractor and FEL to deal with my driveway. That is if it ever snows enough to need it. It hasn't so far but it's been all drought years till now so we just drive over it.

 

[TripleR]

Personally, I'd go with a mower and bigger tractor. You can always rent a SCUT or such for needed work around the house or haul your bigger tractor down or pay someone to transport it.

 

[jeff9366]

1. What about potentially trailering one tractor back and forth between the two properties? If you want to leave the tractor on the larger, non-residential property, you would need SECURE STORAGE.

2. I would let a real farmer rent the acreage, or farm it on a share, in lieu of rent.

Crop prices are very low now. Without experience you will likely have a loss on material, whatever you harvest, even valuing your time at zero.

3. Consider handling snow with a plow on your truck or SUV. You will be inside, warm and dry and have lights. Vehicle is more stable than a tractor. You can utilize high quality tire chains in 'bad' years.

Perchance do you have an ATV or utility vehicle? Most handle a light snow plow well.

 

[BlessedMess]

If it helps, my better half and I have just under 40 acres (incl. home with large yard), and already had a zero turn. Thought bigger tractor was better... all the justifications... and by going with an LS that 65HP cab tractor and backhoe cost about the same coin as a class or two smaller "big name" brand cab tractor without the backhoe.

However, AFTER buying the big tractor got wet feet about dropping 200-300% more for those larger implements (e.g. 6' vs 8' brush cutters), buying a bigger trailer and towing at/over spec with my older truck, and ruled out hay due to entry costs of equipment and livestock (and considerable time). Was fortunate that after 2 years I'm only down ~10% in total costs and ahead compared with renting or contracting out. Learned a lot and had fun... can always go big again if my situation changes. The LS and zero turn choices by the way were smart and I'd recommend both highly.

As others have opined, making a quick buck in agriculture with 20-40 acres just may not be possible anymore without inheriting equipment and/or working it near full-time. For hobby and small scale, thinking the XR series by LS or perhaps something about the size/weight of a JD 3-series is the way to go: 5-6' implements (especially used) are plentiful and relatively inexpensive, can tow with a full-size truck/SUV and bumper pull trailer, and 4WD lets us do more with less in tighter places. Some projects will take more time with a 6' implement, but I kinda enjoy that seat time so maybe it's worth it.

 

[willysmb]

I could throw a plow on one of my old Jeeps so I could cover with that and 1.25 acre would be fine to do with a regular lawn more. I could go with one of the XR series which would probably be big enough to do what I want on the property and small enough for tasks at the house too. I would most likely just haul it up to the larger acreage as needed and keep it at home. I wish they made snowblowers for some of the larger tractors. If I could get a snow blower for the XR4100 series I would probably be in for that.

 

[BlessedMess]

Have you considered a PTO powered blower? Found a couple blowers and other snow implements at Everything Attachments (Snow removal equipment for tractors | Snow Blowers | Snow Blades) that would work with both the lower and upper HP ranges of the XRs. Dealer might have some other units to recommend at lower cost?

 

[willysmb]

Have you considered a PTO powered blower? Found a couple blowers and other snow implements at Everything Attachments (Snow removal equipment for tractors | Snow Blowers | Snow Blades) that would work with both the lower and upper HP ranges of the XRs. Dealer might have some other units to recommend at lower cost?

I thought about it. Just not sure Id wanna drive backwards that much.

 

[BlessedMess]

I feel for you all in the snowbelt... thankfully the snow we get usually melts in a day or two. Forgot to mention that the LS website mentions availability of a mid PTO on the XR... completely ignorant on the topic, but believe several LS forum contributors have blowers on their XRs and might be able to help with pricing and user feedback.

 

[MossRoad]

Look at it this way...

Go price a 20-30hp FEL tractor.
Then go price a finish mower for that tractor.
Then go price a cheap lawn tractor with a 42" mower deck... $1200.
Poulan PRO 42 in. 19 HP Briggs & Stratton Automatic Gas Front-Engine Riding Mower - California Compliant-9678 - The Home Depot

 

[willysmb]

Look at it this way...

Go price a 20-30hp FEL tractor.
Then go price a finish mower for that tractor.
Then go price a cheap lawn tractor with a 42" mower deck... $1200.
Poulan PRO 42 in. 19 HP Briggs & Stratton Automatic Gas Front-Engine Riding Mower - California Compliant-964678 - The Home Depot

I am well aware that there are cheaper options out there. If I had no funds and my only need was to mow then a trip to the depot would probably cover it.

