Would a compact tractor meet my needs or should I go for more horsepower?

[Figato]

I'm in the market for a used tractor and bush hog.
I see a lot of used Japanese tractors out there, mostly grey market.
Most run in the ~15 - 17hp range. Higher HP are usually American and VERY old.

The need I'm trying to meet with this tractor is at my hunting land.

Problems I hope this tractor can solve:

• Bush hog the lawn when it gets too high
• (Just very high grass).
  
• Mow the lawn
• (by that I mean, cut it when it is knee or ankle high)
  
• Bush hog the other 2 acres when forage crops are gone
  
• Plow, disc fields for forage crops and also a vegetable garden.
  
• It would also be nice if I could scrape / grade the dirt road leading up to the land.
  

Concerns:
Will the bush hog handle waist high grass without just folding it over?
Will the bush hog be able to mow when the grass isn't too high?
Will the ~15hp motor be strong enough to plow,disc or grade?

Also, what should I pay for this setup?

Many questions, I know, so thanks in advance.

 

[beenthere]

Are you willing to invest $5k ? $10k ?

Are you in to doing mechanical work like the engine, tranny, ?

Good at finding old replacement parts from a used parts yard?

More questions, I know

Your concerns:
Yes
Yes
Not likely...IMO

 

[Soundguy]

did I hear you say bushhog, plow and disc?

get the bigger / older tractor.

a ford gasser in the 600/601 or preferably a 800/801 series.. or even a rowcrop if it is flat land. that will keep you in the 3000$ range with implements. A ford 2000/3000 diesel would be a tad more, but in the same basic price range.. excelent plow / disc machines.. decent with a brush hog.. ford 8XX has 45 hp and not much longer than a jap compact at half the hp and weight


soundguy

 

[MarkV]

There is a general rule of thumb that recommends 5 PTO hp, not gross hp, per foot of rotary mower (bush hog). When you start adding plow and disc needs in addition I believe you will be disappointed with the results from tractors in the 15 to 17 horsepower range.

MarkV

 

[Figato]

did I hear you say bushhog, plow and disc?

get the bigger / older tractor.

a ford gasser in the 600/601 or preferably a 800/801 series.. or even a rowcrop if it is flat land. that will keep you in the 3000$ range with implements. A ford 2000/3000 diesel would be a tad more, but in the same basic price range.. excelent plow / disc machines.. decent with a brush hog.. ford 8XX has 45 hp and not much longer than a jap compact at half the hp and weight


soundguy

I've been reluctant to even look at gas tractors.
For one, gas engines don't last as long and I haven't seen a single tractor (of any type) less than 30 years old.
Another is that gas hp doesn't equal diesel hp, so while I might find a deal on a gas 20hp aren't I getting about the same power as a diesel 15hp?

Thoughts?

 

[flusher]

I'm in the market for a used tractor and bush hog.
I see a lot of used Japanese tractors out there, mostly grey market.
Most run in the ~15 - 17hp range. Higher HP are usually American and VERY old.

The need I'm trying to meet with this tractor is at my hunting land.

Problems I hope this tractor can solve:

• 
  
• Bush hog the lawn when it gets too high
• (Just very high grass).
  
• Mow the lawn
• (by that I mean, cut it when it is knee or ankle high)
  
• Bush hog the other 2 acres when forage crops are gone
  
• Plow, disc fields for forage crops and also a vegetable garden.
  
• It would also be nice if I could scrape / grade the dirt road leading up to the land.
  

Concerns:
Will the bush hog handle waist high grass without just folding it over?
Will the bush hog be able to mow when the grass isn't too high?
Will the ~15hp motor be strong enough to plow,disc or grade?

Also, what should I pay for this setup?

Many questions, I know, so thanks in advance.

I have a 1951 Farmall Super A tractor (19 hp engine, 16 hp pto) that I bought for $1300 off craigslist including a mid-mounted 6-ft sicklebar mower and a 5-ft wide scraper blade. It has a hydraulic 3-point hitch--somewhat unusual for a Farmall of this vintage which usually had a 2-point hitch. Caltrans owned this tractor (for mowing highway ditches) and added an aftermarket 3-point hitch to this one.



A little tractor like this will do the jobs you listed--maybe not as quickly as a more powerful tractor. YOu could probably bush hog your two acres in 3 hours or so.

Parts are readily available and not overly expensive.

You don't have to spend a lot of bucks for big horsepower if you shop around for deals like this one.

Go to YouTube and check out the videos on Super A's like this one to see it do it's stuff. Then decide if you need more hp to work on your food plot.

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

I've been reluctant to even look at gas tractors.
For one, gas engines don't last as long and I haven't seen a single tractor (of any type) less than 30 years old.
Another is that gas hp doesn't equal diesel hp, so while I might find a deal on a gas 20hp aren't I getting about the same power as a diesel 15hp?

Thoughts?

your'e a funny guy.

a hp is a hp.. doesn't matter if it's gas, diesel or steam.. IE 33,000 lb.ft./minute

20 hp is 20 hp.. 15hp is 15 hp.

that said.. diesels are generally more torque on the low end than gassers are.

add to that that 2 cyl machines are as well, when compaired to 3 or 4 cyl machines.

