Need First Tractor. . . I want to learn! ! !

[jezreel]

Good Evening. . .

I am retiring on Dec. 31 after 30 years in Federal Law Enforcement. The wife and I bought 20 acres in the sticks to build a house, and enjoy the country. Approximately 9 acres of pasture, 11 acres of trees. The land has very sandy loam soil. I plan to have a road laid with "recycled asphalt." Water will be from a well. The pastures have old matted dry grass with large weeds that have taken over (pics will be attached). The sandy soil is, how do I describe it, "bumpy?" Kinda like you might have wet muddy pasture that was driven thru with a tractor, and then it dries with the tire tracks. But this is very sandy, so the bumps could easily be smoothed out. I really want to get the pastures under control with some coastal Bermuda.

Main topic of this thread it to understand what kind of tractor I will need, and what implements.

Questions I will need answered about buying a tractor. At least these are the questions I know of, but I am sure I need advice that I'm not even aware of.

1) What size tractor will get the job done
2) What implements do I need
3) New or Used - I have to spend a lot of money on a house, long road, water well, shop and electricity back to the house, so I have to be careful with my funds. I am ALWAYS more than willing to spend a bit more for new, to have the confidence that it will not break. I just don't know how reliable a moderately priced used tractor is. But, $8,000 for used tractor, implements and trailer vs. $19,000 for a new Package Deal is quite a difference. I am just worried about spending the money on the used tractor, only to find it breaking on me within the first year.
4) New Tractor and Used Implements? ? ?

My brain has absolutely NO tractor knowledge. I have read many threads, and have tried to learn. One thing I have learned is that I need to decide what I want to do with the land, and then decide on a tractor.

So. . . Here are the things I plan to do with the property.

1) Build House
2) We will have no livestock of any kind
3) Will want to plant numerous fruit and pecan trees
4) Will want a decent size garden
5) Will want to rejuvenate pastures from weeds to Bermuda grass
6) Will need to drag some dead fall to the pasture for burning.

Okey Doke. . . I think that is it. I know I am starting a thread that is like opening up the flood gates, but I am ready to start learning. Reading the other threads help, but I reckon I need some dialogue.

Thanks for help. . .

John

Pic of property



Pic of Weeds and Pasture

 

[HCJtractor]

Congrats on your retirement and your new land. You’re going to get many opinions. But here’s mine. Your total budget for tractor related expense is critical. Decide that first. I would rather have an appropriate used tractor than a shinny new one that’s not what you need. So a new tractor like you need will cost $25,000 plus. So I’d get a used farm tractor, a heavy basic one, with 4 WD and a FEL. Like my Kubota M 6800. Heavy, solid, dependable. But any brand in that category will work. I would avoid a lightweight tractor. You want pulling power, and that means weight. Get an open cab to save money. Get a skid steer quick release FEL for sure. Next would be a good rotary cutter, also the heaviest you can find, but probably new, unless you stumble across one with very few hours. Mine is a Woods Brushbull 720X. It’s pretty stout. You could get by with a 6 footer, but bigger would be better. As far as a trailer, don’t bother unless you have to transport it elsewhere often. Borrow one.
With that much pasture, a good 3 point hitch sprayer, 100 or more gallon size with a wide boom. As far as pasture renovation, I don’t know much about that. Maybe someone else can advise. But if you spray it, run some type of renovator over it, you could drill the seed. But drills are very expensive. Rent one or hire it done. Maybe a 6 or 7’ boxblade. They’re handy but fairly cheap. Maybe a good wide rake, like the Everything Attachments Extreme duty one. All the things I listed could be bought for under 22,000. And this would be a good start.

What I didn’t list are ground engaging implements. A good heavy disc would be great for a garden, and cheap. And a cone type fertilizer spreader. But the pasture is another story. Implements to properly manage that are going to be costly. It just depends on how perfect you want your pastures. Maybe find a local farmer with big tools to do it for you, at least to get it back to health initially. Maybe share the hay in exchange.

Factor in a diesel transport tank of some sort, even if it’s a 55 gal drum, unless you have a gas station within tractor driving range. Also a big pole shed, dirt floor, no walls, but just a roof. You could always improve it later.

