Thoroughly confused and discouraged.

[Anonymous Poster]

Well, I mad it through the winter without buying anything.
But, as spring time comes the need for some type of tractor is coming quicker and quicker.

The main purpose I will have for the tractor is lawn maintence.
But, plowing a 120ft driveway in the winter.

On the other hand we also own one horse, soon to be two or three. And the tractor will be very handy in caring for the horses also. Fro manure disposal ot other odds and ends. I would like to be able to move two trailers around the yard also. 1200lbs or so.

As of the current moment, I am thinkiung just a garden tractor. And as I think about it, the only reason I am at this decision is price.

Like I mentioned to start, finish mowing is the #1 priority. There is roughly... 2.5 acres to cut. Give or take. I havnet decided final on that yet.

I know everyone says to go for this and that. But, I CANNOT spend $10k on a tractor now. Just wont happen. I dont think I can even pull $5 right now. Just so much other stuff that is needed. Landscaping, I still want to be able to put up a pole barn, and I am still drviing a $1300 car right now.

Any suggections/help... donations!!!!

Thanks,
Ken H.

 

[Soundguy]

Well, don't completely give up.. you still have a few options open, even given the limitations you are up against.

For discussion sake... lets set your limit at 4k, as you said 5k wouldn't be too easy to make happen.

Then you have to decide new / used.
Well, with this limit.. there is about only 1 new tractor that would fit the price range, and that is one of the smaller 20hp 2wd chineese jinma tractors.. the go around 2999+ ( Don't laugh... they aren't that bad really.. )

Used has a few more options.

Sounds like you are gonna want a finish mower, and a box blade.. possibly a drag for the pasture.. but you can make that one.

Let me give you a word of advice about lawn, pasture, and horses.. and hay, from someone who's been there.

Horses are hard on pasture.. harder than cows...

Unless you have lots of land.. like 2 ac per animal.. you will be feeding some hay.. and hay is expensive.

When we built our first house.. we said.. wow we want a huge lawn... On the second house, we opted for almost zero lawn, and instead fenced as close to the house as possible and maximized our pasture. Less to finish mow as well... in fact, the mowing around my house can be done in 20-30 mins with a push mower.

This will also save the expense of a finish mower... They you could get a rotary cutter to take brush down.

If you are handy with wrenches, used is the way to go.. if not.. there are some great deals on financing right now..you could exceede that 4-5k limit and get a low payment spread out over 3 years, etc.... get more tractor rather than a small one that needs to be replaced down the line.

a fel will help with animals!


Soundguy

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">would like to be able to move two trailers around the yard also. 1200lbs or so.

As of the current moment, I am thinkiung just a garden tractor... </font>

1) I would seriously be sorting out my priorities and then worry about a "tractor"...

No offense... but you need to rethink exactly what you want to do before you end up getting hurt or killed...

I'm not aware of any "garden tractor" that's capable of towing a 1200 lb. trailer...

<font color="blue">...I am still drviing a $1300 car right now...</font>

Go back and reread #1... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[thcri]

Ken,

You are in a very tigh situation there. If your driving a car that is on worth $1,300 that tells me you will have to replace it soon. Getting a tractor for under $5,000 pretty much forces you to go used if you want to get any implements with it. My suggestion on the tractor would be to go out and look for a used one like a Ford 861 or something like that. You should be able to pick one of them up with a loader for around $4,000.00. You might have to do some work on it but it is feasible. Another post said to put your priorities in order and I agree with that. Maybe the horses have to come after the tractor and barn. Maybe the barn just can't come until you get your car replaced. I would really sit down and place in order what you want and what is important. Buying some of these items is one thing, but having the money to run them is another. Getting the tractor without the bucket or mower does you no good so you have to have money for it all.


murph

 

[Egon]

As JMIII said Priorities listed in order of necessity and a budget set up that will complement the priority list.

Do not fret. Almost all of us have been in the same type of situation. Remember; Patience is a virtue" .

Egon

 

[Soundguy]

He may have to take things in steps.

He might have to forgo the barn and opt for a shade structure instead. Many farmers down here use them... we either make them tin roof and post, or L shaped ( one wall blocked with boards to break wind ) and tin roof.

Fairly inexpensive to make.. just a couple hundred bucks and some sweat equity.

Soundguy

 

[cowboydoc]

When I started out I bought a JD 210 lawn mower to mow 3 acres. For my horses and pasture I bought an older Massey Ferguson Super 90. The guys threw in a piece of junk rotary mower and boxblade. I got those to where I could use them, even though I had to work on everything usually before I used it. I spent $3k on the tractor and $800 on the mower. I didn't have a loader for awhile. Everything was wheel barrows and shovels. You can do it but it won't be the best equipment. We all have to start somewhere.

 

[beenthere]

A number of good answers that you may not have wanted to hear. As far as priorities, drop the idea of any more horses until you have the equipment, or plan on a lot of hand work (which isn't a bad idea).
Adding horses first will put you in a bind you may never get out of. (IMO) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

You might want to try and find a used Gravely, wheelhorse or older Cub Cadet rider. I have an 812 Gravely and pull a trailer with up to 1 ton of gravel, steel, etc on it. It never runs out of power, traction maybe, but I have chains for that too, made up of rejected car tire chains, I just don't want to go down a steep hill with a load like that, brakes are not quite up to that task. I am currently modifying a scraper blade/scoop combo to fit on the front, for driveway and snow maintenance.
The Gravely riders weigh over 900 lbs, might even qualify as a subcompact tractor ?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

To clear some stuff up.

The $1300 car... I have put a lot of time and money into it to make it very dependable. No worries there. Just was a kind of laugh at it thing to myself. $1300 for a car and $4000 for a tractor. I thought it was funny. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif The car is very dependable and no worries. Plus I am very mechanically inclined to fix whatever goes wrong. Plus, its a 1.8l VW that will run forever. And I can get a full new motor and trans for $800 that will run another 200k miles. I hate payments. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Thats why both my cars are 20 yrs old, and as dependadle as most new ones. All about maintence. But, enough of that.

As far as the trailer goes... just need to move it around so I dont have to hook up to the Suburban. Just me bing lazy. I have more than one friend that does just this without any problems. No hills or road or anyting. Like 100 ft at most. And the other trailer just filled of manure, I know garden tractors handle this also.

And the comment about being hurt/ injured... I have no idea where this came from, so I dont know what to respond to that.

I have thought about a little foreign tractor, and am still thinkgin of that. It is a toss up between the new and used right now. Jinmma huh?

The horse is here, another here on the way sometime during the summer. A run in type barn is going to be used for a couple years. Until the real barn is closer to a reality.

I feel my priorities are in order. That is why I am not spending 15 grand on a new tractor. Right? I could get away with a small lawn tractor and do the rest with Armstrong power. Whcih I may still do.

I was just looking for opinions on how to get a little more strength than a typical lawn tractor.

Thanks for all the opinions... I take them all into my consderations.

Ken H.