Pick my tractor....new land owner

[BWSLT]

Thanks up front for any input. New land owner 400 acres. 80 acres pasture, 250 acres wooded with some clearings and wide trails, 70 acres of river bottom land. Will be a recreation property for us. Any big work I will try to outsource. Want a tractor for general utility work, mowing, gravel road maintenance, deer food plots, and whatever else may come up. Not entirely flat but some gentle rolling and 50ft elevation change as it drops into the bottom land. Mostly pine trees with some hardwoods, pond. I don稚 think I want a 100hp tractor, but don稚 want to be lacking. After reading and talking with a few local dealers, leaning towards a kubota 6060l with a cab. Cost is always important, but so is value and return on investment. Closest dealers with decent sized service departments are kubota, jd, and mahindra. Small Kioti dealer nearby. What tractor should I be considering? I think I bit off more than I can chew with this size property....but going to have fun no matter what! Thanks

 

[buck12]

I have much the same uses as you describe. I own 72 acres but lease 615 acres of adjoining timber land for hunting. For my needs, my 5460 is the perfect size. A lot of your need will be determined by what you want to do with the 80 acres of pasture. If you plan clip 80 acres even once a year you will want to select the bush hog first then match a tractor to the bush hog. The cab will make the work much more enjoyable. A grapple is a very valuable tool for general property and trail maintenance.

 

[jeff9366]

Have you owned or operated a tractor in the past?

A Kubota 'Grand L' with a cab is about the largest practical tractor for a novice operator to break in on.

The cab adds about 800 pounds to bare tractor weight. You probably want either liquid filled rear tires or cast iron wheel weights but not both, to provide optimal traction for sixty horsepower.

You have the option of spreading the rear wheels with either R1/ag tires or R4/industrial tires on 'Grand Ls'. You have to make this decision before deciding on implement widths. Spreading the rear wheels is the primary method to increase tractor stability.

Dealer should spread rear wheels to the increment you desire at no charge when setting up the tractor, as 'Grand Ls' arrive with the wheels separate from the chassis. Later there will likely be a charge to spread the heavy wheels.

Novice operators are frequently surprised how unstable tractors feel during operation on anything but level ground.

You will need storage with quite a large/tall door to admit a cabbed L6060.



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[Egon]

Your budget will be the deciding factor.

Consider: four wheel drive, hst, loader, mower and tillage attachments.

 

[oosik]

If I would have added 300+ acres to my 80 - I would definitely have moved up to a Kubota M9540. The larger tractor would allow for larger implements. Your location would weigh heavily in a cabbed tractor or open station. Here in Ea WA state - I find no need for a cabbed tractor.

Recreation property normally means - you will not be living on the property. You should consider safe, secure storage for the tractor and all implements. Also some form of insurance to cover all potential losses.

Also - - FEL with grapple, 3rd function valve for grapple, heavy duty rear blade or heavy duty box blade, Land Plane Grading Scraper( LPGS ) and some form of 3-point mower.

BTW - welcome to TBN and the forum - BWSLT. Aren't we just great at recommending ways to spend your $$$$. Have a great day ..............

 

[kenmbz]

Welcome to TBN and good luck on your search.

 

[shooterdon]

You need to decide what you will do with the 80 acres of pasture and how much time you want to devote to it. Everything else does not require a large tractor.

If the 80 acres are decent land, renting it our to a nearby farmer would be a win/win. 80 acres is a lot of grass to cut and a waste of time and money unless you have a use for it.

Food plots and trail maintenance do not require large machines We have about 300 acres at our deer camp and use a 35 and 40 HP tractor. About 16 food plots but some are small so a smaller tractor is handy. And with no-till food plots that can affect your equipment needs. I have never felt underpowered or "too small" with my LS 4140 and with cab, loaded tires, and third function it was $31k.

 

[oosik]

Yes - shooterdon makes an excellent point. Know what you want to do now and in the future with this property. You can always change to a larger/smaller tractor at a later date. I can only relate to what my needs would be if I had 300 acres here. You need to do some serious planning for your needs.

 

[BWSLT]

Thanks for all the input. Property is in east Texas near Nacogdoches, and this will be my first tractor. I was thinking of leasing the pasture for cattle or hay at least to help with maintenance of the area. Also have a local friend who will help with some of these tasks as well. All this input is much appreciated. Would love to be able to put full time work into it, but in reality I won稚 have the time at least for the short term. But I am interested in learning and growing in the process over time.

 

[nybirdman]

For new operators the HST is best I.M.H.O and the L6060 with HST+ is an amazing and very capable tractor.I own a L4240 HSTC(cabbed) tractor and it does well for my 100 acres.Other choices in the Kubota line would be the M7060 or M4 71 with the 12 speed.