That’s a start.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I see it a bit differently. I do pretty much agree with the tractor. A 35hp 4x4 tractor with a loader is really really handy. Nothing wrong with a used one but they are almost impossible to find. I would buy a used rotary cutter because once you mow a couple of times, you don't need as much machine to maintain it. Lots of rotary mowers last 25+ years. I think I would follow the above suggestion and get a used box-blade. I think I would go with a tiller third as you can use it for a garden as well as getting the lawn in shape during the build. You could even use it on the pastures but it would be a slow go. Might want to make a drag out of some railroad cross beams an some chain link fence wrapped around it. It will smooth things out if you use when the ground it damp. I would probably stop and get other tools as you need them. You can go used, but most of your good deals will be found on a 2wd utility tractor without a loader. You can get a lot done with this kind of tractor, but you will wish you had the other setup almost immediately.

 

[majorwager]

O P,

In your previous thread you received some positive advice. TBN folks tend to spend new buyer's money much more freely than they would their own funds. Acquiring ALL the toys is NOT an immediate marathon. Proceed cautiously, purchase in increments, determine what works and doesn't. It is easy to suddenly have a barn full of implements, and needless expense, before realizing exactly how best to approach your tasks.

 

[flusher]

Your basic tractor: 40-50 hp (engine), 4WD, hydrostatic tranny, power steering, pair of rear hydraulic remotes, front end loader (FEL) with 6-ft wide bucket. New: $25K. Used: $15-20K.

Good luck

 

[dodge man]

I personally would want to budget about 20k for what you want. You might want a grapple? You might want a backhoe? They are expensive options. I agree with the HP numbers people are throwing around. 30 hp would be the minimum and 50 hp might be on the high end. I am most familiar with Kubota so I'd be looking at the L line. A smaller M might be OK also. Once you get the tractor, I'd start with an end loader and brush hog, you can always add implements later. I would strongly recommend an HST tractor (think automatic transmission).

 

[jezreel]

Thanks so much for the replies. Seems the biggest take away for me here is, and I could be wrong, Go New rather than Used with a budget between $20k and $25k. I didn't see any emphasis on buying a (for example) 1980's tractor with used implements. Which is fine, as with me, New means peace of mind. I was looking at the Kubota L3301HST. I assume that would do the work I need. Question? ? ? This was in one of Your posts, What is HST about?

Thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[majorwager]

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Jezreel,
True piece of mind comes w/ a new machine warranty. An issue w/ used tractors is assessing the maintenance they have received. Many older machines are gear driven and not productive for loader work. They are also simple designs, and rather straightforward to repair. Many are 2wd which can be limiting.

The HST is a hydrostatic transmission. Select a gear range and forward / reverse motion is accomplished by pushing a floor pedal in one direction or the other, no clutching. Very efficient for repetitive loaded work. This is a handy feature many members prefer. The further the pedal is pushed, the faster the speed. Suffice this a simplification of the process.

I have an older 1980 gear drive, IH which has served me well. Purchased new, 2wd w/ a stout FEL. It is a great mowing machine. Until this year, fluids and tires the only expense, not bad for 38 years. Of my tractors, this old girl has a special sentiment.

The Texas climate can be treacherous under that summer sun. You might take a look at a cab W/ A/C. If mowing and such is on your schedule, and not the thermometer. Being retired affords plenty of time, but you have worked hard and being comfortable is a benefit well earned. Just a thought.

 

[3gunr]

I have four tractors ,The newest one is an hst.I was a little leary about hst before i bought it.Now by far it is my favorite tractor and is so much easier and faster to use.Make sure you get the fel with the tractor and not later on.You should be able to run a 6 ft cutter with the l3301 but that would be at its limit on tall heavy grass and brush.

 

[kneedeep]

Check with the local dealers for used 50+ HP tractors. May be hard to find, but going thru a Dealer will help establish a relationship that will benefit you and him in the long run.
I have had 3 Mahindra tractors and will continue to stay with Mahindra as the local dealer services and carries basic parts (filters, belts, starter, alternator, batteries, etc) for most brands of tractors and sells Mahindras
He also handles several lines of equipment and always has some good used stuff on hand at one time or another.

The type and size of tractor needed will be determined by what it is required to do. Nothing worse than realizing $20K later that you really need 4WD or loader or 50 vs 30HP!

