Tractor size for 17 acres?

[BlakeJ]

Hello all, new member here. I own 17 acres and am in the market for a tractor, but I would like to get some advice on what size to get. I know I want a loader and hydrostatic but other than that I'm open to suggestions.

I'll be shredding a few times a year, not a ton because we sell hay off most of our place. I also have a couple of acres of food plots that I will need to till up twice a year (with a possibility of an additional 2.5 acre plot for a buddy). I'd rather have a tiller than a disc for this.

Also, I'll eventually be putting in a small orchard. So I'll probably need an auger one day.

I've found some deals on 25 hp models, but I'm just not sure if that will be big enough.

Thoughts? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[xring100]

Probably be happy with around 40hp.
25hp in a modern 4wd is probably going to be too small. Neighbor upgraded from jd 2305 to a 40hp Branson for his 10 acres. Ive got an 85hp for my 10. Its too big for some chores but just right for much of the work i do.

40hp is a pretty good balance loaders are half way descent will turn most implements.

 

[WVH1977]

How much money are you looking to spend? Also, are you looking at used or new or both?

 

[BlakeJ]

How much money are you looking to spend? Also, are you looking at used or new or both?

I'm kinda up in the air on how much I want to spend, also on new vs used.

But honestly, if I had a choice, I'd like to keep this purchase as cheap as possible. I'm leaning towards a smaller used tractor to see if it'll do. And if I don't like it I could sell it and upgrade.

 

[sandman2234]

Bigger used over smaller new would be my thought... as long as fixing a few things as they break isn't beyond your capabilities.
David from jax

 

[newbury]

Ok, we really need to know the lay of your land, what you think the value of your time is and how much you want to spend to advise you.

Temple Tx tells me pretty flat for the most part, but there are some places near the lakes that have some terrain.
You probably have little need for carrying big trees and although I have spent time in the snow at Hood it was rare and shallow.
Unless you have some "size limits", like has to fit through a 5' wide gate or go over a bridge that only will support 5,000 lbs, a 40HP tractor will usually do the job quicker, but a 25HP will probably do the jobs you mentioned. If you have to lift a ton with the FEL (think round bales) a 25HP won't do.

So assuming your shredding fairly flat and not real swampy or thick the 25HP choice would probably run a 5 foot shredder with ease. A 40HP should handle 7 foot plus. Similar with the tiller, and most PHD's will work on both.

Just pulling some new equipment numbers from Everything Attachments a 5' Fred Cain cutter runs about $1,500, a 7' about $3,000. A 5' KK tiller about $2K, a 7' KK tiller about $3K.

/edit

And while I was writing:

I'm kinda up in the air on how much I want to spend, also on new vs used.

But honestly, if I had a choice, I'd like to keep this purchase as cheap as possible. I'm leaning towards a smaller used tractor to see if it'll do. And if I don't like it I could sell it and upgrade.

Make up a list of MUST have implements and start looking at CL immediately for tractors and implements. And try to steer away from buying "cheap". "Cheap" breaks down. Think "inexpensive".

For example there is a 1997 L2900 Kubota Tractor - $12000 (Bertram, TX), with shredder on CL.

 

[Texasmark]

Hello all, new member here. I own 17 acres and am in the market for a tractor, but I would like to get some advice on what size to get. I know I want a loader and hydrostatic but other than that I'm open to suggestions.

I'll be shredding a few times a year, not a ton because we sell hay off most of our place. I also have a couple of acres of food plots that I will need to till up twice a year (with a possibility of an additional 2.5 acre plot for a buddy). I'd rather have a tiller than a disc for this.

Also, I'll eventually be putting in a small orchard. So I'll probably need an auger one day.

I've found some deals on 25 hp models, but I'm just not sure if that will be big enough.

Thoughts? Any advice is appreciated.

You need to get the 3 pt up off the ground. Small tractors sit too close for a lot of 3 pt chores. I'd recommend at least a 30 and a 35 would be better, and a 40 is getting warm. You don't know what you will want to do later on. If you get a bigger tractor now, you will tend to be happy with it and not look for a second, or trade and buy up later, loosing your investment in the current one. Remember what money you spend for what you buy is gone forever.....a forgotten memory. What's left is what you bought. You have the rest of your life to think about that. Food for thought!

 

[DeereWimberley]

I live on a rocky, cedar infested, 15 acres in Wimberley. My decision to buy a 3032e a year ago was based in part on the physical size of the tractor. With tons of trees to navigate, I could not go much larger. I am happy so far. I have a bucket, grapple, and will take delivery on a pallet fork tomorrow.

