Buying Advice First Tractor - Which way to go?

[mason156]

I am a nubie looking at whether it is time for a "first-time" tractor. I know very little about "farming" per se, but have been here and running our operation "tractorless" for 15 years, so I definitely have a good sense of the kind of things I need to do.

I live on a ~100 acres of hilly land in Northeastern CT. ~15 acres of the property are fields which (for the time being) are hayed by a farmer down the street. The rest is woods with a few crude path/roads running through it. We heat with wood, get a bunch of snow, want to garden on a "fairly grand" scale, and would like to move lots of heavy things like rocks, abandoned equipment left in the woods, etc. We currently use a walk-behind brushmower, and would love it if that could become a thing of the past - particularly if we could fight back the multiflora rose and autumn olive that encroach on the fields if not held in check. In the ideal world, we could also use it to mow the lawn, but I am concerned that a tractor that is "delicate" enough for the lawn is not going to fare well in the woods. On the flip side, a monsterous tractor will not do well in our woods. Its wet, rocky, and uneven.

To date we have used a beat-up farm truck to do most of these jobs. It's not pretty, but it has been OK and remarkably cheap. With the kids getting older, we have less time to mess with this. A little speed would go a long way to making things easier.

A problem is that I can't spend $20k-$30k on tractor right now. We'll probably have that kind of money to spend on a tractor someday, but it isn't now and not likely to be in the next 10 years. We have the house, and the kids, and other stuff. I could probably spend $10k-$20k, but would rather be <$15k. I don't know that that tractor exists. (I like to think I am somewhat realistic)

On the new/used argument, I am reasonably good at fixing things, but I don't need another "project." I have a house that is one of those.

Options that have been suggested to me are;

1. Buy a smaller new tractor, have the farmer do the heavy lifting for now, buy a bigger tractor later
2. Buy a bigger used tractor now.
3. Wait and buy a bigger new tractor when you have the money
4. Get an old 2WD tractor as an "intro machine"
5. Hire out the work to locals with machines of their own.

I would appreciate any insight people could offer on these approaches or maybe even one I have not listed. I would like to get started - more importantly my wife would like to get started, so I could benefit from making a decision on this soon.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[aginn]

If it were me with the tasks you have described, I'd want a low hour 30-40 HP 4 wheel drive with FEL. That would give you a really useable tractor year round for the least money.

If you keep hiring things out it will be money cast to the wind. Whereas, anything you spend on your own equipment is beginning to pay for itself every time you have some small task you want accomplished. At least that's the way it feels to me.

Good luck on your search. That in itself can be fun.

 

[boblibido]

Don't get too bogged down in the details.

Almost any tractor is better than no tractor.

Good luck.

 

[jeff9366]

There are not many 2-WD tractors sold new, so there are few available used. Absolutely useless on hills. Unsafe on hills as you only have braking on the rear wheels, when weight shifts forward as you go downhill you have close to ZERO braking.

Option #2 is "Buy a bigger used tractor now." I would amend to: Commence looking at used tractors immediately, lest a bargain be missed.

Personally, I like to shop eBay, where you can set up a search restricted to a distance from your home, with e-mail notification of new listings only in your search area. Minimal amount of your time, many sellers who need money NOW. Federal Income Taxes are due in five days…….

(There are 534 tractors for sale on eBay at this moment.)

Consider a Bucket Spade. LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/328798-bucket-spade-today-fel-bucket.html

Post #2 by AGINN is also my view.

 

[Creamer]

Good advice above. As AGINN said 30-40 hp. I would want FWA and a loader. Mine is 30 years old but I have never had an issue with it. There are lots of older tractors that have been well taken care of. They are not as fancy as some of the newer ones but they will start and run every day for years without an issue. Some people just like to have new tractors and others can benefit from their wants. Low hours - under 2000 but you can probably get a lot lower than that. One thing a lot of people forget is that this entire country was farmed with 30-40 hp tractors in the 40's and 50's - a tractor of that size will do a lot of work. For instance I can haul over a ton on the 3 pt (great for getting firewood up to the house), I run a 5' Bush Hog mower, a 7' sickle bar mower, 6' back blade, 5' box blade, along with various rakes, trailers and other implements. And mine is rated at 28 engine hp.

As Boblibido said - almost any tractor is better than no tractor but the only thing I would change on mine is having a little faster hydraulic pump. The only thing I have not been able to do around here is lift some old farm machinery onto a truck for scrapping. I have skidded 30" hardwood logs 30' long many times. Find a good used tractor and enjoy it for many years. You will never know how you lived without it.