Good luck and enjoy shopping

 

[HCJtractor]

What you plan to do with your pastures really matters. And I’m a food plot guy. Pastures are altogether different. Will you disk them? Will you run a subsoiler or some type of harrow? That’s a critical factor as those ground engaging activities require more power than some lightweight tractors can handle. Do you plan to bale hay? Before I made a decision, I would get a local farmer to advise you on how to repair, restore, and maintain the pasture, based on your expectations. Base your tractor on that.

Now if you just want to mow, scrape the roads, fertilize or spray, and do light FEL work, any light weight 30 to 50 horse would work. But you’ve got lots and pasture acres and if you plan to really work them, bigger is better.

I would have no problem with a used tractor with low miles. I see them a lot around here, saving about 1/3 price. It’s like a car, drive it, maybe have a mechanic go check it out, but low mileage tractors are usually solid. As far as implements, they’re easy. Used is always better if they aren’t beat up. But for a rotary cutter, which is your main implement, I like new. I just spent almost $1000 on a new gear box, blades, and clutch plates for mine. So a used one could need lots of work, and unless you try it out which is hard to do, or really know what you’re looking at,I think new is safer when blades and gears are involved. Same with a rotary tiller. Blades, gearboxes etc are expensive and many implements I see are beaten up. But for rakes, box blades etc, it’s easier to see the damage. And don’t let rust deter you (unless thin sheet metal). Lots of people leave implements outside but they still work fine.

In the future a good grapple is my most used tool. But you can live without it.
And no matter what, get 4 WD, a FEL with skid steer universal quick connect, and as many rear remotes that you can afford and find. My tractor isn’t HST ( never even used one), but my standard transmission works fine for me. I can shift 1 thru 4 on the fly, of course using a clutch like a sports car. No big deal.

I think some say going back and forth using a loader is simplified by HST but I guess I don’t do that much. But maybe someone else can chime in. I think a lot just depends on what you’re accustomed to. I do think that option costs more.

I sometimes long for a cab. Do you have allergies, to weed pollen or bees? Will you wife be driving it? Cabs make extended pasture mowing more pleasant. But real men don’t have cabs! But some days when I’m sweating, sneezing, and getting stung by yellow jackets, I feel like a sissy and wish I had a cab and AC. But there are costly.

 

[HCJtractor]

The L series of Kubotas are fairly lightweight. The M series are much heavier. The L you mentioned weighs 2700 pounds approx, where’s a small M will weigh at least 1000 pounds more. In the tractor world, weight is power, not necessarily horsepower. But power is used mostly for ground engaging activities, like plowing, disking, running a rotary tiller, etc. The L’s are great tractors don’t misunderstand me. But they’re more a gentleman’s tractor than a farmers tractor if that makes sense. ( I’m going to take heat for that). So it really depends on your planned use. I would hate to disc your pastures with the L3300. Heck, my 70 hp M6800 will barely pull my big disk. I wish I had more power. But before you decide on anything, understand what you want to achieve. Nothing’s worse than having too little tractor to operate the implement you need to accomplish your task in a reasonable amount of time. Get a local farmer with experience to come to your place, tell him your dreams, and ask him what he would use.

 

[rngrrymd]

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Jezreel,
True piece of mind comes w/ a new machine warranty. An issue w/ used tractors is assessing the maintenance they have received. Many older machines are gear driven and not productive for loader work. They are also simple designs, and rather straightforward to repair. Many are 2wd which can be limiting.

The HST is a hydrostatic transmission. Select a gear range and forward / reverse motion is accomplished by pushing a floor pedal in one direction or the other, no clutching. Very efficient for repetitive loaded work. This is a handy feature many members prefer. The further the pedal is pushed, the faster the speed. Suffice this a simplification of the process.

I have an older 1980 gear drive, IH which has served me well. Purchased new, 2wd w/ a stout FEL. It is a great mowing machine. Until this year, fluids and tires the only expense, not bad for 38 years. Of my tractors, this old girl has a special sentiment.

The Texas climate can be treacherous under that summer sun. You might take a look at a cab W/ A/C. If mowing and such is on your schedule, and not the thermometer. Being retired affords plenty of time, but you have worked hard and being comfortable is a benefit well earned. Just a thought.

Major makes a good point about a cab with A/C seeing you are in Texas and it will be hot but that is going to completely mess with your budget expectations if buying new. Here is my thread from shopping for a 40HP range tractor with cab back in May-June of this year:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...-current-pricing-cut-tractors.html?highlight=

Please note all tractors were priced with a backhoe and quick-attach forks so you will want to back those prices back out of the totals to get a feel of the tractor w/loader price with a cab. hth.

