Need help choosing tractor for rocky hills

[RIPOIL]

I just bought 193 acres in the Texas Hill Country. The land is pretty thickly wooded, rocky and hilly. I'd like to have a front end loader attachment for the tractor to push up a water tank or two here and there and to maintain the 2.5 mile caliche road into the place. It would also be nice to be able to haul it around on my car hauler trailer (10,000 lb GVW).

What size and brand do I need?

What other things should I be thinking about?

I don't mind used stuff at all...in fact I'm a little on the frugal side. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Cord

 

[beenthere]

There are all colors of the rainbow that would fit your bill just fine, IMO.

I'd go with 4wd, about 30-40 HP, HST, R-4 tires, and FEL at a minimum.

Then I'd add a rotary cutter, grader blade, forks for the bucket, and tool carrier.

Pick a good dealer you can work with, and trust. Then confide in him to get what you want and who will have re-sale value, available parts and accessories, and maintanance items.

 

[Cabinholler]

RIPOIL

If I had a 193 acre farm, I would go with at least a 55 PTO horsepower tractor. I can't tell you the implements that you will need on your farm, because that will be your decision for your needs. You will probably need a rotary cutter and a loader on your tractor for sure.

In the fall of 2004, I bought a 112 acre farm here in Kentucky. I wanted a tractor that would be plenty big enough for this farm. This pass February, I bought a new 4341.1 Zetor tractor 55 PTO horsepower with cab, with 4X4, with shuttle, with 102SL loader, and with a 8 foot Howse brand pull type rotary cutter. The weight of this Zetor tractor is around 7,500 pounds without fluid in the rear tires. This is a very nice tractor. The reason that I bought this brand of tractor is the price that I paid for it. There was no other brand of tractor this size that I could have bought with loader any cheaper than this tractor. If you have a Zetor dealership near your farm, you might want to take a look, and price a Zetor tractor. So far, this tractor has done everything that I have wanted it to do. It is a pulling machine. I have taken a 16 foot flat farm wagon loaded with brush and logs up a very steep hill on my farm, and the tractor didn't even slip a wheel.

Cabinholler

 

[Egon]

How critical is the hauling and what do you tow with? Are the water tanks you mention small dams?

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RedRocker]

My place is heavily wooded, rocky and hilly. I won't be doing any planting or plowing, just brush control, road work, mowing etc. I bought a Kioti CK30, bigger wouldn't fit in my woods and woods is what I have the most of. So far I'm very happy with my choice.

 

[Soundguy]

Lotsa land.. so don't buy a small tractor.

Hilly? I recomend 4wd.. however.. if you get a large tractor.. you could get by without it. Power steering a must for front end loader.

If you buy new from the 'big 3'.. go for the 40ish hp range.. perhaps up to 50 if looking on the 2nd/3rd brand market.. like kioti, branson, farmtrac, kama, jinma.. etc.

Used is also an option. In fact.. a new scut, and a used ag tractor make a good combination.. probably get both for the same price of a new utility sized tractor.

Say someting in the high 20hp or low 30 hp range new, and then a largish ag tractor for the brute work.. say.. ford 7xxx-8xxx range.. large case 1xxx or MF 11xx all 80+ hp machines.

Most of those old large ag tractors can be had for 4-7K$.

Good luck.

Soundguy

 

[RIPOIL]

Both my wife and I drive 1-ton Ford diesels. On weekends I help my inlaws work their ranch which is roughly and hour drive away from my land. I also am self employed and work in the oilfield. Between the ranch and the oilfield, I can think up a lot of scenarios where I might want to use the tractor. The tanks would small dams pushed up in runoff areas to trap rainwater runoff.

 

[psuedofarmer]

i have a large farm in new hampshire. some of the remote fields are 1+mile from the house - to get there i need to go over HUGE rocks and very steep inclines. not for the faint of heart.

i use a Kioti DK55. as others pointed out, you will need a 4x4 tractor, i prefer this tractor (not going into a brand war here); compact, has plenty of power, and fit my budget.

buy the biggest machine you can afford.

pf

 

[rdbrumfield]

After having several tractors from 25 to 65 hp I would have to say that with that much area I wouldn't consider anything less than 50 hp. The thing is that as you go up in hp so do the cost of emplements. The one I have handles a 72" rotary cutter, 9" bearcat chipper, 8'tiller with ease. The chipper will make it grunt, but it has the power and weight to get it done. The other thing when you are looking. As you have rocky and hilly land, be sure you can widen out the tires to give you more stability. It will give you a much better ride on rocky ground too. By widening it out to the fullest it doesn't give such quick side to side movements.

 

[RIPOIL]

Good point about the track width and stability...I definitely need to keep that in mind. If I were to strongly consider used tractors, what brands/models would ya'll lean towards to give the best value for the money? Also, how would a fella find the better buys on used tractors? Are county auctions the hot ticket?