Buying Advice Is it possible to go too big?

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Hello folks. Moving to a 58 acre property soon from the 'burbs (also escaping CA, but that is a different discussion) and am looking into getting my first tractor. About 28 acres of the land is previously farmed acreage that I want to keep knocked down and tamed by semi regular mowing/bush hogging. I have a full time job that is not farming and have no intention of farming the land myself, at least in the near future. Leasing some of the land to someone else to farm is something I want to look more in to. The rest of the land is very thick vegetation and trees. Solid wall of green type situation.

Besides the previously mentioned 28 acres of maintenance taming, over the next few years I want to potentially relocate, and certainly maintain, the gravel driveway into the property which is about 1500', create a gravel "road" to the more separated farm area for lessees to access that 15ish acres which will be at least another 1500', fell some timber and clear brush to make trails to the more wooded areas, potentially light grading for a future storage structure and swing set, and support of some heavier/specialized rented machinery for constructing a private shooting range with berm backstops in the back woods. Near the house I'd like to set up a sizable garden plot for the wife and kids to tool around in and some tree planting around the new driveway for future privacy.

My question is this: Should I start with a "learner size"? I've never owned or driven a tractor but from research I've seen that a fairly sizable machine would be ideal for my needs/wants. I've also gotten my heart set on a buddy seat so in a few years when I've learned to drive the thing and my very young children are a tiny bit older they can ride with dad. I think those moments will be priceless. I have no brand loyalty and I've yet to see how dealers around me treat their customers, which I've heard is a huge consideration. I've also got my heart set on a cab because frankly I think it will make chores like the mowing enjoyable instead of potential misery.

The machines I've been interested in thus far are the kubota m4d-071 and the tym 1104 and I'm mostly considering new instead of used. I'm slowly working my way though the other colors looking for other models of weight, power, and size to fit my needs but I've gotten a bit nervous about my lack of experience and piloting something this large and expensive without ever even sitting in a drivers seat. Any thoughts? Am I getting in over my head with machines this big? The terrain around my house is about as flat as a pancake which is at least in my favor and because I have a full time gig elsewhere, my off time, which I'm hoping a machine this size will save some of, is very valuable and more time I can spend with my young kids. Thanks for your help and looking forward to getting to know you all.

As mentioned previously there are a lot of variables.

These were factors I faced.

Can you manage something with a shuttle-shift? I went with a hydrostat because I knew my wife would eventually be using it, my SCUT is near the top of the hydrostat group @ 59HP.

Where are you storing it? Because my property is undeveloped I keep mine in a shipping container. My container is a hicap (9'6" tall) and my cab tractor just fits.

Other things to consider is how close is the nearest reputable dealer, if you don't have a trailer will they pick-up and drop off? This is part of why I bought a Massey.

Most brands other than Deere use skidsteer attachements, Deere has their own idea which can limit your choices of what to buy and from whom.

 

[kellerw]

There are already some super points of advice listed in this thread, but I'll add in my own experience with a 54 Acre (not flat) farm that we purchased, also never having owned a serious tractor before. We purchased a TLB (tractor/loader/backhoe) compact 27 hp Kubota in the "B" series. I have often thought I should have gotten an "L" for weight, but these smaller (about 4500 pounds) machines can do some serious work. There is, as a downside, not enough room for any kids, and from a safety standpoint, I would strictly NOT do any work with a kid aboard. As for when to purchase it, we immediately bought the tractor, needing to feel the land and do some work on it from a personal satisfaction perspective. You'll know what I mean the first time you start and complete something. As someone has already written, if you purchase a new L right now (Kubota) you will have zero issues reselling it or trading it later on a larger tractor. However, you may do as we've done, and simply bought a larger machine for the hay cutting/baling/hauling. Good luck, and thank you for all you've done over the past 20 months!

 

[RookieWelder]

Thank you for your reply. I think if I put on one more youtube video from Messicks or Good Works Tractor my wife is going to suffer a neck injury from rolling her eyes so hard and then proceed to wring mine.

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Add in some videos from Tractor Mike - he is very informative, especially for a new tractor owner. I just bought my first tractor this year, and having watched lots of videos from Tractor Mike helped me feel much more comfortable about what I was getting into.

