new member, new farm, and looking

[juddmyers]

I have done a search and the things i come up with are pretty old, so i wanted some new information.

I have a new to me 30 acre farm. It hasn't been maintained in 5 years or so. I have already started bushhogging it with a 25hp Mahindra and a 5ft bushhog. Yea...its going to take forever, i have figured that out. The land was used for farming some years ago...so basically lots of grass and saplings to cut over and out right now.

Goal is to start using it for organic farming. So I will run a bushhog and a disc and I am not sure from there.

I am thinking the new tractor will need to be around 50hp, is that enough?

I really like the JD 5205 that i have found used for 14,500. I was hoping to spend under 15. I CAN spend anywhere from 10 to 20.

I am not above looking at any brand.... anyone ideas?

 

[IslandTractor]

Welcome to TBN.

50hp should be about right. Some people do 30 acres with 30hp and some with 95hp but 40-50hp is a good range. Make sure you get a loader with that JD. You'll be able to get a lot of used implements of the appropriate size with a tractor like that too as you are right at the start of the Ag tractor size. I'd imagine you could use an 8ft bush hog which would speed up your land reclamation too.

Which implements really depends on what sort of crops you will be growing. Plow and disc or tiller for sure. Will you be haying too? For land clearing a light duty grapple would be great or you could add a grapple arm to the loader bucket for less money. Forks are always handy and can be picked up used. I am guessing that the JD has the JD style quick attach on the loader which will limit your choices of front end implements somewhat but you could also switch it to a universal type if JD implements are not easily available.

 

[patrick_g]

Guestimating required HP based on acreage is like asking how high is up or how long is a roll of string. I have 40HP 4x4 Kubota with cab, loader, and HST working 160 acres of mostly pasture. A good friend has 160 acres and is also a cow-calf operation but with more timber and logging than I have. He has a 30HP JD with loader and gear tranny and constantly regrets not getting a bigger tractor while I am quite satisfied.

For row crops with plowing, planting, disking, etc I'd not go below about 40 HP and 50 sounds nice. Few folks ever complain their tractor is too powerful and gets the work done too fast and easy.

If you want a FEL then get 4x4 or at least HD front suspension if 2 wheel. If much delicate or precision maneuvering like some loader work might be is likely you will love a hydrostatic tranny or at least a clutchless shift. Brute force gear tranny is not first choice for precision maneuvering.

Welcome aboard and good luck!

Pat

 

[RPW]

You didn't mention the year of the JD but 14.5 sounds about right. I've got a JD5103 (40~45PTO HP) and will be using it on 38ac. and I will be doing mostly hay. Looks like you've nailed it pretty good.

Good luck.

 

[juddmyers]

I figure i am about right on size... brand is the problem now. I have not been planning on a FEL.

Just came from a Kubota dealer and a McCormich dealer. I can tell you for sure that a Kubota MX5100 is OUT

Its 50HP, I just felt the tractor itself was to small. I felt like I was on a lawnmower. Honestly I didn't feel it was any bigger than the 25HP Mahindra that I have been using.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You bring up a good point on size. Not only do you need HP but you need weight for work that you are wanting to do. I personally like a tractor to be heavy after working some of the lighter new stuff. Mahindra makes some nice small farming tractors in the 50 to 75 HP range. You may want to look there if you have been happy with the 25 you have.

Chris

 

[MarkV]

Sometimes physical size can work against you if you are doing row crops. If you have decided what organic crops you are going to grow it might be best to size the tractor to common planting practices.

MarkV

 

[Reg]

Montana looks to have merged with Branson, so if you can stand the color, a 12 by 12 shuttle shift, a 38, 43, or 47 HP tractor weighing about 4100 lbs for a LOT le$$ money then a Kukje tractor with a Montana paint job could work for you.
For now they are red.

 

[WarrenF]

Sometimes physical size can work against you if you are doing row crops. If you have decided what organic crops you are going to grow it might be best to size the tractor to common planting practices.

MarkV

WHAT???? I live in the middle of an 80 acre field. There are row crop farms all around me for two miles in each direction. I routinely watch 110 hp John Deere tractors being used for planting, cultivating, side dressing, in other words EVERYTHING done for row crop farming. Oh yes and these are all Four wheel drive.

Don't you think that the best advice would be buy a tractor you can adjust the wheels to match your row width.....rather than to suggest that a large tractor will work against you for farming. What baffles me is why anyone wanting to farm row crop would buy ANY tractor that you could not adjust the wheels in or out to match any particular row width.

 

[flusher]

I have done a search and the things i come up with are pretty old, so i wanted some new information.

I have a new to me 30 acre farm. It hasn't been maintained in 5 years or so. I have already started bushhogging it with a 25hp Mahindra and a 5ft bushhog. Yea...its going to take forever, i have figured that out. The land was used for farming some years ago...so basically lots of grass and saplings to cut over and out right now.

Goal is to start using it for organic farming. So I will run a bushhog and a disc and I am not sure from there.

I am thinking the new tractor will need to be around 50hp, is that enough?

I really like the JD 5205 that i have found used for 14,500. I was hoping to spend under 15. I CAN spend anywhere from 10 to 20.

I am not above looking at any brand.... anyone ideas?

