Need Advice have 5 acres (Looking for first tractor)

[LBrown59]

Your lastest post mentions the BX series. Great subcompact machines for sure. Depending on the tasks you anticipate, a subcompact could be your best fit. As other posts have suggested, smaller/lighter tractors are generally more fuel efficient, easier to store, easier to transport, easier to negotiate tight places, etc.

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My local dealer has a special on The BX1830 $6925 and the BX2350 $8167.
I consider these extremely good prices on those models.
The BX24 is also on sale for $14800.

 

[mboulais]

R4 tires - love mine, good flotation, good traction, still tough on lawn though.
Filled - (R1 or R4) Best way to put hp on the ground is weight. (lighter tractors are at a disadvantage if using ground engaging implements)
oil - Dino, save the synthetic for the truck.


Definetly look at every brand with a dealer within reasonable driving distance.
Dealer quality and proximity needs to be considered.

 

[EdC]

I like my R4s a lot. Good traction and more resistant to abrasion (I have a lot of sharp rocks where I live). My R4s are loaded and the weight sure helps with puttting power to the ground. I am not worried about tearing up my lawn because I have a L120 48 inch mower for that. If I did take the 2320 on the lawn in spring or early summer it would leave ruts. No problems during other parts of the year because the ground is either dry and hard or frozen.

My dealer recommended I switch to synthetic at about 200 hours to give the engine time to break in properly. I'll more than likely keep to that schedule since Mobil 1 has worked out well for me in my cars and trucks.

 

[gemini5362]

Soundguy I do believe that wanting it and being able to afford it is enough justification. Where I believe that some of the advice for the newbie might be a bit confusing is when we start talking about the size of our tractors and them not factoring in that we have bigger because we wanted bigger and did not really need that much power or size. When he is reading and trying to decide what he wants he sees you saying that you have a 95 horse tractor for 13.5 acres and I am sure he wonders why you need one that big. You did a good job of explaining why it was handy but in the back of his mind he is probably thinking WoW he only has twice as much land as I have but he has three times the tractor I was even considering, maybe I need to think about a bigger tractor. We probably all think bigger is better in everything and that is not always the case. I have a Porsche Boxster. When I go to Oklahoma City on buisness my wife worries because I have a tendency to go check out the Porche 911 My poor old boxster only has 240 horsepower the 911 targa has 355 it is a lot more horsepower and I want it. I would have to leave my boxster and a check for 100,000 dollars to own one but I want it. Of course even though I drive like a madman on the fun roads around home and the max I get to drive my boxster through the curves is about 80 and it has a top speed of 160 does not mean anything I Just want the bigger horsepower. Luckily for me I know what would happen if my wife came home and saw a targa in the garage and a 100,000 dollar withdrawl from our checking account. The point I am so winded about making is that I can do everything with my boxster that I could do with a Targa for about 100,000 less. The same applies to tractors he could probably do everything he wanted to on 5 acres with a 20to 25 horsepower tractor and a bigger horsepower tractor in his case probably would not make a difference. If he has a house on 5 acres part of that is going to be taken up by house, driveway, shade trees etc, that probably would not leave a lot of room for turning around a tractor the size of my 49 hp montana with an 8 foot mower and front end loader on it. I am with Lbrown on this one sometimes two smaller tractors are the way to go. I would be lost without my small kabota.

But to put my final two cents worth in. Anything larger on 5 acres than 25 horsepower would probably be a waste of money that could be spent on implements or hydraulic top links or maybe even a backhoe attachment. If the original poster wants something bigger and can afford it then I say go for it. If he wants practical advice about how to get the most for his buck then stay around 25 hp or smaller with a front end loader and lots of attachments to play with.

 

[LBrown59]

My local dealer has a special on The BX1830 $6925 and the BX2350 $8167.
I consider these extremely good prices on those models.
The BX24 is also on sale for $14800.

Correction $14487. A very good price on it also.

 

[Riddler]

Roy, the exchanges about R1 v. R4 tires, and filled v. not filled, got started in jest, but believe it or not, you'll probably have to make a decision in the end about those issues, at least if you opt for a frame larger than a subcompact. For now though, stay focused on what make, model (especially class/frame size) and dealer you want. You can start another thread when have to choose tires, remotes, quick attach loader bucket, etc.

The folks who suggest that you not neglect the attachments/implements in your budgeting are making a very valid point. A tractor, big or small, is useless (except as simple transportation) until you factor in the attachments/implements. You can't go wrong if you work backwards from the attachments/implements you are likely to use in deciding the make and model of tractor you want to purchase. If you're going to use your loader a lot, you may be alot happier with 6' wide bucket that can lift 1,500 lbs., than a 4' wide bucket that can only lift 800 lbs. Similarly, if you have a lot of grass to mow, you'll be glad you got a tractor that is comfortable with 5' or 6' mower deck, than one that is limited to a 4' deck.

