Looking to buy my first tractor

[Trackerjoe]

If you're new to tractors, I'd start at asktractormike.com and get his book. You'll feel a lot more comfortable in your decision.

 

[RCRJeremy]

Looks like you've already gotten quite a bit of advice here, but for another reference point...
I'm also in north east Texas. I have over 60 acres with lots of trees. I have someone else bale hay in our fields, but I do everything else (mostly moving trees). I could not be happier with my Kioti CK4010SE. Masco Equipment in Sulphur Springs has been fantastic. Feel free to message me if you have questions about my setup.

 

[BrianSum]

Hi just joined the group, I’m looking for opinions on what tractor to get I’m thinking that a compact is what I need. I’ve got a little over 20 acres in north east Texas a lot of timber on the property a lot of down trees needing cleaning up and piles to burn.

I’m planning to do a lot of heavy lifting in addition to a good bit of dirt work. That said I require a front end loader, a box blade and eventually like to get a grappler and a brush hog and I’m sure other implants down the road. I’ve gone to several of the local tractor dealers just looking and having no real ideas on what to get.

For the little bit of research that I have done I like a lot of the standard options the new Summit tractor offers. I know it is not a well established company and only time will tell.

One thing I would prefer is that the tractor not need DEF because of the added complexity of them and from what I’ve heard they can be more finicky. I’ve been advised to stay away from the tractors with regin systems.

Additionally I would like to stay under 25k

Thanks in advance.

The Kubota B26 is a good tractor. It will lift about 1000lbs. Its not exactly compact, it weighs 4000lb. They make a B25xx and some other smaller models. The newer B26s have fixed the issue with an elbow joint leaking hydraulic oil after a few years. The newer ones have hydraulic lines on the backhoe for a grappler/thumb. You can find some in good shape with low hours at about your price. Make sure the two hydraulic filters have been replaced on anything over 50hrs. The stock ones are grey like the transmission.

 

[Logan65]

Everyone has weighed in. Tons of wisdom. Salient thread of logic is 'heavier is better'. If you are NorthEast Texas, check out Big Tex Tractor Company - they are NE of Dallas, and sell Branson/YHM (??) tractors. I bought one in '19, a little 3015, and I have ran that little bugger hard for being a "weekend warrior" farmer - almost 600 now. I got a good package deal from them - tractor, loader, box blade, tiller, shredder, posthole, and trailer and it was in the $25k zone.

Addressing the weight - mine is 3000lbs, then i put on the 1000 pounds of loader and bucket, 400 hundred or so with the box blade and Olympic weights, and 45 gallons of anti-freeze in the rear tires.

The 30 and 35 HP...there is a DPF filter and an "idiot" light...but the two are not tied to fuel pump, computerized control, etc. A little bit of aftermarket effort and such tractors breathe free and clear.

2d piece of proto-wisdom I would offer...that little Branson has run out of traction long before it runs out of power - I didnt know what I was doing and said "yup" to the industrial tires verses the ag...shooters preference!

God's blessing on whatever you decide -

 

[Jaygyver]

One thing you never mentioned was how fast you wanted all this done?
Are you wanting to get it done right away or do you want to do things as time allows.
If you don't expect this to be done over night then you can get away with a 35 HP ish tractor and keep your $25,000 limit. If your in a hurry then there has been many suggestions already mentioned. You can also install your own 3rd function and/or rear remotes when needed yourself as they are pretty easy to do. Either OEM or 3rd party.

I knew I wasn't in a big hurry on MY property so I settled on my little 24 hp JD-770 back in '98 for my little half dozen acres. When I went to look at tractors it came down to, what I WANTED and what I Needed. I also wanted to work around the house and some tight spots I had and not tear up the yard too much. It took a bit longer to do stuff but I knew that.
I ended up buying a '22 LS MT235 tractor after I dropped two dozen trees or so around the house mainly because my first year of retirement I wanted them cleaned up and gone that year for sure (and kind of a retirement present for myself). I just cut my trees down to the size i could lift and put them on a trailer to take it where I needed. (You'd be surprised how much those HF trailers can carry!) I didn't want to trench my property with the trees dragging. Half wooded, half hills and the rest mud in the winter months.
No real particular reason for LS other then JD and Kabota priced me out for what I needed. Most of the tractor company's import most of their tractors, including JD, so just buy what you can realistically afford and look at the dealership background. As far as the smog crap on the LS it's kind of a pain but for me with the Hydro Tranny I just have to relearn how to set the RPMs to keep the diesel filter happy.

