Buying 1st Tractor for 65 acres (with photos)

[GManBart]

LS, Case and New Holland are one company CNH owned mainly by LG (formally LS and makes LS tractors) and Fiat, so pick any of those and there basically the same tractor with diff bodywork.

Not really. CNH is controlled by Exor, which is an Italian company owned by the Agnelli family. Exor also controls Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ferrari.

LS supplies many tractors to CNH and CNH supplies some of the larger tractors and some components like engines to LS. LS Tractors is a division of LS Cable, which is owned by the Koo family who also own LG....kind of gets hard to follow.

Some tractors marked Case or New Holland are actually made by companies in the CNH/Fiat family rather than LS and I think some of the compact tractors are still sourced from Shibaura.

 

[manosteel00]

Thank you for the advice everyone. Very valuable.

A good friend is a caretaker for several properties nearby and he said he could put in food plots for a few hundred bucks a year. That is compelling since 1.) I don't need to take time doing it, 2.) I don't really know what I'm doing and 3.) He has all the implements to make it happen. Would you do the same? I thought it would be cool to have the implements for hobby farming but the garden will be small enough to do by hand.

Lots of feedback pointing towards 40HP tractors. That looks like a good fit for me and I want to make sure that the tractor is large enough to run a variety of implements over time. Regarding a cab, they seem nice but it seems like it would be a pain getting in and out of the tractor frequently. Plus every cab I've seen on a farm is beat to crap from trees. I don't mind cold weather (I'm a Wisconsin ice fisherman after all) but if I'm missing something here let me know.

What would you recommend looking at in terms of models, both used and new?

I am located in central WI and there are dealers for every major brand within 30 minutes of me. There is a pole barn on the property with a 10-12' door.

 

[IslandTractor]

I would take up your friend's offer and let him do the food plots for now. In the future when you are more comfortable with tractor operation etc you could take over if you so desire.

Regarding what models to look at, new and used, I would make a few points from my personal experience and other points on general principles.

First, I can highly recommend any of the Kioti DKse tractors from 35hp to 50hp. I own a DK40se and it is IMO still the best bang for the buck in the 40ish HP tractor world. Solid, reliable, strongest loader on any 40ish hp tractor and a pleasure to operate. The DK35se is a bit smaller than the 40, 45 and 50 but excellent. The 40, 45 and 50 are identical except for engine bore and stroke. These DKse series Kiotis were supplanted a couple of years ago by the Kioti NX series. Only major difference is the engine which is Tier III on the DK and Tier IV on the NX. If it were me today I would probably first look to see if there were any old stock new DK's around but wouldn't hesitate to get either a used DK or a new NX.

On general principles I would next look at Mahindra and LS as two other "bang for the buck" brands that are well respected and every bit as good as the Kioti. Compare functional properties like loader capacity, 3PT capacity, tractor weight, ergonomics of operator station etc rather than just selecting on the basis of horsepower.

If I were looking for used then Kubota and JD will be more readily available simply because more of those are sold overall and more therefore show up on the used market. A previous generation Kubota is an excellent excellent tractor. The only real difference between previous gen and current gen Kubotas is the new fangled HST transmission and tier IV engine on the current model. The new electronic transmission is nice but hardly necessary. The older Kubotas have essentially the same generation HST transmissions as the current Kioti, Mahindra, LS etc. My point is not to knock the new Kubota HST but rather to point out that Kubota (and others) made their name with the older generation bullet proof HST and those older models still do the work just fine. Regarding Kubota models in the 40hp range, you will be looking for L or Grand L or MX. I'd personally choose the MX over the Grand L but would be happy with either. The L is a basic no frills tractor but still excellent. Kubotas (and JD) are generally lighter and have lower capacity loaders at a given HP size (exceptions exist) so do compare multiple specs not just HP.

I don't know the JD models and my personal bias is that green paint costs too much but there is no knocking the quality or convenience of having a JD either.

 

[newbury]

By all means have your friend put in the food plots but go along for training.

Right now for new it seems LS, Kioti, and Mahindra are offering the best bang for the buck. JD is green like money. Kubota demands a premium but seems to have fewer failures. I remember some horror stories on here last summer about lower end Mahindra support.

Also take into account that Kubota is known for being a little light on a HP per pound basis (that is for a given horsepower range it weighs less).

If you plan on any moving of whole logs make sure you can lift them. A 10' long 2' diameter fresh cut white oak weighs a ton.

 

[PJSprog]

Looks like a beautiful place you have there, manosteel00. Congrats, and welcome to TBN.

Absolutely take advantage of offers to help from neighbors. Once you learn from them, then you can ease into doing it yourself. This also gives you a time pad to save for the necessary implements, rather than shelling it all out upfront.

As for the cab issue, you should definitely consider that. You mentioned ice fishing. Do you fish in a shelter, or out in the open? That's a similar comparison for cab versus open station tractor. Yes, they can get beat up by trees, but that's easily avoided with moderate tree maintenance.

I noted also that you have "Shooting Range Construction" fairly high on the list. I admire a man who has his priorities straight. :thumbsup:

 

[aarolar]

Let your friend do the food plots the first few years once they are established you should have no problems working them with a 40hp tractor, converting sod to workable dirt is tough on equipment.

 

[sikmusicfreak8]

I purchased 9 acres and so I started looking at old diesel industrial tractors, like Fords, and quickly determined I needed something more modern, and more versatile. One thing I had to have was a backhoe. This quickly got me looking into compact tractors. Went and looked at a few 30hp-ish tractors and realized they were too small. Found the Branson brand, and started getting pricing on a new 35hp+, then decided I'd just keep looking until I found a used one. Ended up with a 47HP with a backhoe for about $22K. I am very glad I went with the larger tractor in the long run.

Sounds like your needs are similar, so I would suggest at a very minimum 40HP and go from there. Good luck.

 

[rockarosa]

A 4550 Mahindra 2 wheel drive is 50 H. P. tons of power well under $20,000. I have a 4550 4 wheel drive, taking care of 50 acres and it can run any implement I need. I bought the Mahindra last Sept. with a 7 foot back blade and a 6 foot bushhog for under $24,000. By the way I like your name since I worked at Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel for 42 years. Worked as a Fork Truck Mechanic and at the end went back to running an overhead crane. Been retired for 4 years as the company changed hands several times and end up filing bankruptcy under R-G Steel.

 

[jibe717]

For that amount of land I would prefer something of at least 50 HP. But for 20k or less you are likely looking at machines with a lot of hours and a lot of wear and tear and a lot of fixing and a lot of repair money. I suggest looking at taking advantage of some of the 0.0% and 0 down offers that are available by the different manufacturers. You will pay a few more K's for the financing but you will get something new with a warranty and size that will better handle your present and future needs.
Or if you don't want to pay for new you will need to up the budget into the mid 20k range to get the 50HP size of used that I would think that you would need.
I suggest cab, FEL and front wheel assist in whatever machine you settle for. I'm in NW MN and I'm in the process of ensuring that next winter season I am in the cab of my 4610 for moving snow. You won't regret a cab.

 

[flusher]

Find the tractor you like in the 50-60 hp (engine) range that fits your budget.
Mine was a new 2008 Mahindra 5525 (55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, 8F/2R partially synchronized tranny, power steering, triple rear hydraulic remotes) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, triple chain hooks, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft height, skid steer quick attach). Cost: $19K.

Going with a hydrostatic transmission or shuttle shift tranny will bump up the cost by $3-5K.

Find a local dealer (within 100 mile radius) who has decent service and parts departments and who will work with you on transportation costs if and when you need major service.

Good luck