Need advice on starting up cattle and hay business/extra job
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farm boy00
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2014
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- 1,297
- Location
- Howard City, MI
- Tractor
- John Deere M&MT, Case 1030 comfort king, Sears ST16, Craftsmen 6000, homemade articulation mini-loader
Why not start out with older tractors? ? I love my older ones. They are cheap to get, easy motified, easy to work with hydraulics (possibly not live hydraulic though) and again cheap to get.
My grandpa runs a small heifer farm with a H, M, super M, and a M with loader. He at one point a few years ago had I think over 30 head
My grandpa runs a small heifer farm with a H, M, super M, and a M with loader. He at one point a few years ago had I think over 30 head
TomSeller
Super Member
Yep. Old iron, properly selected, can save a ton of money. If it all pans out, a newer tractor can be bought frown the road, while the older girls switch to maintaining the brush hogging, raking, feeding, etc. duties. Gotta be smart about buying the old iron though.
Its a lot harder than you think to find a tractor of ANY age at my price of <$15k, 50+hp pto 4wd with less than 3k hours and FEL. I may be asking for too much for the budget I got, but I believe I can find it.
paulharvey
Veteran Member
Those sound about right for a late 80s industrial machine. If you don't Have to have 4x4, it really opens your options up. Friend up the road from me, 3 brothers, run a 60-80 head operation with no tractors newer than maybe 1990, newest is a 50 hp Kubota 2WD, no loader. The loader machine is an industrial Massey, and they have a David Brown 990?. All are 2wd,
CDennyRun
Gold Member
I guess it depends on your soil, and how soupy your property gets during the winter. Around here I can find a 1970-80 50-ish HP 2wd loader tractor for around $7k. If you could get away with a 35-40HP tractor, I see early 2000's 4x4 loader tractors for around 13k. They could pull a small baler, and move round bales, but probably not run a round baler.
Lawnman TX
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2008
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- 89
- Location
- Whitewright Texas
- Tractor
- Oliver 1800c Diesel, and Kubota 7040
You could get along with an older bigger tractor 100 hp and a loader for around 10 k. A loaded is handy, but I started with an Oliver 1800 without the loader. 4 wheel drive is nice, but unless your in swamp land an older big tractor can probably make it to put out hay in the mud.
If you need to lift bales higher get a scissor lift bale spike on the back and you can load deck over trailers.
If you need to lift bales higher get a scissor lift bale spike on the back and you can load deck over trailers.
AGRIMAN
Platinum Member
I'm not sure if you are ready, but prices are down right now and it's a good time to buy. I went to a cow/calf sale Friday night and came home with 15 mommas. Four with calfes and the others will drop sometime over the next weeks.
AGRIMAN I know prices are down and its making me more anxious by the day. And no I'm not ready. Not even close. Still need to find a Tractor. Seem to be seeing better deals this month. Then got to bush hog, seed and put up a fence. I'm a lot of $ and work away. I want it and want it NOW but I got to believe God has a plan and it will all come together when He decides.
farm boy00
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2014
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- Location
- Howard City, MI
- Tractor
- John Deere M&MT, Case 1030 comfort king, Sears ST16, Craftsmen 6000, homemade articulation mini-loader
This is how you have to look at it. My father has looked at his business the same way, but don't have the cash access like you. Just need to take it slow