In my case, I could have selected a small or mid-frame CUT to power most of the implements I was going to use, but when I figured out that I would likely get a back hoe attachment some day, my thought process changed. After studying the specs on the various BH attachments, I realized that only a large frame CUT would accommodate the particular BH attachment that I would eventually purchase. When I had the attachments/implements and class of tractor figured out, the HP choice became just an afterthought.

What ever you do, pull the trigger soon. We're wearing ourselves out spending your money for you.

 

[Soundguy]

Again.. that's why my very first post in this thread was to reccomend a 20ish hp tractor.

Soundguy

Soundguy I do believe that wanting it and being able to afford it is enough justification. Where I believe that some of the advice for the newbie might be a bit confusing is when we start talking about the size of our tractors and them not factoring in that we have bigger because we wanted bigger and did not really need that much power or size. When he is reading and trying to decide what he wants he sees you saying that you have a 95 horse tractor for 13.5 acres and I am sure he wonders why you need one that big. You did a good job of explaining why it was handy but in the back of his mind he is probably thinking WoW he only has twice as much land as I have but he has three times the tractor I was even considering, maybe I need to think about a bigger tractor. We probably all think bigger is better in everything and that is not always the case. I have a Porsche Boxster. When I go to Oklahoma City on buisness my wife worries because I have a tendency to go check out the Porche 911 My poor old boxster only has 240 horsepower the 911 targa has 355 it is a lot more horsepower and I want it. I would have to leave my boxster and a check for 100,000 dollars to own one but I want it. Of course even though I drive like a madman on the fun roads around home and the max I get to drive my boxster through the curves is about 80 and it has a top speed of 160 does not mean anything I Just want the bigger horsepower. Luckily for me I know what would happen if my wife came home and saw a targa in the garage and a 100,000 dollar withdrawl from our checking account. The point I am so winded about making is that I can do everything with my boxster that I could do with a Targa for about 100,000 less. The same applies to tractors he could probably do everything he wanted to on 5 acres with a 20to 25 horsepower tractor and a bigger horsepower tractor in his case probably would not make a difference. If he has a house on 5 acres part of that is going to be taken up by house, driveway, shade trees etc, that probably would not leave a lot of room for turning around a tractor the size of my 49 hp montana with an 8 foot mower and front end loader on it. I am with Lbrown on this one sometimes two smaller tractors are the way to go. I would be lost without my small kabota.

But to put my final two cents worth in. Anything larger on 5 acres than 25 horsepower would probably be a waste of money that could be spent on implements or hydraulic top links or maybe even a backhoe attachment. If the original poster wants something bigger and can afford it then I say go for it. If he wants practical advice about how to get the most for his buck then stay around 25 hp or smaller with a front end loader and lots of attachments to play with.

 

[IslandTractor]

Correction $14487. A very good price on it also.

That's not a good price, that is a great price on a very fine SCUT TLB.

At the risk of repeating myself, for 5 acres, something like a BX24 or a 20-25hp B series CUT (or other brand equivalent) is about as good a match as you are going to get. I've owned a 20hp tractor and now have a 40hp. If I were working on 5 acres I'd go back to the 20hp size in a flash. Right tool for the right job. Dream all you want about big tractors but take Pat's advice and do a real needs analysis before you show your check book to the dealer. It is very easy to be talked into more tractor than you need or can use efficiently.

 

[davitk]

Hey Roy, looks like the group may allow you to have a tractor, after all.

Just wanted to throw another couple pennies at you - my snooty neighbor has a very nice BX TLB and has done a TON of landscaping with it. His place looks awesome. However, after watching him work it for three years I personally ruled out the BX for my place because I would like more power. And because I wish to be much cooler than him.

That tractor could do everything in it's size/horsepower range, it seemed, but pull a bush out of the ground. Or dig up and carry a rock larger than the bucket. Or remove his thoroughly embeded mini-van from a snowy ditch. Nothing against the BX's but they are small.

Then there's the B series, a very nice tractor indeed, but still on the light side. Excavation capabilities are very adequate, and for me would do 90% of my requirements. But I live in the country, and dam it but if I'm not 100% independent, I'm not happy. So I moved to the next size up..... now I can (and will, Pat ) dig my own pond.....

Just my two cents (do believe I'm still under a dime).

Dave



Oh yeah - loaded R-4's. Kinda answers the question about what tires R 4 now, doesn't it.

 

[davitk]

. When he is reading and trying to decide what he wants he sees you saying that you have a 95 horse tractor for 13.5 acres and I am sure he wonders why you need one that big. You did a good job of explaining why it was handy but in the back of his mind he is probably thinking WoW he only has twice as much land as I have but he has three times the tractor I was even considering, maybe I need to think about a bigger tractor.

c'mon, now. Let's give the "newbie" (I mean Roy) some credit here. After all, he was intelligent enough to find TBN, and he is looking at orange machines.... I would imagine he is capable of doing some critical thinking on his own.

(i.e. = most of us a full of BS; read between the lines)