 

[rustyshakelford]

If time is more important than money that can change your thought process. We only have 13 acres but have a 100hp and 15' batwing. I take care of my neighbors 23 acres too and can't spend two days mowing. For me it was worth the money to get into a more ag minded tractor than my previous 5055e that was plagued with problems. I can mow 23 acres in 4-4.5 hrs. I'm picking up a track ho in the am to reset some culverts and dig some trees that's been in my way mowing. Should be able to knock out my place real quick. I enjoy tractor time as much as the next guy but I'm forced to try and be as efficient as possible.

Brett

 

[BlakeJ]

Pretty flat terrain, river bottom land with soft soil and no rocks.

I know I'm no expert, but I really can't see the need for a 40 horse. I'll keep looking though, I've got time to find a deal.

Do dealers run specials at certain times of the year?

 

[CalG]

Pick up something like a M-F 245 and get a feel for what you need.

If you discover something you would really like in a tractor, Then trade in, up, or down.

Start with a cheap basic tractor, get the implements you need and USE. Then work with that. A bare tractor is nothing but an engine on wheels.

A M-F such as mentioned can be cheap horsepower to run generators or pumps etc. Around here they go for about $3500 .

Did I say Cheap HP.

 

[boggen]

SCUT (sub compact utlity tractor) = riding lawn mower on steroids. more made for city folks and small acres.
CUT (compact utility tractor) = they tend to have a higher ground clearance under them, a heavier frame, you tend to get more "features" such as "split rear brakes" (2 brake pedles one for left/right rear tires), more ranges/gear options, FEL joystick/valves tends to offer something else beyond pure basic joystick/valves.
Utility tractors = your starting to get into "larger field tractors", were folks need the traction and HP and PTO hp to run stuff in the fields.

17 acres, your not a city folk. you have enough acers that i would say jump up into the CUT range, and you do not have enough acres to really demand for a utility class tractor.

it is a grayish area, between SCUT and CUT. and going to say 30HP more likely more than enough for you.

most of the stuff you listed is maintance and chore work of the property, and not a full time job use tractor. i am going to say get the little "addon's" this may mean getting a slightly smaller tractor with all the addon's vs going with a single larger tractor without an of the addons.

addons...
TNT (top and tilt) for 3pt hitch, lights up on ROPS, or sun shade, or cab. that shine both front and rear, larger altenator if given the option, split rear brakes, brush guard for front, possibly a belly pan if given option, 2 rear hydrualic remotes if not TNT, with TNT add an extra rear remote. then spend cash on implements... from FEL grappel to FEL forks, to tiller, drag harrow, post hole digger, rotary cutter (lamen terms bush hog), finish mower, etc... etc.. etc...

 

[CalG]

17 acres, your not a city folk. you have enough acers that i would say jump up into the CUT range, and you do not have enough acres to really demand for a utility class tractor.

addons...
TNT (top and tilt) for 3pt hitch, lights up on ROPS, or sun shade, or cab. that shine both front and rear, larger altenator if given the option, split rear brakes, brush guard for front, possibly a belly pan if given option, 2 rear hydrualic remotes if not TNT, with TNT add an extra rear remote. then spend cash on implements... from FEL grappel to FEL forks, to tiller, drag harrow, post hole digger, rotary cutter (lamen terms bush hog), finish mower, etc... etc.. etc...

If "lights on ROPS" is the criteria, I think a 5 hp riding lawn mower will be just fine. These new LED lights draw so little current.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Cheap as you can = used

Unless you want to spend 25-40k on a new tractor.

I agree, 30-50hp range, it's better to have the HP and not need it then it is to need more HP and not have it.

I found with higher HP you get a heavier tractor that is paired with a more capable loader and to get a loader that is more useful your gonna be in the 30-50hp range. So even if you think you don't "need" the extra HP, you will need the weight and more capable loader before you need it.

With what you said, you could find a 60hp to be a really nice match, I would say 30-50hp is the lower end of what you would prefer.

I ended up with a 48hp tractor on 3 acres because I needed lift capacity for large round bales, something a small tractor can not do no matter how hard it tries, there is times I have felt the want for a 5 series tractor just for stability reasons, I don't like to work a tractor to its max on a regular bases.

Rarely do people say there tractor is too big, often they say it's too small and find projects there tractor can't do.

