3pt, PTO, Diesel

[edkemper]

I need a cheap(er) farm tractor, mostly for brush Hog and digging post holes. So the main needs are a 3pt and PTO. I have a HD FEL, backhoe, dozer. But I really need postholes, a lot of post holes. So this is about a PTO.

Any preferences? I have a couple of local auctions coming up over the next 30 days so I want to keep my eyes open for something to satisfy my needs.

Let's keep in under $5K. As under as reasonable. I also understand that prices at an auction can vary widely. :confused2:

 

[kneedeep]

There are good midsize 75HP+ tractors selling in the auctions for good prices. One that size would give you much better performance than a SCUT and probably be about the same money. Smaller tractors don't hit the auctions much. If you bump your $$ up to 8-10K, I believe you would really increase your choices and get more tractor for less HP cost.

 

[varmint]

Probably won't compute, but a hydraulic post hole auger would be the berries for putting in a "lot" of postholes- hung off the front of something with enough output to drive it. I've watched skid steers doing it, and what a sweet way to get 'er done.

 

[jmh1783]

Somewhere here I read it isn't the PTO HP that you need to be concerned with for post hole diggers. You need to be concerned with the lift capacity of the 3pt. Even a low PTO HP tractor will screw an auger into the ground. The trick is pulling it back out again. I've seen this done and it isn't any fun at all.

 

[jenkinsph]

Probably won't compute, but a hydraulic post hole auger would be the berries for putting in a "lot" of postholes- hung off the front of something with enough output to drive it. I've watched skid steers doing it, and what a sweet way to get 'er done.

I would build up a 3ph hydraulic auger and run it on the 210 LE landscape loader

 

[edkemper]

From a few K to 10K. Far too much spending coming my way to consider this option.

With building my house, after creating the drive and leveling the pad, moving large logs to the site, etc, etc, I really don't need another large fabrication job, at the moment. If I have the time for a project, the Thumb is first.

A few thousand on an older tractor with a usable 3pt hitch and a PTO is all I'm after.

I guess any of the major brands will do the trick as long as they are still breathing.

 

[buickanddeere]

Massey 35/135/235, 65/165/265 and several other similar Massey models of that era.

 

[SSdoxie]

Your Bush Hog requirements (what you need to cut, width, etc.) would be determining factor for size and PTO power of tractor.

 

[RPW]

For ythe amount of post holes that you've indicated I'd be looking a a smaller skidsteer with hydraulic post hole digger. They can be found but they also can be expensive. I don't know how many times I've wanted a SS hydraulic PHD. My SS cost me $1500 and needed about $1500 in repairs but in the end I've got a very useful tool. I've already got about all the fence posts in place so I'm down to occasional posts. If you're a single person operation then placing a PHD square in the ground can be a challenge. If you want to stay with a tractor consider a Beltec PHD. More dollars but you can do so much more digging over a standard PHD.

Good luck.

 

[edkemper]

Massey 35/135/235, 65/165/265 and several other similar Massey models of that era.

Thank you. This is what I was hoping for.