Good luck!

 

[IndyJay]

My wife and I bought our horse farm 38 years ago when we were in our mid-twenties, both city kids. About 24 acres of it is rolling pasture, the rest is wooded with some pretty steep hills. Initially we paid to have our field mowed until we could afford to buy a tractor, a 34HP MF1250 with loader and 60" Bush Hog. It pretty much did what we needed to do but was often too small (too light) to do some tasks.

We started creating some trails for horseback riding, mostly using a chains saw and hand pruners, eventually getting it so we could mow the trails with the bush hog. It was slow going and very hard work but we made a couple of pretty nice trails. Years later we hired a dozer to come in to make more tails. It was amazing to see how quickly he could clear a nice wide trail. He did more in a few hours than we could do in a few months. The trails were wide enough to drive our pickup truck around to check and repair fencing. You could ride horses side by side without ducking branches.

After 27 years with the Massey, we finally this year bought a Kioti DK4510 tractor with a grapple and an 84" brush hog. I wish we had done this years ago but the Massey was still running well so it was hard to justify, but the difference is huge. It takes me less than half the time to mow my field than with the Massey.

Both of my tractors have been open station. I did test drive a couple of cabbed models, but as others have mentioned it does it did seem to limit my "situational awareness" both visually and audibly. Since I don't do snow blowing and the mid-west clime is not too horrendous, I prefer the open station. Especially when mowing the trails with low branches and such. The DK4510 is a good size for the trails, any bigger would be challenging in some places with a loader and mower attached.

It sounds like you made a good choice for your family moving to the country, I know that we could never move back to the suburbs. It is hard work, but very enjoyable. You sound like you've got enough "smarts" to figure things out, you also have an advantage that I didn't have so long ago... a great forum with very helpful people here on TBN.

Welcome and good luck!

 

[sorleski]

Hello folks. Moving to a 58 acre property soon from the 'burbs (also escaping CA, but that is a different discussion) and am looking into getting my first tractor. About 28 acres of the land is previously farmed acreage that I want to keep knocked down and tamed by semi regular mowing/bush hogging. I have a full time job that is not farming and have no intention of farming the land myself, at least in the near future. Leasing some of the land to someone else to farm is something I want to look more in to. The rest of the land is very thick vegetation and trees. Solid wall of green type situation.

Besides the previously mentioned 28 acres of maintenance taming, over the next few years I want to potentially relocate, and certainly maintain, the gravel driveway into the property which is about 1500', create a gravel "road" to the more separated farm area for lessees to access that 15ish acres which will be at least another 1500', fell some timber and clear brush to make trails to the more wooded areas, potentially light grading for a future storage structure and swing set, and support of some heavier/specialized rented machinery for constructing a private shooting range with berm backstops in the back woods. Near the house I'd like to set up a sizable garden plot for the wife and kids to tool around in and some tree planting around the new driveway for future privacy.

My question is this: Should I start with a "learner size"? I've never owned or driven a tractor but from research I've seen that a fairly sizable machine would be ideal for my needs/wants. I've also gotten my heart set on a buddy seat so in a few years when I've learned to drive the thing and my very young children are a tiny bit older they can ride with dad. I think those moments will be priceless. I have no brand loyalty and I've yet to see how dealers around me treat their customers, which I've heard is a huge consideration. I've also got my heart set on a cab because frankly I think it will make chores like the mowing enjoyable instead of potential misery.

The machines I've been interested in thus far are the kubota m4d-071 and the tym 1104 and I'm mostly considering new instead of used. I'm slowly working my way though the other colors looking for other models of weight, power, and size to fit my needs but I've gotten a bit nervous about my lack of experience and piloting something this large and expensive without ever even sitting in a drivers seat. Any thoughts? Am I getting in over my head with machines this big? The terrain around my house is about as flat as a pancake which is at least in my favor and because I have a full time gig elsewhere, my off time, which I'm hoping a machine this size will save some of, is very valuable and more time I can spend with my young kids. Thanks for your help and looking forward to getting to know you all.

