Buying first tractor ... considerations

[joshuabardwell]

I'm considering what to buy for a first tractor. I have about 3 acres, of which maybe 2 acres is pasture. I raise hogs and lambs, and do some household gardening (but don't sell any produce). A big chunk of my work is pasture maintenance, which mostly consists of mowing an area after the sheep go through and seeding after the pigs and sheep make bare spots. I haven't gotten into any more intensive management, such as spreading lime, fertilizer, large-scale reseeding. I also have a gravel driveway that requires pretty regular maintenance, which I would love to be able to do myself.

Given the size of my property, I'm pretty sure I can't justify the purchase of more than a sub-compact or compact tractor. I'm wondering what the practical limitations of these machines are. Obviously, they can mow. They can probably grade my driveway pretty good too. What about running a subsoiler to trench water pipe or electrical line? Do today's CUTs have enough HP and weight to pull an 18" or 24" trench? That depends a lot on the type of soil, but maybe y'all can give me some perspective on if it's even in the ballpark.

My other question pertains to mowing. Currently, probably 85% of what I do is mowing. That number would go down if I had a tractor, because I would be doing more earth-moving projects that are just out of my reach right now. But even still, mowing is going to be a big chunk of my work, because every time the sheep move, I have to clean up after them with a mower. I'm a little confused as to why someone would spend what it costs to get a finish mower or belly-mount mower for one of these tractors when that's darn near the same price as a pretty good dedicated riding mower, which is smaller, more maneuverable, safer on hills, and cheaper to run. I mean, I can see the appeal of having a single tool to do the job, but from a price perspective, I'm having a hard time figuring out how the tractor-mounted finish mowers make sense. But I reckon there's something obvious that I'm missing, and I'd love for y'all to help me figure out what it is.

 

[Don87]

I'm considering what to buy for a first tractor. I have about 3 acres, of which maybe 2 acres is pasture. I raise hogs and lambs, and do some household gardening (but don't sell any produce). A big chunk of my work is pasture maintenance, which mostly consists of mowing an area after the sheep go through and seeding after the pigs and sheep make bare spots. I haven't gotten into any more intensive management, such as spreading lime, fertilizer, large-scale reseeding. I also have a gravel driveway that requires pretty regular maintenance, which I would love to be able to do myself.

Given the size of my property, I'm pretty sure I can't justify the purchase of more than a sub-compact or compact tractor. I'm wondering what the practical limitations of these machines are. Obviously, they can mow. They can probably grade my driveway pretty good too. What about running a subsoiler to trench water pipe or electrical line? Do today's CUTs have enough HP and weight to pull an 18" or 24" trench? That depends a lot on the type of soil, but maybe y'all can give me some perspective on if it's even in the ballpark.

My other question pertains to mowing. Currently, probably 85% of what I do is mowing. That number would go down if I had a tractor, because I would be doing more earth-moving projects that are just out of my reach right now. But even still, mowing is going to be a big chunk of my work, because every time the sheep move, I have to clean up after them with a mower. I'm a little confused as to why someone would spend what it costs to get a finish mower or belly-mount mower for one of these tractors when that's darn near the same price as a pretty good dedicated riding mower, which is smaller, more maneuverable, safer on hills, and cheaper to run. I mean, I can see the appeal of having a single tool to do the job, but from a price perspective, I'm having a hard time figuring out how the tractor-mounted finish mowers make sense. But I reckon there's something obvious that I'm missing, and I'd love for y'all to help me figure out what it is.

I'll answer the last first.

1). one engine to take care of.

2). 60 inch cutting width with most sub-compacts, get done quicker.

3). much less fuel consumption with these smaller diesels, than with a gas powered riding mower.

4). Quality. you won't find that kind of lasting quality in todays MTD mower line-up.

The new gasoline is very hard on the carbs, constant rebuilding is required to keep them running, due to the nature of the 'new gas' mixtures.(gums up the carbs).

 

[Don87]

And to answer the rest of your questions, a small compact, or subcompact will meet your needs.

As far as a subsoiler, you would need to make several passes to get the depth you are looking for. Unless you hit rocks, then you may need a very large tractor, or a dozer.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I'll answer the last first.
The new gasoline is very hard on the carbs, constant rebuilding is required to keep them running, due to the nature of the 'new gas' mixtures.(gums up the carbs).

You are right about that. I just had to rebuild the carb on a 2-year-old tiller with, maybe, 25 hours on it. I always bleed it dry before winter storage, but not during the growing season, when I would have it out every 4-6 weeks or so, and I knew I would be regularly burning through the fuel. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it out after winter storage to find the carb leaking. I was sure it must be something more serious, because I had "done everything right". Lesson learned: I always use the fuel cutoff to shut it off now, every time I put it away.