 

[Roadbuilder6]

I would look at a Deere 2320-2720 series tractor. I had a 2320 for 3 years, and restored a house and property mainly with that and a mini hoe. Fantastic tractor, tons of power, very safe, and not too big. If you do buy one, get a set of artillian pallet forks. Made in MA. When using a smaller tractor, you need to factor in the weight of the pallet forks, and the artillians are very light, and have a lot of strength.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

You can absolutely buy a tractor that will meet many of your needs for less than $15,000. A used Kubota B series or small L series (or any other reputable brand) with a FEL can be had for $15,000 or less. Now, you're not going to lift 2,000 pound logs with the FEL on one of them, but you can drag good size logs out and cut them up into smaller chunks.

Compared to not having a tractor at all, you will think you've died and gone to heaven with a small tractor (even with the inherent limitations of a small tractor). And if you buy used, you can use it for a few years and trade up to something bigger without taking a beating.

 

[/pine]

My advice is...if you don't absolutely have to have a tractor like yesterday...and you are not opposed to a used machine...just keep watching/shopping...the right deal will come along if you are ready when it comes...
Also, the more tractors you look at the more it gives you a better feel for values in your market area...

 

[PHPaul]

Added to the good advice above, any NEW tractor you get for $15k or less is going to be too small.

Diesel tractors (the only way to go) that are reasonably well cared for and haven't been used for heavy tillage on a large farm will last a long, LONG time. Lot of "gentleman farmer" or estate/large homeowner stuff out there that will have been gently used, kept inside and well cared for. Just have to look.

Do consider brands that have local dealer support.

 

[nybirdman]

Your first basic machine should be; diesel,3,000lbs,4WD,power steering,Front End Loader(FEL),independent PTO.
Lots out there in your price range.Check with all your local dealers(also check out the dealers themselves).
Look and see what brands are popular in your area.Plan on using a lawnmower for the grass.

 

[RedFirstGen]

You can definitely get all the tractor you need for under 15k. I'm not trying to push a make on you just using my example as my budget was under 15k. I just bought a 2010 Mahindra 4035 (40hp) 4WD with front end loader. 722hrs. It's a ton of tracor for the $$. $12,700. Found it on ebay. Looking is half the fun. Good luck.

 

[BuilderML]

For 15k you might be able to get your hands on Yanmar SX3100 which is the same as the JD2720 but about 5k less. An EX3200 would work also. You can run 5' wide implements no problem. I use mine to upkeep a 1200' driveway. Mow 2 acres all summer long with the 60" Mid mount mower. Remove snow all winter long and i think you know how much snow we had the past few years. Small enough to fit in tight spots and has plenty of power. At first i was scared about using it to mow the lawn thinking it was to heavy but i have not had any issues yet. Just make sure you don't try sharp turns in 4wd on the lawn. Really wet spots may leave R4 imprints. I have had it for over 2 years now and am very pleased. I can't believe how little fuel it uses. I think your probably not to far from BIG Boy Toys which would be the Northeast Ct dealer. If you can find the Blk/Yellow C.C. Yanmars you can get alot of tractor for the money. They also came with a 5yr warranty. Now i am bias because that is what i own but that is also the reason why i can comment on them. I am sure many other brands are great but at the time i was shopping, i was looking for the biggest bang for my money. On a recent search on craigslist i believe i saw a low hour EX3200 for just around 13k. The EX3200 is next size up from SX3100. Have fun shopping and take your time there are deals to be had.:drink:

 

[newbury]

You can absolutely buy a tractor that will meet many of your needs for less than $15,000. A used Kubota B series or small L series (or any other reputable brand) with a FEL can be had for $15,000 or less. Now, you're not going to lift 2,000 pound logs with the FEL on one of them, but you can drag good size logs out and cut them up into smaller chunks.

Compared to not having a tractor at all, you will think you've died and gone to heaven with a small tractor (even with the inherent limitations of a small tractor). And if you buy used, you can use it for a few years and trade up to something bigger without taking a beating.

IF you can get a decent bargain you WILL be able to lift 2,000 lb logs.
Pictured first is my Kubota M4700 w/ 2 rear remotes purchased for $11.5K plus tax etc. bought about the date on the picture. FEL is an LA 1001. Kubota used to rate their FEL's based on kilogram lift capacity, thus my M4700 is rated to lift a ton.