You need a mid sized tractor at min. When you go too small, with that much acreage, it will take a lot of your time to get things done. Small tractors can only pull certain sized implements. if you are not doing farming and you want to do that road, I would go for a kubota SVL-75 or so. It's a track steer. I recently rented one to move a large diesel generator, I then used it to dig out my tank, which I put in 2 years ago, it took me about 40-50 hrs to dig with my tractor, when I started using the track steer to enlarge it, i was able to dig and move dirt in about 1/3 of the time. I am not farming myself, more like ranching, got animals, I need to move hay, but mostly, i need to maintain areas that wash out with the heavy rain we get here in TX. If I were to do it again, I would look for a good track steer, get a mower for it and some forks, and eventually a tiller so i can plant a good garden.

 

[Fxfymn413]

If I were in your situation I would first get to know the neighbors and find out what they use. I assume you are in eastern NC based on the land description, so there should be several folks who farm in the area. Talk to the local extension agent and ask for advice. Visit the local feed/farm supply store and ask around about who uses what and why. I have always found that most folks are very helpful if you just ask for it.

Personally I would buy used to try it out and see what fits. You will probably not put more than a couple hundred hours per year on the unit, so a tractor with less than a couple of thousand hours on it will last a good long time for you and probably be worth what you paid when you sell it. But that's just my $.02.

Visit the local tractor dealers to see what they have to say. Yeah, some dealers are out to sell no matter what, but there are plenty of dealers who are willing to do the right thing for their customers as well.

Lastly do not forget to value your time. Almost any tractor can do what you want if you have enough time to get through it. You are working 40 + hours a week, have a young family, and will never have enough hours in the day. Get something that can what you need done in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[mudking]

I will admit to not having read the whole thread, but my answer is "no".

(1) The price you're paying for what you're getting drops disproportionately as you move above the size that many "new to tractors" folks think is "too big". If you don't have to trailer it (for a landscaping side-hustle or something), or if you aren't having to deal with very limited space to store it, bigger is better.

(2) More weight and power does more work, and it is safer too. Small loaders tip over easier, small tractors roll over easier when mowing slopes, invariably using too small of a tool tempts people to attempt things they shouldn't.

(3) If you can shop for used. As a very general rule, I advise new enough to have a rops, old enough to still have analog guages as a way to identify the "sweet spot" for years of manufacture.

My first tractor when I moved out to 33 acres (now 110) of wonderfulness 25 years ago was a used Ford 1720 with a FEL, (shoulda kept it) but I traded it for a used Ford 3930 with a FEL (shoulda kept it). You can see in my profile what I have now. More property, more and bigger tractors = good. Don't self-limit with some notion that a noob needs a "beginner tractor". ...Especially with a good size piece of land like you've got.

Have Fun, Be Safe.

 

[TexasDigger]

JMO. With that many acres. I wouldn't buy less than a 60-70 hp tractor.
I have no idea of your age, but you just may decide to do other things on your land (later) that would be difficult with a smaller tractor.
I have 50 acres and have two tractors. One a Kubota MX5100 and a larger CX 105 tractor.
I don't use the larger tractor all that often, but when I need a larger tractor it comes in very handy.

It has been said, ''There's no replacement for displacement''

I agree with this post! Feel free to PM me if you want more details as to why.. Here's the thread with links to my similar dilemma except I made the mistake of buying too small (Kioti CK3510HST and having to upgrade & trading for a Kioti RX7320 Power Shuttle). The 35hp just wasn't enough for what I need to do on our 30 acres and even though my loader capacity and it's capacity for mowing, box-blading, etc were great, the 35hp/30pto was just short on PTO power to run balers + the ability to run any of the larger implements (most balers require 40+ pto hp - preferably 50+ PTO hp fyi - look into this if you ever plan to bale your own hay or also to run larger mowers etc!) See link for my original post regarding my experience from making the mistake of buying too small.. I am now VERY happy with the new tractor but we won't talk about how much money I threw away learning the hard way!

