Closing on 16 acres, help with tractor choice

[farm boy00]

No big recommendation on tractor but on a side by side I would buy a ford ranger instead. Can haul and tow more, has full cab with heat (and usually ac), usually cheap/easy to work on, and are road legal vehicles.

A good ranger can be found for $1,000-2,000 (around my location) versus $5,000+ for a good side by side.

 

[ericm979]

I've had both a beater 4x4 Toyota farm truck and a sxs. For my steep wooded land the sxs is much better- it can go places the truck can't. But the truck was cheaper and road legal and hauled more. If the land is flat and open and the ground is not soft it may be a better option.

In my earlier reply I was assuming that "maintaining" 13 acres that had been select cut and has brush on it doesn't mean mowing the whole thing. I haven't run a batwing mower but I expect that they don't get along with trees very well.

 

[radios1]

+1 on a cabbed tractor, think of your lungs..

 

[PEJ5]

Dr i+/]¶%

Edit:. That was advice from my pocket!!! I was not swearing at you.

Mowing sounds like work - create a forest!

 

[jpover]

Thanks for all the great input - much appreciated! Now I've got to take some time to process/digest it all.

I also appreciate the side by side feedback.

PEJ5 - no sweat, that's funny that you "pocket posted"!

 

[3gunr]

Look at branson and Ls tractors lots of bang for the buck. and they have cabbed models to . 50 hp with a 7 ft cutter would work well. definitly get an fel with the tractor.

 

[WM75Guy]

We have 14 acres and horses. If you are only going to have 1 tractor, get one with an FEL. I would recommend something in the 40-60 HP range, for the weight and loader lifting capacity. Take a look at the dealers that are around you and don't be afraid to stop by someone's place where they are using a tractor. Most of us don't mind answering questions about our tractors.

I use the pallet forks more than the bucket to unload stuff off the trailer, pick up limbs, or move hay and stuff around. The extra weight of the FEL smooths out the ride while mowing and keeps the front end from being light. I have 200# of suitcase weights on the front of the Boomer 8N and am going to add 300# more for that very reason. Occasionally the front tires don't stick in a turn so I need more weight up front.

I mow 2 acres around the buildings and arena with the Kubota ZTR. The rest I mow with the Boomer 8N and a 6' cutter, easier to get around trees and such, it does not have an FEL. Mowing is therapy for me, put on my hearing protection connected to music and enjoy myself. Yes, it is hot at times in East Texas, so I either mow early or late evening. Our Kawasaki Mule is used almost every day to pull the manure spreader when we clean stalls. It also pulls a 4'X4' drag harrow to break up manure or level ground after I till it.

Both of my tractors are New Holland. My local dealer quit handling NH not long after I bought the Boomer 8N. I am happy with them, just have to go a ways for service. But that is what a good truck and trailer is for, so you don't have to depend on someone else to do the hauling. I haul hay 3-4 times a year so the 20' Big Tex GN trailer is essential. I buy stall shavings by the pallet from TSC to get a discount. I use the tractor to unload them and a pallet jack to move them around the barn.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[bruceha2000]

Fence the property and get sheep!

In addition to the things mentioned, consider FEL lift capacity and PTO power once you have decided on the tasks you will do with the tractor. You'll want to make sure that the 3 PT attachments of the size you think you need can be driven by the PTO. And I agree on the pallet forks, very useful and not that expensive. I've twice used mine to unload attachments from box trucks. No way I could get a 700 pound mower off a truck without the tractor AND the forks. I also use the pallet forks to move my fire wood "cages" to the house and to dig out rocks in my field (in conjunction with the backhoe). And I use them to carry logs cut to 8' lengths from the woods for blocking and splitting up by the barn.

You want a quick attach on the loader arms. If you are going to use your side by side (or Ranger) to check the perimeter, you'll be building a trail if not the equivalent of a logging road. Probably want a box scraper for that and (probably doesn't need to be said) it needs to be at least as wide as your tractor. Might be something you can rent if you won't need it for regular driveway maintenance.

 

[wassup8687]

Take a look at Kioti. They're excellent tractors and have plenty of power and weight.

I don't think you need a 60 hp tractor on 13 acres. I have a Kioti CK2610 HST and 40 acres. It's plenty of tractor for me. Half of my property is fields and the rest wooded.

 

[Atchuuu]

I have nearly the identical setup that you will have. 15 acres with a 4 acre pond. The property is cleared except for a handful of pines, fruit trees and some oaks. I have a Land Pride 6' mower. I cut the property every 10-14 days during growing season. It takes a long time. As Jeff and others have said, a cab sure is nice for keeping you out of the dirt, heat and bugs. If you can afford it I highly recommend the cab.

Others migh recommend cutting with a larger/commercial ZTR mower. I have one and it is only a 42" deck but it runs a little faster than the tractor so the time it takes to cut the property is pretty similar. The tractor though is multi purpose and if you have a FEL you will find all sorts of things to do with it. I have removed plenty of old stumps, spread loads of dirt, removed small trees, dug holes with a 3pt auger and used pallet forks to install over 100 fence posts. The same pallet forks allowed me to carry a generator around the property to paint all the fence posts with a spray gun.

Like you, I had no prior tractor experience. So I was not brand loyal and looked at several. Be sure to sit on and use anything you are thinking of buying. I almost purchased a new tractor but after test driving it I realized the cab area was too small for me. Seat would not move back far enough. Thankfully I figured that out before I made the purchase. No way could I sit like that for hours at a time.