New To the Forum Need much Help

Bill Williams · Dec 17, 2010

After reading some of the posts and responses I know I discovered an unbelievable source of help. I am moving to NC in several weeks to 43 acres of wooded and sloping land. My lawn tractor, snowblower, tiller, and Gravely tractor are not going be much help in establishing my new home-house already there. I am getting out of the excavation and pipeline business and need to scale down my equipment HP expectations. I was hoping to find a used diesel tractor with FEL and backhoe for light clearing, garden maintenance, and general help in loading lifting and grading. My first inclination was to get a sub compact and now think I would be undersized. I just read a post from someone about getting as much HP as you can afford . Maybe a 30hp lower limit is OK -any suggestions

Muhammad · Dec 17, 2010

Hello Bill Williams, welcome to TBN! Glad to see you posting. Hope you enjoy being a member of our community.

kjung17 · Dec 17, 2010

Welcome to the fracas, Bill. With your background, I think you might be disappointed with anything less than 40 ponies. Most dealers will let you demo a unit. Happy hunting.

Bill Williams · Dec 17, 2010

Thanks for the welcome. May just buy the right size tractor with loader and rent a mini ex when I need it.

CompactTractorFan · Dec 17, 2010

Welcome to TBN!!!

cj06 · Dec 18, 2010

with your background in construction you might be unhappy with the smaller tractors and with the acreage you have a full size might be better , also 4x4 is nice ! :thumbsup:
are you planning to haul it around on a trailer ?

yooper1 · Dec 18, 2010

Hello and welcome to TBN

Bill Williams · Dec 18, 2010

I expect to clear just a few acres , cut wood, and piddle around with the general upkeep. I have no experience in tractor sizes-just full size construction equipment.I thought about bringing down an old tired backhoe but once it is there it just seems too big and too much of a problem to maintain. I need to find time to get on with the selection. I have used forums such as this one to get involved in other things and have found the information that you all have is an unbelievable help to us rookies.

JimRB · Dec 18, 2010

Where I live in Georgia my land is very gently rolling. Maybe 20 feet of elevation change in a appr. 700' square 9 acre lot. My JD870 2WD let me pound fence posts, drill holes for the neighbors posts, bush hog, finish mow, grub small stumps, move manure piles. When I built my barn before I owned the 870, I borrowed MF 240 2WD with a box blade to dig out 0-3 feet of dirt for my barn. It worked fine but took a weekend. My 870 is about 2,500 pounds without the loader. I guess the MF is similar, maybe 1,000 pounds heavier with a bit more hp. Sometimes I wish I had 4wd but I probably wish more that I had gotten wheel weights when they were available. I had filled tires at another property but I was not a huge fan of that but it does help traction. I had also borrowed a JD 2010 to bush hog before getting my tractor. A much more substantial tractor that can easily do hay work as it has more hp and a lot more weight. That 2010 probably would laugh at some of the roots my 870 gets stuck grubbing. But my 870 is perfect for me and should do fine the next 40 years especially when I get it in a shed. Test drive from the dealer assuming you have a good dealer.

JD5210 · Dec 18, 2010

If you are going to do any loader work, depending on what sloping means and amount of mud, you will want 4WD. Most of the new compacts these days are 4WD. If you are thinking used go to machinefiner.com, tractorhouse.com to see what is in your area. Tractordata.com is an excellent reference for tractor specs. I would get a loader that you can take the bucket off in 5 minutes. I put my bucket on a movers dolly, so I can move it out of the way in the garage. If you think you will be doing a far amount of forward and back a HST is nice at least get a synchronized transmission. If you have any attachments in mind, that run off the PTO see what horse power they call for. Spare hydraulics is nice, but can be added later. I am sure from construction work you know how nice a tooth bar is. I went with a low hour used utility tractor over a compact, around twice the tractor for the same price. Since I am avoid being in a rush, the size does not concern me and other then loaded tires I do not need ballast for what I do.