/edit its 50HP

Pictured second is a great condition L4630 Barlow's was going to sell me for about $17K WITH shipping AND a engine oil and filter and hydraulic filters change.

So the bargains are there.

Your first basic machine should be; diesel,3,000lbs,4WD,power steering,Front End Loader(FEL),independent PTO.
Lots out there in your price range.Check with all your local dealers(also check out the dealers themselves).
Look and see what brands are popular in your area.Plan on using a lawnmower for the grass.

Or heavier.
Also check out Messick's and Barlow's.

I am a nubie looking at whether it is time for a "first-time" tractor. I know very little about "farming" per se, but have been here and running our operation "tractorless" for 15 years, so I definitely have a good sense of the kind of things I need to do.

I live on a ~100 acres of hilly land in Northeastern CT. ~15 acres of the property are fields which (for the time being) are hayed by a farmer down the street. The rest is woods with a few crude path/roads running through it. We heat with wood, get a bunch of snow, want to garden on a "fairly grand" scale, and would like to move lots of heavy things like rocks, abandoned equipment left in the woods, etc. We currently use a walk-behind brushmower, and would love it if that could become a thing of the past - particularly if we could fight back the multiflora rose and autumn olive that encroach on the fields if not held in check. In the ideal world, we could also use it to mow the lawn, but I am concerned that a tractor that is "delicate" enough for the lawn is not going to fare well in the woods. On the flip side, a monsterous tractor will not do well in our woods. Its wet, rocky, and uneven.

To date we have used a beat-up farm truck to do most of these jobs. It's not pretty, but it has been OK and remarkably cheap. With the kids getting older, we have less time to mess with this. A little speed would go a long way to making things easier.

A problem is that I can't spend $20k-$30k on tractor right now. We'll probably have that kind of money to spend on a tractor someday, but it isn't now and not likely to be in the next 10 years. We have the house, and the kids, and other stuff. I could probably spend $10k-$20k, but would rather be <$15k. I don't know that that tractor exists. (I like to think I am somewhat realistic)

On the new/used argument, I am reasonably good at fixing things, but I don't need another "project." I have a house that is one of those.

Options that have been suggested to me are;

1. Buy a smaller new tractor, have the farmer do the heavy lifting for now, buy a bigger tractor later
2. Buy a bigger used tractor now.
3. Wait and buy a bigger new tractor when you have the money
4. Get an old 2WD tractor as an "intro machine"
5. Hire out the work to locals with machines of their own.

I would appreciate any insight people could offer on these approaches or maybe even one I have not listed. I would like to get started - more importantly my wife would like to get started, so I could benefit from making a decision on this soon.

Thanks,

Steve

Go with #2.

A good used tractor may still cost extra $$. I've had to replace about 4 hoses ($100?) and the front tires ($600).

LIVE on this board, Iron Planet, Tractor House, Craigs List, auctions and ebay until you KNOW the difference in value to you between a 40HP Jinma and a 40HP John Deere.

Get your price point nailed down and don't forget you WILL need attachments to take advantage of your tractor. A tractor is BASICALLY an engine, on wheels. It's when you add a FEL,a rotary cutter, a plow, a trailer, pallet forks etc. it becomes more useful.

Figure out your CRITICAL parameters. It seems price point is one.

Other examples are:
Dimensions - Do you HAVE to get in a narrow barn or have a bunch of narrow gates? I've a trailer that max dimension is 78" between the wheel wells, I had to run my tires to be narrower.
Lift capacity - many people HAVE to lift round bales. If your round bales usually weigh 1,500 lbs you'll want to match that. I had to be able to lift a ton to put it on my sawmill. I had planned on using the 3 point.

I highly recommend Public Service auctions for example at Public Surplus: Auction #1078910 was a 1990 Ford 2120 (40HP, 4WD, ~2,000 hrs) in pretty good condition which went for $8,400. These are tractors used by local governments and are often well maintained and underused for their age.

 

[Strike1905]

My :2cents:

It sounds as if you have done a lot of research already and have a good idea of what your parameters are.
Plus this site will do a bang up job of giving quality advice and self correcting erroneous, (plus the occasional factionalism that will always happen when 2 or more individuals are involved).

Dead on that a tractor large enough to do your big lifting is too big for the lawn, and a tractor right for the lawn will be too small for the big lifting.

