Buying Advice What size?

[airbiscuit]

I hope we're not scaring the OP off with our zeal. He's pretty much like the rest of us who wants to have some land and domesticate it with a CUT. Sometimes it's hard to go from 0 - 70 hp because of budget or newess. Sometimes you don't need to go to 70 hp. I started with 15hp even though I knew I would eventually want more, but my circumstances at the time dictated that modest option. I chose 15hp and got a lot of work done The beauty with CUTs is that they hold their value so well. I even sold some for more than I paid after a couple of years of work.

It might be helpful if the original poster would post pics of what he wants to mow. If it is 8' elephant grass, we may all rethink our hp minimums. If is just keeping pasture knocked down, then we can help the OP get to a happy place there too. If the OP hangs in there with us, I think he will have as much fun and productivity with his CUT as the rest of us do.

 

[Piston]

Hey guys, Im new here, so hopefully Im posting in the correct area...

I grew up on around 12 acres of open pasture land, we basically shared land with my grandparents, which is every kids dream. My grandpa had/has a ford utility tractor. I know how to operate everything on that tractor with all sorts of attachments; but I couldn't tell you what kind of tractor it is, what model it was, HP, anything. As a kid I never paid attention to that stuff, I just wanted to ride with my grandpa and as I got older I wanted to do it myself.

All that to say, I know how to operate for the most part, but I have no "book" knowledge on tractors.

Well, now married with kids of my own, we are in the process of purchasing an 18 acre piece of property, pretty flat terrain; 15 of these acres will be open pasture land, the other three is heavy wooded (I don't plan on doing anything with these 3 acres). So I am looking at purchasing a tractor but really have no idea where to start.

The main uses I will need is mowing. Im guessing 5 of those acres will be more finished mowed every week, and the remaining 10 will be bush hogged a few times a year. This will be 95% of what I will use it for. I don't even have in mind what the remaining 5% will be used for but Im sure I can find something .

Im not sure if a small compact tractor could handle this, 25hp or 35hp, or if I need to go up to a utility tractor with 50+hp. If someone could at least point me in the right direction that would be great! Thanks!

From the sounds of it, you don't have any heavy lifting or heavy ground engaging work on the horizon? The only reason you'll "need" a larger tractor is if it physically won't lift what you need, or pull what you need due to lack of traction.

Pretty much everything else can be done with a smaller tractor, and smaller implements.

By all means, I am an "overkill" kind of guy. However, I see no reason you need a larger tractor with 50hp or more.

In my experience, you do not need a 50+hp tractor to pull a 6' rotary mower, and you certainly don't need a "minimum" of 45hp as one poster stated.

I have 39pto hp and use a 6' heavy duty mower. Sure I'd "like" more power because I like overkill, but I manage to get by just fine with 39hp. For me, the lift capacity is my limiting factor, which does not seem to be a concern in your case.

 

[paulfun9]

Ok. It's clear you didn't like your 1531. Maybe you got a piece of crap???? Maybe the whole model line is junk? Or maybe there are valid reasons? Like plugged radiator even though the screen was clean... . Because the screen don't get it all. Gotta blow out the radiator. And not enough power to shear the pin....power isn't what shears it, it's impact/shock loading. And perhaps it wasn't a proper grade 2 bolt??

Not gonna speculate further. You didn't like your Massey? Fine. But touting that a 30hp tractor is too small for a 5' mower is TERRIBLE info. Info like that is what I am trying to dispell.

Its plenty of power if you don't mind going so darn slow! I would rather get the Job done and be on my way so it will never be enough power!

I think you said you did it for 5 years. I would have been fed up with the slow working speed in less than a month and upgraded to more HP.

 

[Phillip w]

I am not trying to start a "war" on here with anyone. A lot of these little tractors do pretty good maintaining small acreage regardless of brand. But experiences to me some tractors seem to hold up better than others when you get to pushing them hard. I am suggesting this fellow consider a 35 (ish) hp tractor. with my experience coupled with watching the neighbors I am simply suggesting this fellow take a good hard look at John Deere and case-ih. First you have a strong brand name with a vast parts network. Second john Deere And case-ih have dealers all over the place. Third both of these brands have a reputation for dependability, reliability, and ruggedness. If a 35 hp John Deere or case-ih can perform well with farm applications it really do good with small acreage applications. However you Kubota, massey ferguson, kioti, mahindra would probably do good for him with small acreage. I as just trying to share my thoughts and experience to help this fellow and hopefully he does not end up in a tractor nightmare like I and others have.

