First tractor - did you buy too big or too small?

[Renovator]

I have a DX55 with FEL Iuse to maintain 90 A, do custom notill seeding, fertilizing,spraying and bush hogging of small pastures. I also spray ditch banks and fencelines to kill brush. I needed something light enough to trailer on 25 foot gooseneck with supplies and enough power to notill drill and 7 foot bush hog. I would buy same tractor again.
Renovator

 

[Robert_in_NY]

As some of the others have said, you really need more then one tractor. We bought a Ford 4000 for next to nothing and traded it in on the TN65 as the main chore tractor. Then we added the 1920 to get into smaller places and also to work in the city on some jobs. Then as the farm expanded we added the 7710-II and a Ford 640. The 7710-II took over most of the heavy task that the TN had to do which freed the TN up to be the chore tractor again. We always try to have one tractor free to do whatever might pop up so usually the TN or 1920 are sitting in the barn waiting as they are the two loader tractors and the most all around useful tractors we have if we need to load material or help out a neighbor or friend.

Best advice to most people who have any amount of land is to buy a good middle of the road tractor and make due with it but to always keep your eye open for a nice used tractor to help out. It is nice to not have to borrow a neighbors tractor or equipment for whatever reason.

 

[TwinWillows]

We're pretty happy w/our NH TC40DA w/FEL & especially the help from several on this site for their recommendations. The HST is super easy to use by all of us. It's just right for our 28 acre horse & fruit farm. No regrets at all.

 

[whodat90]

First tractor was a B7200D, gear, turf tires. Great size, never really lacked for horsepower (not to say that I wouldn't like more, mind you) but recently sold it and bought a B8200D gear, ag tires, loader. I don't think I made a mistake on size, but I did make a mistake in not getting a loader right away. Without a loader, particularly with turf tires, it was a big lawn tractor. With the loader, it's a tractor, at least for me. I would like some of the modern conveniences of a new tractor, but like a previous poster mentioned, the 8200 is a tank, particularly when compared directly to anything current in it's horsepower/size/FEL capacity category.
whodat

 

[1bush2hog]

Finding this site before I purchased helped me make the best decision on my tractor purchase. If anything I may have bought a little big, but I have grown into it

The experience and knowledge that is shared on this site is second to none!

Thanks again to ALL for making this a site I look forward to visiting as often as possible.

 

[RobJ]

Have mine going on 1.5 years now. Perfect size for me, I like the extra size of the L and glad I got it. At 2000# with no FEL or 4wd, and about a 5' wheel width it has a more solid feel on the ground. The 26hp has been fine and I guess I wouldn't mine a 4wd but I'd probably only get in more trouble. The turfs I wanted have been replaced with ags, but I did put the turfs back on during the summer.

Found on Ebay and bought for $5000 with 1200 hours, Woods 5' FM and 4' BH, I have enjoyed my little toy.

Rob

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin jk,
Three tractors later, and still lookin for more and more HP

 

[Soundguy]

aWESOME ADVICE.. gOOD LARGE TRACTOR.. GOOD SMALL TRACTOR.. AND EXTRA MID SIZE TRACTORS TO HELP FILL IN ANY GAPS! ( OOPS CAPS LOCK )

soundguy

As some of the others have said, you really need more then one tractor. We bought a Ford 4000 for next to nothing and traded it in on the TN65 as the main chore tractor. Then we added the 1920 to get into smaller places and also to work in the city on some jobs. Then as the farm expanded we added the 7710-II and a Ford 640. The 7710-II took over most of the heavy task that the TN had to do which freed the TN up to be the chore tractor again. We always try to have one tractor free to do whatever might pop up so usually the TN or 1920 are sitting in the barn waiting as they are the two loader tractors and the most all around useful tractors we have if we need to load material or help out a neighbor or friend.

Best advice to most people who have any amount of land is to buy a good middle of the road tractor and make due with it but to always keep your eye open for a nice used tractor to help out. It is nice to not have to borrow a neighbors tractor or equipment for whatever reason.

 

[LBrown59]

Mornin jk,
Three tractors later, and still lookin for more and more HP

Have 5 lookin for #6 but plan on selling 1.

 

[flusher]

How many TBN'rs bought too small of a tractor on first purchase? How many bought too big? Just curious what others experience was since most advice here seems to be buy bigger than you think you need.

I bought a DX24 case and traded it back in after one year and 240 hours on a bigger case DX33.

Bought 10 acres of flat pasture land in Jan05.

Needed something to mow the weeds. Had my eye on a Yanmar 1700 with an FEL (4-ft bucket) for around $7000. Decided to buy a new tractor instead.

Checked out Kubota, JD, and NH.
Decided on a new 21-hp Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL (4-ft bucket) in May05. Good price and 0% financing for 36 months. My first tractor.
Immediately bought a 4-ft KK brush hog and a KK 4-ft box blade.

No complaints about the 7510. It did everything I needed done during the first year of house construction and general mowing and hauling around the place. Mowing about 7 acres of weeds in low gear took about 11 hours in the spring when the growth was 3-4 ft high. Second mowing in late June took about 8 hours since the weeds were only about 2-ft high.

Decided in May06 that I want to try to grow a hay crop instead of weeds. Needed more tractor hp. Bought a 1966 MF-135 diesel (45-hp engine) in July 06. Now refurbishing the 135 for the Nov07 planting season.