Buying Advice First Tractor

[Williy]

Here is a LS tractor think its the smallest
that they make:

LS Mini Tractor

$ 10,099 USD (Approx)

3 – cyl diesel engine Independent PTO PTO On & Off switch Auto PTO ON & OFF System Powerful Three-point hitch Water Cooled diesel engine

then you have the attachments to purchase IMHO
you would have to double your budget to get what
you want

willy

 

[jyoutz]

Thank you for taking the time to write this all out, this is very helpful. "And when you finally get it all working like new you will be old and wise enough to appreciate that it will keep on going on for another generation". This is the goal and well put.

Could you help my understand:

What is the difference between ag and compact tractors? I had the general impression that all tractors were ag tractors.

Does a Cat II hitch provide more options or just more power? Is there a significant price difference between attachments for a Cat I vs a Cat II?

I have come to understand that 4wd and power steering is basically non-negotiable when running a loader. Can you confirm this, and can I assume that generally, 20-30 year old tractors come with power steering?

When it comes to name brands, I've landed on John Deere, Massey Furguson, Kubota, and New Holland as the ideals for parts availability. Can this be expanded?

I asked this above in another response, but what is the best method to go about getting parts? Is there a RockAuto for tractors to your knowledge?

Can you give your thoughts on hydro static vs gear terms of the trade off if any between longevity, maintenance/parts, and easy of operation with a loader or tiller.

The 1970-80s Ford tractors are worth considering (before they became New Holland) and parts availability is still good.

 

[Tractorable]

Last I heard Kubota was still offering zero or low interest loans. If it was me, I’d either pickup a new L2501 with a good financing rate or pay cash for an old JD 850/950 with 4WD and loader.

 

[jeff9366]

I have just under 9 acres, about half wooded, and would like to run the following attachments:

• Tiller
• Wood splitter
• Box blade
• Wood chipper

I would like cost to be under $10k including some/all the attachments.


6/1/2022

DappleDoxieStaff​

I have bought a 1955 Oliver Super 55 with four implements, delivered, for $2,800. (No Loader) With the tractor I am getting a disk, harrow, planter and sprayer.
My mechanic is rolling his eyes because the Oliver is 67 years old, an orphan brand, and it is gas.
Is he going to be right in the long run? Did I want a diesel??

Oliver Super 55 Power
Drawbar (claimed):	23.3 hp 17.4 kW
PTO (claimed):	32.65 hp 24.3 kW
Drawbar (tested):	29.60 hp 22.1 kW
Belt (tested):	34.39 hp 25.6 kW

Mechanical
Chassis:	4x2 2WD
Brakes:	mechanical disc
	Open operator station.
Transmission:	6-speed unsychronized gear

Dimensions
Length:	120 inches 304 cm
Height:	71 inches 180 cm
Operating weight:	3,400 lbs 1542 kg
Ballasted weight:	5,500 lbs 2494 kg
Front tread:	48 to 76 inches 121 to 193 cm
Rear tread:	48 to 76 inches 121 to 193 cm

The compact tractor era functionally began when Henry Ford licensed Harry Ferguson's tractor and Three Point Hitch design in 1939. The tractor industry uniformly adopted the Three Point Hitch after 1955, when Ferguson's patents began to expire and his tractor and Three Point Hitch design were available to industry participants open source.

Improvements in approximate order: Power Steering, "live" PTO then "independent" PTOs, Rollover Protection, 4-WD, Industrial Tires, Loaders, later Loaders and attachments with SSQA, synchromesh geared transmissions, diesel engines, heavier tractors with Category 2-3-4-5 TPH, Landscaping tractors of <2,000 pounds bare tractor weight, hydrostatic transmissions, shuttle shift gear transmissions, cruise control, Cabs with heat and AC. And, continuously, shields separating operator from moving parts.



I blundered across this list of defunct tractor manufactures on Wikipedia.
Tough business.

Defunct Tractor Manufacturers

I blundered across this list of defunct tractor manufactures on Wikipedia. Tough business. List of former tractor manufacturers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This is a list of companies that formerly manufactured or sold tractors. Some have discontinued manufacturing, were bought out...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[jeff9366]

I live in rural VA.

Add rural VA to your T-B-N profile.




What is the difference between ag and compact tractors?

