Tractor Question/Suggestions

[outwardjourney]

We recently purchased 17 acres in Central Michigan and we are in need of a tractor. There are a few things we need to be able to do. We need to be able to grade and level some ground (which I am assuming will require a front end loader) and we need to be able to pull a brush hog through the property. It's mostly wooded property so the terrain is quite harsh.

I have been told that I need 4x4 and a minimum of 25hp, and independent PTO.

I don't want to spend a fortune on a tractor, so I want to get some suggestions on what you fellow tractor owners may recommend. I know lots will say to buy used tractors, but my issue is that I do not live in the state where we have our property. It's harder to find a used tractor remotely. So I am back and forth with used / new... AND I don't know anything about tractors to be able to tell if a used tractor would fit my needs, is in good shape, etc.

Kubota was recommended to me if I buy new.

Anyone have some suggestions? Anything helps!

[buffalocreek]

My neighbor was grumbling about his new John Deere 32 hp tractor. He said when using the loader, the hydraulics are not even powerful enough to run into a pile of dirt and lift the dirt up; something his old Farmall could do with ease. So maybe you should stay away from new (and expensive) JDs.

[Darren]

Do a search on the site. This is a common question. My usual reply is make a list of every thing you may want to do with the tractor. Cut brush? Set fence posts? dig trenches for underground utilities? Move hay bales? Bale hay? Feed livestock? Till a garden? Mix concrete? Chip brush? Level ground or maintain a driveway? Log? Cut hay? Use as a portable welder? Run a generator? Dig post holes? Mow a yard? Use to tow a trailer off road. Blow snow? Use to help scrap junk? Move materials?

Listing work operations determines implements you'll need which in turn determines tractor horsepower, transmission type and other factors such as remotes, tire type, weight, etc.

Once you've thought that through, you'll have more of an idea what tractors, new or used, will do what you need. Anything else is a crap shoot. Doing the homework first will help avoid buying a tractor you may regret later.

[Fishindude]

I'm on my third one since 1993. Started with a used little 4wd Deutz Allis, 28hp with a 5' bush hog mower, loader and a junk disc. Upgraded a few years later to a used 65hp, 4wd new Holland with loader, a 7' bush hog mower, etc. Last year stepped up to a brand new 85hp, 4wd John Deere with loader, forks, 7' bush hog, rear tiller, disc, cultipacker, wagon, etc.


Budget come in to play with most of us, but in my experience, bigger is better, and new is better than used. The little 25-35 hp rigs beat the heck out of trying to do things by hand or with an ATV, but they are toys compared to full sized tractors. Small wheels mean a rough ride, they don't have much lift capacity, can't mow much without bogging down, etc.

I'd go with whatever reputable dealer is close by; Deere, Kubota or New Holland, they are all nice, and there are minor pros and cons one brand to the next. Would stay away from the off brands, Kioti, Mahindra, Cabelas, etc. Buy as big and as new as you can afford. And don't buy anything if you can't afford a nice weather tight building to keep it in that has electric to keep it on a battery tender and block warmer in the winter.

[doc-]

Just like buying a new car, as soon as you complete the deal, you've lost money in depreciation. And there's really no sense in paying extra for the color paint. There are several web sites for buying/selling used tractors and the money saved by buying used is usually worth the risk of needing repairs. Search by location, price, HP, etc. Don't be too selective when it comes to make- they all have good & bad points. Often attachments like loaders or brush hog are part of the deal, but expensive add-ons when buying new.

Considering small "utility tractors," a lousy Sears lawn mower is 20-25 hp, so anything under 40hp is probably going to be a disappointment unless shoveling your sidewalk in winter is your only task.

BTW- the main advantage of 4WD is that it allows you get stuck about 50 ft farther into the swamp than you would with 2WD.