I am in complete agreement with Jeff9366 about 2WD on hills and the others about 4wd being a requirement.
Depending on the hills I would check into a ROPS with seatbelt.

One thread common to this site is if one can, especially financially, always go bigger.

As I mentioned, this site is a gold-mine, (Platinum? Sure, easily), with help. Use it. And if you encounter issues you will probably find the answer here.

Good luck in the search and you will love the "seat-time"!

 

[Strike1905]

LIVE on this board, Iron Planet, Tractor House, Craigs List, auctions and ebay until you KNOW the difference in value to you between a 40HP Jinma and a 40HP John Deere.

Get your price point nailed down and don't forget you WILL need attachments to take advantage of your tractor. A tractor is BASICALLY an engine, on wheels. It's when you add a FEL,a rotary cutter, a plow, a trailer, pallet forks etc. it becomes more useful.

Figure out your CRITICAL parameters. It seems price point is one.

Other examples are:
Dimensions - Do you HAVE to get in a narrow barn or have a bunch of narrow gates? I've a trailer that max dimension is 78" between the wheel wells, I had to run my tires to be narrower.
Lift capacity - many people HAVE to lift round bales. If your round bales usually weigh 1,500 lbs you'll want to match that. I had to be able to lift a ton to put it on my sawmill. I had planned on using the 3 point.

Way better than my :2cents:
Probably a dollar's worth comparatively.

 

[BuilderML]

Mason, i just sent you some info in a PM.

 

[paulfun9]

There are not many 2-WD tractors sold new, so there are few available used. Absolutely useless on hills. Unsafe on hills as you only have braking on the rear wheels, when weight shifts forward as you go downhill you have close to ZERO braking.




.

You are not supposed to be going down steep hills forward, Its an Unsafe practice even with a 4 wheel drive machine. Going down in reverse is the sensible thing to do as it keeps the bulk of the weight on the rear tires.

 

[newbury]

There are not many 2-WD tractors sold new, so there are few available used. Absolutely useless on hills. Unsafe on hills as you only have braking on the rear wheels, when weight shifts forward as you go downhill you have close to ZERO braking.<snip>

There are a lot of 2WD tractors available used. My local county just sold 6 of them. Five were 1989/90 JD 2155's with about 2,000 hours (being replaced simply because they were getting in new tractors)

They went for a little over $5K each.

When I search for tractors in Mississippi there are a lot of 2WD on Craigs list.

 

[Eric C]

I agree on a nice used 30-40hp, 4wd with loader. Try to get as close to 40hp as you can with your budget. Big enough to do some pretty serious work but can still use around your home without tearing your yard apart. I have found dealer support is just as important as the brand. I would check with locals that own tractors on who they use and recommend. I have a great local Deere dealer. Nothing is ever a problem with them. I have a 3320 (33hp), 3720 (44hp) deere and L2350 (25hp) Kubota. All are 4wd with loaders. I am amazed at what each will do. I have a belly mower on the 3720. I use a lawnmower around the house and 3720 to mow a large flat part of my yard, planting trees, moving edger bricks, etc. I keep the 3320 & L2350 at a farm and use it for a little of everything. The Deeres are identical and Kubota is about same size. You can tell the hp difference between them. That is why I would try to find one with the higher hp if you find a model/series you like. I expect you can find something you will really enjoy within your price range if you look around a bit. Happy hunting!!

 

[Creamer]

I agree on a nice used 30-40hp, 4wd with loader. Try to get as close to 40hp as you can with your budget. Big enough to do some pretty serious work but can still use around your home without tearing your yard apart. I have found dealer support is just as important as the brand. I would check with locals that own tractors on who they use and recommend. I have a great local Deere dealer. Nothing is ever a problem with them. I have a 3320 (33hp), 3720 (44hp) deere and L2350 (25hp) Kubota. All are 4wd with loaders. I am amazed at what each will do. I have a belly mower on the 3720. I use a lawnmower around the house and 3720 to mow a large flat part of my yard, planting trees, moving edger bricks, etc. I keep the 3320 & L2350 at a farm and use it for a little of everything. The Deeres are identical and Kubota is about same size. You can tell the hp difference between them. That is why I would try to find one with the higher hp if you find a model/series you like. I expect you can find something you will really enjoy within your price range if you look around a bit. Happy hunting!!

Sounds like you have more tractors than you know what to do with. Why so many so close in size?