Tractor Sizing Newbie needing advice for first tractor

[bindian]

I'm not a farmer. We will be leaving maybe 50 acres natural, and 30 acres developing. We will be clearing/cutting these 30 for further small buildings to house a tractor and other ranch equipment, and a padock for the animals. At this point I'm not planning on farming hay/grass myself. We have hay delivered for the horses.



AC is preferred but not a must, but a sun canopy is a must.

A snow plow is a must.

Enough HP/torgue for pulling our F-150's out of mud is a must.

I'm willing to buy an older model, maybe even 15-20 years old, provided parts are easily available for repairs, and our local dealer can quickly do repairs. I realize a price limit of only $20k might not be realistic, but hopefully someone can offer some models to look at.

Keeping acreage natural will require mowing from time to time for good pasture. If not sage brush and other non nourishment growth will overtake the pasture. That will take a mighty long time to mow if you do it with anything smaller than a batwing. Get with Farm Bureau or county ag agencys to see what all it takes to keep the land in natural grasses. You can do it, but it takes work. Remember................large herds of bison used to roam there.

If no cab, buy an insulated aluminum canopy. They don't fall apart after years of vibration and sun baring down on it. I put a thermometer and lights on front and back of my canopy.

Don't know about a snow plow. My relatives never had one and they were a mile from paved roads. Only the county had snowplows in Liscomb County. I would ask neighboring farms all these questions. Local advice is way better than what you can get on here.

$20,000 for a used 4WD tractor with a loader will be a feat to fine. It will have hours on it. Years on bigger tractors don't mean as much as hours, except for the rubber parts. Large tractor wear is measured in hours. Remember that summer and harvest season are busy time for dealers. Longer wait times for repairs in the summer or early fall. Don't just buy a bargain of a tractor. Good dealers are worth their weight in gold when you break down. Know your dealer and his service manager and especially the mechanic before break downs. Check out all the estate auctions up there. They are everywhere. RBAuctions even does it for larger estates.

In a few years..................you won't say "I'm not a farmer".

I invite you here.... http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...xas-spring-summer-thread-644.html#post4536533

lots more North Texans on the thread.
hugs, Brandi

 

[DieselBound]

A wench is useless because not a lot of trees.

Assuming you mean winch ...

Find yourself a big Danforth anchor. I was going to get one but I always seem to have enough things to lash on to to get myself unstuck: an extreme example was getting a 9k lb excavator buried to the top of its tracks on the other side of a ditch- cable puller (More Power Puller The Wyeth-Scott Co. - portable winches | cable puller | come along winches) attached to the back of my truck.

 

[MrFoPow]

I'm gonna agree with the member that suggested a L4701, L4760, or a MX5200 or MX5800.

The MX will be a little heavier of a tractor which may or may not come in handy to un-stick a truck.

Go to a few dealers. Most will demo one for you or even let you test drive it.

 

[paulfun9]

While I'm sure you'd like to buy a used tractor from a dealer . . I'd guess with your budget that you'd be better off with a private party purvhade and be able to get their implements included . . As tractor and implements at the dealer would push the numbers up a fair amount.

Knowing how with my 25 hp sub compact I pulled my pickup up our steeper driveway last year once . . I would think a 35 hp to 40 hp is going to do what you may need. Suggestions of 100 hp units are eildly larger than your description would require imo.


I have towed trucks out with everything from 20 to 150 HP machines and can clearly tell by the description that he isn't talking about a short pull up a short driveway! Yes in theory a 35 to 40 HP machine will tow an f-150 along until you add in the deep mud and snow. Been there done that and when you add in the acreage that he has and the time it will take clearing a field with 35 to 40 HP and being limited to a 6 or 7 FT cutter its sort of like taking on a 10 acer yard with a push mower.

A while back someone posted a pic of themselves towing a truck and trailer out of their yard with a BX and they were proud of it but when I looked at it I saw that I would have been able to use our box store lawn mower and got the same results not to mention that 2 men could have given just as much push and accomplished the same thing. The problem was the tractor didn't have to sit in deep mud itself as it pulled something heavier than itself out. Yes it makes a difference!