Looking to buy my first tractor

[Eugene Savoy]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

​

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The Boomer 8N makes 50 hp?

 

[ptsg]

The Boomer 8N makes 50 hp?

Must be the special edition that NH made back in 2009-ish.

TractorData.com New Holland Boomer 8N tractor information

www.tractordata.com

 

[jaxs]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

Gene,I was born on a farm and used tractors for decades. If my grandson asked me the same question(s) and I wasn't going to be there for him next week or next year I'd tell him the same as I'm telling you. Starting at the bottom you will need lots of help for years to come. I recommend you find a mentor neighbor right from the beginning. I or another old timer can answer questions on the net but could do 10x better if there to show you. In return you could do some tractor chores for me while I was teaching you. First rattle out of the box you asked about a tractor I've never heard of that turns out to be some kind of collectors special addition. Getting quick and easy answers sounds real good until you take time to browse this forum and notice how often member advice givers disagree with one another. How will you know who's feeding you a line and who's not? Could a newbie best learn tools of your trade surfing the web or apprenticing with you?

​

 

[jeff9366]

You have not included your LOCATION as part of your T-B-N PROFILE.

1. Click on your "illuminated" screen name in upper right corner.

2. Click on SETTINGS in drop down box.

3. On left side of screen, click on ACCOUNT DETAILS.

4. Scroll down to LOCATION.



In all but a few states a McCormick CT50U would be considered the most minor of minor tractor brands. Replacement parts and mechanics experienced with McCormick maintenance would be nil.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after eight years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors and qualified to perform their own maintenance.


Two factors in CT50U's favor:

1) CT50U will not have Tier IV emission control paraphernalia.

2) Just sufficient weight, no more, to work forty tillable acres. Would pull mostly 72" wide implements = 2.5 (+/-) acres per hour.

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower.

Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

McCormick Intl CT50U​

2008 - 2010 (two years) CTU Series Compact Utility tractor

Series:

CT50U

Dimensions Wheelbase: 74 inches 187 cm Length: 125 inches 317 cm Width: 65.7 inches 166 cm Height (ROPS): 94.4 inches 239 cm Weight: 5,005 lbs 2270 kg Ground clearance: 14 inches Engine Detail Mitsubishi diesel 4-cylinder liquid-cooled Displacement: 153 ci 2.5 L Bore/Stroke: 3.5x4.1 inches 89 x 104 mm Power: 43 hp 32.1 kW Air cleaner: dry element Rated RPM: 2600 Starter: electric Starter volts: 12

TractorData.com McCormick Intl CT50U tractor information

www.tractordata.com

You will never turn a profit farming forty acres.

Can you afford the tractor expense of $30 per engine hour, assuming dealer service, as a hobby? If not, stay with five acres and enjoy yourself with 1/8th of the expense.

A tractor of 2,700 pound bare weight would be sufficient for five acres. Such a tractor could carry smaller trees out of the woods with the FEL and drag 2,000+ pound tree sections out of the woods from the frame mounted drawbar. (2,500 pound tree sections elevated with a TPH cross/drawbar, IF YOUR LAND IS FLAT, )

Very maneuverable, 55" wide tractor.

Tractor DRAWBARS & CROSS DRAWBARS Illuminated

CROSS-DRAWBAR ~~ PHOTO #1 A tractor cross-drawbar mounts through the "bullseyes" integral to the left and right Lower Links of the Three Point Hitch then secured with lynch pins. An inexpensive fitting, known as a drawbar lock, Photo #3, couples the cross-drawbar and one Lower Link to prevent...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[alexpops]

Not sure where you are, but if you're looking at old boomers, check out LS. If your close (or willing to drive a bit) the following link seems to fit your bill with a few used tractors. As I remember, when I was looking, he had TYM's as well if you prefer chinese red to korean blue. BUT ... Jaxs' advice bears listening to. I've pushed my limits to the extreme with less work than you have ahead of you, & would have definitely benefited from having someone nearby that could have told me what did or didn't make sense -- ESPECIALLY if you plan on doing any real farming as opposed to simply storm clean-up, property maintenance & smoker wood collection.

USED TRACTORS — Smith's Enterprise

www.smithsenterprise.com

 

[prairiegirl]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

​

new tractors in that horsepower range are not serious farm tractors, so you would indeed want an old one. They don't make them like that anymore. (unhappy MF owner)

 

[jeff9366]

he had TYMs as well, if you prefer chinese red to korean blue.

TYM tractors and LS tractors are BOTH headquartered in South Korea and BOTH are manufactured in South Korea.

