Do I need a tractor?!

[seaweaver]

Silly Q on tractor website!
I'm moving to NC and we are buying a house on 10 acres of forest. I'll need to cut in a pasture perhaps 1.5 to 2 acres for my brides pony...and If I know my bride..."soon to get" new horse. As my daughter will out grow the pony in 3 years that will be "upgraded" too. Besides the kick of owning a tractor, do I need one for: dragging trees, pulling stumps...ect.
There will not be a lot of extra money laying around after this land purchase so I doubt I can handle the cost of hiring someone to clear it for me(I think).
I have an F250 4x4... should I do what I can w/ that and hire someone to grade it?
I have always liked the idea of a tractor, but have no idea of operating costs. I saw a gas TE20 tractor w/o attachments for 2k ...I guess I would need a box blade and a manure spreader later...
I saw a Case International 234 w/ box,spreader and mower for 3k and it was a diesel which I'm partial to.
Are there small utility tractors that are more inexpensive to own /maintain than others? I'm going to be a "home daddy" for a while so I could really get busy landscaping and adding value to the property.
The idea of a loader gets me ramped up as I could cut my new shop into the hillside.
Thoughts, suggestions?
Thanks
cw

 

[cubcadet69]

look on craigslist,you will find a tractor.for what you are doing a gas machine will work.you can always upgrade later.you can find older fords and ih pretty cheap

 

[brandoro]

A small diesel tractor with FEL and a few other attachments will be one of those tools that you will use more than you imagined you would before you got it. Jobs that would be tough, backbreaking work without will be close to play with the tractor.
I tell people that having the tractor and loader is like having four strong friends who don't get tired and don't drink any beer. :thumbsup: Amazing how much work a tractor will do on a little bit of fuel. A word to the wise, if you get a diesel tractor always call it that, don't ever say it needs "gas", or that you are putting "gas" in it. If you call it "gas" sooner or later someone will help you out by putting "gas" in it.
Having said that, there will still be some jobs where it is more practical to hire someone with a big machine to come in and do the bulk of a job quickly then you can use the tractor to clean up.

 

[Ezlivn]

Silly Q on tractor website!:thumbsup:

Simple answer...YES!!

 

[RadarTech]

Welcome to tbn!

Several thoughts.

1 check your budget. If you can afford 2k cash, check out a loan. Since you are in nc there may be some tax breaks with the horse. Not positive but I have heard the scuttlebutt...


2 many dealers are offering 0 percent loans..

3 the loader is almost a mandate with a horse and farm land.

4 go to a dealer test drive.

5 if you can't go to a dealer, rent and see what you like..

6 Your physical attributes.. Ie.. I have a sometimes tender left knee.
That means alot of clutch work is not fun for me. If you have issues liKe that consider that when making decisions.

7 parts.. If you buy a used older tractor consider what it will take to maintain it.. Tires, spare parts, why is the owner selling it. Can you afford $ 500 or more for random failures?

8 how mechanically inclined are you? Can you repair it yourself?


Lots of things to consider when buying used....


On a side note, where in NC?

I hope this helps!


J

 

[MarkV]

Welcome to the forum!! I think you will need a tractor eventually. My advice would be give it a little time for the monies to recoup and to get a better feel for country life. Clearing two acres and turning it into pasture to support horses is no easy task, even with a tractor. Around here in N. Georgia excavation companies charge $2500 - $3000 per acre to clear, stump and grade. By the way, tractors do not pull out stumps of size easily if ever. Then you need to plant and keep the horses off for a year to let the pasture develop. Without the pasture you will be feeding hay for a good while. That can become a chore to move by hand. Round bales are usually cheaper but require a tractor, of size, to move. Then there is firewood, manure, road grading, pasture mowing and you might even get a snow now and then in NC.

Yep, you need a tractor. Give it some time so you have a better feel for your needs. Also be careful of $2k & $3k tractors unless you are very mechanical.

Good luck,
MarkV

 

[flusher]

Silly Q on tractor website!
I'm moving to NC and we are buying a house on 10 acres of forest. I'll need to cut in a pasture perhaps 1.5 to 2 acres for my brides pony...and If I know my bride..."soon to get" new horse. As my daughter will out grow the pony in 3 years that will be "upgraded" too. Besides the kick of owning a tractor, do I need one for: dragging trees, pulling stumps...ect.
There will not be a lot of extra money laying around after this land purchase so I doubt I can handle the cost of hiring someone to clear it for me(I think).
I have an F250 4x4... should I do what I can w/ that and hire someone to grade it?
I have always liked the idea of a tractor, but have no idea of operating costs. I saw a gas TE20 tractor w/o attachments for 2k ...I guess I would need a box blade and a manure spreader later...
I saw a Case International 234 w/ box,spreader and mower for 3k and it was a diesel which I'm partial to.
Are there small utility tractors that are more inexpensive to own /maintain than others? I'm going to be a "home daddy" for a while so I could really get busy landscaping and adding value to the property.
The idea of a loader gets me ramped up as I could cut my new shop into the hillside.
Thoughts, suggestions?
Thanks
cw

Operating costs--fuel, oil, filters--not that expensive even for a diesel
Ownership costs-
-new tractor: monthly financing payments are the big bites (0% financing is usually available somewhere)
- used tractor: parts (cost and availability), shop labor (less if you can turn a wrench yourself).
-Cutting into a hillside--not a job for your front end loader (it's purpose is to scoop loose material). A utility tractor is not a piece of construction equipment.

 

[jake98]

Ten acres, no doubt you need a tractor. Start with small projects first, like making trails, driveways, etc., clearing forest for pasture is a big project. Good luck, welcome to TBN!

 

[LarryD]

10 acres + horses...You NEED a tractor.

I don't know what type of clearing you're looking at but a 10" stump can offer a lot of resistance. When we bought I hired a guy to turn 2 acres of jack fir and old stumps (24"+) into a pasture. I was ready for seed in a week. It would have taken much longer with my 33HP tractor and the big stumps would still be there since I only have an FEL.

I waited a couple years before I bought mine and all I can say is, WHY did I wait? You NEED a tractor.

 

[whistlepig]

We have horses. Get a tractor with a FEL. The wear and tear it saves on one's body makes them well worth the addition cost. You are going to need a brush hog and post hole digger also.