NEED URGENT HELP! (KIOTI RX6620 OR NH Workmaster 75 (same as Case IH Farmall 75A)

Technically I'm not brand new but have an urgent issue. See links below for the longer threads but in short: I made the mistake of not buying enough tractor & am about to trade up! I already have #s ready to close deal on either the Kiot RX6620 ROPS/PS or the NH WM 75 ROPS (same as Case IH...

www.tractorbynet.com

I really don't think you need to go as big as that 110hp TYM - that is a LOT of tractor! Almost anything in the 60-75hp range should do virtually anything you would ever want to do... IMO I would not go with anything much under 60HP (55HP absolute rock bottom!) In my case (comparing Kioti to Kioti): If I had originally bought a DK5510 (shuttle trans - 55hp w 49.6 PTO hp) or the NX5510 (shuttle trans - 55hp w 46 PTO hp + a few more bells/whistles) I probably would not have needed to upgrade to the larger RX7320... (note that I emphasize SHUTTLE because the HST setups may be easier to drive for beginners, but they rob PTO hp). If you can drive a car/truck with manual transmission, you can pretty easily figure out a synchro shuttle - even easier to figure out if you get a power shuttle. The only reason I ponied up a little extra $ for the power shuttle was for the sake of making it easier if my wife or anyone else drives the tractor (wife shows ZERO interest in wanting to drive the larger tractor fyi!) Even though I have the power shuttle, I still use my foot-clutch almost 100% of the time.

On the kids thing - just my opinion, but I would never put kids on my tractor - the unpredictability of kids is just too dangerous to be complacent around heavy equipment.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Taking a child for a ride on a tractor is one thing; trying to do any work on the tractor with a child onboard is another. My grand-girl in the photo was a passenger only for pleasure, never working. Buy a side by side for the fun times.
To summarize and expand a bit what many have said:
Renting up front to get things started might be a good idea--and you can get things you many never need again and give them back when you're done.
Buy big enough to do the work, don't buy small for the economy--it's poor economy. Buying too big presents its own set of problems.
Dealer service and knowledge for doing your own maintnance is necessary...get to know the dealers' service guys. That will help inform your decision.
Look and see what toys the other kids are playing with. Talk to them and learn from their mistakes.

 

[ericm979]

Buy a side by side for the fun times.

You're probably going to a side by side for chores anyhow. If your land is really open and flat you might be able to get by with a beater 4x4 truck or one of those Japanese Kei trucks but for a lot of people a SXS is the most useful. I resisted for years and once I got one I regretted not getting it sooner.

I hope you're not moving to the country to save money!

 

[JWR]

I "took the scenic route" to this point in my life of being in my early thirties with two young kids and fleeing to the country. ****head until my early twenties, military, out and used my GI bill, found myself back in a CA that seemed greatly different than what I knew as a starry eyed kid, bought a CA home to do significant renovations on, had a couple kids, sold home and made a mint, moved 3000 miles to 58 acres in NC.

I don't know about tractors in your life but the move sure was a good decision ! The kiddie seat is a very bad idea for many reasons. First VERY few machines have those available, even new, so it unreasonably limits your choices and costs you dearly in too many ways. Second, during the "ride with Daddy years" your lap is the best tool and just do it while NOT doing work. If you must do it for longer periods then use some other vehicle like a motorized utility cart whose name I can't recall and am too lazy to look up. Posts 9 and 10 above are both good advice. There are 1000 variables here and starting into it slow will pay dividends. Trade up to larger if and when you need to, learn as you go, etc. Take the long view -- you don't have to do it all at once.

 

[alexpops]