 

[LD1]

Its plenty of power if you don't mind going so darn slow! I would rather get the Job done and be on my way so it will never be enough power!

I think you said you did it for 5 years. I would have been fed up with the slow working speed in less than a month and upgraded to more HP.

Yep. But working speed due to power wasnt a limiting factor very often. The smaller tires on the L3400 + rough terrain was a limiting factor more often.

I normally mowed in 1-high or 2-high. For that machine that was 4.1 mph and 5.5 I think. Every once in awhile in real thick stuff Id back down to 4-Low, which was 3.5 MPH. And on nasty brush, briars, saplings, etc....3 Low was as slow as I ever had a need to go, That was 2.9 MPH. So more power wouldnt have done much for me on most of the jobs, nothing but burn more fuel.

I did upgrade HP to a MX5100 though. And an 8' Twin mower. I'd be running a 10' Twin if not for trailering and keeping under 102" wide. But that tractor comes at a cost....2.5 Gal per hour if I am pushing it hard. The old L3400 was 1-1.25 gal/hr. SO I have doubled fual usage, for cutting maybe 50% faster.

 

[LD1]

I am not trying to start a "war" on here with anyone. A lot of these little tractors do pretty good maintaining small acreage regardless of brand. But experiences to me some tractors seem to hold up better than others when you get to pushing them hard. I am suggesting this fellow consider a 35 (ish) hp tractor. with my experience coupled with watching the neighbors I am simply suggesting this fellow take a good hard look at John Deere and case-ih. First you have a strong brand name with a vast parts network. Second john Deere And case-ih have dealers all over the place. Third both of these brands have a reputation for dependability, reliability, and ruggedness. If a 35 hp John Deere or case-ih can perform well with farm applications it really do good with small acreage applications. However you Kubota, massey ferguson, kioti, mahindra would probably do good for him with small acreage. I as just trying to share my thoughts and experience to help this fellow and hopefully he does not end up in a tractor nightmare like I and others have.

Im done. You made your point. You say Case and Deere are the only good machines in the 35 hp class because you got a lemon of a massey and your dad had issues with a kubota 20 years ago. And Case and Deere are the only ones that will hold up on a farm.

You are wrong though. Fortunately People are allowed to make up their own minds and not pay any attention to you thinking kubota, kioti, massey, etc small tractors arent any good.

 

[Piston]

Im done. You made your point. You say Case and Deere are the only good machines in the 35 hp class...

...Fortunately People are allowed to make up their own minds and not pay any attention to you thinking kubota, kioti, massey, etc small tractors arent any good.

Gotta love marketing huh!

 

[Tractorable]

I spent a while yesterday trying to figure out who even makes Case IH compact utility tractors. Best I can figure, Case IH is part of the Case New Holland Group (CNG), owned by Fiat of Italy, with the manufacturing outsourced to the Korean LS company.

So, Case IH, New Holland, and LS tractors are probably all the same underneath with different paint jobs. I seriously doubt that big Ag Case tractors and their long American history have any relation to the modern Case IH compact utility tractors being made in Korea. It's just a bunch of marketing smoke and mirrors.

As for quality, I'm sure they're fine. The Koreans build pretty good stuff these days. But a lot of the Korean tractor building know-how was passed on to them by the Japanese, namely by Yanmar, Kubota, Iseki, and Mitsubishi.

I don't know where big Ag Case tractors are built, but I doubt they have any relation to the Case IH compact utility tractors currently being made in Korea.