If organic farming is your ultimate goal, you really need to think hard and fast about the details involved in that enterprise. What crops? What acreage? What implements are needed? Full time or part time farming? After you pin down these issues, then figure out the basic requirements that the tractor has to meet. Right now you're going about your selection process backwards.

 

[juddmyers]

I understand what you are saying about going backwards, there is a method to my madness. I have to clear the land and get it ready first. I'm not really sure yet what the crop will be, I imagine it will be several. I have read about a lot of 5 acre organic farms that do very well. I imagine I will section off my land into about 5 acre sections and do different crops in each one. I am going to visit an organic farm close to where mine will be in early december, so I imagine I will have some more ideas then. I just want to be getting everything ready now and playing on the farm. It's just something i love to do, spend my time on the tractor.

As far as full time/ part time. I won't have a choice but to start out part time, but I would love to quickly get it to full time.

Thanks to whomever brought up the part about adjusting wheel width, Does anyone know is that something that can be done with most fwd's I am looking at or are they all different?

 

[juddmyers]

Montana looks to have merged with Branson, so if you can stand the color, a 12 by 12 shuttle shift, a 38, 43, or 47 HP tractor weighing about 4100 lbs for a LOT le$$ money then a Kukje tractor with a Montana paint job could work for you.
For now they are red.

I have never heard of Montana... what can you tell me about them??

 

[IslandTractor]

Montana and Branson are made by Kukje Machinery Co which is a Korean conglomerate that has been in operation for about forty years. They don't have a very big market share in the US but are pretty well respected. The concern would be the stability of the dealer and importer rather than the tractor itself.

 

[flusher]

I understand what you are saying about going backwards, there is a method to my madness. I have to clear the land and get it ready first. I'm not really sure yet what the crop will be, I imagine it will be several. I have read about a lot of 5 acre organic farms that do very well. I imagine I will section off my land into about 5 acre sections and do different crops in each one. I am going to visit an organic farm close to where mine will be in early december, so I imagine I will have some more ideas then. I just want to be getting everything ready now and playing on the farm. It's just something i love to do, spend my time on the tractor.

As far as full time/ part time. I won't have a choice but to start out part time, but I would love to quickly get it to full time.

Thanks to whomever brought up the part about adjusting wheel width, Does anyone know is that something that can be done with most fwd's I am looking at or are they all different?

OK. I understand your situation better now. You're thinking about going into what used to be called truck farming (row crop veggies). So here's a suggestion--get yourself an old Farmall A, B or C tractor. They're relatively inexpensive and you can shop around for tilling and cultivating implements that will fit.

Last year I bought a 1951 Farmall Super A tractor for $1300, including a mid-mount sicklebar mower and a rear blade.

 

[juddmyers]

And you think that farmall is going to clear 30 acres? because i dont think so

 

[Carykong]

I am thinking that two tractors may be your best solution. A antique for row cropping less that 15 acres is amazing low cost solution. I have a 1951 Case VAC tricycle with easy change on width of rear wheels,agile,and pulls a 7 ft disc or two blade bottom plow with ease. Paid $1200 but ya have to enjoy tinkering with the simple engine to keep her running.

I used my Case for bushhogging 30 acres with a 5ft hog but ya really got to like tractor seat time to stick with that task. I have a TC35 with FEL for mowing and moving logs now and I rent the pasture out to another farmer for haying operations so my bush hogging chores are minimal now. The old Case is superior to my TC35 for gardening and row cropping at 1/20th the cost.

 

[MarkV]

WHAT???? I live in the middle of an 80 acre field. There are row crop farms all around me for two miles in each direction. I routinely watch 110 hp John Deere tractors being used for planting, cultivating, side dressing, in other words EVERYTHING done for row crop farming. Oh yes and these are all Four wheel drive.

Don't you think that the best advice would be buy a tractor you can adjust the wheels to match your row width.....rather than to suggest that a large tractor will work against you for farming. What baffles me is why anyone wanting to farm row crop would buy ANY tractor that you could not adjust the wheels in or out to match any particular row width.

Warren I understand your point but when organic farming was mentioned I think of vegetables and I don't see many 100 hp tractors doing that. The organic vegetable farms I have seen are generally using smaller lighter tractors for maneuverability and less soil compaction.

MarkV

 

[Reg]

Montana and Branson are made by Kukje Machinery Co which is a Korean conglomerate that has been in operation for about forty years. They don't have a very big market share in the US but are pretty well respected. The concern would be the stability of the dealer and importer rather than the tractor itself.

Right,
I think of them as being Kukje tractors, with various importer's paint and emblem "finish jobs".

Some (many, most) parts are available from your local JD dealer, once you have the rosetta stone showing make/model equivalence (-:

Expen$ive parts (which is how they will manage to still be there), but available.
Much like Chryco's re-badging of Mitsubishi cars and trucks as "Dodge",
Some Chevvies being in fact Toyotas, Fords Explorers being whatever else.
Ingenuity or emblem engineering ? call it what you will.
A Kukje tractor is a Kukje tractor, a rose is a rose, etc.

 

[juddmyers]

I didn't understand you had meant to buy two. Now I'm with you, that might be an option.

 

[flusher]

And you think that farmall is going to clear 30 acres? because i dont think so

Nope. But it's an inexpensive way to handle your organic farming when you get around to that work.

Clearing your 30 acres is a one time job. Maybe it's better to rent a tractor or hire that work done.