 

[M59]

Eugene Savoy,

I cant disagree with any of Jeff9366 points other than I would have a very hard time believing, unless you got incredibly lucky, that you can find or will find a reliable 50 hp tractor, that can be easily serviced and parts are available for, in this crazy unhinged market for $25K. Since you have never owned a tractor before, have you considered getting some on the job schooling by renting a smaller tractor that targets the 1 or 2 primary uses and get some in the seat and under the hood education under you belt. My gut tells me you are probably looking at a $50K used tractor with another $20K in implements to fully do what you initially listed for objectives.

 

[Yander]

If you are serious about tilling that many acres, step it up to 75hp and get a shuttle shift, not a hydrostat. You can pull larger implements. 50hp is utility tractor size and I think you need to step it up a little. You could do it just take you longer.

Get a shuttle shift either way because hydrostat isn't really designed for a lot of tillage. I like the advice above about getting an older "Farm tractor". EDIted: rereading your post 80acres is wooded I see so you could get by with 50hp but you will be out there a while. We tiled 20acres with an old M Farmall and we got it done.

 

[Torvy]

You will never turn a profit farming forty acres.

Can you afford the tractor expense of $30 per engine hour, assuming dealer service, as a hobby? If not, stay with five acres and enjoy yourself with 1/8th of the expense.

OP indicated another 80 acres of trees. He could make money off of the trees or even transition it to farmland.

Even with 40 acres, he could turn a profit depending upon what he grows and how welll he grows it. More importantly, not everyone who gets into farming does it for profit.

 

[rScotty]

OP indicated another 80 acres of trees. He could make money off of the trees or even transition it to farmland.

Even with 40 acres, he could turn a profit depending upon what he grows and how welll he grows it. More importantly, not everyone who gets into farming does it for profit.

That's certainly true. Not only can there be other reasons than financial for going into farming, the same can be said about tractors themselves.

Back 20+ years ago when I joined TBN, a question about what tractor to buy would become a discussion mostly about what features one tractor came with versus another.
Move up to ten years and the buying discussions centered around the jobs and implements.
Today, most of the discussion is about costs and finance.

I wonder what we will be discussing tomorrow..
rScotty

 

[Raul-02]

New Holland

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Make sure you look long and hard into New Holland and their rep for continued long-term parts support for their smaller tractors.
I can't say that "I know" because I don't know, but I've read that there are issues there.

 

[airbiscuit]

It's counterintuitive, but sometimes you can buy more (bigger tractor) for less. My neighbor has a 95hp Kubota, and I've seen them priced pretty reasonably.

 

[M59]

It's counterintuitive, but sometimes you can buy more (bigger tractor) for less. My neighbor has a 95hp Kubota, and I've seen them priced pretty reasonably.

I don't disagree that the bigger tractors are in less demand and the price curve per horsepower is no longer a logarithmic upward curve like the smaller 20-40 hp tractors, however the video is from 3 Sept 2020, almost two years old. Inflation/ prices have gotten much worse in last 2 years.

New tractors are effectively unobtainable unless one wants to pay nosebleed prices, therefore the used market has risen substantially due to buyers unwilling / incapable of buying new. A month ago I priced a new M62 to see how the price has changed since I bought my used M59, with 230 hours, in 2013 for $38K. A new M62 ( M59 replacement ) is $95K and 1 year before delivery per local Kubota dealer in Knoxville TN. I understand the TLB is not what the OP wants but tractors, new and used, along with implements have become extremely pricey when compared to 2 and 3 years ago. This existing price scheme/market is not the long run norm and I don't expect it to continue. Likely correction to long run norm pricing within next 2 years.

 

[airbiscuit]

I don't disagree. I'm just saying don't rule out a bigger tractor. It might be the better buy.

 

[M59]

Airbiscuit,

Absolutely agree with look at the bigger tractors for all the following: education about machines in general, price vs age, hours on clock, manufacturer, location being sold, general condition, etc, etc, etc.

Schooling ones self is the best way to recognize a bad deal and a good deal.

I bought my M59 out of PA and had it delivered to home in NC. Landed cost in NC was part of the negotiation.

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Yander]

OP indicated another 80 acres of trees. He could make money off of the trees or even transition it to farmland.

Even with 40 acres, he could turn a profit depending upon what he grows and how welll he grows it. More importantly, not everyone who gets into farming does it for profit.

Have to agree here. I could turn a profit off of my 5 acres depending on what I grow. Think outside the box a little. You could do hay on 40 acres. Now living off of 40 acres that is a different discussion and it would take a different kind of farming all together, Veggies, Trees etc. However, even that could be done and is done.

Something else not mentioned if farming, the tractor is only part of the equation. The implements to farm are not cheap at all. Still, can be done.

 

[3gunr]

The op said he had 40 acres tillable 35 of which were leased out , He never mentioned anything about turning a profit or farming it to make a living , Some of you guys either dont read what the Op says Or just want to repeat the same stuff over and over no matter the question. I do agree the Op should look for as big a tractor as he can afford, A 60 hp tractor would be plenty to handle most of the chores he listed.