Be aware tho, JD and Kabota have a proprietary loader Quick Hitch system so that means when you end up buying a grapple, 4 in 1 bucket, forks, etc, you have to specify thier version of the implement. Not all implement company's give a choice but I believe the tractors company's both give you a choice on the Universal Skid Steer verson or their version when bought new. It's just the Universal versions are more common.

 

[kjnes]

Hi just joined the group, I’m looking for opinions on what tractor to get I’m thinking that a compact is what I need. I’ve got a little over 20 acres in north east Texas a lot of timber on the property a lot of down trees needing cleaning up and piles to burn.

I’m planning to do a lot of heavy lifting in addition to a good bit of dirt work. That said I require a front end loader, a box blade and eventually like to get a grappler and a brush hog and I’m sure other implants down the road. I’ve gone to several of the local tractor dealers just looking and having no real ideas on what to get.

For the little bit of research that I have done I like a lot of the standard options the new Summit tractor offers. I know it is not a well established company and only time will tell.

One thing I would prefer is that the tractor not need DEF because of the added complexity of them and from what I’ve heard they can be more finicky. I’ve been advised to stay away from the tractors with regin systems.

Additionally I would like to stay under 25k

Thanks in advance.

Any Deere like a 2038 or any of the 3000 series pre 2017 would be a good fit for weight and maneuverability in tree rows. In my area we have John Deere, International, Kubota, Bobcat. There have been other imports that have come and gone, find parts availability is their downfall.

 

[lectro88]

Hello All.
I'm late on the reply to this but wanted to contribute some of my findings and friends or neighbors troubles as well.
I must admit I have not read all replies of this thread, just the 1st. few.

So here goes...
!1st. I would or my opinion is stick with what you know you can get parts for.
I have 2 neighbors that bought off brands and finding parts is like finding Hen's Teeth.
One brand was a Long kinda a ford knock off looking machine.
The other one I don't remember as I hardly ever see it but my neighbor gave over $30,000 for it 17 years ago and it parts availability is pretty much 0.
Farm Trac was the name.

I just bought my 1st tractor and I looked for a while and at many brands, and shortly considered kioti and bob cat ...
Bob Cat has been in tractors before and quit suddenly like farmtrac.
And I just couldn't bring myself to blow +$43.000 on a tractor that was really over seas based.
If you have ever dealt with foreign communication, the reply is always "yes",,, um "so sorry"
"yes dear" or "thank you for your understanding"
And then it's dead air silence or 0 replies.
And I'm talking small purchases on like sleezbaye. let alone $20,000-$50,000 purchase... UMM NO !

I ended up with an 06 Deere 4720 with 900 hrs (58hp) and I paid about $6-$7K more than your stated budget.
But I couldn't be happier unless I had paid less.
I also have bought 5K in implements and put new tires ($1500) all around and changed all fluids and fuel level sender and spent considerable money just in general maintenance and things that just break or need replacing with use and time.
The hydro oil and engine oil with "filters" or screen (3) was about another ~$1000
So all that said I'm looking at very close to $38-$40K for a 16-17 year old tractor with implements and maintenance.
and I have turned over 1011 hrs (+50) hrs.in 3 months or less, So I am using it frequently.

Final words.
Most times you get what you pay for.
But I still have to throw money at a cream puff garage kept tractor that looks brand new.
I also was tired of having to work on my old equipment every time I went to use it.

Think long and hard on your purchase...
As maintenance upkeep and repairs will dollar you to death. especially if you abuse or seat time is limited as you will certainly break stuff if you are a new operator. and it happens to seasoned operators too.
Tractors are very capable of breaking stuff and it happens.
Also my A+ tractor had a few gremlins and it was Very lightly used.
Keep in mind what previous owners and operators have abused and neglected, that is waiting for you to do the right thing the wrong way,. and $$$$

Wish you the best and hopefully there was some value in this to someone.
Cheers.

Edit;
I would stick with brand names or well established Brands,. Most importantly as stated before..
That you can get parts for.
Nothing worse than needing a $3000-$5000 part that isn't available or or 6 months out that could be even further out with delays.
And this is typical with again over seas.

A "Broken Tractor" just sits and is useless until repaired.