Torque, also called moment or moment of force is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot point.

as far as gassers less than 30.. that
s not surprising.. most gassers other than lp machines went out of production in the late 70's or early 80's.

I was thinking more of the mid 50's to mid 60's range. most% of my tractors are from that era, and probably 85% of them are gassers, with a few of my machines being diesel.

as for lasting a while? it all depends.

I expect about 4000hrs from a mid size diesel.. say.. 30-40 hp.. and near double that up to 100 hp, and up to 10k to 12k above 100 hp. that assuumes good maintenance practices. I know plenty of 30-40 yearold diesels easilly making those numbers. IE.. late 60's and 70's era machines.

gassers.. well.. again.. depends on use and maintenance. the average non comercial non farming user simply isn't going to amass too many hours on a tractor per year. notr uncommon to find 30-40-50 year old machines with hundreds or a thousand hours on them... ie.. old but just broke in... add to that that a old gasser is pretty easy to breathe a few more decades of life into by dropping in a set of rings, reaming the ridge ont he cyl liner, honing the cyl, and rolling in some main and rod bearing shells. and a quickie hand lap job on the valves..ie 150$ of parts and a day of wrench turning. and you likely pick up some decent oil psi, and compression.. usually enough for another decade of light to moderate 'home-owner' use.

price on all these machiens are pennies on the dollar.

i just picked up a late 70's ford 4600 with old mower for 3900$ just under 50 hp and it's a beast.. 3 cyl diesel... ready to go.. just took a few weeks of minor fixin and some gooey stuff and gaskets and some body work to make it look perty .

from your answers.. it doesn't sound like what you stated. ie..

you don't want a used tractor as you are overly concerned about repairs.

and you deffinately don't want 15hp if you want to do real mowing, discing and plowing.

ground engagement goes better with some weight and drawbar hp. to get more drawbar hp.. you need weight... for the implement to work good, especially disc harroes.. you want heavy units. the disc a 15hp scut will pull will be about the same size as what a atv would pull.. a sad lil cat 0 jobber.

as for a plow.. at that hp you are stuck with a single bottom.. small one at that.

soundguy

 

[Transit]

Like mark points out, you need hp to drive a brush hog of any given size and then hp to move the tractor. Under power and you will over heat the engine, blow the head, eat the tranny and clutch pack and drive it into a early grave.
With a 5 foot hog you should be looking at 30 hp for safety.

 

[k0ua]

I have a 1951 Farmall Super A tractor (19 hp engine, 16 hp pto) that I bought for $1300 off craigslist including a mid-mounted 6-ft sicklebar mower and a 5-ft wide scraper blade. It has a hydraulic 3-point hitch--somewhat unusual for a Farmall of this vintage which usually had a 2-point hitch. Caltrans owned this tractor (for mowing highway ditches) and added an aftermarket 3-point hitch to this one.

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A little tractor like this will do the jobs you listed--maybe not as quickly as a more powerful tractor. YOu could probably bush hog your two acres in 3 hours or so.

Parts are readily available and not overly expensive.

You don't have to spend a lot of bucks for big horsepower if you shop around for deals like this one.

Go to YouTube and check out the videos on Super A's like this one to see it do it's stuff. Then decide if you need more hp to work on your food plot.

Good luck.

Wow I grew up with one of those, I think ours was a 49, but not sure, I have never seen one before with a 3pt. our was a 2pt of course. I think I first drove it when I was about 8 or 9, first gear only, Dad set the throttle. I can still remember every little detail about that tractor, from the pull ring for the choke on the left to the starter pull ring on the right, and the little zinc ignition switch by the one and only fuse. Ours had some cultivatar tines in the middle that were hydraulic operated. Those pics sure bring back memories.. Thanks.

James K0UA

 

[Figato]

your'e a funny guy.

a hp is a hp.. doesn't matter if it's gas, diesel or steam.. IE 33,000 lb.ft./minute

20 hp is 20 hp.. 15hp is 15 hp.

that said.. diesels are generally more torque on the low end than gassers are.

Of course, but I can't find torque specs on a 30 y.o. tractor. So when I see 20hp gas, I have to figure that it can't DO what a 20hp diesel can DO because of the difference in available torque.

30-40-50 year old machines with hundreds or a thousand hours on them... ie.. old but just broke in...

That's what I was looking for.

you don't want a used tractor as you are overly concerned about repairs.

and you deffinately don't want 15hp if you want to do real mowing, discing and plowing.

ground engagement goes better with some weight and drawbar hp. to get more drawbar hp.. you need weight... for the implement to work good, especially disc harroes.. you want heavy units. the disc a 15hp scut will pull will be about the same size as what a atv would pull.. a sad lil cat 0 jobber.

as for a plow.. at that hp you are stuck with a single bottom.. small one at that.

soundguy

Repairs: I want one to get me through this season at least. After that, I don't mind if it nickels and dimes me a bit.
Major repairs - No.

I don't know how "real" the discing and plowing will be. Food plots, garden etc.

Good info. I'd still feel better with a diesel, but I suppose a low-hours gas number is worth a look.