Poll: How many hours per year

Adirondaquer · May 6, 2009

I was wondering approximately how many hours per year have you been putting on your tractors.

Also what is the approximate size of the land you are using it on?

Flat? Trees? What types of attachments do you have and which ones do you use the most.

I have two separate 1 acre properties. One all grass and hilly and the other mostly forest.

I can picture myself putting a lot of hours on a new compact tractor. Especially the backhoe.

Just trying to gauge if I should rent or own. Wifie, being the practical one say to rent whenever I need it. No maintenance, no storage, etc.

However, I can see the huge amount of uses.

Perhaps I can get a better feel (and have some ammo to come back at wifie with) if I can tell how often you guys have been using yours...

Any idea what size or type of trailer I would need to cart one of these with a BH to and from my other property?

I'm thinking my total investment of tractor and trailer would end up being close to $20 K. Wifie figures that would pay a lot of rental fees.

Johndeere3720 · May 6, 2009

You will probably put in 200-1000 hours in a year depending how much work you have. I would rent a tractor with a backhoe for a day and see how much work you can accomplish.

dodge man · May 6, 2009

I have a BX2350, end loader, 60"mmm, rear blade, and front forks. I have about 3 acres, half of which is lawn, the other half is trees. I originally bought it as a mower, but about half of my hours is end loader work. I use it for cutting fire wood, mowing, moving dirt, moving gravel, plowing snow, and probably other things I can't think of. I haven't quite had mine a year yet, but I think I'll be putting about 170 hours a year on mine. I bought a 18' trailer for mine.

My wife was not real keen on me buying mine, but I don't regret it at all. If you got a Kubota BX with a backhoe, end loader, MMM, and trailer, 20K will go a long way towards your purchase. If you buy used, maybe a little less.

tree farmer · May 6, 2009

Yep, your wife is correct, 20 grand would pay a lot of rental fees. I prefer to look at rental vs. purchase this way: Is rental equipment readily available if you should decide to do a certain project on short notice? Is the rental firm in close proximity to your location? Do you have the time to chase down all needed implements, etc. needed for a project? From the other side of the picture: Do you have a continuing need for the equipment you may purchase? Do you have the necessary skills, tools, adequate storage and servicing facilities to repair and maintain your own equipment? Are you sure you know what your needs are before you make such a major purchase? Can you write off your equipment on your taxes? Everyone's answer to this is not the same. I have 40 acres of young forestland here in the northwest and own my own equpment, which includes a 1952 (?) IH TD-14 dozer, a 1964 IH 3414 loader/backhoe, a 2006 Montana 2740 tractor, and a bunch of implements (never enough). I'm not a mechanic, but seem to keep everything running OK. I wouldn't be without any of my 'toys', but I couldn't justify them if I crunched the numbers. As far as hours of operation, I probably don't exceed 150 hours a year on all combined.....Dan.

deere5105 · May 6, 2009

I put approximately 150-200 hours a year on my John Deere 5105. Time is spent using rotary cutter to maintain roads and pastures, planting food plots and gardening on approximately 800 acres of which 80% to 90% is pine forest. Reality is one acre of forest land shouldn't require a lot of maintenance and 20 grand is a lot to pay to mow one acre of grass.

greenmule · May 6, 2009

About 130 hours a year.

foggy1111 · May 6, 2009

I would imagine the average use of most of the CUT owners is around 75 hours a year. I beleive I will put on 125 hours or so and most of that time will be on about 100 acres of deer habitat.

I can't immagine having to go to the rental place every time you want to do a job that may only be 10 minutes or an hour or two. Plus changing the attachements for different operations would be a PITA via the rental place. when I have rented items it takes me an hour or more just to get the machine on the road and another hour to get it refueled and back to the yard. Lots of wasted time. Then too...you never know the reliability or the conditon of what your renting. I do think renting to determine how big or what brand or feature makes sense.

For some stuff or for very occasional use renting makes sense...just not a tractor IMHO.

Diamondpilot · May 6, 2009

I have 3 acres of which 2 is grass and one forest. I do logging, plowing snow, mowing, and a lot of FEL work. I also have a post hole digger, large lawn roller, 2 bottom plow, 6' disc, and a bush hog I really do not use much at my place but do odd jobs with these items. I average about 125 hrs per year.

Chris

spruce Deere · May 6, 2009

Rent? we do not need to stinking rent! By a tractor or have a "Tractor work" guy do it.

I am around 150 hrs a year. Hours did go up after buying the 790 with the FEL. Do all the tree farm work, tillage, planting, spraying. Come fall Fetch harvested deer and elk if possible with the tractor. Move snow all winter. Side work mixed in time, weather and job permitting.

EastTexFrank · May 7, 2009

newbury said:
Definitely rent the wife. Buy a tractor.

If only!!!!!!

I've put about 200 hours a year on the B2400 for the past 8 years. I've put about 120 on the L4740 in about 18 months but I was laid up all winter with back trouble. I'm back in the game now so it'll be getting some use here as soon as it dries up and the wind stops howling.

AKfish · May 7, 2009

First off.. my wife wanted me to buy the 1st TLB (JD 970) we had on our place. I had been renting on/off for 5-6 years before we bought. I rented everything from a dozer to tractor to excavator for our 20 acres of trees.

And she was supportive of buying a heavier duty TLB - JD 110. Although, when the bills showed up - she's was a little pale..!

