Doubtful... but not sure

[3RRL]

Welcome ABolt,
I think a 25 to 35hp tractor will fill your needs for the food plots and road maintenance, However, you have 300 acres and it's likely you'll be doing something else on it in the future? Who knows? With that in mind, I would consider a 45 to 55 hp tractor that will let you do what you need now, but will also be up to the task of maintaining your future tractor work. Besides the other tractors mentioned, I would seriously look at the KAMA line. IMO, they are one of the best Chinese tractors and are getting more popular as owners discover their capabilities. They are reasonable and offer a lot of tractor features and hp for the money. You could then invest in additional implements including the FEL. There are a couple of dealers who support this board that sell them.

 

[3RRL]

Welcome ABolt,
I think a 25 to 35hp tractor will fill your needs for the food plots and road maintenance, However, you have 300 acres and it's likely you'll be doing something else on it in the future? Who knows? With that in mind, I would consider a 45 to 55 hp tractor that will let you do what you need now, but will also be up to the task of maintaining your future tractor work. Besides the other tractors mentioned, I would seriously look at the KAMA line. IMO, they are one of the best Chinese tractors and are getting more popular as owners discover their capabilities. They are reasonable and offer a lot of tractor features and hp for the money. You could then invest in additional implements including the FEL. There are a couple of dealers who support this board that sell them.

 

[SWB]

I guess I may disagree with those who think a 20-30 HP tractor and a $15,000 budget is unreasonable. It depends on whether you will be doing anything at all with the 300 acres of woods except maintaining some roads through it. I would try to get close to a 30 HP machine. You also may not have to get an off brand. For example, check this special as an example:

http://www.outdoorpowerequip.com/equip_specials_main.htm

It is a 28 HP new Massey Ferguson with a trailer, box blade and rotary cutter for $14,200. Just add a disc. You can probably get a similar deal for a Kubota (e.g. L2800) or NH (once known as Ford) (e.g. TC30 model). This type of machine will be very useful and probably all you need unless you start clearing a lot more land.

 

[SWB]

I guess I may disagree with those who think a 20-30 HP tractor and a $15,000 budget is unreasonable. It depends on whether you will be doing anything at all with the 300 acres of woods except maintaining some roads through it. I would try to get close to a 30 HP machine. You also may not have to get an off brand. For example, check this special as an example:

http://www.outdoorpowerequip.com/equip_specials_main.htm

It is a 28 HP new Massey Ferguson with a trailer, box blade and rotary cutter for $14,200. Just add a disc. You can probably get a similar deal for a Kubota (e.g. L2800) or NH (once known as Ford) (e.g. TC30 model). This type of machine will be very useful and probably all you need unless you start clearing a lot more land.

 

[daTeacha]

Welcome, Abolt.

First of all, you did not give us too much information. Maybe too little. The type of terrain, the type of soil, the general location, etc. will all make a difference in what you will have the best luck with. 4 wheel drive is almost thought of as required by a lot of guys here with smaller machines. I have it and need it on my hilly woods. In Michigan, I was all over my 20 acres of wooded land with a two wheel drive 8N, but the land was flat. How heavy is your ground?? Is it sandy loam or heavy clay? That makes a big difference when it comes to having a disc work it well. Are you going to have timber removed in the future or has it been recently logged and you have a bunch of piles of tops and scrub growth to work with? Is it mostly cover, or deep woods that the deer pass through? They'll follow your trails and roads if you put them near where the deer want to go. They're very efficient critters, taking the easiest path from point A to point B whenever it's safe. Do you plan to maintain your boundaries in any way? Is a fence in your future to keep trespassers out from neighboring areas? Do you have any water to deal with -- a pond or maybe a stream to cross repeatedly? A dam to maintain?

The more you tell us, the more suggestions we can give and the more of your money we can help you spend.

Personally, if you're dealing with fairly level ground, I think a 50 hp used ag tractor would be just fine. Get something with some decent running time on a tankful of fuel so you don't get marooned somewhere. You'll find a lot of folks favor diesel over gas, but there are lots of older tractors around that have gas engines.

FWIW, my father-in-law farmed several hundred acres with an Allis Chalmers WD-45 and an 8N Ford for many years. This was in the days when farming meant plowing, discing, planting, cultivating, harvesting and haying with the same tractor and different implements attached to it. The WD did a lot of work for a long time and is still running fine. It's a 45 hp gas engine narrow front 2 wheel drive.