 

[4570Man]

I'd way rather mow on my tractor dragging a RFM VS mowing on a POS box store mower. Not a fair comparison anyway. A RFM will way outlast and outperform a box store mower. I'd rather mow on my commercial grade mowers vs mowing on my tractor.

 

[willysmb]

I'd way rather mow on my tractor dragging a RFM VS mowing on a POS box store mower. Not a fair comparison anyway. A RFM will way outlast and outperform a box store mower. I'd rather mow on my commercial grade mowers vs mowing on my tractor.

I think a RFM would be a pain for me. Our new house has a fenced in yard, a few trees, etc. I would probably be better off with a drive over model.

 

[MossRoad]

I understand you want a 30hp tractor with FEL and the ability to blow snow and move stuff around in your shop. And I also understand that you want to plant 20 acres of crops eventually. And you have 1.5 acres to maintain, which is really less than 1.5 acres, once you subtract the footprint of the house, outbuildings, driveway, etc... its not that big.

Its not about cheaper, its about functionality.

What I'm getting at is this....

I was in the same boat. We had an 8000# 50HP tractor loader with a cab out on our 20 acre tree farm 9 miles away with a brush hog and box blade and we had a riding mower at our house with about 1 acre of lawn. Once I figured everything out, and the heavy excavation tasks were completed at the tree farm, we downsized and went with one machine to do everything, with the goal of eliminating as many machines to maintain as possible. We now have one machine that mows our house lawn, plows our snowy driveway, moves things around in our garage and on both properties, does FEL work, brush hogs trails, moves firewood out of the woods, etc.... The only difference between your situation and mine is that you eventually want to plant some field crops that will require a larger machine, and my crop was planted once and won't get harvested for another 20 years.

I'm telling you, in my experience, a lawn tractor on that small of a piece of property makes much more sense than a 30hp tractor with a belly mower. That belly mower will get in your way while doing your other tasks more often than not, it won't get into corners and tight spaces like a riding mower will, you won't be able to pick up grass clippings or leaves with it without very expensive attachments. The several thousand pound tractor will also compact your lawn, especially around flower beds, driveway edges, etc... My guess is you'll still need to purchase a walk-behind mower to get into the spaces the 30hp tractor won't fit in.

So, if it were me, I'd skip the 30hp machine all together. I'd buy a riding tractor and a tow-behind cart for $1500. I'd buy 2.5 ton pallet jack from harbor freight for $200 to move things around in my shop. I'd buy a good walk-behind snow blower for less than $1000. And then I'd worry about a larger tractor if and when I finally found a large piece of property to buy. Then, once I found my large piece of property, I'd buy a used utility tractor to do my planting. If I then decided to build a house on the larger property, that's when I'd go for the 20-30hp machine with FEL, snow blower, etc...

 

[willysmb]

I understand you want a 30hp tractor with FEL and the ability to blow snow and move stuff around in your shop. And I also understand that you want to plant 20 acres of crops eventually. And you have 1.5 acres to maintain, which is really less than 1.5 acres, once you subtract the footprint of the house, outbuildings, driveway, etc... its not that big.

Its not about cheaper, its about functionality.

What I'm getting at is this....

I was in the same boat. We had an 8000# 50HP tractor loader with a cab out on our 20 acre tree farm 9 miles away with a brush hog and box blade and we had a riding mower at our house with about 1 acre of lawn. Once I figured everything out, and the heavy excavation tasks were completed at the tree farm, we downsized and went with one machine to do everything, with the goal of eliminating as many machines to maintain as possible. We now have one machine that mows our house lawn, plows our snowy driveway, moves things around in our garage and on both properties, does FEL work, brush hogs trails, moves firewood out of the woods, etc.... The only difference between your situation and mine is that you eventually want to plant some field crops that will require a larger machine, and my crop was planted once and won't get harvested for another 20 years.

I'm telling you, in my experience, a lawn tractor on that small of a piece of property makes much more sense than a 30hp tractor with a belly mower. That belly mower will get in your way while doing your other tasks more often than not, it won't get into corners and tight spaces like a riding mower will, you won't be able to pick up grass clippings or leaves with it without very expensive attachments. The several thousand pound tractor will also compact your lawn, especially around flower beds, driveway edges, etc... My guess is you'll still need to purchase a walk-behind mower to get into the spaces the 30hp tractor won't fit in.

So, if it were me, I'd skip the 30hp machine all together. I'd buy a riding tractor and a tow-behind cart for $1500. I'd buy 2.5 ton pallet jack from harbor freight for $200 to move things around in my shop. I'd buy a good walk-behind snow blower for less than $1000. And then I'd worry about a larger tractor if and when I finally found a large piece of property to buy. Then, once I found my large piece of property, I'd buy a used utility tractor to do my planting. If I then decided to build a house on the larger property, that's when I'd go for the 20-30hp machine with FEL, snow blower, etc...

