Advice for first tractor please

[Tharg]

I use a JD870 2wd (28 PTO HP) on our 9 acre horse farm....

That is useful to know. I can't help but think that 30 to 35 HP is the sweet spot for me and the amount of land I have. A Case IH 695 seems just a bit too big really. the biggest paddock is 6 acres and then there is a 4 Acre, a 2 and finally a paddock of about a half an acre.
I just can't find a second hand 30/35 tractor with a loader though. I suppose that the 696 will top the bigger fields in a jiffy though.

 

[Tharg]

Really for our OP, his situation, needs, and location, a MF135 with a loader and Power steering would likely be about ideal.

Finding one is like a needle in a haystack though

 

[rScotty]

Hi All,
I am looking for a tractor here in Blighty (England). I am new to the world of tractors but have been looking for months so I have built up some useful knowledge about tractors in general.
I only have a small equestrian place (not commercial) with c 12 acres of grazing land. I do not expect to use it much, maybe weekly to empty the trailer onto the muck heap and to push the heap around a bit. Less frequent tasks are listed further down). Consequently, I do not see the need to spend exorbitant amounts on a tractor. Presumably an older second hand one or a cheaper new Chinese or Indian one is where I need to look.
I am trying to work out what sort of tractor I need and what will be enough for the tasks described earlier plus topping (or flail maybe), harrowing, pulling a trailer of manure, rolling, some post knocking and managing the muck heap with the FEL (I definitely need a FEL). (I am also told that I need 4WD.)
The land is divided into c 6, 4, 2 and 0.5 acres so by themselves they are not big fields. They are all ridge and furrow though.
I think the right amount of power is where to start. I was thinking 25HP but now I think that 30 is the minimum and preferably 35 t0 40 maybe.
I ought to admit that I am no motor mechanic but I used to be an engineer so I might stand a chance of fixing things.
All advice gratefully received!

There are hobby groups for some of the older tractors, but the only one that I know of for older tractors useful to your tasks are the Vintage Yanmar groups. These are older Japanese made tractors of very high quality and still decent parts and info support. Yanmars are small acreage oriented, powerful 4wd tractors made for mud and FEL work.
What sets them apart is the original design quality and an emphasis on repairability.

Take a look at at the Vintage Yanmar group here on TBN and follow some of the leads you will find there.
In fact, you might post some version of your original message there as well. I think it will open your eyes to a good option.
BTW, I also did engineering for awhile...and then horses.
rScotty

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[MinnesotaEric]

Why do you say that?

They are more useful and a lot stronger. But as one guy noted, if your place is domesticated, skid loaders will tear up grass. Telehandlers will not tear up grass.

 

[paulsharvey]

They are more useful and a lot stronger. But as one guy noted, if your place is domesticated, skid loaders will tear up grass. Telehandlers will not tear up grass.

So, a cheap Lull is $90k, and doesn't mow/bushhog/"top", is a very odd machine to pull a chain harrow, is very heavy, leading to compaction or rutting.

Now, 100% a Lull/Telehandler/shooting boom forklift is an excellent tool, as are skid steers, but not for the OPs situation. He needs an affordable horse pasture maintenance machine; and if I remember right, he needed/wanted a loader. So, I agree the 25-4hp tractors are the right class.

He uses small squares for hay, but without knowing the UK, it probably is wise to build in the option to handle 4x5 rounds? Horse hay may not even be available there in rounds, and I am not familiar really with the large cubes, but I'd guess 750-1200 lbs or 300-500 kg.

Frankly, a YM2000 sized old Yanmar would likely work; but it would be slow.

How is the small used impliment market in the UK? Are used 48-72" mower available?

What i will say, yes, a Telehandler and Skid steer are Miles (or Kilometers ahead for our OP) of a small tractor for loader work, but for moving manure around, he likely is ok. If you get something in the small utility size, I think you will be fine with 2wd, but I don't know how soft your soils are. I do think you want/need power steering.

On impilments, are you thinking PTO or ground driven manure spreader? I haven't really seen a PTO driven, but I know they exist, just don't know HP requirements.

Not pushing the brand, but I think my Kioti Ck2610 would do everything you describe, but would be maxed out with a 5 ft cutter.

The post driving, you will need aux hydralics on all of them I have seen, possibly 2 sets of rear remotes, but i think some may only need a single set?

 

[Farmer495]

I could use, at times, a skidsteer or telehandler, but I definitely would not own one instead of a tractor for general farm use.

 

[rScotty]

I think we have gotten way off the track. A good 25 to 40 hp used 4wd with a FEL is what the OP said he is looking for. There are active gray market used internet tractor groups all over the world - especially in Europe. They specialize in second hand & refurbished small farm tractors. I think those are the connections that will do him some good right now.
Twenty to fourty years ago there was a lot of that in the US - small shops selling used loader tractors. I could visit half a dozen in an afternoon. But now they are all gone, and rural interests here have changed to emphasize new tractors, special purpose machines, and the economics of same.

If the OP is interested in the finer points of the new compact tractors available today, this forum is perfect. We have a ton of knowledge there. But not so much on older ones. That is a bit of a shame, because tractors haven't changed all that much since the first of the compact oriental farm tractors showed up in the US some 50 years ago. They are shinier now. HST tranny, power steering, and cabs are more common...but the basic tractor is still very much the same as it was.