You might want to check out LS in the 50-60 HP range (unless you plan on doing real farming at some point -- in which case the actual farmers on here have better advice). You get a lot of tractor for the money & you have one of the largest dealers in the country near you If I remember correctly. He sells TYMs as well if that's more your flavor. I was in a similar position to you about 6 years ago. Bought in Florida to "move back to America" after 30+ years in CA. The Auction Market isn't anywhere near as attractive as it was a few years ago, but you can still find value if you take your time & research what's available/coming to auction in the near future -- I've bought all my equipment at auction, but I worked as a car & truck mechanic as a kid, so I understand the older systems better than the computer controlled stuff. The money you save gives you more for implements that make the platform (tractor) more useful. I've pushed my XR 4150 beyond its limits (safety and loader), but it's basically been flawless for my needs (cleaning up storm debris after hurricanes, transporting heavy items, fencing, light woods cleanup) once I figured out its capabilities & gives me ideas for more projects. I was lucky, in that I got the LS with warranty transferred (never had to use) & the machine only had ~160 hours on it when I bought it. At the same time, it won't "Do everything", so I wound up getting the CAT mini-ex for the work I couldn't do with the LS. (ps the CAT and LS together cost me about what the LS would have cost me new from a dealer at the time, so the money saved allowed me to get a trailer, flail mower, pallet forks, grapple, & Auger as well as an extra bucket & thumb for the CAT & the third function kit for the grapple on the LS -- with the warranty set to expire this month -- Deplorable diesel hydraulic pump is next item on the list) I don't mow as much as you, so the ZT was picked up due to better maneuverability around trees in the yard & less weight near the house. R1's & R4's chew up lawns & I wouldn't want turfs in the woods or near my pond doing any real work since the shore mud "moves" depending on rainfall. Recognize that you will need LOTS of storage space for the tractor, its implements AND maintenance work & plan accordingly. The shed I bought the property with is fine for riding mowers, but wont take the Tractor, so a barn/metal building is next big project & the current housing options for the tractor/mini-ex are those portable "garage in a box" contraptions that will keep things out of the weather, but have no room to actually work on any of the equipment. I'm guessing you already have a barn if the land was farmed before, but if not ... that is something else to consider in the decision. Finally, given that virtually EVERYTHING comes from China/Asia these days, don't expect parts availability for warranty repairs to be quick until the current mess clears (if that's why you are looking at NEW).

 

[PaultheMaleNurse]

I don't know about tractors in your life but the move sure was a good decision ! The kiddie seat is a very bad idea for many reasons. First VERY few machines have those available, even new, so it unreasonably limits your choices and costs you dearly in too many ways. Second, during the "ride with Daddy years" your lap is the best tool and just do it while NOT doing work. If you must do it for longer periods then use some other vehicle like a motorized utility cart whose name I can't recall and am too lazy to look up. Posts 9 and 10 above are both good advice. There are 1000 variables here and starting into it slow will pay dividends. Trade up to larger if and when you need to, learn as you go, etc. Take the long view -- you don't have to do it all at once.

The reason behind wanting the buddy seat, and I wasn't clear enough in my first post which was my bad, is not that I want them there for work. That is daddy time.

Some may say I'm TOO safety minded by this but I don't really want them in it EVER, unless they have their own seat with a seat belt. No seatbelt and seat then no joyrides when they are little and no learning to operate it when they get older. I know people did things different in the past (or still) with sitting on a fender, lap, or dad instructing while standing on the 3 point, but I just have very little interest in that risk. Again, trauma ER and ICU nurse and I've read numerous times on this very forum about how dangerous these machines and farm work is. I might consider instruction on a smaller machine when I'm standing off and beside like in a video Tractor Mike put out but even that is not my favorite idea if I could be up in the jump seat instructing instead.


Not in reply to you JWR; we plan to purchase a 4 seater side by side right along with the tractor to move the family around the property. I do have my eye on the diesel kubota rtv right now.

 

[Smily0]

I moved from TX to Central TN 3.5 years ago and bought 43 acres. We do have much more hills than you describe, but, nothing crazy here like I see within a few miles in any direction of me. I ultimately bought a L6060 cab, and have been really happy. The dealer almost talked me into the M7060 for about the same price, which would have been bigger/heavier/more powerful, but overall I'm glad I stuck with the L6060. It fits in my garage bay without modification (biggest reason), and the HST+ is great for precise work. Power wise it has done everything I've asked it to do so far, with the biggest implements being a 8' 3 point brush hog (in my profile picture), and a 7' tiller. I also have a nice tree chipper, box blade, drag harrow, and others. So far, I've only ever wished the loader had a little more capacity. I can unload ~1800 with ballast on the back, but that means I often have to slide a few bags of feed off a pallet. I really wish it could haul a full ton, but not so much I'm willing to upgrade. I love having the cab to help with allergies and heat when brush hogging. I was on the fence on cab/open station, and I'm pretty sure I would have regretted the open station had I not bought the cab.

One thing I wish I had done differently with implements is bought a larger batwing brush hog. I've been looking hard at the Rhino AG TS12 or possibly 2150 (just barely enough HP for this one), but I need to validate some dimensions. Tractor Time with Tim has run them on much smaller JDs, but the PTO/Drawbar on the Kubota was an issue, so I need to check mine first before ordering. Check out his channel to get an idea of just how much can be done with a SCUT or CUT.

