What's the smallest practical HP/Tractor you'd consider?

[Soundguy]

You ask me to be reasonable. What is more reasonable than what I have said? The poster's stated intentions are well within what I have been doing for several years.
Pat

I asked you to be reasonable after you chastized slowzukie for his advice saying it didn't apply as it did not exactly cookie-cutter match the very general specs the OP stated.

My point is that the OP will be hard pressed to find many people that will exactly match his intended and final applications for his tractor... thus.. a good range of advice, covering lots of sizes, and what those size tractors are used for seems to be in order... especially since he ( OP ) hasn't even got well defined tasks yet.

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Surely sounds like you had a plan Pat!

No, Egon, I really didn't have a good plan except to enlist REAL experts as advisers but settled for a sales person I trusted and maybe got lucky but my tractor is a good fit.

If I did row crops I'm sure I'd have a different tractor. If I mowed like SoundGuy I'd have a different tractor. If I dealt with stacked bales over 1500 lbs I'd have a different tractor. If I was not very well pleased with my tractor I'd have a different tractor. If I had $ to toss around I'd buy a second tractor to cut down on the frequency of implement changes (I have Pat's easy change thingy now but easier yet would be better yet.) but I have too many unfunded higher priority projects and acquisitions to even consider a second tractor until some of those are handled.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

(I have Pat's easy change thingy now... Pat

Hey.. now that's almost funny!

soundguy

 

[RWolf]

My 2 cents worth are for the OP's uses a utility AG tractor (insert brand here) of about 40 - 50 HP would work fine. In the decision making process one would hope that you would take into account as many as possible tasks that are planned. If it's moving 1500# bales (give or take) then you would need the appropriate capibility in lifting safely. Same goes with field work. Right know I'm working 25ac and find that the tasks the OP indicated are handled easily with my JD 5103. I am also looking at purchasing a larger property in the near future and still believe I won't need to upgrade my tractor. As far as stacking hay I don't have a fear of overwhelming my FEL as I haven't messed with the hydraulics and the bypass will keep me from lifting to heavy of a load. In my case it's a bit over 2000#. As far as to what types of impliments that will be up to the OP to decide and I'd think that when the time comes he will purchase with a well informed mind as to what he wants to do. As we all admit we feel that we've made appropriate choices and have been successful in what we're doing. As times change and our needs change we will change our equipment. But I think we all "pretty" much agree that for 100ac land that a 40 - 50 HP range would be the lower limit "on the average". Can be done with less, can be done with more.

I think I've rambled enough. I say to the OP good luck on your future purchase.

 

[patrick_g]

I asked you to be reasonable after you chastized slowzukie for his advice saying it didn't apply as it did not exactly cookie-cutter match the very general specs the OP stated.

My point is that the OP will be hard pressed to find many people that will exactly match his intended and final applications for his tractor... thus.. a good range of advice, covering lots of sizes, and what those size tractors are used for seems to be in order... especially since he ( OP ) hasn't even got well defined tasks yet.

soundguy

You are saying since I appear to be about the only one speaking up that is close to the OP's intended stated tasks that due to me not being in the majority then we have to give a wide range of advice predicated on assumed facts not in evidence, i.e. restate the problem in terms that lends credence to someones pet view even though it does not relate to the OP's question. I am disqualified for being in the minority although I am the best match for what he wants to do. Talk about a random walk through Bizarro land!!!

P.S. I'm not trying to beat anyone up. I respect most everyone's opinions as honest and thoughtful but not so valuable if not ON TOPIC. If the thread were about everyone telling us how they do what they do and the tractor that fits their bill then I'd have a totally different attitude. I'm sure most of us like our tractors and think they handle our tasks pretty well or would have made changes. However, as nice as that might be that isn't the topic of this thread.

I don't mind discussing your tasks vs your equipment to do those tasks and your ability and experience in doing them. I'm sure most of us are pretty well satisfied with our situation and should be pleased with our having done what is required to effect shuch a good match B_U_T again that is not answering the OP's question.

If you think he is short sighted and doesn't understand his own needs then post a list of the other tasks he has not mentioned that he will most likely encounter in his stated intentions of a small cattle op. I have a small cattle op and know many others who do also (members of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association and others) but if I have not had need to do those hypothesized tasks in the last 7-8 years I think it is questionable whether or not those tasks should be given much weight in his analysis and tractor selection. If on the other hand you believe that I am atypical in my needs (and every other small cattle op in this part of the country from single digit herd numbers up to a few hundred head are also atypical), make your case.

Pat

 

[Egon]

If I dealt with stacked bales over 1500 lbs I'd have a different tractor.

Hey, here is an opportunity to see some of larger bales on a farm of a friend of mine. It is located just a few miles from the one I grew up on.

He has about 200 cows.

 

[RollingsFarms]

figured i'd add my two cents worth into this discussion. my farm is 750 acres(rough estimate). about 600 of that is planted pines, hardwoods, and 4 small bays. i'm working about 150 acres(bush hogging, fire breaks, maintain roads, food plots during hunting season, etc.) and am using a 56hp MFWD tractor. could i use more power? sure. do i need more power? no, not in the 5 months i've had my tractor anyways and highly doubtful i'll need any bigger. while i dont hay farm i am friends with several full-time hay farmers. they do it for a living, it puts food in their mouths and pays their bills so it's not a hobby to them. you know what most of them are using to cut, rake, move bales, and pull a square baler with? a John Deere 5603(65hp) 2WD. they're pulling the round balers with Massey's and Deere's(70's and 80's models) and the largest i've seen is 125hp. they tell me they spend more time using the 65hp tractor to do 85% of their work then the ol' bigguns.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I think you guys have scared the OP off with all your jousting...nice job!

 

[patrick_g]

I think you guys have scared the OP off with all your jousting...nice job!

Gee, you think????? Telling him he needs a BIG HIGH HP $$ tractor to do X, Y, and Z when all he said he wanted it for was a and b was just impossible to avoid.

Pat

 

[Egon]

I think you guys have scared the OP off with all your jousting...nice job!

The chances are quite good that the OP is able to differentiate between "The Good, The Bad and The just Plain Ugly".