Hey from Appalachia

[MotorSeven]

After an after exhaustive research, it came down to Kioti or Kubota(still holds true for me today). I have been happy with Kioti, as have a half a dozen friends and neighbors in my circle. I am the only one with front axle bearing failures, but lots of really heavy loads with not enough counter weight is most likely culprit = operator error.

However, over the last 20 years we lost our local dealer. Since then, I have yet needed a dealer, but even having parts available and close is dearly missed.

One other thought. Buy a new tractor, but consider a decent used Trackhoe/Mini Ex or Backhoe for digging. Yes, more $, but way easier on the operator for sure and the right tool for the job.

 

[old bubblehead]

I'm pretty sure "selling your sausage" is illegal in most states, regardless of how proud you are of it.

nice. my hat is off to you sir

 

[1 Old Man]

........... Don't need a big tractor for that, especially with small squares. 50 at the PTO?

Never said he needs a big tractor in either of my posts. However, maybe, just maybe, he's able to plan
for exactly what his specific needs are to the max HP or size he thinks he will ever need. That will be
fantastic! But, if he buys the 25, 30, 40 or 50 HP unit and finds he doesn't have the extra umph to plow, disc, harrow, mow, move dirt/gravel etc etc I'll bet he will wish he had bought a slightly bigger unit.

The 3 acres was an example of people on here telling people to get more than they need. Even with 60 acres, you aren't likely mowing the whole thing unless it's just a hay operation.

I don't know what type of grass he has. But if it's any good at all, a hay crop would be faster cash return than waiting for an orchard to fruit, or prep grow & harvest a large garden, or wait for cow/calf gestation & grow out.

My uncle raised hogs. Don't need much of a tractor for them. Maybe useful butchering and cleaning up, but don't need a big one. My little CUT can lift 2700, 9 ft in the air.

Wow. That's impressive. I've never seen a 2,700# hog lifted 9' in the air. Cool.

 

[1 Old Man]

old bubblehead, you may want to look into this further....

Homemade sausage is generally NOT allowed to be produced in a home kitchen for commercial sale under the standard Tennessee Food Freedom Act (cottage food law) provisions.


Key Regulations

• Commercial Kitchen Requirement: Products containing more than 3% raw or cooked meat must typically be produced in a state- or USDA-inspected commercial facility. Meat from custom-harvested animals (marked "not for sale") is strictly prohibited from entering commerce.
• Tennessee Food Freedom Act (TFFA): The TFFA primarily allows for the sale of non-TCS, shelf-stable foods made in a home kitchen without a license or inspection. Examples include certain baked goods, jams, jellies, and dried spices.
• Recent Amendments (as of late 2025): Recent amendments have expanded the TFFA to include some perishable (TCS) items like poultry and pasteurized dairy products under specific, stricter conditions, such as required in-person sales directly by the producer and mandatory detailed labeling.
• Prohibited Items: Meat and meat by-products (other than specific, expanded poultry items) remain prohibited for sale under the standard cottage food exemptions.
• Sentelle's Sausage Example: Businesses like Sentelle's Homemade Sausage in Tennessee are legal because they operate out of an on-site, dedicated facility that is both TDA and USDA inspected, not a standard private home kitchen operating under cottage food laws.

 

[old bubblehead]

old bubblehead, you may want to look into this further....

Homemade sausage is generally NOT allowed to be produced in a home kitchen for commercial sale under the standard Tennessee Food Freedom Act (cottage food law) provisions.


Key Regulations

• Commercial Kitchen Requirement: Products containing more than 3% raw or cooked meat must typically be produced in a state- or USDA-inspected commercial facility. Meat from custom-harvested animals (marked "not for sale") is strictly prohibited from entering commerce.
• Tennessee Food Freedom Act (TFFA): The TFFA primarily allows for the sale of non-TCS, shelf-stable foods made in a home kitchen without a license or inspection. Examples include certain baked goods, jams, jellies, and dried spices.
• Recent Amendments (as of late 2025): Recent amendments have expanded the TFFA to include some perishable (TCS) items like poultry and pasteurized dairy products under specific, stricter conditions, such as required in-person sales directly by the producer and mandatory detailed labeling.
• Prohibited Items: Meat and meat by-products (other than specific, expanded poultry items) remain prohibited for sale under the standard cottage food exemptions.
• Sentelle's Sausage Example: Businesses like Sentelle's Homemade Sausage in Tennessee are legal because they operate out of an on-site, dedicated facility that is both TDA and USDA inspected, not a standard private home kitchen operating under cottage food laws.

Yup. And I have a professional butcher that is living on site, and the USDA right down the road. One advantage to a formally trained butcher is that he knows exactly what we need to build into the barn to make it inspection ready. (that will be that "TDA and USDA inspected piece)
Also, Yes, this place has been hay production for years. Mostly Johnson grass. Trouble is, I can't "make hay" with the chunks of land that I want to do other things with. What I do plan to do, is any of the 6 plots that are fallow on a given year, will be put into either timothy or alfalfa both for our critters and for sale. Thing is though I see a lot of hay bales rotting in fields around here, and this season, best I could get when I needed it cut for the dirt guys to come in and cut the road, level the building site etc... was I'll cut it, FOR IT. So ZERO profit. 6-8 bucks a bale for squares, and 28 for the big rounds seems to be going price here.
The rig I'm most likely to go with at this point, unless they really suck when I drive one a bit, is a 58 horse. Yes, a bigger one might be even better for dragging tools through dirt, but the next size up also starts to get into things like exaust regulations that I don't want to mess with, and being big enough that I might have some real issues getting it into the woods to start clearing that stuff.
Like everything else there's going to be some compromises.

 

[Torvy]

I really like that T4058PC. As long as you stay under 75 HP, you don't typically need to mess with DEF.

The big advantage is that TYM/Kukje engine in the 4058 means they don't tie it up with the electronic limp mode if you have a regen. More accurately, you don't get put out of work if a sensor fails or a wire gets frayed. That's the biggest one with their own engine. They make a few bigger ones under 75HP, but they use Deutz engines and the common rail system that most of them use to meet the rules.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'm pretty sure "selling your sausage" is illegal in most states, regardless of how proud you are of it.

 

[Muhammad]

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