My younger kids come along with me brush hogging (again, most of it is flat or shallow hills) from time to time, but they have to stand in the cab. I'm too big for them to really sit in my lap, though they do sit with my wife sometimes. I'm not so concerned with them having a full cab being with me (they are 5 and twins are 7), and I won't take it anywhere that could even be considered a rollover risk. I leave those areas for when I'm alone.

 

[Jac65]

Try to think about what you will be doing on a daily/weekly basis with your tractor. you mentioned building a road. that is a big job, but a one time deal. Once it is in, you just need to maintain it. You don't need to buy a tractor big enough to do everything, you can rent or hire out some of the big earthmoving and other jobs and be done with them. I have a 30 hp that does everything a bigger tractor does just slower and smaller. I can move dirt, gravel, trees, mow, plow etc but I have 60" implements not 96". It meet my needs, fits my barn, and budget. Good luck.

P.s. I have a lot of trees an my property and the ROPS is a pain working around them, if you are working in the wood a cab will be a nightmare and expensive to repair. Unless you live on the machine, open station is my advice for a new owner. Better situational awareness on an open too.

 

[Spartanguy]

Welcome to the East Coast. I had a similar question many years ago, purchased 56 acres along a river in SC - South Carolina, about 20+ acres kudzu covered and the rest had been clearcut years earlier but was coming back to wooded. I had a mess that I could not even drive a tractor through it. I decided on a 85 HP Kubota M series and it has been a great machine. Strong enough to plow my 20+ acres and to push/cut trails through the wooded sections. I finally hired someone to bring a dozer in to clear the kudzu and the stumps and logs under it, piled it up and I burned up most of it, that really made the difference for me. I also sprayed the kudzu when it came back from the dozer work with something Clemson created and it took care of the kudzu. Plowed and seeded everything and now I have great fields, nice wooded acres, about to build my retirement house on the hill. I went with the cab and I am really glad I did, heated and cooled when I need it, you do have to be careful in the trails. I did ride my 2 sons as they were getting old enough (they are grown now), but really just enough to teach them how to use the tractor. If I was really working the tractor then I was by myself. For storage I put up a 80' by 50' building with 20' extensions on both ends, so 120' wide to hold the tractor and all the toys. This was mostly a place for my sons to grow up; hunting, fishing, camping out on the river, riding dirt bikes (even getting good enough to run a few races) and ATVs with their friends - priceless.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

For me, the last thing I would want is any kids, pets, or even adults near the tractor when it's operating. It also takes practice to achieve "situational awareness" when you're sporting tons of equipment stretched out in front of, and behind you, by potentially long distances. (My 6' brush cutter extents about 9' back from where I'm sitting, the back of the cutter makes wide turns). There is zero forgiveness when you accidentially misjudge how close your implements (front or back) are to a thing you're trying not to hit. If you hit, it's 400+ pounds of implement which at any speed is going to break bone or crush someone completely. (400 pounds is about the lightest implement on a compact utility tractor like my MX5400).

NO PASSENGERS!

I have a low level constant fear that my wife or someone will be close, when I'm not aware of it, perhaps because they're trying to get my attention when I'm wearing hearing protectors. I consider anything within about a 20 foot radius of the tractor a no-fly zone for any living thing that wants to keep on living.

Above and beyond that, good luck. I think it's good to buy too big than too small. I rationalize it partly by considering all my equipment to be a long term rental that I will try to take good care of for eventual resale if necessary.

Make sure you've considered where you're going to garage the equipment you want garaged (for me that's the tractor and any equipment with hydraulics or moving parts on on the PTO). Also consider how you'll tow it, or if you need to. Chances are whatever you drive isn't able to tow a big tractor, especially once you factor in the weight of the trailer required. However you may have no need to tow it, and a decent dealer can help you on-site for key maintenance services.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

On the regen issues some people worry about, I really don't know what the big deal is. My regens are rare, and don't interfere with my routines at all when they occur. I would not let regen worries factor into a purchase decision at all.

