buying advice?

[old bubblehead]

I'm formerly from TN.

Knowing your hills in that area, an RK55 would be the ideal ticket, balancing power and frame for your needs.

There are several RK stores in your area too.
RK tractors are TYM/Kukje and Yanmar engines. A 60 year history together.
Tractors | RK55 Series Tractor | RK Tractors

Yanmar has made Deere compacts and larger engines for the past 48+ years.
The engines are found in Komatsu, CAT, and other earth moving equipment.
The engines are also in Marine for sail boats to tuggers to ocean cruise ships.

Yanmar engines are global, found in many brands and have wide parts support for decades to come.
When looking for a machine, you need to know about future parts support in the long run.

We've raised several hog breeds. Some are mean and will not hesitate to eat a human. After 5 different breeds, we settled on the Duroc.
Duroc pig - Wikipedia

If you plan on raising other livestock and prefer NOT to have you pastures turn into mud pits, then the grass grassing Red Wattle Hogs are the best. And their meat is closer to beef too.
Red Wattle hogs are known for their hardiness, foraging activity, and rapid growth rate – they may be fully mature at the age of three.

Red Wattle Hog - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Great data, Thank you sir!

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm not a fan of tractor mounted backhoes. You would be money ahead to block out a chunk of time to do your digging work and rent a decently-sized excavator.
Others have already mentioned the importance of the dealership for the tractor you buy...whatever the brand. Check out its reputation for parts and service--not to mention the availability of parts in general for whatever you buy, particularly if you buy used.
Have fun with your project.
I'll wave as I pass through E. TN.

 

[Hay Dude]

Backhoe on/off on a new compact tractor will become tiresome with the other multiple switching of baler/rake/tedder off & on.

I’d avoid any lightweight, non-legacy brand tractor. As an alternative, buy multiple, older iron pieces for similar cost.

Maybe get
1. a used backhoe in the 10-20K range,
2. an older 80-100HP Deere/Massey/Kubota/New Holland/Case for baler in 20k range and
3. an older Kubota/Massey 60-75HP 4x4 tractor with a loader for rake/tedder/bale moving in 30k range.

You could probably do that for similar price to new lightweight tractor and save yourself a lot of back breaking time consuming attachment switching.
You could sell the backhoe later if you get most or all of your digging done.

I’ve been farming and excavating for a long time and the best decision I made was multiple tractors for multiple attachments.

 

[old bubblehead]

thanks for the suggestion, but this place, by farm standards is SMALL. about 13 acres usable farm land, the rest is in trees. by the time I put all your suggested gear on the property there'll be no room left for the hay to grow. (speaking only slightly tongue in cheek)

 

[Hay Dude]

OK, then maybe a legacy brand 75HP tractor with loader and an older backhoe.
Use the tractor for all farming work and the backhoe for all digging work.

Something tells me you can buy an older Case backhoe for about the same price as a tractor backhoe attachment.

The older 75HP loader tractor will hold up better than a compact for hay farming

 

[Carl_NH]

Here's a full sized BH - $9250 Log into Facebook

Here's another $15K Log into Facebook

Yes, these will need some wrenching from time to time and hoses and seals but will do a lot of work and you can sell when done. Otherwise maybe rent an excavator for a month $4-5K and do the bulk of your work.

 

[kenmac]

@kenmac McCormick compact utility tractors are made by TYM, they're legacy Branson models and have been for perhaps a decade. That said, they make the rest of their own lineup.

I don't own a McCormick compact tractor..
This is where and who built my McCormick tractor

McCormick CX-105 tractors, part of the larger McCormick brand (owned by Italian company Argo Tractors), were primarily built in Doncaster, England, at the former Case IH plant, with the line carrying heritage from Case IH's C, CX, and MX-C series, using Perkins engines and sold globally

If he's going to hay, he's going to need more tractor than a compact tractor can do

 

[Torvy]

Seriously check into the rental market near you for excavation work. Here it was about $300 for a day+, delivered and picked up. A backhoe on a tractor runs $7-11k+. That's a lot of rentals and less stress on your tractor. (Not to mention a stronger ex).

