I don't understand something.

   / I don't understand something. #11  
For me there is no $$ return on my tractor investments. They currently lose me money, though they give me and my two grandsons a GREAT deal of pleasure.

I have three, including my MILs since she is 77 and will never operate it, it might as well be mine. I have a dedicated ZTR for mowing, I do bushhog with my small tractors sometimes because they are easier to get in tighter spots than the MILs large tractor. I also just enjoy bushhogging in the open air (no cab), even if it takes longer.

I don't put a lot of hours on a tractor and I have bought tractors, used them for a year, two or five and sold them for almost what I paid for them. So that is a pretty good investment if you ask me. They save my back, my time and $$ since I don't have to hire a lot of things done.

Also, I get to help all of my tractorless neighbors out here, they get snowed in at least once or twice a year and I take my MILs heated cab tractor and dig them out. She likes that she feels like she is helping her neighbors at 77 years old, she just uses me to do it, and I'm happy to oblige. : )

When we tell people we live in the country on 5 acres they say "oh that would be so nice". They never think of what it takes to maintain acreage. But we really maintain more like 8 acres with my MILs property and a couple hundred acres (rented out as farmland) but my wife and I maintain barns, waterways, ditches, large driveways, and the equipment to maintain all of that. It is a Lot of work, sometimes I do complain that the list never ends.. but I wouldn't trade it.

It would not be possible without the tractors and with all of that said, I still do not put more than probably 160 hours a year on all combined tractors. That does not include the two ZTRs we use to mow ditches, yards and barn lots. Probably another 150 hours a year on those.
 
   / I don't understand something. #12  
So true.... takes tools to maintain acreage and they change as your plans change. I'm up to 2 tractors, 4 atvs and 2 60" z turns at the moment. Nice to have options or backups and another one to help if help is on hand.
 
   / I don't understand something. #13  
20 hours would be on the low side. There’s not many 20 year old tractors with 400 hours with working hour meters. Also a lot of hour meters really count engine rotation so operating at less than full throttle would count up less hours than it was actually used. I’m guessing you’re using your tractor to mow grass and you probably had a backlog of projects due to not previously having a tractor. If you were only using your tractor to do routine maintenance and you had another lawnmower how many hours per year would that put you at?
 
   / I don't understand something. #14  
So true.... takes tools to maintain acreage and they change as your plans change. I'm up to 2 tractors, 4 atvs and 2 60" z turns at the moment. Nice to have options or backups and another one to help if help is on hand.

Exactly,

4 ATVs? wow, I have to imagine more than just work is being done on those. : ) We just bought a used Honda Rancher this year and I forgot how useful an ATV is. It will probably also subtract from the tractor time since I used to spray and roll the yards with the tractor.
 
   / I don't understand something. #15  
I put about 100 hours a year on my tractor. I've considered picking up a zero turn mower. That would probably drop the tractor usage to about 30 hours a year, but I'd still want the tractor. I can't imagine being without it.
 
   / I don't understand something. #16  
20 hours would be on the low side. There’s not many 20 year old tractors with 400 hours with working hour meters. Also a lot of hour meters really count engine rotation so operating at less than full throttle would count up less hours than it was actually used. I’m guessing you’re using your tractor to mow grass and you probably had a backlog of projects due to not previously having a tractor. If you were only using your tractor to do routine maintenance and you had another lawnmower how many hours per year would that put you at?
Exactly.
When I first got my tractor I had a lot of projects I wanted to get done.
The year we built our house I put over 200 hours on that year (building a driveway and digging all the utilities Etc.)

For years I used the tractor to mow the lawn also, I now have 2 zero turns that do the lawn mowing now and my big projects are done. Probably put closer 80 hours a year on the tractor now.

I know my hour meter counts engine rotation, at or near PTO speed = 1 hour on the meter, anything lower than that on RPM's takes longer to = 1 hour on the meter.
 
   / I don't understand something. #17  
How do you spend $20,000 or so on something you use so little?
It's a way of showing off to the neighbors. Belittling the people around us without actually directing anything negative toward them is easily the most important thing we can do. I let my 300-foot yacht sit idle for years at a time. I haven't gone anywhere in my Gulfstream in oh, I don't know how long. Last year I had my driveway cracks repaired with gold; it wears surprisingly well.
 
   / I don't understand something. #19  
It's a way of showing off to the neighbors. Belittling the people around us without actually directing anything negative toward them is easily the most important thing we can do. I let my 300-foot yacht sit idle for years at a time. I haven't gone anywhere in my Gulfstream in oh, I don't know how long. Last year I had my driveway cracks repaired with gold; it wears surprisingly well.
I knew you were on here Elon!
 
   / I don't understand something. #20  
Exactly,

4 ATVs? wow, I have to imagine more than just work is being done on those. : ) We just bought a used Honda Rancher this year and I forgot how useful an ATV is. It will probably also subtract from the tractor time since I used to spray and roll the yards with the tractor.
Well be run around taking care of livestock on the quads, they are the go to transport on the property. I do fair bit of hunting and foraging on my Rancher and use it to tension fencing, haul stuff,etc. It's almost a mile around the pond, so it all adds up. Everyone has their own including our Grandkid, little 50 for now. The ATV are quicker and cheaper to run than the tractors.
 
 
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