First Tractor - Buying Help

[comalia]

Hello, been reading around for a while trying to figure out exactly what I need for my first tractor. Recently purchased a home on 28 acres. Lots of it is forest, and there are some trails that run throughout it. Also has a large creek and 1.5 acre spring fed pond. I've been looking in the 25HP range, but am beginning to question that. Would prefer to find a good used deal, but those seem hard to come by so could go new if I have to. Already have a zero turn, so won't be used for mowing. Here are the tasks and chores I will need to accomplish:

Snow removal
Maintaining trails/clearing brush
Moving wood and fallen trees around (including pulling timber out of creek)
Possible stump removal
Maintaining small orchard and garden (maybe a quarter to half acre garden)
Planned project of clearing out a beach area by the pond
Pulling trailer around property

I've looked closely at Kubota(B27) and LS. Both have dealerships nearby. LS seems like a good bang for one's buck.

Anyways, appreciate any feedback or input on if I'm in the right range power-wise and tractor-wise. Thanks!

 

[rademamj]

I was in the exact same situation last year. I purchased a 27.5 acre lot here in Texas; with 80% forest and 20% partially cleared. With only a small gravel road for access.

Purchased a 39HP tractor with FEL with rotary cutter, box blade, post hole digger and stump grinder. All have been new equipment, because the used equipment here in Texas is nearly costing the same as new.

1. With chain saws and rotary cutter, have moved 4.5 acres forest into partially cleared land.

2. Added 900 feet gravel road with box blade.

3. Put up 700 feet of perimeter fencing using post hole digger.

4. Added 2 security gates for access using post hole digger.

5. The FEL is used all the time and everyday.

Recommend the largest sized tractor for your available budget. Don't go small on tractor size on first purchase. Remember cleared land and partially cleared land typically improves the value of the lot when comes time to sell.

 

[jeff9366]

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to list your tasks first, then determine bare tractor weight needed to safely accomplish your tasks. The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor chassis weight is more important for most tractor operations than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, bare tractor weight must increase 50% before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Every tractor brand includes a model in the 2,600 pound to 2,900 pound (bare tractor) range with 100 cubic inch/24 horsepower engine ample for your tasks. Tractors under 25-horsepower are exempt from the stringent, Tier IV emission controls which abruptly increase a tractor's cost about $3,000 above the 25-horsepower demarcation. In Kubota this model is the L2501.

If you will use a Backhoe a lot, a dedicated T-L-B like the Kubota B26 is the way to go. Clearing stumps is tedious for tractor operator and very hard on a light tractor, like the B26. If you cannot let stumps rot, a mini-excavator is better for stump removal.

Few would use a tractor near a pond unless the banks are solid. Too high a probability of bogging the tractor. Most would hire in a mini-excavator for pond work.

 

[Citydude]

Hello, been reading around for a while trying to figure out exactly what I need for my first tractor. Recently purchased a home on 28 acres. Lots of it is forest, and there are some trails that run throughout it. Also has a large creek and 1.5 acre spring fed pond. I've been looking in the 25HP range, but am beginning to question that. Would prefer to find a good used deal, but those seem hard to come by so could go new if I have to. Already have a zero turn, so won't be used for mowing. Here are the tasks and chores I will need to accomplish:

Snow removal
Maintaining trails/clearing brush
Moving wood and fallen trees around (including pulling timber out of creek)
Possible stump removal
Maintaining small orchard and garden (maybe a quarter to half acre garden)
Planned project of clearing out a beach area by the pond
Pulling trailer around property

I've looked closely at Kubota(B27) and LS. Both have dealerships nearby. LS seems like a good bang for one's buck.

Anyways, appreciate any feedback or input on if I'm in the right range power-wise and tractor-wise. Thanks!

What is the terrain like on your property? Hilly or flat. If it's hilly, weight and width of the tractor comes into play especially when pulling a trailer. If it's more or less flat, then your probably on the right track.

 

[comalia]

Some hills, but can always take longer routes around to avoid them. Would that be enough to pull trees out of creek and remove snow? I am located in northern Michigan so could get a foot of snow at a moment's notice.

 

[jeff9366]

Enter MICHIGAN into your T-B-N profile.

A 2,700 pound bare weight tractor with 4-WD can pull heavy logs from the drawbar. You need a rear/center drawbar and a chain grab hook. You can chainsaw oversize tree trunks into sections to reduce their mass in manageable segments.

VIDEO ~ RE SNOW: kubota l2501 snow - YouTube

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Please excuse the rude posts directly above with a personal vendetta. That kind of thing is relatively uncommon on TBN. (Edit: this was referencing two, now deleted posts. Hopefully, they haven't already scared off the OP)

What is common, is for a new tractor operator to get a smaller tractor, use it for a few years and then sell it to get exactly what they need.
I think this is because early on he/she just can't accurately predict what every task will be on a property and will learn a lot more over tine what a CUT can do.

