Buying Advice Need advice on what tractor to buy for 120 acres

[AKfish]

I find the weight of the tractor is as important as any other feature in my experience.

Agree.. very important. I'd have the tires filled (if I lived someplace warmer)! But, I've been pricing a new machine with wheel weights.

AKfish

 

[peter_vii]

Own 120 acres with 50-60 acres tillable, rest in timber, five acres in crp and a few acres in small food plots. Using mostly for deer and turkey hunting. Local farmer will likely farm the 50-60. Ground sits on hillsides with some bottom wet ground. Will definately need 4wd.
Uses:
rough cut mowing, working ground with tiller and or disc cultivator setup for food plots, loader work to maintain water crossings and gravel roads, and hole digging for trees and or fence posts. Largest food plot, aside from the 50 acres, is 5 acres.
I would appreciate some different ideas. I have considered the 4720 but was told by another food plot hunter that it was not a big enough tractor to handle certain situations. He told me to look at the 5000 series. He also said don't go with a cab because it gets in the way with bucket work and possibly in the timber. I like the idea of a cab and never want to be underpowered but don't want to spend a ton on a tractor that will be used primarily on the weekends but will keep for a long time. How about a few different thoughts? Thanks..

Go with 5000 series, or if you need a cab, go with 5083e

I have 5083e on my 80 acres and it is more tractor than I need.

 

[AGGIE00]

Go with 5000 series, or if you need a cab, go with 5083e

I have 5083e on my 80 acres and it is more tractor than I need.

I have the 5083e on my 20 acres and sometimes wish I had a 6000 series. I know it sounds like too much tractor for the acreage, but it cost the same as the 4720 and the cab was manditory. I've built a 1.5 acre pond pulling a 3cy scraper and built my shop pad with 800cy using the spoils from the pond. It handles any materials I need to move and pulls an 8' athens offset plow with ease. Like many have said here though, I now need to buy the garden tractor. I guess I like my toys too much.

 

[charleyfarmall]

This has been a great discussion. The other thing to consider in your tractor search is where/ how you will use it, and how will it ride, i.e. wheelbase. I have 100ac. and a TN75DA, a 50hp cabbed McCormick, and a Kioti ck27. WB is 86, 71.5, and 66 inches respectively. I mow/ hay up to 60 acres ( after work, on weekends, take a hay vacation from work). The TN is 75hp and a great tractor, a little less hp than the 5083e that I was going to buy until the NH fell into my lap. If I had to have one tractor, one of these two would be it. Enough power for everything, wet clutch/ power reverser. No complaints except that the size makes it impossible to mow close to buildings and around obstacles at the house.

The McCormick is also cabbed, and comparable to a 4000 series tractor. I can mow and rake with it, square bale too. It is comfortable enough in the field but bounces some. It's a little cramped inside but still beats the heat and cold. Loader is too weak for the pallet work we do, and it doesn't have a quick attach bucket.

The kioti is a small mowing machine for around the house, pulling trailers, and has HST. I cannot take it into a field without getting severely bounced. I wound even drag the pasture with it. Plenty of hp for basic chores though.

Like many, I like having multiple tractors for a variety of reasons. If I was starting over now, I would get the 5083e and most likely the MF 1652 with the DynaQPS. I like having the over lapping capability and loader capacity, and the longer wheelbase for field work. Honestly, I am not a big fan of HST unless I am mowing the yard then that's all I want. I hate it on hills and I have many. That's just personal preference though.

The other tractor I would seriously consider is the Kioti DK 40/45 SE which has many great features and is often priced well below others. I have found the 12x12 on the McCormick to be a very useful transmission layout.

McC. and Kioti are currently for sale so I can upgrade...

 

[ChuckinNH]

I haven't read this whole thread, but the question should really be "what implements for 120 acres". Once you have decided what you want to do, which implements you need to do it, and what size those implements should be then the question of which tractor size kind of takes care of itself.