My little farm is comparable to yours. I first started out two years ago with an 8N since funds were tight. Recently went with a Kubota L3710. The 37 horses is more than adequate for ordinary bushhoggin. I bought the tractor last month for $11,000 with a 6 ft Squealer Bushhog and the tractor had 488 hrs. I do not have a FEL or BH, still the 37 seems to be about the right horsepower for myself.
What do I need?
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Henro
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2003
- Messages
- 4,982
- Location
- Few miles north of Pgh, PA
- Tractor
- Kubota B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini EX
If you are planning to improve the whole property over the years, I would focus on getting the right tractor to begin with, and put the backhoe on hold for a while. Not getting a backhoe will give you $6,000 or so to put towards a larger tractor.
Visit some dealers to check out both how the different colors feel and also how the dealer and the facilities treat you and make you feel. Hopefully whatever you buy will operate without propblem for many years, but when/if you have a problem with your tractor nothing beats great dealer support.
When you are new to tractors I think they look bigger than they really are. In my case I have a Kubota B2910 on 3.7 acres. This is 30 hp, but the tractor itself is on the small side for that HP engine. When I was shopping two years ago I wrote it off as too big, but after seeing the price difference between what I was considering and the B2910, on a whim I bought the B2910. Turns out it is the perfect size for me. It mowed pretty good too with a RFM, but I later bought a smaller tractor for the mowing. Nothing against the RFM, it did a good job. I just have a lot of things to mow around and a MMM is better for me.
A larger tractor with more PTO hp and more weight, and more loader lift capacity, more 3PH capacity is great to have if you have the use for it. It sounds like you may have the use for it.
With my tractor, I am limited a bit because it is light weight and cannot handle a medium duty rotary cutter (which I don't need anyway, but you might), and there have been times when it has not been able to lift a full box blade of dirt, without my first backing up to cause the dirt to slip out and lighten things up a bit (Had four 12" concrete blocks on top of the BB for extra weight).
A smaller tractor is nice though if you have a lot of trees and narrow spaces to get between...
A backhoe is really nice to have when you need it. Everytime I use mine I am real happy I have it. But when I am not using it, it is just sitting there and waiting. But the tractor is always in use, whatever implement is attached...so the tractor needs to be the primary focus in my way of thinking...
So now I am about to refill my coffee cup and I'm sitting here thinking how hard the decision would be for me if I were in your shoes. Bigger tractor without a backhoe (but the promise of one at sometime in the future), or smaller one with a backhoe right now!.
Guess I can't be of much help...I can clearly see that it will take several more cups of coffee, probably spread over several days before I will get to the point of even guessing what I might do myself! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Honestly!
Whatever you end up buying will become the hardest worker around the homestead. It is amazing how hard these small tractors work!
Visit some dealers to check out both how the different colors feel and also how the dealer and the facilities treat you and make you feel. Hopefully whatever you buy will operate without propblem for many years, but when/if you have a problem with your tractor nothing beats great dealer support.
When you are new to tractors I think they look bigger than they really are. In my case I have a Kubota B2910 on 3.7 acres. This is 30 hp, but the tractor itself is on the small side for that HP engine. When I was shopping two years ago I wrote it off as too big, but after seeing the price difference between what I was considering and the B2910, on a whim I bought the B2910. Turns out it is the perfect size for me. It mowed pretty good too with a RFM, but I later bought a smaller tractor for the mowing. Nothing against the RFM, it did a good job. I just have a lot of things to mow around and a MMM is better for me.
A larger tractor with more PTO hp and more weight, and more loader lift capacity, more 3PH capacity is great to have if you have the use for it. It sounds like you may have the use for it.
With my tractor, I am limited a bit because it is light weight and cannot handle a medium duty rotary cutter (which I don't need anyway, but you might), and there have been times when it has not been able to lift a full box blade of dirt, without my first backing up to cause the dirt to slip out and lighten things up a bit (Had four 12" concrete blocks on top of the BB for extra weight).
A smaller tractor is nice though if you have a lot of trees and narrow spaces to get between...
A backhoe is really nice to have when you need it. Everytime I use mine I am real happy I have it. But when I am not using it, it is just sitting there and waiting. But the tractor is always in use, whatever implement is attached...so the tractor needs to be the primary focus in my way of thinking...
So now I am about to refill my coffee cup and I'm sitting here thinking how hard the decision would be for me if I were in your shoes. Bigger tractor without a backhoe (but the promise of one at sometime in the future), or smaller one with a backhoe right now!.
Guess I can't be of much help...I can clearly see that it will take several more cups of coffee, probably spread over several days before I will get to the point of even guessing what I might do myself! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Honestly!
Whatever you end up buying will become the hardest worker around the homestead. It is amazing how hard these small tractors work!