Buying Advice which tractor to buy?

[Grandad4]

Grandad4 all the fields have been plowed and disked every year for the last 5 years, so I would not be break new ground. I was thinking of the L3200 but looking at the specs its shorter wheel base and the gpm for the hydraulics are lower by quite abite.

That does make a difference, but you still need to travel very slowly. There are many threads here discussing why HST is better than gear drive for a rotary tiller simply because the lowest, slowest gear on most tractors is simply too fast for the tiller to work effectively. We've been using a 6 ft tiller for the last 7 or 8 years and that would be our experience also. Here's a little table that shows the time in hours it takes to make one pass over various acres at different speeds with a 5 ft implement (not counting additional time for turns, and no overlap):

Speed (mph)
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
Acres
1 3.0 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.0
2 6.1 4.0 3.0 2.4 2.0
3 9.1 6.1 4.5 3.6 3.0
4 12.1 8.1 6.1 4.8 4.0
5 15.2 10.1 7.6 6.1 5.1
6 18.2 12.1 9.1 7.3 6.1
7 21.2 14.1 10.6 8.5 7.1
8 24.2 16.2 12.1 9.7 8.1
9 27.3 18.2 13.6 10.9 9.1
10 30.3 20.2 15.2 12.1 10.1

(Well, sorry, the spacing looks fine in the editing box but gets all messed up when it's posted)

I typically make 2 passes, and figure I'm only going .5 or .75 mph... way less than "walking speed" at least. Don't know about you, but running a tiller for 20 or 30 hours isn't my idea of fun, so I just wanted to pass along a friendly "heads up" for you to do your own figuring for this.

 

[wolftree]

chad26,

I tend to agree with some of the others here. Unless you have lots of time, I think you will be underpowered during tillage with the tractors you are looking at(B2920 and B3200). I do not know your soil, but here you need to moldboard plow, then disk harrow twice for corn and beans. So you are looking at at least 4 trips over that 12 acres when you include planting. A tiller might only be 3 passes total, but I do not think it would be really much quicker in total hours.

You would probably be ok horsepower wise with the other tasks of lane maintenance. Myself, I would look at least at a Kubota L3800 for the tillage. I would look for a 2X14" moldboard plow and 5'-6' disk harrow.

 

[Bluegill2]

Chad, the usual response here is to go 'Bigger'. I tend to go with what I can afford to buy out right, no finance. I also like smaller tractors! I'm using a L3800DT on 400 acres, mowing, logging and taking care of several miles of roads/trails. The larger B will do a good job, but I'd be looking at the smaller L series if I were you.

 

[chad26]

Well, I drove the B2920, B3200 and the L3200. I ruled out the B3200 just because of the vibration. I really like the B2920 but I think it maybe under powered for what I want use it for. Its the perfect size for the up keep on the trails and fixing the roads with the loader, but the fields are my question. The L3200 is more of a tractor I felt. It maybe a little big for the woods, I can always take the FEL off if I need to. I think this would be a much better choice for my needs, plus the price seems very good. Its coming up cheaper than the B2920 by 150.00 dollars. I was quoted L3200HST 4x4 524loader with quick detach bucket R4 tires for 17800.00. I will add cruise that's about 200.00 I think....so does this sound like a good deal?

 

[jeff9366]

Throttle Control is a dealer installed kit. When I bought my tractor in February 2011 the kit was $35.

 

[Bluegill2]

Well, I drove the B2920, B3200 and the L3200. I ruled out the B3200 just because of the vibration. I really like the B2920 but I think it maybe under powered for what I want use it for. Its the perfect size for the up keep on the trails and fixing the roads with the loader, but the fields are my question. The L3200 is more of a tractor I felt. It maybe a little big for the woods, I can always take the FEL off if I need to. I think this would be a much better choice for my needs, plus the price seems very good. Its coming up cheaper than the B2920 by 150.00 dollars. I was quoted L3200HST 4x4 524loader with quick detach bucket R4 tires for 17800.00. I will add cruise that's about 200.00 I think....so does this sound like a good deal?

Sounds like a good deal. The L3200 is the same size as my L3800 and I use mine in the woods 50% of the time. It's perfect because of it small size and short wheel base. Also, my loader is off most of the time, I only put it on when I need it. I can get through the woods on it just as easy as a ATV. I would highly recommend R-1 ag tires if you have any wet, slick or muddy ground. R-4 tires would make my tractor useless 60% of the time.

 

[chad26]

That's my biggest question R1 or R4 tires. My dealer states I will be impressed with the R4's they have a bigger foot print and I can load the tires and I will more than enough traction. I do have some pretty steep up hills and the soil is hard packed dark dirt/clay soil and that's in the woods and the fields are a sloping side hills. He also states the R4's have better puncture resistance in the woods and better resale if needed. I plan on this being the one and only tractor I will buy.
I was using a older Ford 1710 a week ago I had the FEL on it and was pulling a 13 foot trailer with 300 gallons of water up a descent slope and I was spinning the tire a little. Granted the woods was wet and sprinkling and its a 26hp tractor. I want to trust my dealer but everyone of my friends that work on farms says no go with the R1's.

 

[jeff9366]

Does the Ford 1710 with spinning tires have functioning 4-WD?

R4s are wider than R1s by a good margin. You need the extra width in front to support full loads in
the bucket.

Few things are more frustrating than a tractor with a punctured tire.

Go with R4 Industrial Tires.

 

[Bluegill2]

Everything you dealer said about R-4 tires it true, except the 'more than enough traction' thing. In my experience R-4 tires suck in mud and are almost useless on wet hills. I've been using R-1 AG's in the woods on 4 tractors for over 30 years with never a puncture and more than enough traction.

 

[TripleR]

I don't guess the Industrial vs Ag will ever be settled, I have Industrial on our L5740 and like the and we have Ags on the M8540 ad like them also. I spent yesterday mowing pretty steep pond levies and never had any slippage and they also work well pulling my Land Pride HR3584 box scrapper in dry to moist ground. They are not however very good in mud or snow.

We do a lot of loader work with both tractors and have never had an issue with the Ag tires. Last year we had two flats, one on each tractor.