Buying Advice Advice Needed: New farm owner needs tractor

[jameythompson]

We recently bought 130 acres in central VA and now need a tractor to help manage the property. We lease the pastures to a farmer who grazes cattle, so I do not need to worry about cutting the pastures for now. The tractor will be used for bush hogging the areas around our house and other dependencies (that are not lawn), moving gravel/soil/mulch, moving fallen brush and limbs, clearing the occasional large snow from our ~1 mile road, and working a large residential garden. Being able to move a round bail would be nice, but it is not a requirement. I know I want to include a FEL, bush hog, and snow blade. I think I would like to add a grapple, tiller, and box blade in time. The property is relatively hilly so I know that requires additional power (and 4x4), but I want something that I can get into tighter spots in the woods and is not too big for our garden. Given that I have a grand total of about 1 hour of experience on a tractor (75hp JD), I would welcome advice on size, power and other options and features I should consider.

Specifically:

HP (and PTO HP)
HST or Gear drive?
Rear remotes (number and type)?
Tires: Ag or R4?
Safety Considerations?

We have local JD and Kubota dealerships. There are also dealers that carry Mahindra, Kioti, MF, and NH dealers 25-40 miles away but many are small dealerships.

I have looked most at Kubota and am leaning in that direction (I have a hard time paying the JD premium).

- There is an effectively new L3200DT (13hrs) for sale on craigslist near here that seems like a good deal, but it has no FEL or rear remotes so I would have to add them (would it be better to buy a tractor with these already included). I am also concerned this may be underpowered for our needs. Maybe one of the larger 鏑 models would be more appropriate.
- I like the MX5100, but have noticed a number of people say it does not include a lot of 澱ells and whistles. What options are they referring to? Also, would it be better to wait until the MX5200 comes out this spring?

I welcome any and all advice and suggestions. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[newbury]

Specifically:

HP (and PTO HP)
HST or Gear drive?
Rear remotes (number and type)?
Tires: Ag or R4?
Safety Considerations?

We have local JD and Kubota dealerships. There are also dealers that carry Mahindra, Kioti, MF, and NH dealers 25-40 miles away but many are small dealerships.

I have looked most at Kubota and am leaning in that direction (I have a hard time paying the JD premium).

- There is an effectively new L3200DT (13hrs) for sale on craigslist near here that seems like a good deal, but it has no FEL or rear remotes so I would have to add them (would it be better to buy a tractor with these already included). I am also concerned this may be underpowered for our needs. Maybe one of the larger � models would be more appropriate.
- I like the MX5100, but have noticed a number of people say it does not include a lot of æ¾±ells and whistles. What options are they referring to? Also, would it be better to wait until the MX5200 comes out this spring?

I welcome any and all advice and suggestions. Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome
Horsepower - at least 40 at the PTO
HST if the $$ are there
At least 2 rear remotes
Tires - Ag
Safety - ROPS, weights all over and go slow.

A CUT without a FEL is like a car without a trunk.
Go with a few more HP rather than less, 130 acres is good for a 50HP tractor.
Figure if you will do any "hauling" of trees you need about 1 ton of lift on where you are hauling. 1 ton on the FEL costs more than 1 ton on the 3pt.

Don't ignore used - I bought an M4700 w/ 2 remotes 4wd, FEL for $12K last year in Loudon, Va.

 

[flusher]

Something like my 2008 Mahindra 5525 would work. Diesel, 55 hp, 45 hp pto, 2WD, partially synchronized tranny (8F/2R), power steering, ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift at the pins to 10.5 ft high, skid steer quick attach option), triple rear remotes. Cost: $19K new. All the major dealers have equivalent tractors.



Good luck.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I agree that 40 PTO HP is plenty of power for what you described. It may be cheaper to find a used tractor with FEL already installed than to buy one without then pay $6K to have one installed. If you can swing the deal, new is almost always better than used in most cases. I have Kubota and LS tractors and both have been practically flawless since new.

 

[jeff9366]

That is a good, informative post from newbury.

I would order Industrial Tires R4s, if I had an FEL. They are a bit wider and have stronger sidewalls to support FEL loads. Four wheel drive is essential on hills.

I recommend you consider a Disc Harrow over a Tiller, unless you will only work your garden. A Tiller is too slow for large areas.

As you have hills, an HST transmission, which puts power to the wheels continuously when engaged, would be better than gears.

You will want 5/16" chain grab hooks on your bucket, plus 8' and 12' lengths of 5/16" Grade 70 chain. Chain is cheapest at Home Depot or Lowes where they sell 20' X 5/16", Grade 70, in a bag, cheap, in the hardware section, subsection "towing"

Winter is the best time to buy a tractor. People have Christmas bills and taxes to pay. April - November expect to pay more. Search eBay and TractorHouse.com. On both you can set up searches limited to reasonable distances from your property, say 150 miles.

If you can find an MX5100 with the simpler Tier 3 emission controls, and it suits your needs, buy it. You do not want the complexity involved in meeting the Tier 4 emissions standards, which will be the MX5200, if you can avoid it. (Note: I have a Tier 4 tractor.)

I think an L3200 is too light and is lacking in power for 130 acres.

EXCELLENT, INFORMATIVE POST FOR A NEWBIE HERE.

LINKS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Kubota.../310847116093?pt=Tractors&hash=item485fee933d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KUBOTA-L503.../191035486360?pt=Tractors&hash=item2c7a9a3098

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nice-2010-K.../171225045386?pt=Tractors&hash=item27ddced98a

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kubota-M9540-NO-RESERVE-/271383111248?pt=Tractors&hash=item3f2fb1a650

http://www.boltonhooks.com

 

[diesel lover]

OK these guys are doing great here. All I can say is test drive, test drive and test drive. Some dealers deliver a tractor to your property and let you decide! That is one of the best way to decide.