 

[jezreel]

Great Info Folks! ! ! I think I will visit the local tractor dealer, and talk to a few local farmers/ranchers about my pastures. Thanks so much for your help!

When my wife goes into shock when I tell her how much the tractor's gonna cost. . . Is it alright if I refer he to y'all? ? ? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

 

[HCJtractor]

As a previous reply said, don’t get a tractor w/o a loader and think you could always add one. It’s usually way more expensive. And keep up with craigslist. There’s always lots of tractors. If used, stick with a relatively newer one, no more than 15 years old, in my my opinion. And realize tires are really costly so be sure tires (especially rears) are decent.

 

[rbstern]

Nothing wrong with buying what you think you'll need, based on the input you get here, plus your sense of what's going to be important in the future, but it is speculative. None of us knows how you'll actually work that land, nor will you, until you actually start doing it. Not only are you new to tractors; you're new to retirement, too. Your opinions about how you want to spend time will likely change/refine in the next few years.

But, you can start with an older, heavier, well used, 2wd gear tractor in serviceable condition, with a few useful implements. You might spend $5K to $10K on such a machine and the implements. Then use it and learn with it for a couple of years. One of two things will happen: You'll realize it's perfectly useful for what you need to do, or you'll spend a lot of time thinking about how it would be better if you had 4wd, FEL, HST, etc., and you'll make a much more informed decision about a newer tractor, which should be your last tractor purchase.

Relaying my own experience: My 26hp 2wd refurbed Yanmar is nearly 40 years old. I bought it seven years ago because it was all I could justify for an occasional weekend tractor on my vacation property. I now live full time on that property, and I'm still using that same tractor. I will likely upgrade it at some point, but I keep finding ways to get things done with it, and therefore putting off the $25K investment in a new, larger, more powerful, more capable machine. I'm not even sure I would get rid of the current tractor if I bought a new one, because it's so damned useful. But the key thing is: After having used that inexpensive tractor for so long, I know a lot more about what I would buy, that I couldn't possibly have known before using the first tractor. ****, I'm still learning. I've probably got $7K invested in that tractor and the implements. Have done a ton of work on the property with it. An example of the knowledge I've gained: I could never live with a cabbed tractor. Despite the heat and sun in GA during summer, I am up and down off the tractor way too much during certain types of activities (logging stuff) to want to fuss with a cab. I take it into the woods often, and a cab would be in the way. I've made do with a rear scoop to move materials. Way inferior to a FEL, but still works in terms of moving dirt, rock, or mulch from point A to point B, and it's not in my way when I'm cutting trails in the woods. It's very easy for me to envision how useful a front end grapple would be for what I do, so when I do get around to a new tractor, I'll get a quick attach FEL with extra remotes. Many other insights gained, but my post is getting long.

Anyway, for what it's worth.

 

[Erik M]

Thanks so much for the replies. Seems the biggest take away for me here is, and I could be wrong, Go New rather than Used with a budget between $20k and $25k. I didn't see any emphasis on buying a (for example) 1980's tractor with used implements. Which is fine, as with me, New means peace of mind.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

I was in your position a few years ago when I retired from the military and bought a country acreage with a 600 driveway and some woodland. I looked at new tractors but not for very long as the cost was nuts, even for CUT or SCUT. What I really needed was a tractor to blow snow in the winter as I am very exposed and with the wind I can need to blow out the lane several times a day once the snow depth builds up.

I ended up getting a 60 hp JD 1840 row crop tractor (sold as 2440 in the US) from 1981 that had just been completely redone with an inframe rebuild of the engine, new paint, fenders, seat, tires, etc and 80 inch snowblower that had also just been rebuilt and painted to match for $12K. I picked up a used post hole digger a 3 PH forklift attachment and it does all I need. That kind of money will barely buy a decent lawnmower if it has green paint. I have averaged about 30 hrs a year and this tractor will outlast me.

While older tractors do not come with a warranty, they are simple machines lacking microchips that any reasonably handy person is able to work on without a shop full of specialty tools. I would recommend you consider a larger, older tractor over the new smaller units. With tractors, mass and horsepower matter and if you have the room for a larger tractor, you will find many available.