 

[paulfun9]

I am not trying to start a "war" on here with anyone. A lot of these little tractors do pretty good maintaining small acreage regardless of brand. But experiences to me some tractors seem to hold up better than others when you get to pushing them hard. I am suggesting this fellow consider a 35 (ish) hp tractor. with my experience coupled with watching the neighbors I am simply suggesting this fellow take a good hard look at John Deere and case-ih. First you have a strong brand name with a vast parts network. Second john Deere And case-ih have dealers all over the place. Third both of these brands have a reputation for dependability, reliability, and ruggedness. If a 35 hp John Deere or case-ih can perform well with farm applications it really do good with small acreage applications. However you Kubota, massey ferguson, kioti, mahindra would probably do good for him with small acreage. I as just trying to share my thoughts and experience to help this fellow and hopefully he does not end up in a tractor nightmare like I and others have.

Out of all the brands I have owned JD has been the worst experience overall. .

 

[DK35vince]

My previous tractor was a John Deere (850)
It was a good, solid machine for me, but if it was better than my current Kioti you would have to show me where. I don't see it.
I've had my Kioti DK for 16 years now (2090 hours). Love it, works great, no issues.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I mow a good bit of commercial stuff and have done do for the last 8 years. I have done it with a 27hp tractor and several different 5 foot cutters. If you ask the experts, I am under powered. I have mowed hundreds of acres over the course of hundreds of hours. I do 99% in mid range at full speed. I only struggle in thick wet grass or very steep grades. 15 acres is not a back breaker to maintain. You can plan on mowing 5 acres in about 3 hours so you can knock it out in a few evening or one weekend. A 35 hp tractor is about the sweet spot and should do you well, but you can make do with less. If you go much bigger, you get into a tractor that is powerful, but bigger and heavier. This works against you sometimes. It requires a larger truck and trailer if you need to move it or take it to the shop. My neighbor has a 55 hp tractor but he uses mine a good bit because it is more nimble, easier on the turf and way easier to move. It also uses about 1/2 the fuel. That being said, his will do twice the work in the right circumstance. A couple suggestions, Get a loader, consider a susp. seat and hydo tranny. Shuttle is pretty good, but a gear tractor makes most jobs a bit harder.

 

[Phillip w]

I mow a good bit of commercial stuff and have done do for the last 8 years. I have done it with a 27hp tractor and several different 5 foot cutters. If you ask the experts, I am under powered. I have mowed hundreds of acres over the course of hundreds of hours. I do 99% in mid range at full speed. I only struggle in thick wet grass or very steep grades. 15 acres is not a back breaker to maintain. You can plan on mowing 5 acres in about 3 hours so you can knock it out in a few evening or one weekend. A 35 hp tractor is about the sweet spot and should do you well, but you can make do with less. If you go much bigger, you get into a tractor that is powerful, but bigger and heavier. This works against you sometimes. It requires a larger truck and trailer if you need to move it or take it to the shop. My neighbor has a 55 hp tractor but he uses mine a good bit because it is more nimble, easier on the turf and way easier to move. It also uses about 1/2 the fuel. That being said, his will do twice the work in the right circumstance. A couple suggestions, Get a loader, consider a susp. seat and hydo tranny. Shuttle is pretty good, but a gear tractor makes most jobs a bit harder.

Big 10-4, you and I seem to be on the same page with same idea. And yes, mowing down around my pond powered me out really bad. Tractor really struggled to handle it. My solution was to buy a 7 ft mower and put it on a bigger tractor. But up around the barns and stuff that bigger tractor is cumbersome. However if you want to knock down a pasture with a few rag weeds, milk weeds and horse weeds with a 5 ft on a 30-35 hp tractor should work ok if it is not to big and thick. I am on the same page with you. For a brand I think with his acreage any brand will work. Everyone has there preferred preferences and reasons why and sometimes you are just splitting hairs.

 

[areid]

I have a B3030 and love it for its size and ability. To me it's perfect for moving some dirt and mowing or lifting reasonable loads. I cannot lift 1600 lb bales bit I can skid them around when necessary. I chose to go with the B series because it is easy on the grass even with Ag tires on it. If you want a tractor that can pull a half ton out of the ditch or one that can dig out a 2 ton rock or pull out stumps then go for a heavier tractor. As for me the 30 hp has done amazing feats. Cutting grass and cleaning up bush is a snap.