 

[Beerslayer]

I will admit to not having read the whole thread, but my answer is "no".

(1) The price you're paying for what you're getting drops disproportionately as you move above the size that many "new to tractors" folks think is "too big". If you don't have to trailer it (for a landscaping side-hustle or something), or if you aren't having to deal with very limited space to store it, bigger is better.

(2) More weight and power does more work, and it is safer too. Small loaders tip over easier, small tractors roll over easier when mowing slopes, invariably using too small of a tool tempts people to attempt things they shouldn't.
<snip>

This.

I read all 8 pages of posts and disagree with so much of the advice given.

For your situation I'd find a 100 HP or so Kubota 4x4 with loader. Always buy 4x4. Cab is great. Buddy seat is a good safety option. Get implements sized to that tractor.

I did nearly what you are proposing. Got the 95 acres (25 is field the rest timber), bought big machinery as it was a 200 mile commute for me and I only had a day or so a week to get anything done.

Started with a used 33 HP Kubota with a loader. Bought brush hog and tiller. Kubota is so worn out now that I need to cut off the ball swivel ends of the lift arms and weld new ones on just from mowing. That tractor was way too small.

My dad was right, the larger the machine, the safer they are and easier to operate. I started running a Case 450 dozer by myself at 11 years old, my dad just showed me how to operate it, left me with lunch and water on my 11th birthday and said, "you'll remember this". Later I graduated to a D7 dozer and was amazed how much work I could get done and how much safer it was.

I had an 80 HP David Brown my dad gave me before he died. Was a great tractor but nothing compared to the 110 HP Deere I just bought. It gets used more than anything else here. 100 HP is not too big at all.

My garden is 1 acre and I till it with a 150 HP John Deere and a 22' heavy disk. Doesn't take long.

For field work I just bought a 235 HP Steiger articulating 4x4. Overkill for 25 acres but my 150 HP Deere just wouldn't pull the plow and ripper through the heavier ground. The Steiger gets right to it.

My wife and guests like the 150HP Deere 4630 as it rides smooth, easy to operate, has a nice cab, working AC and a radio. I have no trouble getting someone to put in 3 hours do disk the field. I won't let any of them use the little tractors, too easy for them to get hurt on them.

Pretty much every working farm has children riding in the tractor cab with the parents all the time. Those farmers are raising adults, not children. Those "kids" can safely operate those machines from a very early age, mature early and learn responsibility. Just the other day I met a parade of 4 new John Deere combines coming down the road with a matching set of dark haired teen and preteen girls driving them down the county road. Those girls were operating half million dollar machines and paying very close attention to the work at hand. Wait until you are comfortable with the tractor then let the kids learn to work with you.

I mentioned a 100 HP Kubota above, John Deere is also great but I do like the interchangeability of the skid steer attachments for the front loader. My 110 HP Deere doesn't have that.

I'd avoid any other brands. I've owned, operated and repaired almost every brand and parts availabilty and dealer support is best with Orange or Green.

Finally, plan on getting a backhoe or excavator. I've got a Caterpillar 416D backhoe. It's tough and gets worked like a rented mule around here. Remember, a Loader is not a Digger. Farm tractor loaders are great for moving and spreading loose material but you can break a farm tractor in half trying to dig with it. An excavator in conjunction with a 100 HP tractor loader would work great.

Our Deere dealer has a great financing program for both new and used tractors. My Deere 6115 is a 2013 model, open station and no DEF. Wish it had a cab and a buddy seat.

My current tractor lineup is

33 HP Kubota, worn out
80 HP David Brown, tired
110 HP John Deere
150 HP John Deere
235 HP Steiger
8000 lb Pettibone telehandler
Caterpillar 416D backhoe

I'd like to add a 50 HP utility tractor at some point but what I have is getting the job done

 

[Junguda]

One thing that helped us was driving around the holler and noting which brand, size of tractor was in the field working and what type of work was being done….Tractors in barns or sheds we did not count… Sometimes we’d pull in a drive and the operator would come over… This gave us an idea what others were using in the area and implied what brands had enough support to keep operational… spoiler alert…. We saw all brands… but the usual two were most common… The size was surprising… more smaller were in the fields working… more bigger we’re in the barns sitting… Good luck and keep us posted…