I'm still clearing trees and planting pastures; and I'm averaging around 250-275hrs a year. Still renting every now and again; but bigger excavator, now. And I only rent when it's the sensible thing to do - job is too big and the amount of time available is limited.

For 2 acres and a $20K budget; and you want a trailer... you should be able to put together a very well "equipped" TLB package - IMO - in the 20hp diesel range. Likely be a low hour used TLB - but, with the current economic situation there's alot of good deals out there.

My experience is BUY - don't rent. Rent when there's no better alternative.

Good luck.

AKfish

Gittyup · May 7, 2009

50 hours/year on JD 425 GT
100 hours/year on Kioti CK25 (will probably go down over time as I finish my tasks)

jimmyj · May 7, 2009

I just got my TLB in december and I'm just over 80 hours so far. I figure I'll do about 200 hrs a year for the first 3 years and then a lot of the projects will be done so I will be down to 70 ish hours a year after that. I don't use the tractor to mow, I have another unit for that. Mowing would probably be 150 hours a year.

We have 10 acres and some livestock. The land is partly treed, partly hilly, partly flat, part wetland and a pond (we are lucky to have such a great lot).

I use the FEL more than anything (regular bucket, manure fork and pallet forks) and also tow a fair bit with the tractor. The BH does not get a ton of use but boy is it handy to have available. I also have a box blade that makes me a bit of money doing people's laneways as well as my own, particularly in the winter to smooth the snow.

Love the tractor, don't know how we lived without it. I can find something to do with it almost every day. If I rented, sure I could do the big projects on a tight timeline but a LOT of other stuff would simply never get done. If you can afford one, a nice BX or Kioti CK would make you a very happy person for a very long time. Oh yes, blue, red, green, you'd do great with one of them too - don't want to offend the other colors.

cowboy357 · May 7, 2009

Buy used & get 2

One for the wife Also ( My Wife Loves Hers ) , Make sure its got easy steerin Has a Loader For Dirt work , Picking up limbs & Other stuff She could handle & a Mower or any other Impliments on the back . So You can just keep the BH on the other one .

We Only have 15 acres but Use Them both Daily , Year around for Various Projects . I,d say between the 2 , We clock about 1200 hours a year on the pair , Both Used Iseki

30 HP 4WD with Loaders , About 13 grand in tractors & Impliments So far

. Nothing but Routine Maintenence so far also, No real Mechanical troubles YET .

They Aint Fancy OR Shiny or a Fancy Color , So Sometimes They spend Outside & Sometimes inside under a leanto or the Shop . But We aint Found Anything They wont do & it Works for Us . We dont have a Trailor because No need to Move them off the Property . Best of luck in Your choice . Bob

Adirondaquer · May 7, 2009

newbury said:
Definitely rent the wife. Buy a tractor.

LMAO!

Too funny.

Too true.

LOL.

polo1665 · May 7, 2009

About 110 hours a year on 33 acres of land. The land is mostly flat with a hillside on the southwest side, 23 acres of woods and 10 acres of open land. Of that 10 acres about half is leased to a local farmer.
I'd say that most of time spent was mowing a 2 1/2 acre field and maintaining a 1/4 mile gravel drive (grading and moving snow in the winter). I have also cut trails in the woods and hauled logs for firewood.
The attachment that has been used the least so far is the backhoe. I have several projects mapped out for it but have not gotten to them yet.

For me renting was out of the question. I work during the day and maintain another property ten miles away (in my "spare time"). If I need to get something done, I need to get it done when the time allows, and that could be in increments of an hour or two at a time. I certainly would not rent a piece of equipment for a week to use it two hours a day.

I spent over $20,000 for 35 HP, HST, Backhoe, Loader, and 6' Rotary Mower. I see it as a tool that I will own and use for the rest of my life. I do not have a trailer as I really have no great need to transport it. I would also think owning a trailer and a TLB would guarantee you a lot of new friends that you never knew about before. The trailer is what I would rent as needed. That way if someone wants a favor they can pick up the tab for the transport.

Mark

Charlton John · May 7, 2009

I would say buy also as opposed to renting, especially if your using to mow. I have a b2620 for about 3 acres. 2.25 acres open fields and .75 acres woods/wetlands. I dont mow w/ mine nor am I using for snow removal yet but will in the future. I do use in the winter to move snow piles around that are left by my plow guy. The whole 3 acres needed a major overhaul woods cleaned out, leveling, grassing etc... I would say I will average about 75 to 100 hrs. a year and more when I am using for snow removal, wish it was more

but I do have 3 kids all under the age of 13 so I spend a lot of time w/ them which is obviously a good thing.

Gizmo2 · May 7, 2009

About 100 hours a year, approximately 10 acre small horse farm.
I have been using a compact tractor for some 22 plus years. Keep in mind, the hours used will be much higher the first couple of years. In most cases, for home use, the hours will decline as the years click by.

Johndeere3720 · May 7, 2009

My dad probably puts 150-200 hours on his 3720 each year. Ive put atleast half of the hours on it myself.

That tractor is used every day for feeding horses. Then throw the "recycled hay" into the bucket and stir up the manure pile. That tractor has done it all. Snow removal, heavy excavation, spreading manure in the pasture, mowing, grading the driveway, grading the arena, building roads, moving masonry materials, ect. Almost everything with just the loader! Luckly, I have 4 implements that I put on it every once in a while.