 

[thebmrust]

Get a tractor and implements you need now to get you to closer profitability soonest on the farm. Then, you’ll know what you need next.

I foresee a dedicated TLB (not the tractor), a skid steer of some sort and prob an excavator eventually. Yes, some is duplicative, but income is down you have the other tool to use. Or two operators can use both tools.

 

[old bubblehead]

Yanmar’s i-HMT transmission is best in class. Combines best features of a hydro and a gear transmission, plus can be taken out without splitting the tractor.

Key Features and Benefits of Yanmar i-HMT:

• Hybrid Technology: Blends hydraulic and mechanical power for superior fuel efficiency and better power to the ground compared to traditional hydrostatic transmissions.
• Operating Modes: Features three ranges (Low, Medium, High) with clutch-free, shuttle-shift style forward/reverse, allowing for precise, repeatable speed adjustments.
• A/B Speed Settings: Allows the operator to set and switch between two different, precise speeds within the lower two ranges, ideal for loader work or implements.
• Throttle Boost: An integrated feature that allows for an immediate increase in engine RPM without affecting the ground speed, ideal for hydraulic tasks.
• Operator Control: Uses a single drive pedal to control both speed and, with auto-throttle, engine RPM.
• Application: Primarily used in Yanmar YT3-series compact tractors (47-59 HP) to optimize performance for heavy-duty tasks like loader work and cultivation

all great stuff, but there's no dealer within a hundred and fifty miles.

 

[Aquabird]

Cannot speak about the tractors you mentioned.
I bought a Bad Boy diesel zero turn from a tractor dealer, new, years ago. I had a few problems with it from new, one serious and costly. I could not get it fixed by the dealer and reached out to Bad Boy for a solution. Bad Boy wanted nothing to do with helping me whatsoever. I put up with that costly thing for many years and finally traded it in on a new zero turn this year.
I will never buy a Bad Boy anything again, because of the attitude of Bad Boy on helping a customer who bought a premium machine from them...not one bit of concern.

 

[Fred in BC]

I'm a hobby tractor owner (Little Shibaura 13hp.)
But I work on diesel engines on boats.
Kubotas are easier to work on than Yanmars, and parts are more available and less expensive.
Older Yanmar diesel parts are not available. I've never heard of a Kubota diesel that the local Kubota dealer didn't have parts for.

My choice, based on marine experience, and real farmer friends, would be a used Kubota in good condition.

 

[JimR]

Afternoon folks,
I'm new at this, in fact real new. We need a tractor, just bought a farm that we're going to homestead/small farm. The land is rough enough that everyone I've talked to agrees I need a 50 horse plus rig (28 acres, slightly hilly) we're mainly raising hogs, but we're going to raise our own pig food as well, doing regenerative farming. Looking at Tractors, Big green is out, too damn expensive. I need a back hoe, as well as a loader, and I want a cab. I'll end up haying some of it, and plowing a lot of it. Looking at the following: TYM 574, Bobcat 5555, TYM 4058 pc, LS MT463C, Massy MF2M.60, I've looked at the badboys as well, the 5055, but I've heard some people that say they're junk. Anyone want to provide opinions?

I looked at a lot of tractors before I bought my 45hp Kioti NX4510hst. The 45hp was a big step up from my 27hp Cub Cadet. I really wish that I could have bought 60hp machine. If you think a 50hp is going to do the job then you probably should be looking for a 60hp+. Look at the Mahidra tractors also. They are big and heavy. The one that I liked was 1000 pounds heavier than mine. Since I mow sort of soft fields that extra weight was a no go for me.

 

[rScotty]

Backhoe on/off on a new compact tractor will become tiresome with the other multiple switching of baler/rake/tedder off & on.

I’d avoid any lightweight, non-legacy brand tractor. As an alternative, buy multiple, older iron pieces for similar cost.

