need suggestions on HP and tractors...

Darren · Apr 4, 2005

My suggestion is to read this board and put together your own list of work operations that require a tractor. Then add the attachments needed to accomplish the work. After you have all that, investigate the hp requirements of each attachment and the weight of the tractor to effectively handle them. Then and only then start considering the tractor hp AND weight. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

FWIW, I started with a used 60 hp MWFD for 30 acres which grew to about 170 with additions within a few years. Because of the terrain, I found I was better off with a more maneuverable and lower profile tractor which ended up being a 30 hp Kubota. I use the small tractor for virtually everything including haying, discing, loader work, ditching, mowing, logging, chipping, etc. The 60 hp Ford is mostly used to tow stuff when I need the extra grunt and weight to pull stuff (truck, trailler, etc.) out of the creek. The Kubota doesn't have the weight to do that kind of stuff.

The Ford will also handle the large heavy back blade that I use to bulldoze fill. That's another example of when you need weight to get a job done. Looking back, I should have passed on the Ford. That's why suggest you start with the jobs to be accomplished and match them with attachments before thinking about tractors. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I think others on this board have also ended up with the wrong tractor /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif initially because they started out looking for a tractor without doing the preliminary work evaluation. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

MtnViewRanch · Apr 5, 2005

hbarski, your situation is very similar to mine. I highly recommend Mohammed's book to help you with your decision. As far as my input, buy as big as you can afford. Working weekends out on your 80 acres it takes forever to get anything done.

Egon · Apr 5, 2005

Forget about weekend farming such as making hay unless it is done by someone else.

Think about tractor storage and/or transportation.

You say finances are limited at the moment. Why not wait a few years. The " Farm will not go away"

If there are critical jobs perhaps a local farmer could be hired?

Egon

Soundguy · Apr 5, 2005

A 4X ish hp tractor will do alot of work.. and is still fairly maneuverable. The one issue is mowing. Big mowers need big tractors.. for instance.. I'd guess you would be limited to the 7/8 foot range on a rotary mower.. 7' if you let it grow tall and mow a couple times a year.. 8' if you keep it a foot or less. Small er mowers means it takes you longer to mow. 35 ac on a 7' mower could be a sunrise to sunset to sunset 'forced march' job, or a good brisk 2 days work. How often are you going to mow? If only 2-3 times a year.. that's fine.. even if it takes a couple days.. no biggie. if this is something you want to mow once a month though.. a bigger mower would be nice!

Alternately.. you could buy a big old brute for cheap money and let it tote a big mower, and keep the 40ish hp tractor for all the other work.

your money, your choice.

Soundguy

hbarski · Apr 5, 2005

I am going to have to do a lot of reading I guess. I know that eventually, I want the cleared size to shrink from what it is now. My gut is in the 45 hp range. I don't mind hitting the fields some during the summer. I could keep the area around the lake cut more frequent than the rest of the pasture. I would prefer to rent out the fields but the boss is telling me otherwise. She has a wakeup call coming I think.

I think that a narrower bushhog that is 4-5 ft would work for the heavy duty cutting in the timber. I think a 7-8 ft light bushhog would work well in the pasture. At present, I am not planning on pulling hay off, but that may change in the years to come.

Right now manueverability(sp), is something that I have to contend with. Deciding between a utility or a CUT tractor seems to be a real decision. I think I will go look at the Kubota m4900 and M5700 this afternoon. I have heard some good things on them here.

Storage should not be a problem as long as the tractor has foldable ROPS. 30x40 polebarn is already there.

RedDog · Apr 5, 2005

I think I will go look at the Kubota m4900 and M5700 this afternoon. 

I'm curious as to what price quotes you will be given.

RedDog

hbarski · Apr 5, 2005

Just a quick shot from him was 19,500 on the M4900 and 23,000 on the M5700. He may deal because the local JD dealer wants his business and so they are competing.

schole · Apr 6, 2005

Just a thought: growing up on an 80 acre hobby farm in the 70's, my parents had 3 old wrecks in the 30-40 hp range. Eventually, Dad got a shiny new 48hp machine (1988?) and still uses it daily. We put up only 5-7000 square bales for mixed livestock. It was not the fastest operation, but it sure was cost efficient. The fields were of a size and shape that an larger machines wouldn't have sped production a great deal. (NB: he does still have a JD 450 crawler an ancient Ford TLB).

Perhaps, as a weekend warrior, you would get most fun out of a well outfitted, though slightly smaller, tractor with a whole bunch of implements? ie. maybe mid-30-45 hp, 4x4, and attachments?

shawn

Soundguy · Apr 6, 2005

( I am going to have to do a lot of reading I guess. I know that eventually, I want the cleared size to shrink from what it is now. My gut is in the 45 hp range. I don't mind hitting the fields some during the summer. I could keep the area around the lake cut more frequent than the rest of the pasture. I think that a narrower bushhog that is 4-5 ft would work for the heavy duty cutting in the timber. I think a 7-8 ft light bushhog would work well in the pasture. )

At least sounds like you have your wants planne dout. That's a great start. I'd like to amke one more sugestion. For your mower int he timber.. don't get one smaller than your tire tracks. In other words.. if your tractor is 6' wide.. don't get a 4' mower.. get a 6' one. 5' etc.. try to match the tracks. Length behind the tractor for a 5 or 6' mower will be almost the same. a 4' mower will be short. only go 4' if you have turning clearance problems that a 5' or 6' wouldn't allow.. and in the end we are only talking about a foot longer.

Soundguy