Thanks for the other responses. I guess I hadn't figured that the 60" cutting width is nearly double a typical riding mower. That adds up. I'm also surprised to find that the larger diesel engine on these tractors is more fuel efficient than the smaller gas engines on the mowers.

 

[Don87]

You are right about that. I just had to rebuild the carb on a 2-year-old tiller with, maybe, 25 hours on it. I always bleed it dry before winter storage, but not during the growing season, when I would have it out every 4-6 weeks or so, and I knew I would be regularly burning through the fuel. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it out after winter storage to find the carb leaking. I was sure it must be something more serious, because I had "done everything right". Lesson learned: I always use the fuel cutoff to shut it off now, every time I put it away.

Thanks for the other responses. I guess I hadn't figured that the 60" cutting width is nearly double a typical riding mower. That adds up. I'm also surprised to find that the larger diesel engine on these tractors is more fuel efficient than the smaller gas engines on the mowers.

My Massey is only 22HP, but it will work rings around the Cub Cadet 2160 I used to own.

The fuel usage is well documented, and does surprise most people when they find out.

 

[Soundguy]

go buy a finish mower for a tractor.. now buy a rider mower... mow a couple ac a week... the finish mower on the tractor will last longer thanthe rider int he long run.. and liekly be cheaper. tires, battery.. oil changes.. etc. etc.. tune ups.. etc..

speed is another issue.. though you would loose some maneuverability with a tractor mounted unit..e tc..

I'm considering what to buy for a first tractor. I have about 3 acres, of which maybe 2 acres is pasture. I raise hogs and lambs, and do some household gardening (but don't sell any produce). A big chunk of my work is pasture maintenance, which mostly consists of mowing an area after the sheep go through and seeding after the pigs and sheep make bare spots. I haven't gotten into any more intensive management, such as spreading lime, fertilizer, large-scale reseeding. I also have a gravel driveway that requires pretty regular maintenance, which I would love to be able to do myself.

Given the size of my property, I'm pretty sure I can't justify the purchase of more than a sub-compact or compact tractor. I'm wondering what the practical limitations of these machines are. Obviously, they can mow. They can probably grade my driveway pretty good too. What about running a subsoiler to trench water pipe or electrical line? Do today's CUTs have enough HP and weight to pull an 18" or 24" trench? That depends a lot on the type of soil, but maybe y'all can give me some perspective on if it's even in the ballpark.

My other question pertains to mowing. Currently, probably 85% of what I do is mowing. That number would go down if I had a tractor, because I would be doing more earth-moving projects that are just out of my reach right now. But even still, mowing is going to be a big chunk of my work, because every time the sheep move, I have to clean up after them with a mower. I'm a little confused as to why someone would spend what it costs to get a finish mower or belly-mount mower for one of these tractors when that's darn near the same price as a pretty good dedicated riding mower, which is smaller, more maneuverable, safer on hills, and cheaper to run. I mean, I can see the appeal of having a single tool to do the job, but from a price perspective, I'm having a hard time figuring out how the tractor-mounted finish mowers make sense. But I reckon there's something obvious that I'm missing, and I'd love for y'all to help me figure out what it is.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Another thing to consider is cost. A good commercial grade mower will cost you nearly $10K and can only mow. Sure you can buy homeowner mowers for about 3000 and buy new about every 3-4 years as the decks rust out. Initial investment for a tractor in the 20-30 hp range will be in the 12-$15k range if you get a FEL on it and add 2500 for a mower but you can move dirt and other materials plus mow the yard, get additional attachments that keep you spending money from year to year that allow you to do other things with it also and these small SCUT and CUT engines run forever on a tank of fuel and it can set indefinetly and crank right up with the right fuel treatment (cold weather need anti-gel additive) and storage more than about 8 month should likely put in some biocide to prevent algae growth although I have never had a problem with my storage of a year per tank kept in my enclosed shop.
I have and old 90 model JD 332 diesel mower with 54" cut and 14 HP engine that I can cut my yard with about half the diesel as my 55"cut ZTR even though it turns better and takes less time it burns more gallons per hour. I use my tractors to cut the pasture and save my engines and belts on the lawnmowers. The ZTR is homeowner quality and will likely be replaced with a RFM for my B26 when they crap out. I will keep my old JD till it dies or I do which ever is first for mowing around trees and such which takes a lot of time for a tractor which is about the only drawback to one.