Maybe get
1. a used backhoe in the 10-20K range,
2. an older 80-100HP Deere/Massey/Kubota/New Holland/Case for baler in 20k range and
3. an older Kubota/Massey 60-75HP 4x4 tractor with a loader for rake/tedder/bale moving in 30k range.

You could probably do that for similar price to new lightweight tractor and save yourself a lot of back breaking time consuming attachment switching.
You could sell the backhoe later if you get most or all of your digging done.

thanks for the suggestion, but this place, by farm standards is SMALL. about 13 acres usable farm land, the rest is in trees. by the time I put all your suggested gear on the property there'll be no room left for the hay to grow. (speaking only slightly tongue in cheek)

OK, then maybe a legacy brand 75HP tractor with loader and an older backhoe.
Use the tractor for all farming work and the backhoe for all digging work.

Something tells me you can buy an older Case backhoe for about the same price as a tractor backhoe attachment.

The older 75HP loader tractor will hold up better than a compact for hay farming

All true, and IMHO that is such good good advice it's worth a second look. Good old tractors that still work OK just seem to continue to work the same forever.
The biggest downside is routine maintenance on two instead of one.
The upside is how much time is saved having a tractor+implement ready to go at your convenience. Being able to do work on your schedule sure does make better use of your time.

As for the space required, there's another way to look at that, too.....
Think on this...
Back when we had one tractor and a row of implements there still had to be maneuvering space left in front of each implement in order to maneuver the tractor and do the 3pt hitching. That turns out to be quite a bit of space that can't be used for anything else, so it might as well be occupied by an older single-purpose tractor already hooked up, adjusted, and ready to go.

Any farm still needs a good utility tractor with a loader for chores, so might as well get that one and a few implements first. That'll give you time to wait for a real deal on the next one.
If you have time on your side, there are some really good old farm tractors and backhoes out there and not much of a market for them. Let them come to you.
Good luck,
rScotty

 

[evojohn]

Also an old bubblehead, i get the reference. My backhoe suggestion is to be very deliberate matching components. I bought a green machine bc it could do everything I needed at the time in 1 machine. Mower, loader, tiller and was simple for my kids to operate the mower. Then I bought a 3 pt bushhog backhoe. They do NOT play well together. I think I damaged my hydraulic pump bc with the backhoe attached I'm pumping to a dead head. Took it to 2 dealers and had 20 year old kids tell me "is fine, it's supposed to sound like that". I'm working on separating the backhoe with a pto hydraulic pump but they're not easy to find anymore.
BLUF: quality dealer support is critical

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Your backhoe should have three lines ... It will not deadhead when all three are connected, likewise when your BH is off, two of the lines should connect back to each other ... That's the normal set up for TLB's ...

 

[KenBike]

I would look hard at a Kubota M7060 HD with the 12 speed. Great tractor and super reliable. If you do small hay bales it enough power to pull a baler and wagon on slight hills. Loader has good capacity and strong 3 point. I have also lusted after a 3 pt mounted backhoe until I rented a 25 hp Yammar mini ex with two buckets for the day for $600 with a trailer. The mini ex is so much faster, worked perfect and at the end of the day someone else has to maintain it.

 

[Texasmark]

Afternoon folks,
I'm new at this, in fact real new. We need a tractor, just bought a farm that we're going to homestead/small farm. The land is rough enough that everyone I've talked to agrees I need a 50 horse plus rig (28 acres, slightly hilly) we're mainly raising hogs, but we're going to raise our own pig food as well, doing regenerative farming. Looking at Tractors, Big green is out, too damn expensive. I need a back hoe, as well as a loader, and I want a cab. I'll end up haying some of it, and plowing a lot of it. Looking at the following: TYM 574, Bobcat 5555, TYM 4058 pc, LS MT463C, Massy MF2M.60, I've looked at the badboys as well, the 5055, but I've heard some people that say they're junk. Anyone want to provide opinions?

Be sure to include LS in your testing. I never heard of them till I accidentally bought one in early 2021. Very impressed. Quite a few around my "hood".....gotta be a reason.

