Proud owner of 60 acres. Now need a tractor.

[torchrider]

Howdy folks,

I have done quite a bit of searching but am still confused, so please forgive me for making another "What Tractor" post. Here is my situation.

I just purchased 60 acres in Central Texas.
The land is generally flat, has about 30 acres of pasture, wet weather creek with a lot of hardwoods and a small tank/pond.

The tractor will be used for:

• Shredding/Bush hogging ~30 acres a few times per year.
• Developing ~5 acres of food plot for deer, turkey, etc.
• Grading driveway
• Building small berms
• Basic small ranch chores (dragging timber, moving brush, moving trailers, drilling post holes, etc.)

I know I want a front end loader and think I need 4WD.
Don't need a whole bunch of bells and whistles. Not sure I need shuttle or Hydrostatic transmission.
I prefer to buy used.

What do you think would be a good brand/model of tractor appropriate with this kind of work?
Dealers seem to carry most of the major brands here.

 

[TSO]

Congrats on your new property!

1) Budget?

2) Buying new gives you factory warranty, better financing, and a chance to know/learn the tractor's history from the start. I'm not against buying used, but it's gotta be one heck of a deal to make it worth it, in my opinion anyhow.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I'm guessing you're thinking used? Consider what dealers you have nearby and how good they are. With that, here are my picks in no real order. Case-IH 585/595 or 685/695, IH 584, 684, Case 1390/1490 or 1394/1494 (Case is the same as David Brown in these models), Ford/ New Holland 3930/4630 or 3600/4600, maybe even a 5600/5610, John Deere, 2440/2640, 2555/2755 or 5300/5400, maybe 5425/5325. Massey-Ferguson 255/265/275, Kubota 6800, 7200?, or 8200. All these tractors can be equipped with FEL. The older you get the cheaper you get, but the less likely the machine will have the features you want. I.E. shuttle trans, FWA, etc. These are not the models just the ones that have come to mind and several I have owned and operated.

 

[Tx Jim]

Slightly used tractors can be bought considerably less than new tractors and come with a transferable warranty. I know as I bought an '11 model with 137 hrs on the tachometer.

 

[bigbull338]

for what your wanting todo id say a used 7040 rops 4x4 fel will do everything your wanting todo.

 

[3930dave]

I don't have a specific brand suggestion in mind, but wanted to touch on tires in general.

If you are new to tractors, take the time to familiarize yourself with the primary types of drive tires (R1,R4, Turf), and talk to farmers in your area as to what works in local soil conditions.

Short story - R1 should generally give you the most traction, but are probably not what you want to use on a golf course.

Many newish tractors often come with R4 tires. They have their trade-offs and advantages for certain conditions.

If you read some of the tire discussion threads, the discussions can get almost as contentious as What Oil and Filter to Use threads :laughing: But, you will get a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of each major tire class.

As a for instance - R1's on a 2wd may give useable results on your land, where as a 4wd with turf tires might not.

You may know all this already, but I wanted to bring this up because changing tires to something you want after a deal is done can be expensive, and on certain tractors may involve needing different rims.

Perhaps not the greatest pics, but this link will give you a place to start on tire classes.

Farm Equipment and Agriculture Tires American Farmer Tires

Rgds, D.

 

[foreman Etexas]

for what your wanting todo id say a used 7040 rops 4x4 fel will do everything your wanting todo.

http://www.desr-tx.com/images/139.jpg 2012 Kubota M7040, 71HP, 4 Cylinder
Diesel, 4WD, Platform Tractor, Hydraulic
Sync. Shuttle Transmission, 2 Sets Of
Rear Hydraulic Factory Remotes, 16.9-30
Rear Tires With Cast Wheels, Telescopic
Rear 3 Point Hitch Arms, LA1153
Kubota Front Loader With Skid Steer Style
Quick Attach Bucket + QT Hayfork, Front Grill
Guard, 279 Original Hours,
Still Under Warranty, This is The Nicest 70
HP Tractor Kubota Makes, Like Brand New,
Sells New With Hyd Shuttle +
Cast Wheels 38,000+
Sell $29,800
http://www.desr-tx.com/images/2211.jpg 2005 Kubota M5700, 57HP, 5 Cylinder
Diesel, 4WD, Cab & Air(Ultra Cab II),
Hydraulic Shuttle Transmission, 1 Set Of
Rear Hydraulic Remotes, Telescopic Rear
3PT Hitch Arms, LA1002 Kubota Front
Loader With Quick Attach Bucket, 16.9-28
Rear Tires, Front Grill Guard, 564 Original
Hours, Shop Kept, Extra Extra Sharp,
Local Tractor,
Sell $29,800
Budget?

 

[TomSeller]

http://www.desr-tx.com/images/139.jpg 2012 Kubota M7040, 71HP, 4 Cylinder
Sell $29,800
http://www.desr-tx.com/images/2211.jpg 2005 Kubota M5700, 57HP, 5 Cylinder
Sell $29,800

Nice finds. Both excellent tractors. I would make sure whatever brand I bought had a good local dealer. I would not worry about not buying new if you have it checked out.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Nice finds. Both excellent tractors. I would make sure whatever brand I bought had a good local dealer. I would not worry about not buying new if you have it checked out.

Just some,until find out budget. They didn't have any other colors in 4x4 around that size. They always have nice tractors on there site...
Couple more...
http://wctused.squarespace.com/46-99-horsepower/us0149/
http://wctused.squarespace.com/46-99-horsepower/un0909/

 

[NativeSon]

Torchriderer-Welcome aboard. A big Howdy from East Texas!!

TBN is a great place to start gathering info for a tractor purchase. Look at all the dealers and service in your area. It is important to find one that you feel good about. Tires are an important concern, also the number of Hydralic remotes you may need. Tractor size and horsepower are important, but so too is Safety. There are lots of accident and safety threads here that you need to familiarize yourself with. The tractor is a great tool, but it can get you in trouble in a hurry.

Happy hunting.

Charlie