Comparison Older 2wd vs newer CUT or sCUT 4wd.

[veedub]

Attached are some pictures of some of the land in question. This is the area I'd like to improve and probably make an orchard. As you can see its pretty hilly. After this point it does level off some and become less steep until you get to the top of the property. Theres some old logging roads that zigzag on the property from a logging operation probably about 20 years ago. In some of the pictures you can see a bunch of down pines from Irene that I would love to be able to skid out and get milled into lumber before they rot on the ground. The last picture is a part of the brookside ravaged by the hurricane that i'd like to fix as well.

Sorry I took these pictures on my phone after posting I see that they appear upside down, when I click them on my Mac they show up full size right side up, I am not sure if the same will happen on a PC

 

[deere5105]

Think you would be well served to start with the older iron since you can work on it yourself. The mechanics are simple and the design proven. With little upfront investment getting your money back down the road if you change your mind or needs later won't be difficult. Spending a little time with minimal up front cost will also help you see where your greatest needs or issues are. I went the route of a 2wd and then added a FEL and then as predicted by many ended up with a 4wd with FEL with no regrets.

 

[LindenBruce]

You know, a lot of work got done along with modernizing America with old iron and no power steering no hydrostat or shuttle transmissions etc. etc.. But it was hard long work for a lot of people back then. We have gotten spoiled with the modern tractor today. Cabs with radios, CB's, GPS, A/C and on and on. Yes, it has made us more efficient. And yes it sucked to have to choke down dust for 10 hours a day for those that did it and I fully respect those that have and still do. There is a lot to be said for old iron and modern iron. Both have their places. It's just a matter of what fits who I guess. Just look at our society today. Boy, there are things I wish we could turn the clock back about 50 years on that's for sure. If we don't have the latest and greatest we don't seem to be satiated. B.

 

[Creamer]

There was a time when the old Farmall H was the main workhorse tractor and this country was farmed with lots of tractors of that size. The old iron is good and is still around and running today. The old Massey you posted photos of probably has a lot of work left in her. I wouldn't blink an eye on that - much better than debt!

 

[Grandad4]

Start with what you can afford, obviously. As others are saying, you can do a lot with those old tractors, particularly if you have the time and the skill to put a wrench to it when needed. But you also need to face reality about your property. There may be a great amount of work on your place... too much in fact for one of those old rigs, and even though the old workhorse will valiantly give everything its got, it just may not be enough tractor to get things done without taking forever and working you to death. If that's true for your situation, your only solution is to step up to equipment with greater capability. If it turns out that the old timer does prove adequate for your work needs, you'd only need to upgrade if/when it suits your preference.

 

[Bocephous]

There was a time when the old Farmall H was the main workhorse tractor and this country was farmed with lots of tractors of that size. The old iron is good and is still around and running today. The old Massey you posted photos of probably has a lot of work left in her. I wouldn't blink an eye on that - much better than debt!

+1 Debt is something to avoid if at all possible. Even if the older tractor doesn't work out for you I doubt you'll lose money on it.

 

[compact]

If you don't mind frequent breakdowns (mostly minor but inconvenient), and can tolerate some "issues", an old tractor is a good deal. If getting something done on time is more important, a newer machine is better. $$capital vs your time capital. I just switched from a 1967 2WD 54HP to a 2009 30HP 4wd, 4X the $$ for 1/2 the tractor but I couldn't be happier.

 

[Egon]

Should have mentioned earlier that some of the old loaders are gravity lower. with heavy bucket loads you may have lite rear end. Steering builds character!!! Another way is to set load down, turn steering wheel, raise and continue till next turn.

 

[94BULLITT]

Should have mentioned earlier that some of the old loaders are gravity lower. with heavy bucket loads you may have lite rear end. Steering builds character!!! Another way is to set load down, turn steering wheel, raise and continue till next turn.

And they have a trip bucket.

 

[veedub]

Went and looked at the tractor tonight. It was in fairly rough shape I think I am going to pass on it and hope for a better deal. Tires were in nice shape but pretty much all of the hoses and rubber otherwise was cracked and needed replacement soon. Engine was dirty and appeared to have several oil leaks, but ran great no smoke and sounded strong, but you had to spark two wires together to get it started as the solenoid switch was missing. The list goes on... The bucket was power up and down and power tilt, it could easily lift the front end off the ground.

Theres a TO-35 that I am going to try to see this weekend if I can get ahold of the owner hopefully its in better shape.