 

[EddieWalker]

There is no such thing as the perfect tractor, or even the best tractor. I wont go into what the better brands are out there because they all have their plus and minus to them. What I think is the most important thing to know when buying a tractor and making the decision on what to get is knowing that one tractor is not going to do everything. I have 4 and I think I'm at a good place. The small one rarely gets used and I probably wouldn't miss it if I sold it, but when I do use it, it's nice to have.

Nothing digs better than a backhoe or excavator. But it's very specialized and it will either be used a lot for a short period of time, or sit for a very long period of time. When just starting out, it would be better to rent a mini excavator, or hire somebody with a mid sized excavator to do the work. It's just to much money to invest in a machine that could be used towards buying a better tractor.

Since you want a cab, you will be paying a lot of money. I just bought my first cab tractor 3 1/2 years ago. It shocked me how much it cost, but even more, it's amazed me at how much use I get out of it because of the cab. Put your money into the best cab tractor that you can afford. I'd stick with a brand that you can get parts for. The all break and you don't want to spend forever chasing down parts.

I financed my cab tractor over 7 years with 0% interest. It cost me $3,000 more then the cash price, or the price with interest. I did the math and the $3,000 was a lot less over a five-year loan with 5% interest, which is what they offered. My payment for a $55,000 tractor is $664 per month. I had to have it insured, and Texas Farm Bureau was something like $40 a month for insurance. I'm not sure exactly right new because I added my other tractors to it, my barn and liability for the farm and dumped Geico for a total of $180 a month. When financing a tractor, you will have to have insurance on it.

My small tractor is 37 hp and it's just too small to really get anything down. My other tractors are 65, 70 and 80 HP. I think this is a very good HP range to be in. Nothing uses DEF. I can pull a 12 foot batwing with plenty of power. I can handle 5 1/2 foot round bales easily, and I can move logs to the burn pile. The 80 hp tractor has a grapple, and that's one of the most used things I own!!! Buy the most HP you can afford, and then some. You will never have enough HP for everything, so get as much now as you can!!!

I keep the 12 foot batwing on my cab tractor all summer long. It's a huge pain to switch implements on the back of a tractor. Once it's attached, I keep it attached until mowing season is over. I keep the auger on the back of my 65 HP tractor all year round because I'm working on fencing. That's another never ending project that I do when I have the money and the time. Finding time is always a challenge because we have livestock and there are always ten things that have to be done every day.

Be sure the tractor you buy can operate a grapple. The day you buy the grapple will be the best day of your life!!! Don't worry about 3-point lift, it's the most meaningless thing to consider. I have controls for my lift arms on my back fenders. It's a very nice feature when connecting and removing implements. I only have it on the cab tractor, and it's something you really appreciate when you have it. Find the transmission with the lowest first gear out there. There will be times that you will pray for a lower gear!!!! Going fast is meaningless, but when you are at a bad angle, you can't go slow enough. Read up reviews on how well the AC works. It's shocking how many people complain about their AC not working very well and having to tint their windows to get a little relief. 4x4 is worth the money. It's the difference between being productive or not operating when you need to.

 

[old bubblehead]

There is no such thing as the perfect tractor, or even the best tractor. I wont go into what the better brands are out there because they all have their plus and minus to them. What I think is the most important thing to know when buying a tractor and making the decision on what to get is knowing that one tractor is not going to do everything. I have 4 and I think I'm at a good place. The small one rarely gets used and I probably wouldn't miss it if I sold it, but when I do use it, it's nice to have.

Nothing digs better than a backhoe or excavator. But it's very specialized and it will either be used a lot for a short period of time, or sit for a very long period of time. When just starting out, it would be better to rent a mini excavator, or hire somebody with a mid sized excavator to do the work. It's just to much money to invest in a machine that could be used towards buying a better tractor.

Since you want a cab, you will be paying a lot of money. I just bought my first cab tractor 3 1/2 years ago. It shocked me how much it cost, but even more, it's amazed me at how much use I get out of it because of the cab. Put your money into the best cab tractor that you can afford. I'd stick with a brand that you can get parts for. The all break and you don't want to spend forever chasing down parts.