Are you the only driver? Do you want your wife/ or kid to assist you ? Hst is a fast growing popular transmission. It is easy to drive for any user. Maximum torque can be softly engaged at the wheels using the drive pedal. Pushing very lightly on the pedal creates pulling and pushing torque. Pushing the pedal all the way down you loose torque but gain speed. Your pickup got stuck in the snow?? An hst may be very easy to drive and use to pull out anything stuck. You won't know what your looking at tractor wise till you test at least 4 to 5.


Ag tires vs industrial tires is a controversial topic here. If its your only tractor AG tires may be your only option. My friends dad has had a john Deere 40 horse 4wd, fel for several years now. He has pushed that thing designed what it was designed to do using it for his logging busisness. Has industrial tires and because they are weighted they do well in snow and mud. AG tires will do better but can scar your lawn a small amount.

You won't ever regret buying a tractor you can afford. Of will save you thousands and you will enjoy taking care of your self

 

[jeff9366]

I like the MX5100, but have noticed a number of people say it does not include a lot of bells and whistles. What options are they referring to?

Kubota offers the "L" series in two tiers. The "regular" L's (L3200, L3800, L4600) are utilitarian, medium frame tractors. The "Grand Ls" (L3560, L4060, L4760, L5060, L5460, L6060) have heavier medium frames and every vanity-satisfying option Kubota can think of "standard" and, of course you pay for every one. The most important Grand L features are weight, the HST+ transmission; extendable, pin adjustable three point hitch Lower Links and electronic display panel. There are many other deluxe features. (BUT….you need to add an aftermarket horn.)

The MX5100 has the Grand L heavier medium frame, less HST+ but, Thank God, with extendable, pin adjustable three point hitch Lower Links. It is offered to achieve a competitive price in its size/weight, relative to the Grand L equivalents and Kubota's competition. MX5100 is a fine utility tractor.

We have local JD and Kubota dealerships. There are also dealers that carry Mahindra, Kioti, MF, and NH dealers 25-40 miles away but many are small dealerships.

These are ALL good tractors. In my area there is a medium size Deere dealer and my small Kubota dealer. The Kubota dealer has two people: the owner/manager/salesman and an excellent mechanic. They are always glad to see me. It is evident at Deere that they are focused on ag tractors and Deere implements, not much on smaller tractors.

If you are NOT going to do your own maintenance, it is nice to have local support. My Kubota outlet is six miles away.

 

[TripleR]

I really can't improve on the information already given by some pretty knowledgeable members, all I can do is put forth a few opinions which may or may not be helpful. The bad news is there is no one perfect tractor for your needs and the good news is we could probably come up with 25+ makes/models that will work fine. My preferred tractor for the property on which I live is an L5740HST with Industrial tires, similar in size to the MX5100, but it was not available, so I went up and got an M8540HDC hydraulic shuttle with Ag tires; worked fine and so would any of the tractors mentioned by the other members.

The MX5100 doesn't have the bells and whistles of some, but is very well equipped as are models from John Deere, Kioti, MF, LS etc., so like many I recommend prospective owners consider all brands, research, drive, rent for a day or two to get a baseline if you're not familiar with tractors. Don't get in a hurry and talk to some owners and of course TBN is an excellent resource.

My opinion only; new owners seem to be happiest with an HST, even those of us with some geared tractors will also have an HST, for some things, you just can't beat it.

Industrial vs Ag unending debate, we use both; for mud you can't beat Ag. I know some prefer Industrial for FEL work, but our M8540 has been great with them and we've moved a LOT of rock, dirt etc.

I got three rear remotes on my last tractor and consider two a bare minimum.

We load the rear tires on all our tractors and even like additional weight in the form of wheel weights or cast centers on some. Always use ballast on the 3PH for best results using a FEL and it helps with stability in the hills. We make sure to set our rear tires wide.

Then of course bucket hooks etc. We could all write more than you would care to read, so look around and take your time.

Good luck

 

[s219]

Good recommendations thus far, though I think you might be aiming at disparate requirements if you want a tractor for 130 acres that is also going to fit in your garden and be nimble/maneuverable in tight spots in the woods. I actually went smaller than an L when those last two things were important to me on just 4 acres, and "upsized" to an L later on when they were no longer factors and I was doing bigger chores in open spaces on the same 4 acres. So maybe get more focused on the size/scale of things you're going to do *most* on a subset of the 130 acres and take it from there.

I think HST and front loader are important to pair together (I have used a gear tractor for loader work and it was a chore). R4 tires are a fair all around compromise (get them loaded in the rear).

If your 1 mile road is gravel and you maintain it, I'd move the box blade up in priority -- it's a fantastic tool for maintaining roads and good for lots of other things (including ballast when putting something heavy in the front loader).

For the amount of snow we get in VA, you can get by with a rear blade that is multi-purpose, rather than a front blade that is pretty much only for snow. I'm assuming Fort Union is in the 20-40" annual average snowfall range, correct?

Good luck!

 

[jeff9366]

If your road is gravel I would consider an ABI TR3 Rake. Pricey but versatile. I had one of ABI's Gravel Rascals, which I pulled behind a Kubota RTV 500 Utility Vehicle and it was an excellent tool. I hope to find a used TR3 Rake via eBay.

TR3® Rake - Tractor Implement - ABI Attachments

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ABI+TR3+site:tractorbynet.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8