 

[RB5]

I have a Deere 4044m with the regen feature. If I run at 1500 rpms the regen mode rarely kicks on. It says that somewhere in the manual. I did have my father in law borrow the tractor and run it at lower rpms. He said it started sounding louder,,, yeah it went into regen and ran at 1500 rpms to clean the particulate filter. I've had it go into regen a couple times. Once I had to leave it running and parked when i was done until the regen completed. I would much rather have that than adding and paying for DEF. So far the regen has performed as advertised, and I've had the tractor several years. Not a big deal.

My tractor weighs in the 4k range. I am able to move large round hay bales with it. I can even lift them high up and not worry about tipping over, but I try not to be stupid with it when I have that much weight on the front. I can move them anywhere I need, just not as fast as the larger and heavier tractors. I can even double stack the bales in the field if I want, but I don't.

I also maintain my road, mow as much a 10+ acres at one time, drag a disk, and move dirt, compost, and gravel. It does everything I need, except major dirt work. I would want a much bigger machine if I were digging and moving dirt or working on a pond for example.

Also do not discount 4 wheel drive. You don't realize how nice it is until you have a tractor that isn't and get stuck somewhere. My old tractor would getthe disk stuck sometimes when turning in a sandy area and dig a hole with the rear wheel spinning. I would have to disconnect and pull it out.

 

[RB5]

Everyone has weighed in. Tons of wisdom. Salient thread of logic is 'heavier is better'. If you are NorthEast Texas, check out Big Tex Tractor Company - they are NE of Dallas, and sell Branson/YHM (??) tractors. I bought one in '19, a little 3015, and I have ran that little bugger hard for being a "weekend warrior" farmer - almost 600 now. I got a good package deal from them - tractor, loader, box blade, tiller, shredder, posthole, and trailer and it was in the $25k zone.

Addressing the weight - mine is 3000lbs, then i put on the 1000 pounds of loader and bucket, 400 hundred or so with the box blade and Olympic weights, and 45 gallons of anti-freeze in the rear tires.

The 30 and 35 HP...there is a DPF filter and an "idiot" light...but the two are not tied to fuel pump, computerized control, etc. A little bit of aftermarket effort and such tractors breathe free and clear.

2d piece of proto-wisdom I would offer...that little Branson has run out of traction long before it runs out of power - I didnt know what I was doing and said "yup" to the industrial tires verses the ag...shooters preference!

God's blessing on whatever you decide -

I looked at Branson hard before I bought my Deere. One of the main reasons I went with Deere is the Branson dealer was way too far for me to get service. The Branson I looked at seemed pretty heavy and had lots of steel. It looked to be a good machine. There was this big package sale with attachments, and I almost bit. I also thought the Deere felt better when I was in the seat, but that is subjective to whoever is sitting there and how tall they and all that. I did think the Branson looked like a good tractor. I have multiple Deere dealers within 30 to 45 minutes of me. That Brasnon deeler is an hour and a half or more drive.

 

[RB5]

Good morning, first thing I will recommend is get a tractor brand that is supported by a dealer that is close to your location and that is willing to help you with any service problems you may have.
Have a look at the service points for the tractor, is this something that you can do if that is something that appeals to you.
One excellant tool to have with any loader attachment is a quick attach for the front end of the loader, this allows you to change from a bucket to a set of forks or other attachment iI minute’s without any major hassles or tools. If you are going to handle logs, get a thumb for the loader, this is another great tool and is just like having another set of hands. 3 point hitch for the rear is a must as again you can add on all sorts of attachments to make your job easier. With the three point hitch you want extra hydraulic controls that you can add hydraulic control with hydraulic quick couplers.
I am unsure of your Texas weather but I will suggest a canopy over the operator station, great for sun and rain, hard plastic is just fine. Cabs are very very nice but the price will shock you.
30 horsepower should do most jobs you will attemp on 20 acres. I will also recommend that your tractor have a PTO.
if you do not understand any of these terms, get your perspective dealer to show you what they are and how they operate. A great way to help pick a brand and what attachments you may want.

This is a great group and members are more than willing to help new people out, great way to find out what you want and need for your acreage. Welcome.

yeah on the cabs... They are expensive. I would like one, but then I could not drive around trees as easily. If the a/c failed I would have trouble in the Texas heat. It would be nice if I were mowing a huge hay field and jsut wanted to listen to music and roll for hours while sitting int he a/c.