HP of first tractor. For my first acreage..?

[rerod]

Hello everyone, new here..

I just bought a little 1.2 acre "farm" out in the middle of nowhere to retire on mainly because property taxes in Iowa City are rising 6% a year. I also want a place to stretch my legs a bit and not be concerned about ordinance's, building permits, and neighbors.


I don't plan on raising allot of animals, or growing a big garden.. I just need a tractor to mow the property, move snow etc.

I do plan on moving the mobile home to the NW corner of the property to make room to build my dream garage/house sometime in the next ten years before I retire.. It would be a plus if my new tractor was capable of slowly leveling my hill top property to make it more drive-able before the construction begins.


How big of a tractor (hp) would you suggest I look for to do the three things (mowing, snow, ground leveling) I mentioned?

Thanks!

 

[jeff9366]

The best way to shop for tractors is to list your tasks first, then determine how much bare tractor weight you need to SAFELY accomplish your tasks. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models.

For most tractor tasks greater chassis weight is more important than tractor horsepower. This tractor fundamental is difficult for people new to tractors to comprehend. It takes a 50% increase in bare tractor weight before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Heavier tractors have more tractive power pulling ground contact implements. Greater mass of heavy-chassis tractors increases tractor stability when transporting loads in the FEL bucket, the most rollover prone of routine tractor tasks. Heavier tractors have larger wheels and tires better able to bridge holes, ruts and downed tree limbs, yielding a smoother, less disturbing passage over rough ground.

Safe hillside operation demands more tractor weight than flat land operation. Heavier tractors have wider wheel spreads making heavier tractors less laterally unstable. Rear wheel spreads may be decreased or increased after jacking up the rear.

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight are offered in one configuration. Most, such as the high volume kubota standard L series, are sparely equipped to hit competitive price points. Others, such as the Yanmar YT235 and Kubota B2650/B3350 series, include enhanced productivity and comfort components.

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight are operated in residential applications on one to five fairly flat acres. These "residential tractors" fit in a typical garage.

For most new to tractors a quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important. Dealer proximity is less important to others, well experienced with tractors, who perform their own maintenance. My kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment.



I recommend 2,500 to 3,000 pound bare tractor weight. A 25-horsepower tractor in this weight range can pull a 60" Rotary Cutter/Bush Hog through dry grass up to 24" tall.

A 60" Rotary Cutter will mow 1.2 acres per hour at 2.2 mph ~~~ a likely average speed with your hillocks.

LINKS (2): Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/default-source/brochure-sheets/l2501.pdf?sfvrsn=34e9b1d_8

 

[newbury]

Hello everyone, new here..

I just bought a little 1.2 acre "farm" out in the middle of nowhere to retire on mainly because property taxes in Iowa City are rising 6% a year. I also what a place to stretch my legs a bit and not be concerned about ordinance's, building permits, and neighbors. <snip>

I don't plan on raising allot of animals, or growing a big garden.. I just need a tractor to mow the property, move snow etc.

I do plan on moving the mobile home to the NW corner of the property to make room to build my dream garage/house sometime in the next ten years before I retire.. It would be a plus if my new tractor was capable of slowly leveling my hill top property to make it more drive-able before the construction begins.
<snip>

How big of a tractor (hp) would you suggest I look for to do the three things (mowing, snow, ground leveling) I mentioned?

Thanks!<snip>

If you want it leveled hire a GOOD bulldozer and operator. Then you can get a small tractor (20 to 30 HP) that fits your needs for the rest of life.

 

[antlers125]

This would be my choice.

MT125-24.7HP | LS Tractor

 

[rerod]

The best way to shop for tractors is to list your tasks first, then determine how much bare tractor weight you need to SAFELY accomplish your tasks.

I recommend 2,500 to 3,000 pound bare tractor weight. A 25-horsepower tractor in this weight range can pull a 60" Rotary Cutter/Bush Hog through dry grass up to 24" tall.

LINKS (2): Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/default-source/brochure-sheets/l2501.pdf?sfvrsn=34e9b1d_8

Thanks Jeff. It's coincidental you recommend a L2501 because there is a L2250DT for sale locally I was looking at because I cant justify buying a new tractor for one acre..

kubota L225 4wd tractor with 5ft bucket loader - farm & garden - by owner - sale

If you want it leveled hire a GOOD bulldozer and operator. Then you can get a small tractor (20 to 30 HP) that fits your needs for the rest of life.

I kind of figured flattening my hilltop might be to much to ask from a 30 hp tractor newbury. Thanks for clarifying that though lol

This would be my choice.

MT125-24.7HP | LS Tractor

Thanks antlers.. But I should have mentioned, with my income and only one acre,I cant justify buying a new tractor.

 

[kthompson]

You can level often do a big job with a small tractor if you have the time. The size of the tractor and the equipment all come into consideration of how much time you can afford and how much money you can afford as you match those two.

I strongly agree first you need to decide what you want to do, for gardening you need to look at the height or clearance of the tractor and be sure the tires can match the width of the rows you want in a garden. Gardening needs the most clearance of any task you have mentioned.

 

[RalphVa]

I agree with newbury re hiring a bulldozer or even a Bob Cat with FEL; they'll do the digging a whole lot better than a tractor. Then get a smaller, good garden tractor. My JD 4010 (now a 2019E, if they sold them) was a good garden tractor. Need turning brakes for gardening and snow moving.

The 2025R would be a good one but perhaps overpriced. I'd look at a Kubota B, smallest with turning brakes that you can get.

Ralph

 

[Gary Fowler]

Leveling a hill is not a job for a small tractor. I hired a dozer to level out the hill where I built my house which is about 250 feet in length x 120 or so in width. I then let it set for a couple of years to settle naturally.
I ended up having to move my shop back further than I had anticipated due to some overhead power lines. I used my 42 HP tractor with box blade and FEL to remove about 3 feet of soil in area 70x50 or so. It took a couple of days digging and scraping plus my brother-in-law used his little tractor constantly running over the backfill soil to compact it. I dug out the high side and pulled the soil to the low side and compacted it. It would have taken much longer if I had to compact each lift with my tractor rather than keeping it busy digging. Just eyeballing it for level was within about 10" of level when the building contractor using a transit shot in the elevations. He said that was close enough and it worked out great for the slope since one side of my sheds are a couple of feet higher which makes it fit my LS which wont go under the low side. Low side is perfect for my B26 though
This was just a small area as seen in the photo. The area out front of the shop was done with a dozer and extends over 100 feet back behind the lower point seen in the photo. Your hill area looks to be somewhat similar and will require lots of dirt to level off and contour the sides so it doesn't erode away.

 

[bigtiller]

Just thinking out-loud..... When it comes time to build the house, how about a walkout basement facing the east or southeast? Or maybe a berm house? The contractor would move the hill for next to nothing, when building/grading the new house. It looks like a nice location for something other than a ranch style house, if that was your plan.

 

[TheMan419]

Moving all that dirt is going to need a lot of hp. Maintaining 1.2 acres a small scut will do. For the price difference between the 2 tractors you can likely hire the work done and still save $$.