Buying Advice New buyer, looking for some advice.

[3me2]

I am in the market for a new (or used) tractor. I am not even totally sure what I am looking for.
I will be using it to bushhog about 40 acres. It has a lot of trees that we have to work around. It is kind of like a giant front yard. I also need a bucket because I will be moving a lot of dirt that I am digging out of a lake with an excavator. I am currently using my fathers tractor and have a 5 foot bushhog. I would like to be able to pull that. I also want to make sure it hydrostatic.

Bottom line:
Pull a 5 foot bushhog
Has a bucket
4 wheel drive
Hydro Static.

I have been looking at a 40 HP New Holland Boomer (or Workmaster) because that is what my brother in law has and I think it will work. However, they are hard to get, new or used. My questions are as follows:

What are my other options with other brands? (Both brand and model)?
What is the minimum PTOs that I need in order to pull a 5 foot bushhog?

I would like to keep it under $26,000. I am willing to buy a lower mileage used one if I can get what I need.

Any help at all would be appreciated. I have been trying to read about this but am overwhelmed.

 

[Maxify55]

All your wishes can come true with another $10K.
Then there's all the stuff that you want to hang off the back.
That'll be extra. You'll get a bucket with your FEL but will be dismayed by it's limitations.
Wanting and affording are two different creatures.
Give up looking for a used one.
You'll find that the seller knows exactly how much theirs' is worth.
You'll come out better with a new one with a warranty.
Sorry for raining on your parade but all of us thought exactly as you've originally thought.

 

[dodge man]

5 hp per foot of mower is a rough rule of thumb, so 25 hp at the pto. In my area John Deere and Kubota are the nearby dealers. I would not be discouraged, 26k can get you a decent used tractor. In JD I would look for a 3 or 4 series or equivalent if older. In Kubota an L series.

On newer JD tractors size is easy to figure, 1 series is the smallest, 6 series would be a pretty good sized machine. With Kubota, BX is the smallest, than B, then L, than M.

 

[jeff9366]

I am in the market for a new (or used) tractor.
I will be using it to bushhog about 40 acres.

MOWING CALCULATOR: Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

At 4-mph a 60" Rotary Cutter can cut about two acres per hour. In the real world a 60" Rotary Cutter will consume three, eight-hours days to mow forty acres with tractor fueling, and human fueling. Too long for me.



A light duty Rotary Cutter (450 pounds in 60" width) will last only cutting exclusively grass.

A medium duty Rotary Cutter (650 pounds in 60" width) will last cutting grass and well spaced saplings to 1-1/2".

A heavy duty Rotary Cutter (1,000 pounds in 60" width) will last cutting grass and moderately spaced saplings to 2".



To mow 40 acres in eight hours @ 4-mph requires a 12' Rotary Cutter with "0" time allowance for fueling, "0" time allowance for other breaks.

 

[3gunr]

Dont know your location but around here 26000 will buy you a nice new tractor in the 35 to 40 hp range of just about any color. My 5 ft cutter has cut lots of 5 ft tall brush for almost 20 yrs. But jeff is right about the time it will take you. This past saturday i spent 7 hrs cutting a ten acre field with a 6 ft cutter. My freind also cut for about 2 hrs with his 5 ft mower. The ground was in corn last yr and it was pretty slow going.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

If you like the NH workmaster 40, be sure to check LS tractors. That NH is made for them and rebadged by LS. The LS line of 40-45 HP is definitely in your budget, they have a lot of "bang for the buck".

Here is an example of a base tractor with a cutter and box blade:
Pardon Our Interruption

And a link for the whole lineup....
https://lstractorusa.com/products/

I agree with the others.... finding a used good one will be about the same as new... plus with new, you can finance if even just a portion.

 

[MadGunner]

3me2, welcome to TBN!

It's always good to fill out your user profile "About Me" section with interesting information, such as your geographic location. That information can help others point you in the right direction.

Divide your $26K between tractor and implements.
Do you need a trailer to transport the tractor?
Are you in a location where there's no sales tax for this purchase?

Working around a lot of trees, you may want to avoid a cab tractor. Cabs with heat and air conditioning add to the overall cost, and may not let you mow close up around trees unless all the branches are pruned up to about 10' in height.

HST transmissions add to the tractor cost and deduct a small amount of HP at the PTO. Shuttle shift, Power Reverser, and other manual gear-related transmissions aren't difficult to learn, but HST is simplest to operate. Tractor gear transmissions are different than car and truck manual transmissions. When mowing or doing other field work, best to enable cruise-control when using an HST tractor to avoid having to press down on the on pedal for hours on end. Gear-driven tractors can be placed in gear, set the throttle, and you're good to go.

If you only need a tractor that is bundled with a loader to move dirt and pull an existing 5-foot rotary cutter, odds are good you can find a tractor at 30 HP or above, which can easily pull the existing rotary cutter, and support a larger cutter in the future. You may want a box blade, landscape rake, rear blade, and/or other implements to help with the earth work you have planned.

Tractors are rated by HP at the engine, and at the PTO. The PTO HP rating is the most important number.

As an example, a tractor equipped with a 55 HP engine and an HST transmission may have 47.5 HP at the PTO.

Rotary cutters and other three-point hitch (3PH) implements that attach to the PTO (e.g. tillers and flail mowers) have minimum requirements for PTO HP.

Google suggests you could buy a new Branson 4720H tractor with 48 HP at the engine and 42 HP at the PTO, for just under $26K.

You may be able to find a John Deere 3038E for about the same price, with 37 HP at the engine and 30 HP at the PTO for around the same price.

There are no "bad" tractor brands. Tractors are like pick-up trucks. Any you buy are likely to get the job done. Visit local dealerships in your area, check out at least three different brands. Pick the tractor that you can afford from a dealer you believe will provide good support over the long-haul. At a minimum, you'll learn a ton from some of the dealers, which will help your final decision if you opt instead to buy a used tractor either from an individual, online broker or dealer trade-in lot.

Given the impact of COVID on the global supply chain, some dealers may be out-of-stock for tractors you may want to buy new. If you are willing to wait, it may take weeks or months for a dealer to get the tractor you want in-stock for delivery. Delays are forecast out to early next year. There appear to be more smaller tractors available in-stock on most lots than larger tractors.

You can learn lots by reading the TBN forums and watching YouTube videos, with the occasional Google search to research specs and manufacturer details.

 

[shooterdon]

If you like the NH workmaster 40, be sure to check LS tractors. That NH is made for them and rebadged by LS. The LS line of 40-45 HP is definitely in your budget, they have a lot of "bang for the buck".

Here is an example of a base tractor with a cutter and box blade:
Pardon Our Interruption

And a link for the whole lineup....
https://lstractorusa.com/products/

I agree with the others.... finding a used good one will be about the same as new... plus with new, you can finance if even just a portion.

Agree...look at the LS. That brand was not on my list when I started shopping but it made it to the top very quickly.

But whatever you get, try to find a decent dealer.

 

[3me2]

I really appreciate all of the great advice. This has given me a lot to think of.

 

[3me2]

Two follow up questions
1. When buying new tractor, do you haggle on the price like a car or is it like buying eggs, you pay the asking price.
2. If I buy it at one dealership (located about 2 hours away), will the dealership up the road from me be able to do all of the warranty and maintenance stuff. The dealer up the street does not have any in stock.

Thanks