Compact tractors weigh from 2,000 to 6,000 pounds bare weight.
Utility tractors are the next heavier category, 7,000 to 10,000 pounds bare weight. Utility tractors have a Cat II or Cat III TPH.
Ag tractor are heavier than utility tractors. Equipped with Cat III, IV, V TPH. I do not know what the biggest ag tractors weigh, but the biggest have 600-horsepower engines and operate on tracks.

Does a Cat II hitch provide more options or just more power?

A Cat II hitch is heavier in weight and spreads wider. It is stronger so it can pull heavier/wider Cat II implements without sundering.
All tractor Three Point Hitches are primarily ***connection points*** which offer some adjustability to whatever implement is mounted. By keeping most implement adjustment on the tractor you only buy the adjustment paraphernalia once, with the new tractor, rather than repeatedly with every implement.

Is there a significant price difference between attachments for a Cat I vs a Cat II?

Yes. Cat II implements are wider and heavier. You pay for every implement pound.

I have come to understand that 4wd and power steering is basically non-negotiable when running a loader.

Neither King Kong nor Godzilla feel power steering is essential.

It is difficult to maintain traction pushing an FEL bucket into dirt without 4-WD. With only 2-WD it is often difficult to fill the FEL bucket to capacity.

I assume that 20-30 year old tractors come with power steering?

Most, not all, twenty (20) year old tractors have reliable power steering.

When it comes to name brands, I've landed on John Deere, Massey Furguson, Kubota, and New Holland as the ideals for parts availability. Can this be expanded?

Deere and Kubota have historically been tops for legacy parts. With all the current supply chain disruptions every tractor part supplier is about equally BAD. Low volume, slow turnover legacy parts can be breath-taking expensive.

Is there a RockAuto for tractors to your knowledge? No.

In good years, the last good year being 2018, the total market for new tractors in the USA is a minimal 300,000 units. Deere and Kubota combined had around 70% those 300,000 units in 2018. Twenty-five other tractor brands divided the 30% balance. You are stuck buying replacement parts from the manufacturer of your tractor.


Can you give your thoughts on hydro static vs gear terms of the trade off between longevity, maintenance/parts, and easy of operation with a loader or tiller.

HST transmissions visit dealers for repairs less often than clutch & gear tractors.
Clutch & gear tractors require considerably more operator finesse and operator physical stamina than HST transmissions.
Some tiller operation requires tractor progress at a slow walking pace. All HST transmissions can produce very slow wheel speeds.
Some gear tractors stall at low tiller operating speeds.

TBN ARCHIVE: HST vs clutch & gear tractors site:tractorbynet.com


Add rural VA to your T-B-N profile.

 

[etpm]

About a year ago I bought a Yanmar YM2310 2WD tractor. It came with an FEL (Front End Loader). After the purchase I learned how hard it can be to find an FEL for an older tractor. And I am so glad my tractor has the FEL. So, if you want a tractor with a loader buy one with a loader. My tractor has, apparently, 23 HP at the PTO. I am using 5 foot wide Yanmar tiller with this tractor with no problems. The tractor easily pulls the tiller through virgin Western Washington glacial till. The tractor is now 42 years old.

I looked into PTO driven log splitters and watched videos of them and for me I wouldn't use one. They are as expensive or more expensive that gas powered splitters with the same capacity. I have also found that renting a big wood chipper is way cheaper than buying one so unless you need to do lots and lots of chipping a rental might be be the best option.

See this link: Yanmar Tractors — Fredricks Importing . They sell the 4wd version of my tractor for$7600.00. Fredricks is selling these older tractors refurbished. They have a good reputation but I have only done a limited amount of business with them. BTW, the price does not include the FEL. And like I said before, do not buy a tractor without an FEL if you want one. I can't imagine having a tractor without a front end loader because I find that front bucket so very useful.

Yanmar tractors like mine, which is a grey market tractor, nevertheless have a great reputation as reliable and tough machines. For many models there still available repair parts. Yanmar made a lot of John Deere machines and I think also supplied just engines for Deere machines.