When checking out a used machine, look for ease of starting, leaking hydraulic cylinders & fittings, leaks around head and base gaskets, around the fuel lines and injector pump, brake lines, etc. Check tire wear. Check clutch play/slippage. If you're not mechanically inclined, bring a mechanic buddy along.

With cars, engine life is measured in miles on the odometer. With tractors, it's measured in hours. Figure on your car, going 60mph for an hour puts on 60 miles., so each hour on a tractor is roughly equivalent to 60 miles. Each 1000 hrs then is equivalent to 60,000 miles on your car. But remember Diesels are just barley broken in at 100,000 miles.

Have fun looking. It's part of the adventure.

[outwardjourney]

Did a search and read lots of posts. Again this will be mostly used for pulling a brush hog, grading and leveling grounds as best as possible when needed. And basic moving supplies to and from parts of the property.

It's a highly wooded area and there is a creek (max 2ft deep) that would eventually need to be crossed, but a bridge would solve that issue. There are also natural springs on the property that have some low spots and wetland areas surrounding them, which is why the 4x4 was suggested. The terrain is not farm land and never really will be farmed.

I just need something that will have the ability to pull out pre-cut underbrush and such.

Because we do not plan on clearing but a fraction of the property, we would still like to clear out amongst the trees. I am guessing that the more compact the tractor the better for us. If we could get a tractor between the larger trees to get to the brush piles and other small tasks that would be a huge help.

Is there like a Tractor Trader magazine or website? LOL I have been on craigslist and auction sites, but it seems a lot of sellers who are ridding themselves of older tractors don't have the knowledge about what they're selling. Hence the reason I am looking for honest opinions here so I have some sort of idea of what's necessary.

[Bearfootfarm]

With a front end loader it helps to have 4X4 and power steering, although it's easier to do grading and leveling with box blades and landscape rakes.

The live PTO is a necessity for safety and convenience.

There are lots of good used tractors around, and even a 50 year old model will do the job.

Check these sites for more specific data:

http://www.tractordata.com/

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/

http://www.tractorbynet.com

[Old Vet]

Unless you are rely mechanical minded and want to be the only one to work on your tractor find a dealer that will work on your tractor.

[KMA1]

I will second the opinion that 25hp is not big enough to be leveling and grading land efficiently. Loaders for 25 hp tractors only have a lift capacity of 1000 lbs, or half that for a 35 horsepower tractor. The weight of the tractor really makes a difference on how much power they have to push and pull. Therefore heavier tractors, bigger tractors with more horsepower, can do a lot more. I personally would not buy less than a 35 pto hp tractor for my own use. Of course I already have a 75 hp 1973 John Deere for the really hard work. My wife has a 25 hp Kubota for mowing the yard and loading and unloading light things such as feed. So I am well aware of what a 25 hp Kubota 4x4 will and will not do.

[adimice]

Get a Kubota. We've owned 4, and never lost a penny on resale. Two years ago I bought a 3830, kept it for one year and sold it for the same I paid for it. I like the bigger horse power and front end loader is mandatory, you won"t know how you lived without it. Now we have a 4330, that we bought new in 2005, 1450 hrs on it. GREAT machine!!!

[rambler]

What dealerships are near you? Its nice to get parts, filters, help from near by.

JD, Kubota, NH/Case, that are all pretty good imports.

There are several brands from India or S Korea, they are priced less, and are reasonably good machines. Good value for the cost.

There are tractors from China. While they actually make pretty good Diesel engines these days, their tractors are poorly finished, leaky, not so comfortable. These are cheaper, but for a reason. I would shy away....

Myself a good used 1960s through 1980s small tractor USA or Kubota brand would be the way to go. If you don't like it, you can resell it for what you paid for it, they are all pretty good, hold their value. If you are on the bigger side you don't need 4wd, just weight the rear axle properly. If you get a little 25 hp import then yes you want 4wd.

