Poll: How many hours per year

[Hathway]

Around 120 hours

 

[WilliamBos]

We had a light year, only put 100 hours on it. This year expect around 150 - 200 range. Look forward to it!!

 

[warhammer]

My first year of tractor ownership will be done at the end of June. I have 100 hours on the tractor now so I would guess 110-120 for this year.
Next year will be more I think. The more I use this thing the more things I find I can use it for.

Warhammer

I was wondering approximately how many hours per year have you been putting on your tractors.

Also what is the approximate size of the land you are using it on?

Flat? Trees? What types of attachments do you have and which ones do you use the most.


I have two separate 1 acre properties. One all grass and hilly and the other mostly forest.

I can picture myself putting a lot of hours on a new compact tractor. Especially the backhoe.

Just trying to gauge if I should rent or own. Wifie, being the practical one say to rent whenever I need it. No maintenance, no storage, etc.

However, I can see the huge amount of uses.

Perhaps I can get a better feel (and have some ammo to come back at wifie with) if I can tell how often you guys have been using yours...

Any idea what size or type of trailer I would need to cart one of these with a BH to and from my other property?

I'm thinking my total investment of tractor and trailer would end up being close to $20 K. Wifie figures that would pay a lot of rental fees.

 

[xlr82v2]

I've had my 3525 since late August of 2007... and since then I've put 180 hours on it... that's about 1.67 years, so that works out to about 108 hours per year... which really works out to a lot more stuff done than with my old 8N! I averaged about 120 hours a year on it.

 

[LBrown59]

About 100 hours a year, approximately 10 acre small horse farm.
I have been using a compact tractor for some 22 plus years. Keep in mind, the hours used will be much higher the first couple of years.
* In most cases, for home use, the hours will decline as the years click by.

*This is what many if not most people fail to consider when they get caught up in the bigger is better fallacy and the next thing you know they have this oversized tractor setting around doing nothing because they are all caught up with their tractor task.

 

[SPYDERLK]

We have several tractors and put on a total of about 1000hrs/yr:
1. Mighty Mouse gets about 400
2. The 2 larger Kubs get in the 2-300 range each
3. The Mahindra 7520 gets about 180-200
4. The JD gets about 10hrs pounding posts or running the 300# sledge for metal forming, seating landscape timbers etc.

We do hay and horses, woods trails, field and driveway maintenance, etc.
larry

 

[Farmwithjunk]

OK.... Here we go!

My '71 MF150 used to get less than 100 hours per year. Last year it logged over 300. Planning on approx 100 this year.

'79 Deere 2440, last year logged approx 800

'80 Deere 2640 should log around 1000 this year. (bought late season last year...didn't run full year)

'07 Deere 6430 saw approx 2200 last year. Hope to reduce that to under 1200 this year.

'08 MF 583's (2 of 'em) logged 1900 and 1700 hrs last year

'08 Deere 6430's (2 of 'em, left-over '08's [low hour lease returns], first year of use (by us) this year) estimating 1200 hrs use this year.

MF150 is used at my place. (45 acres, hilly to flat) used for mowing, haying, and garden chores.

Deere 2440 and '07 6430 are used by my son on his small farm and in our commercial mowing business.

The rest of the fleet is used for commercial mowing work. (large acreage tracts and hwy right-of-way) Not planning on mowing 2 shifts/6 and 7 days a week this year. (additional tractors/mowers) Hoping that hold hours to 1000 to 1200 per unit.

Myself personally? I'll probably end up with roughly 300 to 400 hours in the seat. Let the young guys log the 12 hour days.....

 

[crashz]

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum from FWJ!

About 50 hours this past year. Maybe less this year. But not because I don't have a lot to do, but I just don't have the time to do it. The land is 2.5 hours away and I just can't get there often enough to work it (mostly mowing, but there is alot of brush to clean up) and the little tractor can only mow so many acres per hour. Vacation is limitied this year cause I'm getting married, so I have a very limited amount of free time.

 

[greggh]

Did a lot of clean up last year trying to get the property ready for anything. I had a little over 100 hrs. This year as I start developing plots I plan on the use to be higher.

 

[Gizmo2]

About 100 hours a year, approximately 10 acre small horse farm.
I have been using a compact tractor for some 22 plus years. Keep in mind, the hours used will be much higher the first couple of years. In most cases, for home use, the hours will decline as the years click by.

BTW, I do not use the tractor for any type of mowing. Just loader and backhoe work around the property. During the winter, snow plowing my driveways and around the barn.