Green vs. Yellow (Ag vs. Industrial?)

[flusher]

I'm new to TBN and am about to purchase my first tractor. A local equipment rental place has offered me a used (~1500 hrs) 2004 JD 110 TLB for about $18K. He is throwing in the 3pt arm kit. We own 250 acres, about 30-40 is pasture, the rest is wooded and/or mountain with old logging roads. We plan to have sheep, a few horses, and maybe a few cows, as well as to plant but only for our family and friends not as a commercial operation.

Things we plan to do with a tractor (not necessarily in order):
- Bushhog (including hills)
- Clear land
- Cut a 1/4 mile driveway and maintain it
- Trench for water lines and electric
- Put in Septic system
- Clean up logging roads to make them usable
- Dig a pond
- Maybe hay the pasture
- Plant a small orchard

Here are my questions:
- Does an industrial tractor have any downsides for use doubling as an Ag tractor (e.g. is it geared lower, making mowing less efficient, etc.)?
- How concerned should I be about R4 tires on hills?
- What's your opinion of the 110? What should I look for on a used rental model?
- Any other info you might share from your experience and wisdom

Sorry for the long PM but my eyes are bloodshot reading on the Internet and trying to figure out what makes the most sense for our family. I've test driven some Kubota's (M5000), Mahindras (55Hp and up), and read about Kioti's and others. I test drove the 110 for sale and it seemed nimble enough but not very fast. Any sage advice you could share with us would be greatly appreciated.

And, of course, what others have mentioned already in this thread--do you really want to buy what may turn out to be used and abused rental crap?

Personally, I wouldn't buy a rental for my first tractor unless the price was too good to pass up. I don't think that's the case here.

That 110 is pretty small (41 hp engine, 33 hp pto).

TractorData.com John Deere 110TLB backhoe-loader tractor information

You could get a new Kubota or Mahindra TLB for not too much more and get 0% financing for 48-60 months. I would go that route and forget about this 110.

 

[ME83]

I have a 110 TLB that I bought used a few months ago. My soon to be wife owns a horse farm (35 horses) and I think I bought the perfect tractor. It is definitley made for digging but does very well with 3-pt hitch implements. I haven't used it for brush hogging yet, but it should have no problem with that (I need to get skid plates first). Most of the things I do are like you, except haying.

I also grew up on a cow farm of which we bailed 60-70 acres of fields for hay. The 110 tlb would do very poorly at this, you really need a full size framed tractor with more hp, the key being more hp.

I do agree with the others here, rentals are beat and abused their whole life. I would stay away from them. Your best choice would be a plain 2wd farm tractor with 50 hp min and a used backhoe, or a larger Kubota or Mahindra etc. with a loader and frame mounted backhoe.

 

[RWolf]

I believe industrial type machines use smaller tires which puts them closer to the ground which gives them more stability. For the amount of land I'd be looking for something in the 60-80Hp range. With that you will be able to do all tasks and you can get a larger BH which will making those trenches go faster. Also if you're considering haying you'll need the larger to handle the tasks faster, safer than trying it with a smaller machine. Just as a reference when I started working my land primarily mowing I started with a 14HP Powerking. It worked....but....it would take me about 5 days to mow 25 acres. I got my current JD (40PTOHP) and can mow the same in about 2 days (I can only sit on a tractor so long ). Also my PK has a FEL and it was a chore to dig a small burn pit. My JD's FEL can do it in nothing flat.

In the case of tractors size does matter. If I was in your shoes I'd actually be looking to two tractors. One for the big picture (pasture, clearing etc.) and one smaller for those smaller, more nimble jobs that you would have more of a problem with a larger unit.

Good luck.

 

[Zebra5]

I would want a tractor that the loader comes off when it's not needed. Does it come off the 110?

 

[Hematite]

I think that for your uses an Ag tractor would be a far better machine than an industrial tractor. They are similar looking but they really are different.

 

[riverland]

Thanks to everyone for all the useful feedback. I decided against the 110 primarily due to it being a rental and overall HP. I've landed on a used Kubota 5700, 4WD, w/factory 1002 Loader, 62HP engine, 52HP PTO. It has hydraulics running to the back so I can put a hoe on later, and only had 448 hours on it. Only downside was it has R4s but I plan to wear them out and replace them later (hoping they'll do ok on my hills). Now I'm looking at a used Woods BH9000 -- anyone have any opinions about that? It's a 3pt and I don't know yet if it can take a subframe (Woods doesn't make the 9000 anymore) but it's at a decent price and comes with an independent pump that connects to the PTO.

Just curious -- the tractor I described, what would be a good price on it? Includes shuttle shift (still have to use clutch), ROPS & Canopy also.

 

[GreenWannabe]

Woods made two different subframe mounting kits for the BH9000 on the M5700 with the LA1002 loader, model 1000449 and model 1012225. according to the manuals available on their website. If you contact a Woods dealer, they may be able to locate a kit, or possibly to get Woods to make one for you. Good luck in your search, and enjoy the tractor!

 

[two_bit_score]

Would the yellow even have a rear pto? Maybe, but I have never seen one.

Yes, it has a rear PTO.

 

[two_bit_score]

RWolf:In the case of tractors size does matter. If I was in your shoes I'd actually be looking to two tractors. One for the big picture (pasture, clearing etc.) and one smaller for those smaller, more nimble jobs that you would have more of a problem with a larger unit.<<<<<<<<<<


That is my advice also. The 110 TLB is a great unit and I really like mine. Bt for hay baling it would not be the best machine for the job.

I also second (third, fourth, etc,) the caution against rental machines with 1500+- hours.

Besides, even with the BH being as easily removed as it is from the 110, it's still easier to have a mower hooked up and ready on another tractor.

JD right now has some pretty good deals on the 5055's and they have the JD engines.

 

[two_bit_score]

I would want a tractor that the loader comes off when it's not needed. Does it come off the 110?

No.