'Land leveling' means different things to different people, if you mean run a tiller over it to level out gopher mounds then you are good to go. If you mean rip out mature trees, level off 2 foot rolling hills, and move many yards of dirt, then most ag tractors of any size are not really up to the task; you want to hire a bulldozer to set you up and just do the very minor detail work yourself.

The newest tractors are following the automotive industry; add more useless features, plastic, computers, and complexity to the point it is a fragile delicate useless thing. Some offer fancy and stripped down versions of their tractors. Think that over carefully. A tractor can last 30+ years for you or others into the future! which version will hold up its resale and usefulness value?

Paul

[fordy]

Originally Posted by outwardjourney

We recently purchased 17 acres in Central Michigan and we are in need of a tractor. There are a few things we need to be able to do. We need to be able to grade and level some ground (which I am assuming will require a front end loader) and we need to be able to pull a brush hog through the property. It's mostly wooded property so the terrain is quite harsh.

I have been told that I need 4x4 and a minimum of 25hp, and independent PTO.

I don't want to spend a fortune on a tractor, so I want to get some suggestions on what you fellow tractor owners may recommend. I know lots will say to buy used tractors, but my issue is that I do not live in the state where we have our property. It's harder to find a used tractor remotely. So I am back and forth with used / new... AND I don't know anything about tractors to be able to tell if a used tractor would fit my needs, is in good shape, etc.

Kubota was recommended to me if I buy new.

Anyone have some suggestions? Anything helps!

.............The most frustrating facet of operating a small tractor , is , they only have a single , low volume hydraulic pump located within the body of the tractor and can only supply hyd pressure for one function at a time ! This is especially true IF you have a frontend loader .
.............You might want to look at small , commercial (yellow) tractors made by Ford , JD , etc . They , come from the factory with one Hyd. pump dedicated to their frontend loader , and another internal pump utilized for the 3 pt. , etc . They can run from 45 to 90 hp depending upon size .
.............I owned a Ford 340A , made 1980? or so , it was 44hp , 2wdr. , and the Frontend loader was so strong compared to the Blue ford farm tractors it was amazing ! PLus , the Frontend loader arms and tractor body has a lot more metal and is much stronger than the blue tractors . That's why they are rated for commercial service . For general work around a small place , I'd much prefer a small yellow tractor than a farm tractor . OTOH , if you're going to be farming ,etc. then you need a regular farm type tractor . , fordy

[Yvonne's hubby]

I have found my ferguson thirty five (early fifties) to be a very practical tractor. It's large enough to handle most any job I ask it to, although it does strain it a bit when I hook it up to my 5x5 hay roller. I paid 4k for it, the front end loader,bush hog, grader blade and a small trailer about 18 years ago. Since that time I have had to replace the radiator, tires once, clutch and several oil changes and tuneups.

[gundog10]

I have been researching tractors for several months both new and used. I was getting desperate as I had 6 acres of grass 3 feet tall that needed cutting prior to putting my cattle on. I went to a local rent center and rented a 25hp kioti with a 6ft brush hog "really". Never thought it would cut my tall thick grass. Dang if that little tractor didn't get the job done in short order. It did a great job and ran like a champ. I went to a local dealer and let them know my budget and needs. Ended up ordering a cx3500 with fel. Listed for 24,000 and with two different discounts paid 18,300. Did I want a JD yeh even thought they are made overseas, but at nearly 10 grand more with very little dealer discount I'll just put the extra money into my property.

[FarmerKat]

We just bought a tractor after pondering about it for quite some time. We ended up going with a new Kubota L3301. Here was our reasoning:

1) It will do about 80-90% of what we need to get done. The other work will require heavy duty construction equipment and is probably beyond our skill level anyway. Once the initial heavy duty work is done, it is unlikely that we will need anything bigger.