My tractor does not earn my living, but always starts when I need it to, does what I need it to, and did not break the bank to do so. Good luck with what ever you decide, enjoy the rural lifestyle.

 

[TrevorK]

I recently purchased a used 2018 Kioti ck3510. I am also in the market for some ground engaging implements to put in about 2-3 acres of yard. and have about 5 already pasture to maintain, and have 8 heavily wooded. I have a landscaping background from years back (2003-2010) Everything from installing lawns to mowing, bush hogging, to running a Harley rake on a skid steer. If that could be an option Harley rakes are amazing pieces of equipment for smoothing the ground out. A little Glyphosate (round up) wait a couple of weeks and hit it with a Harley rake you will be golden on a smooth pasture. They are a $ implement even for the rear of a tractor. A cheaper option would be a soil pulverizer. This is the attachment I am in the market for. Those would be my two opinions for smoothing out dirt, but you have to get rid of the grass first. (Round up) I also used a landpride drill seeder for seeding new areas. They are the proper tool to get a proper seed rate and soil contact for new seeding. I've also just used a broadcast spreader and just a drag. but you don't get as good of results that way. I myself think a 30hp or larger could handle anything you should come across. When I was in the market all I kept reading was buy big buy big. I had myself talked into buying a 50hp tractor for close to 30k, The reality of it is that I only own 15 acres not 100 so I bought something that I think is sized for my tasks and acreage. It also was a lot easier on the bank account. I bought slightly used 12hrs. but it took a long time to find something like that in my area you just have to be patient. I still have the same warranty that the guy who bought it new 2 months ago did.
Good luck! haha

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Since you plan to have no animals of any kind, and assuming you don't want to start a haying operation, all your fields will require for renovation into some nicer looking grass, is bush-hogging or "rough mowing" twice a year. Regular mowing will also gradually smooth things out. Check the price to have this done by someone else for a few years. Then compare that with the extra cost of going big, 35-50HP.

Eliminating that one task will allow you to buy much smaller.

(As a side-note, as I mentioned in your other thread, it looks like someone tried to grow fescue and failed; it looks completely brown and dead. If your goal is more drought tolerant native grasses, which are just as pretty to look at, you may need to throw some seed down too.)

 

[rScotty]

I agree that older used tractors are simple machines - much less expensive and easy to work on and able to do just as much as the new ones. Many homeowners new to rural life buy new simply because that is what they are used to doing. But there is another way....

I've owned a lot of tractors - both new and used. The trick to buying used is not to look for bargain price, but to look for the very best used machine out there and realize that owner knows what he has and she is going to be asking top dollar. So when buying used, you will actually save the most money by being willing to spend the money for creampuff condition. I can't over-emphasize the importance of condition when buying used. You won't be sorry if you can afford to pay the premium for excellent used condition. Most machines that fit that description live in a barn at night and have complete service records as well as "extras" like shop manuals, tools, and implements.

Another advantage to buying excellent condition used is that the depreciation in value has already happened to someone else. Given normal wear and tear, whatever you pay for it will be very close to what you can expect to get back for it on the used market. Although the used market for worn equipment can be slow, the market for excellent condition used equipment is much more active.

The big advantage to buying new is the warranty. But lets look at what a warranty really does for you. If you buy new, it is true that mechanical problems will be be fixed under warranty, but it's also true that these will be problems that occur because the machine is new and unused. Tractors are inherently very reliable. Once the typical manufacturing problems that crop up in the first few years are fixed, tractors normally go for decades without anything more than routine maintenance - and BTW, it is you who you pays for routine maintenace even during the warranty period. So in essence if you have a warranty that only lasts a year or two you are simply paying new price to have the problems worked out of your new machine that are there because it is new and unused. These are problems that are already fixed in a good used machine.

In the title to this thread you say "I want to learn! ! !" So why not buy a good used machine and a few hand tools and begin to use that tractor on your land? The other posters have already identified the basic features that you want. It probably won't be the tractor that you want to own once you understand more about tractors, but experience will teach you these things. In the meanwhile it won't cost the bank and it will do the work. And while it does, you'll be learning what is really useful to you in a tractor.
Just my two cents,
rScotty



Whatever you do, and however you get the learning......I wouldn't recommend that you buy a brand new machine until AFTER you have more experience with tractors.