I financed my cab tractor over 7 years with 0% interest. It cost me $3,000 more then the cash price, or the price with interest. I did the math and the $3,000 was a lot less over a five-year loan with 5% interest, which is what they offered. My payment for a $55,000 tractor is $664 per month. I had to have it insured, and Texas Farm Bureau was something like $40 a month for insurance. I'm not sure exactly right new because I added my other tractors to it, my barn and liability for the farm and dumped Geico for a total of $180 a month. When financing a tractor, you will have to have insurance on it.

My small tractor is 37 hp and it's just too small to really get anything down. My other tractors are 65, 70 and 80 HP. I think this is a very good HP range to be in. Nothing uses DEF. I can pull a 12 foot batwing with plenty of power. I can handle 5 1/2 foot round bales easily, and I can move logs to the burn pile. The 80 hp tractor has a grapple, and that's one of the most used things I own!!! Buy the most HP you can afford, and then some. You will never have enough HP for everything, so get as much now as you can!!!

I keep the 12 foot batwing on my cab tractor all summer long. It's a huge pain to switch implements on the back of a tractor. Once it's attached, I keep it attached until mowing season is over. I keep the auger on the back of my 65 HP tractor all year round because I'm working on fencing. That's another never ending project that I do when I have the money and the time. Finding time is always a challenge because we have livestock and there are always ten things that have to be done every day.

Be sure the tractor you buy can operate a grapple. The day you buy the grapple will be the best day of your life!!! Don't worry about 3-point lift, it's the most meaningless thing to consider. I have controls for my lift arms on my back fenders. It's a very nice feature when connecting and removing implements. I only have it on the cab tractor, and it's something you really appreciate when you have it. Find the transmission with the lowest first gear out there. There will be times that you will pray for a lower gear!!!! Going fast is meaningless, but when you are at a bad angle, you can't go slow enough. Read up reviews on how well the AC works. It's shocking how many people complain about their AC not working very well and having to tint their windows to get a little relief. 4x4 is worth the money. It's the difference between being productive or not operating when you need to.

I'm not even considering anything not 4WD, I'm in the Appalachians. This ground might as well be virgin it's been left in hay for so long, and undeveloped. That means the root cellar needs dug, the greenhouse needs dug, the stream that feeds the pond has deltaed and needs reconvinced to be a single channel, there's a lot of land sculpting to be done, drainage to be cut... I could spend five years just doing all the dirt work that needs done. Fortunately I'm retired, and so is my wife, and the other couple living on the land, so time is available.
Everyone keeps helping me be as profitable as possible, and I appreciate that.
But
Profit is not the motive here. Self sufficiency is. If I can show just enough profit to keep the tax man off my back one year in five, I'm FINE with that.
Everyone involved in this have been top of our field professionals, who have hung up our duty belts/hardhats/keyboards/teaching credentials, and are now working on being as far away from that rat race, and all of the joys of working with things like nuclear bombs, and server farms as we can get. Yes, I could hire someone to do all the dirt work. And then be bored spitless.
Many folks have said things about "well buy old used iron, it's still good." And in many parts of the nation, that's probably good advice.
This is the part of the nation that believes in "Make it work, and keep it running." If it still runs, and takes less money a month to keep running than a new one costs a month, they ain't selling. We're talking about folks that are still using 1956 Ford row tractors for everyday work. That's not a complaint by the way, that's a brag. I've spent too long in the land of "disposable everything and throw money at the problem."
If this sounds like what we're setting up is a homestead? Right in one. That also means that we need to make everything we can, do multiple jobs. Four tractors is a wonderful thing, and I wish you the best with those.
I had a foreman that worked for me that had six ATVs, four boats on puget sound, three houses and a beach cottage... and worked every weekend to pay for all that crap. I guess he bought it so his kids, and his wife would have something to do, while he worked himself into an early grave.
Not my aspiration.