 

[daTeacha]

Welcome, Abolt.

First of all, you did not give us too much information. Maybe too little. The type of terrain, the type of soil, the general location, etc. will all make a difference in what you will have the best luck with. 4 wheel drive is almost thought of as required by a lot of guys here with smaller machines. I have it and need it on my hilly woods. In Michigan, I was all over my 20 acres of wooded land with a two wheel drive 8N, but the land was flat. How heavy is your ground?? Is it sandy loam or heavy clay? That makes a big difference when it comes to having a disc work it well. Are you going to have timber removed in the future or has it been recently logged and you have a bunch of piles of tops and scrub growth to work with? Is it mostly cover, or deep woods that the deer pass through? They'll follow your trails and roads if you put them near where the deer want to go. They're very efficient critters, taking the easiest path from point A to point B whenever it's safe. Do you plan to maintain your boundaries in any way? Is a fence in your future to keep trespassers out from neighboring areas? Do you have any water to deal with -- a pond or maybe a stream to cross repeatedly? A dam to maintain?

The more you tell us, the more suggestions we can give and the more of your money we can help you spend.

Personally, if you're dealing with fairly level ground, I think a 50 hp used ag tractor would be just fine. Get something with some decent running time on a tankful of fuel so you don't get marooned somewhere. You'll find a lot of folks favor diesel over gas, but there are lots of older tractors around that have gas engines.

FWIW, my father-in-law farmed several hundred acres with an Allis Chalmers WD-45 and an 8N Ford for many years. This was in the days when farming meant plowing, discing, planting, cultivating, harvesting and haying with the same tractor and different implements attached to it. The WD did a lot of work for a long time and is still running fine. It's a 45 hp gas engine narrow front 2 wheel drive.

 

[Deaf]

Just wanted to share some of my experiences. We have a 132 acre plot used for hunting and recreation. Got a small 17 hp ford to keep areas brush cut and level the drive a few times a year. Well I wish I could get a big tractor but have no means to transport it and I can not leave it down here due to vandals and thieves. Now we are more familiar with the area I have found locals to do most of my work for cut rates and no need to haul our little tractor down there. So my suggestion would be to think long and hard about the purchase and how much would use the tractor on a regular basis. If you can leave it there great go for it but if your hauling it back and forth trust me it gets old fast. The thing I dislike the most is safely securing the tractor to the trailer and stopping twice on the 125 mile trip home just to double check the load. Call me a safety nut but would rather be safe then sorry.

Just think if you spend ~$1000 a year on services you can go 15 years for what you want to spend. And if you get the receipts you can claim them as improvements to the land and take them off the capital gains when you sell. Not sure all work is covered but I know improving the drive way and leveling ground is, per my tax guy.

 

[Deaf]

Just wanted to share some of my experiences. We have a 132 acre plot used for hunting and recreation. Got a small 17 hp ford to keep areas brush cut and level the drive a few times a year. Well I wish I could get a big tractor but have no means to transport it and I can not leave it down here due to vandals and thieves. Now we are more familiar with the area I have found locals to do most of my work for cut rates and no need to haul our little tractor down there. So my suggestion would be to think long and hard about the purchase and how much would use the tractor on a regular basis. If you can leave it there great go for it but if your hauling it back and forth trust me it gets old fast. The thing I dislike the most is safely securing the tractor to the trailer and stopping twice on the 125 mile trip home just to double check the load. Call me a safety nut but would rather be safe then sorry.

Just think if you spend ~$1000 a year on services you can go 15 years for what you want to spend. And if you get the receipts you can claim them as improvements to the land and take them off the capital gains when you sell. Not sure all work is covered but I know improving the drive way and leveling ground is, per my tax guy.

 

[kossetx]

Abolt, I took care of 161 acres for 14 years with a 25hp tractor. I managed just fine mowing the pastures once a year and planting food plots. The only reason I have a new larger tractor is I needed a fel and my old tractor was kinda out of date for one. (no rops) You can and will need a larger tractor someday. But until you do, you can get by with a 30hp size like an l2800 or a tc30 if it is all that's budgeted.

 

[kossetx]

Abolt, I took care of 161 acres for 14 years with a 25hp tractor. I managed just fine mowing the pastures once a year and planting food plots. The only reason I have a new larger tractor is I needed a fel and my old tractor was kinda out of date for one. (no rops) You can and will need a larger tractor someday. But until you do, you can get by with a 30hp size like an l2800 or a tc30 if it is all that's budgeted.