My tractor has a Power Shift transmission. So the way this works is there is a 5 speed transmission that feeds the 3 speed plus reverse Power shift transmission. The 5 speed tranny requires the clutch to be pressed before shifting. The tractor must also be stationary. But the beauty of the power shift transmission is that there are internal clutches that work automatically so that you don't need to step on the clutch pedal to shift gears. You just move the shifter. And no clutch work going from forward to reverse either. This feature is super convenient when doing loader work. Super convenien. I cannot say enough good about how much easier it is to operate a tractor that has this type of system. I also have a Case 580CK backhoe with front end loader and it has a similar system called a Shuttle Shift. The Case system is just for going forward or backward and uses a torque converter but the end result is almost the same. No clutching when changing directions. Super super useful. On my tractor you can use the clutch with the power shift if you want to or need to but most of the time my foot stays off of the clutch pedal.

BTW, the 5 speed transmission in my tractor has 4 normal ranges and one range called "Creep". So even though it has 15 forward speeds, 5 speeds regular feeding 3 speeds Power Shift, it really only has 12 mostly used speeds. I have used the Creep speed a few times and it is VERY slow. A person can easily walk faster. But I have actually found it quite useful twice, so I'm glad it's there.

For the size of your acreage I would consider a tractor in the size range of my YM2310. I'm on 10 or 12 acres with a little more than 1/2 wooded and my tractor does fine. I am very happy with the size.
Cheers,
Eric

 

[HST4Me]

Ford 1520(HST)/1620 or 1920 with SSS. You'll find that power shift is out of your price range, but on small acreages it's too handy to pass on HST imo. My daughter lost her mind when I posted the 1620 for sale after the purchase of a 2910!

 

[RustyA]

Most people here have probably refurbished an older tractor I personally owned two in my youth. Tires are expensive, parts can be a challenge and when you are done you have an old tractor with slow hydraulics that needs to be fixed everytime you use it. After trying that twice I bought a brand new JD 1070 compact with 39 hp, super hydraulics and 4wd in 1989. Sold it four years ago for almost what I paid for it. Great little tractor that cut, raked and baled hay, lifted more than it should have, and ran everytime I turned the key. Best decision I ever made and it cost me $5000 plus maintenance to own it for almost 30 years.

 

[jdmeth]

Thank you for the reply.

I should have specified a budget, ideally all in I would like to be under $10k (including some/all the attachments).

When I was looking for a truck I initially was going to go new. The prices were ridiculous, I chose rather to go old and sink the extra money into tools and materials to fix it up. I landed on a 2002 Chevy 1500 for $6500K and sunk $2000K into it to get it where I wanted it. I would like to do the same concept with a tractor. I value simplicity and longevity if I care for it.

It maybe what I'm after just doesn't exist and I'll need to adjust.

Ahahaha, deep breath, Ahahahaha. Dream on. Triple that. And no you can not buy used, everyone knows what they have, no low ballers.

 

[OzarkChris]

I am looking for 4wd tractor with a loader.

I have just under 9 acres, about half wooded, and would like to run the following attachments:

• Tiller
• Wood splitter
• Box blade
• Wood chipper

I believe I need 20-25 HP at the PTO to run the tiller.

Eventually I may want to use other attachments so would prefer to not limit myself, but I don't have enough knowledge to know how to mitigate that.

I would prefer something old that can effectively/easily run a loader without custom work (welding up custom brackets, third party hydraulics, etc).

The reason I want to go with something old is price, I don't have $35K+ to drop.

Looking at you other response, at this time, I don't think your budget of <10K is really reasonable for everything you've listed - 2-3 years ago, maybe.

That said, think long & hard about the following:

1. At ~25hp, a 3pt wood chipper is going to be a small one, you might want to consider a stand-alone model - they are much cheaper than 3pt versions

2. Even cheaply or home made 3pt or front end hydraulic splitters are quite a bit more expensive than good quality used stand-alone splitters in the 25-30 ton range.

3. By dropping the two implements above and purchasing stand-alone versions, you "might" be able to find a really used tractor (without a FEL) with a small tiller & box blade within your budget. It will probably have some quirks/problems you will have to deal with.

4. If you are buying a really used tractor, consider your knowledge as a mechanic and all things tractor e.g., hydraulics, etc. If you don't have these skills (or know somebody that won't charge an arm & a leg for working on it) you might be better off Not pursuing a purchase.

5. Do you have the means to pick up a used tractor? Many people that have used tractors don't have a way to "deliver" or charge through the roof.

I hope I didn't burst your tractor bubble, but these are really questions that only you can answer.