First Tractor - HELP!

[xmlboy]

My wife and I are finally building a dream home...for our horses. [We're building one for ourselves as well, but that's secondary /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif] We're currently shopping for a tractor.

Our difficulty has been in determining exactly what we require in a tractor and balancing that with our minimal budget. Here's our situation in a nutshell and what I think are our requirements:

<ul type="square"> [*]6 acres, ~5 of actual pasture [*]Hilly land, but only 1 'steep' section [*]Need drag for riding ring and pasture [*]Pull-behind mower for pasture (will not be mowing yard with it) [*]Eventually will want manure spreader & front-end loader [/list]

We've talked to a few dealers and friends...problem is, they all say something different. About the best we can determine is that we need a tractor with HP in the 25-30 range with HST (and a few have even suggested we could go lower than 25HP, though they have been in the minority). But there can be a $5k or more difference between brands/models in this range, with little else to set one apart from another.

So...I'm looking for any input as to what folks think we might need. I'm not looking so much for a brand name as much as I am a general spec for meeting these requirements. For example, do we really need 30HP if most of it's use will be rough-cutting pasture, pulling a wheeled manure spreader and dragging a riding ring?

Thanks,

xmlboy

 

[slammer]

I would suggest you take a look at the Power trac PT-425. Heres a link.

Slam

http://power-trac.com/productclasses.htm

 

[Bird]

I'd generally agree with the 25-30 hp, although for that amount of property, a little smaller, say 20 hp wouldn't be bad. I usually say get the biggest thing you can afford and have room to maneuver, but in this case, are you going to want to get inside the horse barn with it? Smaller might be better. Definitely get the front end loader to begin with. You'll regret it if you don't because that's the handiest, most used attachment you can get, and you'll probably get a better deal if you buy tractor and loader together than buying the loader separately later.

While many members of this forum will be glad to help you and answer questions, buying Muhammad's book from this forum will give you a lot more information than can be typed in these discussions.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'm going along with Bird on what he said. For me I would look in the 24/25hp range and definately get the FEL from the start, it is usually cheaper to do it that way too. I would ONLY go with hydrostatic drive. I'm a big fan of the Power Trac equipment, but since you need a manure spreader I would recommend a tradition tractor in this case.

The price spread in tractors can be explained for a couple of reasons. One is FEATURES the other is a REGIONAL issue.

For example, a Kubota B2410 is a fully featured 24hp tractor, a Kubota B2610 is a value tractor with less features, but with options that can bring it up to a B2410. The New Holland TC24DA is also a fully featured tractor that would compare well to a Kubota B2410. JD has a 790 which is a value machine, and a 4xxx series that would compare to a TC24DA or B2410. Farmall also makes a very nice 24hp tractor called a DX24, it is essentially the same as a NH TC24DA but painted red, and often priced slight lower. Kioti makes the CK25 and it is now available with a Hydro, it is part of their better equiped tractor line up. In some regions Kioti is much lower than the others, in other regions it is priced at the same price level. Kioti is building a dealer network and may not have one near you. Massey is another good brand to consider if there is a dealer near you.

So you need to decide if you want all the whistles and bells or if you want a bare bones machine, both are going to accomplish the same job, one might have some features that you find very accomodating to your particular needs. But no matter what, you need to make sure that you compare apples to apples. Looking at a fully featured New Holland and comparing it to a value JD is not doing either tractor or either brand justice, and will only confuse you more. Personally I prefer the full featured tractors and I use New Holland (TC24D -24hp) and Kubota (B2910 -30hp) and have ZERO complaints about either machine. I absolutely LOVE the FEL arrangement of the New Holland with the curved loader arms, as far as I am can tell, they are the best loaders on the market today (Farmall uses the same loaders, but painted red). The visibility toward the front of the tractor bucket is so much better on the NH & Farmall units than anything else on the market. The next best is the Kioti, but only those with the curved arms.