Oh, and the older ones are a fraction of the cost of newer, mostly because we don't have the secondary repair industry supporting used equipment that used to be so much a part of rural life.
rScotty

 

[Tharg]

So, a cheap Lull is $90k, and doesn't mow/bushhog/"top", is a very odd machine to pull a chain harrow, is very heavy, leading to compaction or rutting.

Now, 100% a Lull/Telehandler/shooting boom forklift is an excellent tool, as are skid steers, but not for the OPs situation. He needs an affordable horse pasture maintenance machine; and if I remember right, he needed/wanted a loader. So, I agree the 25-4hp tractors are the right class.

He uses small squares for hay, but without knowing the UK, it probably is wise to build in the option to handle 4x5 rounds? Horse hay may not even be available there in rounds, and I am not familiar really with the large cubes, but I'd guess 750-1200 lbs or 300-500 kg.

Frankly, a YM2000 sized old Yanmar would likely work; but it would be slow.

How is the small used impliment market in the UK? Are used 48-72" mower available?

What i will say, yes, a Telehandler and Skid steer are Miles (or Kilometers ahead for our OP) of a small tractor for loader work, but for moving manure around, he likely is ok. If you get something in the small utility size, I think you will be fine with 2wd, but I don't know how soft your soils are. I do think you want/need power steering.

On impilments, are you thinking PTO or ground driven manure spreader? I haven't really seen a PTO driven, but I know they exist, just don't know HP requirements.

Not pushing the brand, but I think my Kioti Ck2610 would do everything you describe, but would be maxed out with a 5 ft cutter.

The post driving, you will need aux hydralics on all of them I have seen, possibly 2 sets of rear remotes, but i think some may only need a single set?

Hi,
The rectangular bales are tied with two twines; I can lift them to about 6 feet and my wife can lift them as well but not so high. I don't know if that helps to gauge the weight.
Hay can also come in round bales in England but we only take the ones described earlier.
We are in clay and it stays wet and soft approximately from October until May.

I definitely need a loader so that I can manage the muck heap.

Interesting that you suggest 26hp. I have a sense that 26hp would be a good weight and size for our land but very slow to too/flail and that a 50 to 70 hp would top quickly but might be too big and heavy. Rightly or wrongly, I sense that a 26 will be usable for more of the year but I don't want to be stuck with creeping thistles going to seed.
Without any experience whatsoever, it is something of a conundrum.

 

[rumwrks]

We are in clay and it stays wet and soft approximately from October until May.

I definitely need a loader so that I can manage the muck heap.

You definitely want four wheel drive. Plus that makes loader work a lot easier.

You're on point with the 25HP being slower for the flail/mower. I'd agree 35-55 is kind of your sweet spot for what you want to do. You could definitely get away with a 25HP machine, I can mow the 2 acre upper field with one in a couple of hours if I don't let it get to long, but it's a lot faster with the 55HP even with the same size mower just because I can go faster (and I'm working on getting a mower at least 2' wider for the bigger tractor which will be even faster). It kind of depends a bit on how much your time versus money balance works out.

Note that there are a bunch of 25HP machines that are in the same weight class as some 35/45/55HP machines (in fact some are built on exactly the same chassis) so the weight difference on those is minimal, there are ofc also some lighter built 25HP machines that DO weight about half as much so it depends on how you compare them.

 

[patterroni]

Hi All,
I am looking for a tractor here in Blighty (England). I am new to the world of tractors but have been looking for months so I have built up some useful knowledge about tractors in general.
I only have a small equestrian place (not commercial) with c 12 acres of grazing land. I do not expect to use it much, maybe weekly to empty the trailer onto the muck heap and to push the heap around a bit. Less frequent tasks are listed further down). Consequently, I do not see the need to spend exorbitant amounts on a tractor. Presumably an older second hand one or a cheaper new Chinese or Indian one is where I need to look.
I am trying to work out what sort of tractor I need and what will be enough for the tasks described earlier plus topping (or flail maybe), harrowing, pulling a trailer of manure, rolling, some post knocking and managing the muck heap with the FEL (I definitely need a FEL). (I am also told that I need 4WD.)
The land is divided into c 6, 4, 2 and 0.5 acres so by themselves they are not big fields. They are all ridge and furrow though.
I think the right amount of power is where to start. I was thinking 25HP but now I think that 30 is the minimum and preferably 35 t0 40 maybe.
I ought to admit that I am no motor mechanic but I used to be an engineer so I might stand a chance of fixing things.
All advice gratefully received!

Hi there! It sounds like you've done a lot of research already—great start! For 12 acres with the tasks you’ve described, a tractor in the 30-40HP range with 4WD and a front-end loader (FEL) sounds spot on. Ridge and furrow terrain might benefit from the extra power and stability of 4WD.

Older, well-maintained second-hand tractors from brands like Massey Ferguson or Ford could be great, as they are durable and have accessible parts. Alternatively, newer, budget-friendly options from Indian or Chinese brands can also do the job but may require a bit of caution around build quality and after-sales service.

Make sure to inspect the hydraulics and FEL thoroughly and check for leaks or excessive wear. For your uses (topping, harrowing, manure handling, etc.), attachments like a flail mower and a post-knocker will be very useful, so ensure compatibility.

Good luck finding the perfect tractor for your needs—sounds like a fun journey ahead!