Need Advice have 5 acres (Looking for first tractor)

[LBrown59]

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.....Dave

I can do things with my BX23 and 2 BX1500s that I could not do with just one 50 HP Giant tractor simply because of the versatility of having 3 tractors.
I wouldn't want to give up the 2 extra tractors simply to say I have a big powerful brute of a tractor.
I sure would miss having the extra 2 tractors.
Flexibility is my game-not brute strength.

 

[davitk]

Flexibility is my game-not brute strength.

c'mon, Brown, now you're stealing quotes from Xena, warraior princess.

 

[LBrown59]

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.

When I bought my BX23 back in 2004:
The BX2230 was $8100 for just the tractor.
A BX2350 to day for $8167 is a steal of a deal.
My BX23 with FEL and BH was $14200; so you're right getting the same set up in a BX24 today 3 years later for $14487 is a great price.

 

[LBrown59]

c'mon, Brown, now you're stealing quotes from Xena, warraior princess.

No I'm not/ I never heard that quote feom her.
It was just and after thought I had after making my post.
Never the less no matter who claims the quote me and Xena are both right.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree.. I wouldn't want to give up the versatility of a small tractor just to own a single large one either. Thus I got some small ones too.

I wouldn't want to give up the 2 extra tractors simply to say I have a big powerful brute of a tractor.
I sure would miss having the extra 2 tractors.
Flexibility is my game-not brute strength.

Buying used, thus cheap, is my game.. that way I can have versatility and brute strength!

Soundguy

 

[IslandTractor]

I agree.. I wouldn't want to give up the versatility of a small tractor just to own a single large one either. Thus I got some small ones too.

Buying used, thus cheap, is my game.. that way I can have versatility and brute strength!

Soundguy

good point. What some of the newbies may not realize is that you do know enough about tractors to score amazing deals on used implements and ag machines that are far cheaper $/hp than a new CUT. I cannot recall if you ever posted what you paid for your big NH but I bet it was substantially less than most of us shell out for new CUTs with less than half the horses.

 

[MossRoad]

I can do things with my BX23 and 2 BX1500s that I could not do with just one 50 HP Giant tractor simply because of the versatility of having 3 tractors.
I wouldn't want to give up the 2 extra tractors simply to say I have a big powerful brute of a tractor.
I sure would miss having the extra 2 tractors.
Flexibility is my game-not brute strength.

Yikes! Three machines to maintain and the floorspace they take up.

Now don't take this as a personal attack because I know several people that have several tractors, each dedicated to a task, just so they do not have to change 3 point hitch implements. But that is just plain nuts unless you like collecting tractors.

That's why I bought my Power Trac... implement changes from the driver's seat in 15 seconds with the flick of a lever by my right knee. One machine to maintain. One machine to store. One machine taking up space in my shed or garage.

At the least, we should be telling the original poster to consider some sort of quick attach system for his front end loader arms and 3 point hitch arms to try and save him some of the hassles that cause people to buy multiple tractors to avoid implement changes. Since he is getting his first tractor, he might as well get some good stuff at the time of purchase.

 

[patrick_g]

At the least, we should be telling the original poster to consider some sort of quick attach system for his front end loader arms and 3 point hitch arms to try and save him some of the hassles that cause people to buy multiple tractors to avoid implement changes. Since he is getting his first tractor, he might as well get some good stuff at the time of purchase.

OOPS, I forget that there are "OTHER" ways to install FEL loader buckets...

Right on Moss Road! Roy, buddy, you definitely want quick attach style FEL. I can change from bucket to hay spike to pallet forks guick and easy. I do have to get out of the cab but can change in a minute or two. You may not need a hay spike but REAL pallet forks instead of add-on forks on a FEL bucket are certainlysuperior with smaller tractors (it is a leverage and max load lift thing.)

I recall mentioning Pat's Eash Change accessory for the 3PH but it is worth repeating. It makes life oh so much easier if you have to change 3PH implements. Without it when I got lucky I could hook up my brush hog in less than 5 min and if I wasn't lucky it took me over 50min and I broke a couple 2x6 boards as pry bars. Now that I use Pat's Easy Change system my hook-unhook time is pretty consistently less than 5 min (often just a minute) depending on which implement I'm removing and which I'm installing. I have no personal experience with the other types of 3PH adaptors but from my analysis they were NOT nearly so useful unless all lyour implements were precisely the wame configuration (mine are definitely not.)

Pat

 

[gemini5362]

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

Soundguy

Soundguy I went back and looked you did recomend that very early in this post I had forgotten Sorry

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy I went back and looked you did recomend that very early in this post I had forgotten Sorry

Yeah, the discussion of the higher hp tractors came later on in the thread as it started to meander and grow 'hair', and was not intended to be a response tot he original poster.. but more of just 'discussion'.. etc.

Soundguy