You make some great points. I forget about the MMM's being a pain to remove or put back on. I can plow snow with my old jeep. Little mower would probably be a good bet.

My Jeep has a 3 pt hitch going on the back so I could always do the fields with that ;-)

 

[4570Man]

I don't like a MMM especially on a machine that does real work. They are too much trouble to remove and put back on. For about what a MMM is going to set you back I bought a used F2560 and I can mow circles around a 30 HP tractor with a MMM. You could also run a snow blower with it, but I have no need for such a tool.

 

[George2615]

If I could get a snow blower for the XR4100 series I would probably be in for that.

Not sure if dealers have any older models left but a front mount snowblower is available for the 3000/4000 series. Not sure why they don't offer on new models.

 

[jenkinsph]

I understand you want a 30hp tractor with FEL and the ability to blow snow and move stuff around in your shop. And I also understand that you want to plant 20 acres of crops eventually. And you have 1.5 acres to maintain, which is really less than 1.5 acres, once you subtract the footprint of the house, outbuildings, driveway, etc... its not that big.

Its not about cheaper, its about functionality.

What I'm getting at is this....

I was in the same boat. We had an 8000# 50HP tractor loader with a cab out on our 20 acre tree farm 9 miles away with a brush hog and box blade and we had a riding mower at our house with about 1 acre of lawn. Once I figured everything out, and the heavy excavation tasks were completed at the tree farm, we downsized and went with one machine to do everything, with the goal of eliminating as many machines to maintain as possible. We now have one machine that mows our house lawn, plows our snowy driveway, moves things around in our garage and on both properties, does FEL work, brush hogs trails, moves firewood out of the woods, etc.... The only difference between your situation and mine is that you eventually want to plant some field crops that will require a larger machine, and my crop was planted once and won't get harvested for another 20 years.

I'm telling you, in my experience, a lawn tractor on that small of a piece of property makes much more sense than a 30hp tractor with a belly mower. That belly mower will get in your way while doing your other tasks more often than not, it won't get into corners and tight spaces like a riding mower will, you won't be able to pick up grass clippings or leaves with it without very expensive attachments. The several thousand pound tractor will also compact your lawn, especially around flower beds, driveway edges, etc... My guess is you'll still need to purchase a walk-behind mower to get into the spaces the 30hp tractor won't fit in.

So, if it were me, I'd skip the 30hp machine all together. I'd buy a riding tractor and a tow-behind cart for $1500. I'd buy 2.5 ton pallet jack from harbor freight for $200 to move things around in my shop. I'd buy a good walk-behind snow blower for less than $1000. And then I'd worry about a larger tractor if and when I finally found a large piece of property to buy. Then, once I found my large piece of property, I'd buy a used utility tractor to do my planting. If I then decided to build a house on the larger property, that's when I'd go for the 20-30hp machine with FEL, snow blower, etc...

I would buy a good mower capable of most of the needs for home use first. Pay that off. Then buy a larger tractor for the acreage if needed next.

My reasoning for buying the mower first is that it is the primary need for mowing, snow blowing and lawn maintenance. Being less costly it can be paid off in less time. The larger tractor and the acreage is more likely to be considered an option. If the desire is there and the money is there then this could be done in the near future, just a little good budgeting and patience.


I agree with Moss Road in that a smaller machine may be all that is needed once the larger jobs are done.

 

[mike69440]

Makes no sense to have a small tractor on the 1-1/2 acres, UNLESS you have plans to keep it busy. I'm not referring to mowing and snow plowing, I mean tractor busy.

Your larger property, depends if you have rough work or general farm work to do, a small tractor can handle general farm stuff, a big tractor still struggles doing heavy work.

 

[MF283]

I've had 30, 85 & now a 65 HP(DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU READ), i'd never go any smaller/ much bigger on our 35 acres, it seems to be at the sweet spot for me.
Mowing the yard equals a ZTR, fields & loader work goes to the tractor & general knock around work goes to the Gator, which could be used as snow removal if needed, fortunately not in our area.
Tractors are happy being under a load, doing little chores is hard on an diesel engine, gas not quite as bad. After having an injector pump rebuilt years ago, mechanic told me to run it like i stole it, not pittle around like i had been doing or i'd be back to see him again.
It's hard to get everything done with one machine & be happy, good luck with your decision.

Ronnie