So my advice is to try to get it right with the first purchase but don't be surprised when you don't.

Therefore, a focus of your search should be resale value and ease of resale/trade in.

Certainly, the major brands are faster to sell private party and probably hold value better (but people love to argue that second point and if you're buying used the value is going to drop very little no matter what you do). More importantly, you may find most dealers will only take trade ins from the brand they sell and/or the major CUT brands (Kubota, JD, CNH).

:2cents:

 

[majorwager]

There is a flip side. Folks do purchase a SCUT or smaller CUT and hold on to it for 20 years. As it turns out, it was exactly what they needed. Difficult to discount that reality entirely.

Currently there is another set of circumstances. Some folks selling used compacts ( Messick's posted a related video), are demanding selling prices within the range of a new tractor. This does include deere and Kubota. So the purchaser must either have the cash in hand or arrange their own financing with could be in the range of 7 % depending upon down payment and assessed value of the tractor by the lending institution. The lending duration is often curtailed to 48 or 60 months max, generating a large monthly payment.


The new tractor dealer, however has very attractive buying options. Some offer 0% financing for long terms (cost incorporated in the deal) Further the dealer can offer incredibly long warranties, some in the 8 year range. The dealer can often incorporate new implements into the loan. When I bought my kubota , I financed the sales tax. At 0% why look for out of pocket expense when you can use another's money?, What is the warranty with a used tractor purchase from an individual?

Certainly a few used brands are more attractive to buyers on the used market, but a buyer w/ cash in hand is always seeking a deal. The prices that have been bantered around on the various forums for used tractors lately do NOT appear to be what would be classified as a great deal.

How much would the NH Poster above be willing to sell his current Kubota? When I purchase a tractor, it is for the long term, and resale value is less important than the importance of the tractor ability to perform the anticipated tasks. From what is posted, seems many posters list their expectations born from having given the purchase significant thought.

 

[BMan2005]

I was in the exact same situation last year. I purchased a 27.5 acre lot here in Texas; with 80% forest and 20% partially cleared. With only a small gravel road for access.

Purchased a 39HP tractor with FEL with rotary cutter, box blade, post hole digger and stump grinder. All have been new equipment, because the used equipment here in Texas is nearly costing the same as new.

1. With chain saws and rotary cutter, have moved 4.5 acres forest into partially cleared land.

2. Added 900 feet gravel road with box blade.

3. Put up 700 feet of perimeter fencing using post hole digger.

4. Added 2 security gates for access using post hole digger.

5. The FEL is used all the time and everyday.

Recommend the largest sized tractor for your available budget. Don't go small on tractor size on first purchase. Remember cleared land and partially cleared land typically improves the value of the lot when comes time to sell.

Very true words! It's not a matter of it being easier to spend your money than mine, it's learning from personal experience. Now if you know you don't need bigger then great, but if you are unsure, then go bigger!

 

[DieselBound]

Budget for implements.

The notion of worrying about resale value ought to be thrown in the trashcan. No offense, but the true measure would be the difference between acquisition cost and sale price: you can guess what future markets are going to be like, but do not bet on it! Further, if you're in a "backwoods" location folks around you, ones that would tend be your market, might not be wealthy enough to pay an asking price for a more costly tractor (and the wealthier people most likely will have what they need already, or they're going to wait and or push you down on price because "cash talks").

BUY FOR USE AND [then] USE! It's unlikely that you're going to take a loss on any piece of equipment (after factoring in the work that you've gotten done with it).

As mentioned, give it your best shot (if you specify your requirements best you can you'll likely be fine for some time). IF what you get can do 80% of what you need to do then you are probably going to be fine: as I say, shoot for what you have to do the bulk of work -80% (or more)- and rent for the other 20% (or less).

When something you are doing introduces a strict, and short, time line in might be best to just rent a more suitable piece of equipment.

In my case, "going bigger" early-on would have caused me lots of grief. It required my small tractor (B7800), and only after venturing first with a machete, to expose places where I would have gotten any larger piece of equipment really stuck. Getting larger machines stuck isn't fun: I've gotten excavators stuck; fortunately they were only 9k lbs ones and not the 20k one that I also rent (I make sure I don't tread anywhere near where such could happen!).

Regarding traction, it kind of depends on soil conditions and terrain. My B7800, even before I ballasted the rears, was quite capable of dragging and pushing a lot of weight: I've skidded wood on truck hoods [see myu avatar]); sometimes creativity can get you "there" with a smaller machine. For sure, however, if you're doing ground-engaging work (box blade or such) then heavier IS a necessity. Hard to, however, remove weight from a larger tractor; just saying... (I have a small CUT and a larger CUT, so I've got a bit of an idea how each works; and I've got 40 acres with lots of different operating conditions, though no real hills).