2) Neither one of us is mechanically inclined - we cannot look at a 20 yo tractor and see if everything is fine or not. We can build things, grow things, raise & butcher animals, plumbing, electric, etc. but we just do not know how to fix engines. We would feel comfortable buying a relatively new tractor with 200 hours on it but not a much older one. But after looking and looking the difference between one with 200 hours and new was about $2,000 if buying from a private seller - dealer would be more expensive (this difference was for tractor, loader & backhoe). In our mind, having a new one with warranty was worth the extra 7.5 %.

3) DH's uncle has a small Kubota that he bought used in early 90s and has never had an issue with It.

[TnAndy]

Originally Posted by Fishindude

I'm on my third one since 1993. Started with a used little 4wd Deutz Allis, 28hp with a 5' bush hog mower, loader and a junk disc. Upgraded a few years later to a used 65hp, 4wd new Holland with loader, a 7' bush hog mower, etc. Last year stepped up to a brand new 85hp, 4wd John Deere with loader, forks, 7' bush hog, rear tiller, disc, cultipacker, wagon, etc.


Budget come in to play with most of us, but in my experience, bigger is better, and new is better than used. The little 25-35 hp rigs beat the heck out of trying to do things by hand or with an ATV, but they are toys compared to full sized tractors. Small wheels mean a rough ride, they don't have much lift capacity, can't mow much without bogging down, etc.

I'd go with whatever reputable dealer is close by; Deere, Kubota or New Holland, they are all nice, and there are minor pros and cons one brand to the next. Would stay away from the off brands, Kioti, Mahindra, Cabelas, etc. Buy as big and as new as you can afford. And don't buy anything if you can't afford a nice weather tight building to keep it in that has electric to keep it on a battery tender and block warmer in the winter.

Yes, and yes. Bigger is better, and used often means "beat".

I started with a 22hp Yanmar, went to a 33hp New Holland (pc of crap), and now back to Yanmar (which are GREAT tractors by the way) 41hp. (all of them 4x4....definitely get 4x4....it's like TWICE the tractor)

Everytime I've stepped up (about 15yr between), I've been amazed at how much more they will do. At my age, this is probably my last one, but who knows ?

[logbuilder]

My first tractor was a 1942 Ford 9N. 23hp I think. I pulled a 5 foot brush hog and a 4 ft box blade for smoothing driveway. It did ok but there was always something to do maintenance wise. But it was a simple machine and I was able to do all the work myself. It served me well for over 10 years. It required the operator to really understand how it worked and was dangerous in the wrong hands.

Last year I decided I needed something that my wife and 14yo daughter could operate. I felt the 9N was too dangerous for them. I got a used New Holland Workmaster 35 diesel with 140 hours on it. It has a loader which my 9N did not.

In a nutshell, I love it!

[vpapai]

The 20+ year old Yanmars were built on the assembly line next to JD. Those smaller tractors have very similar features. For clearing land or doing any landscaping, you will appreciate have a 4x4. Buy bigger than you think you need, as you quickly find out that you needed more HP.

[Ross]

Agree 25 hp is too light for all but the lightest job. 35-50 makes a world of difference. I won't steer you away from a new warranty covered Kubota unless you don't have a dealer. You want a loader and 4x4 even if i don't need it. You want that ROPS and a seatbelt too unless like me you have driven tractors since way too young and can feel problems starting with operating a tractor through every part of you body before losing control. Try to estimate the biggest task the tractor has to do and then buy one 20% bigger. Try to find the smallest place you think you'll take the tractor and make that space bigger, don't downsize. An over worked tractor is dangerous and soon worn out.

[gibbsgirl]

We have a Kubota and are happy with it. We also have a dealer in our county that has been good to deal with.

I think your best bet is to figure out what local dealers there are and find out what other locals say about dealing with them.

Cause parts, labor, customer service, and easy access are what's made owning our Kubota really good.

It's a good tractor with attachments and all that. But, if we didn't have all the good stuff that came with a good local dealer and repair shop and parts dept I don't think the Kubota would be as good to own for us, cause quick little issues would become a pretty big headache.