I need help deciding HP needed

[newbury]

I'm not really in a rush to completion but in a rush to get started at least to see some progress so that I feel like I'm making a difference, if that makes sense. As far as $$$, I really wanted to stay under $15,000. I found a 2004 John Deere 790 with 300 hours for $12,000. I believe that is about a 30hp.

This is the ~50HP M4700 I got for about $12K in 2013

.

But it took about 6 months of serious shopping around.

 

[Egon]

A JD 790 should do fine if you have time. The loader bucket will do it all. Follow up with a heavy drag about ten feet long that's pulled by chains. That way you can use the chains for angling. The drag can be almost anything. Railroad tie, I beam, big log, a baulk of wood etc.

Depending on the brush,trees and terrain three acre's will go faster than you think. I have done the same as you on a little over an acre with a sixteen horsepower Kubota B7100. Tree's removed were poplar, alders, Hawthorne and some gray birch. Trunks were up to ten inches in diameter. Rototiller and used a home made harrow for smoothing out. At present I am quite confident my JD 4200 with backhoe would have no difficulty doing the same work only a heck of a lot faster.

 

[jeff9366]

You can buy a Chain/Drag Harrow pretty cheaply. Add a Boom Pole lift if you need additional maneuverability.

LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...c-countyline-tarter-boom-pole.html?highlight=

 

[fredflintstone]

also you mite want to look at an LS a good bang for the buck they are about the same as a newholland boomer
made by same company .couple yr ago I bought an LS 4140 41hp was a new non currant model $17.200 couldn't
even come close to anything else that size including YTM, MAHINDRA. BOTA has the name and price also JD.
ALL NEW TRACTORS are pretty good and mostly run out of traction before you loose power so weight makes a big diff
in what your tractor can do and these are just observations of a kinda newbe good luck and buy the biggest you can afford
pays to look around

 

[bookmyer]

I'm not really in a rush to completion but in a rush to get started at least to see some progress so that I feel like I'm making a difference, if that makes sense. As far as $$$, I really wanted to stay under $15,000. I found a 2004 John Deere 790 with 300 hours for $12,000. I believe that is about a 30hp.

I think that would be fine. I'd make sure that it has front wheel drive especially with a loader on a tractor that size.

 

[tonydga]

Thanks so much. A lot of good suggestions and opinions that I appreciate A LOT. I think I have decided to get someone out with a dozer to do the initial level and then get a 30hp or so tractor to maintain the property and little jobs that I need to do. I've had the property for 1 1/2 years and it's been trail and error (the errors cost $$ unfortunately).

 

[Musdalen]

tonydga, good move. These guys just saved you a bunch of money in the long run. Clearing acres and getting it stump free in particular is ridiculously fast and easy with big equipment - that you would never need again. They can level it fast with GPS equipped gear too. But you will be glad to have a small tractor up ahead when you need it for smaller, frequent, and varied chores.

 

[JimRB]

The Georgia Market Bulletin has a listing for a JD 870 in Macon with 915 hours for $5,700. No mention of a loader. I can move some dirt and gravel with my 870 2wd but it is not the fastest. There was a 1070 in the Bulletin a few weeks ago that would really do some work for a small tractor.

 

[mike69440]

BrokeFarmerJohn
Max26/28 with BH is still a small machine but weights about 3,200 lbs, Bare tractor is 1850 lbs

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

BrokeFarmerJohn
Max26/28 with BH is still a small machine but weights about 3,200 lbs, Bare tractor is 1850 lbs

You are correct, thanks for the correction. I'm not even looking it up because the weight I got was from tractor data I believe and I'm sure it's just the tractor, I don't remember looking up the loader or backhoe.