If I was you, I would stick with one of the name brands and I would stick with a dealer who is nearby. If you can't get a good price locally, shop nationally and see if you dealer can get close to the same price. Having a dealer you can work with for service is worth a lot of piece of mind, and some amount of money. Buy from a dealer that makes you feel good, has a good reputation, good service department and good parts department. Do not worry about the color/brand of the tractor, but realize that you will want a relationship with the dealer in addition to having a good machine. I know very little about the JD units becuase the local dealer in my area is an arrogant blah blah blah and I won't deal with him anymore, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with his machines, it just means I won't buy from him. If you find a dealer like that, then go to a competiting brand. Rest assured, any of the brands I listed above will perform every task you need performed, regardless of the sticker on the side of the tractor.

 

[Woodbeef]

Hmmm.......I guess the manure spreader is the one piece you have to size the tractor to correctly. Question is how much hp it needs to effectively break up the clumps? Not sure if a ground driven unit will do this or not to your satisfaction. If not then what is the smallest pto driven one that would do the job,and how much hp/weight does it need? Are you planing on taking the tractor inside the barn for cleaning it out? As for the differences in prices between brands.......all of the Japanese built/designed tractors and South Korean ones are pretty comprable on quality. Pick the one you feel the most comfortable with no matter who makes it!!

 

[KiotiJohn]

Since I don't own or use other brands, I'll recommend the Kioti CK20 with a loader for your uses. This tractor is 21HP and is able to do much more than one would think at this HP. It has the power to pull most anything I ask it too i.e. large trees, trailers, etc. It is small enough to get into most barns. The 4wd gives it that extra pulling power. It will handle any standard cat. 1 implements in the proper size, up to a 5' brush mower (will take longer to cut than larger sizes of course), will pull a ground driven manure spreader (TSC offers a mini manure spreader that might work for you). I have done amazing things with this little tractor and the cost was very good when I compared it to JD and Kubota. The 3pt. hitch has a good lift capacity and so does the loader. For the tractor and loader I paid $9985, and $1985 respectively. I hope this helps. Oh, BTW, I've had no real warranty issues to date, 180 hours. I maintain 2, 4 and 5 acre properties with it. John

 

[blackwell]

I agree with Slammer, take a hard look at Power Trac. We use them around the horse barn, removing manure, handling feed, spreading sawdust, mowing the barnyard, and also mowing around the house. Unless you have a large herd of horses, the Power Trac is a easy way to scoop, haul and spread manure, plus can be used for a lot of other chores.
Good luck,
EB

 

[MicroPilot]

Another option in you HP range are the Century/Zetor/Branson tractors. In my area these machines are priced several thousand less than the big 3 and have comparable features.

Another tractor I looked at was the Mahindra line. Very nice looking machines, but I didn't get any pricing, so I don't know how they fit in in that regard.

As far as HST goes, you need to try it out versus a gear tractor and see if it's something you like. Just keep in mind that gear tractors are NOT like driving a car. Usually you select the gear you want before you start moving and never shift. On some tractors, trying to shift while on the move can actually destroy the gear box!!!

 

[SteveM]

5 acre pasture can take a good chunk of time with a lower powered compact...how often will it be mowed?

You can get a manure spreader that a garden tractor can pull, so I dont think this presents any size challenge...how many horses do you have?

Hills mentioned are the scariest part to me - most compacts sit kindof tall and narrow /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif so I would at least look and drive a power track.

I have an 8+/- acre hay field behind my house, and boy does it get BIG when I go out there with my 9n and 5ft brush hog...

 

[depratt_equip]

Most gear tractors these days have fully synchronized transmissions which will allow you to shift from gear to gear while driving, just like a car or truck transmission. If you want a gear tractor just look for one that says “fully synchronized transmission” I know that Kioti and Century both have fully synchronized transmission in them as well as many other brands. Some brands are only synchronized in 3rd & 4th gears, so keep that in mind when looking and comparing. The old sliding gear transmissions are fading out