 

[TheMan419]

I am probably going to be kicked out of TBN for this, but you can go too large. For example we have 18 acres and are building up to keep horses. We have a 10 stall barn. Too big of a tractor will not fit in the barn. Also you can go too big if it busts your budget.

I have a New Holland Boomer 24 (24 horse power). It runs my 5ft bush hog just fine. It moves the small square hay bales we use just fine. It moves horse manure and dirt just fine. Of course if I had a Boomer 35 or 40 would it do those tasks faster? Of course, but it would have been a **** of a lot more money.

You need to figure out the HP you need for the toughest tasks you will do. Then you need to look at the tasks you need to do that the size of the tractor will be a liability. Hopefully there is one tractor that will allow you to accomplish both tasks.

Good luck!

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Think of it this way: right now your a city boy that's never owned anything but a car, you decide that you want to buy a truck to haul some things, you look at a mid size pick up truck and think that's the one I want, I won't need any more truck but just to make sure you hop on a truck forum and ask around, the guys on there say you need a F250 but if you bought a F350 you wouldn't regret it.

You think to yourself there's no possible way you would need a 1 ton pick up truck so you compromise and hop in a F150, more truck than you originally were gonna buy.

You drive that F150 home, you start hauling light stuff, quickly find more things to haul, decide you now want to buy a camper so you go shopping and the 30ft camper you want to buy is much too heavy for your current truck so you sell it and end up with a F350, then you jump on the same forum to share your experience.

The camper represents projects your not thinking about right now and things that will come up in the future.

Once you own a tractor, that 40-50hp tractor won't seem so big.

 

[Wagtail]

I am probably going to be kicked out of TBN for this, but you can go too large. For example we have 18 acres and are building up to keep horses. We have a 10 stall barn. Too big of a tractor will not fit in the barn. Also you can go too big if it busts your budget.

I have a New Holland Boomer 24 (24 horse power). It runs my 5ft bush hog just fine. It moves the small square hay bales we use just fine. It moves horse manure and dirt just fine. Of course if I had a Boomer 35 or 40 would it do those tasks faster? Of course, but it would have been a **** of a lot more money.

You need to figure out the HP you need for the toughest tasks you will do. Then you need to look at the tasks you need to do that the size of the tractor will be a liability. Hopefully there is one tractor that will allow you to accomplish both tasks.

Good luck!

That's good solid advice. [Although I was going to report the blasphemy. ]

I'll compare myself to TheMan419's situation as they're somewhat similar (horses and such). For all of my tractor needs I could easily utilise a 25hp tractor... except I store & feed-out round bales of hay. For that, I require at least a 40hp tractor + a FEL that can handle the rounds. Fortunately I was able to find a tractor/FEL combination that fit my needs.

If my needs had required a heavier lift capacity FEL for, say, rock shifting or a lot of grapple work then I would have had to up my tractor hp requirement and suitable FEL model.

 

[jeff9366]

I'm kinda up in the air on how much I want to spend, also on new vs used.

I'm leaning towards a smaller used tractor to see if it'll do. And if I don't like it I could sell it and upgrade.

Selling a used tractor is pretty easy.

Selling a melange of used implements sized to fit your initial tractor, in order to buy heavier/wider implements to optimize function with your second tractor, is a big pain financially and human relations wise. ( Ask me how I know this.)

It is pointless to buy a second, heavier tractor without upgrading the implements.

The cheapest procedure is TO BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR THE FIRST TIME, new or "previously owned".

 

[jenkinsph]

All the tractors that are currently available with hydrostatic transmissions are small tractors in my book. When you get too small you will have ground clearance issues and can't lift the implements high enough or can't pick up enough weight to get the jobs done. Pick the implements you want to use and get the right size tractor for the implements.

Acreage matters little compared to the intensity of the jobs. I have needed large dozers on 4 acre fields to get them leveled but have mowed 6 acres with a riding mower in a pinch. Having 17 acres is meaningless when selecting a tractor, what you are going to do now and in the future with the tractor is more important.

A 40hp. tractor has been a very common size for at least 50 years now and so are the implements to fit it. You will find that 6 ft. implements are all over the place and the market is very competitive. Whether buying new or used tractors and implements you should find this is the best bang for the buck for your needs.

 

[bckskin2]

I started with a Harry Ferguson TO30 and went to a NH TC 30. We no longer have horses so if I was getting another I would be OK with 25, but the 4 wheel drive 3x3 tran was need to pull a hay rack.