First tractor - did you buy too big or too small?

[chrisjbell]

Too small, alas. I have a B7300 - should have gone up a couple of sizes to something in the 30HP range. On the other hand, it has handled everything that I've needed it to. A larger tractor would have just made things easier / faster.

 

[LBrown59]

I bought an 18 horse Economy Power King with an end loader when I had a half acre lot. I guess it was considered as too big. My neighbors said I was nuts. I got tired of my neigbors and bought 30 acres. The thing was too small now. I bought a Ford 1910 (still have it) and it was perfect.

What year is the 1910?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Talk about an easy life!

We had to push the bus 5 miles to school, up hill, both ways, against the wind. We were far to poor to afford fuel. Wouldn't have been so bad, but the parking brake was stuck on, the clutch was rusted to the flywheel and the transmission was in 1st, the front tires were flat and we didn't have shoes.

jb

You all could aford a bus to push?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I went the big route with a couple tractors I bought in the 1980's. They worked out well for a time, but as retirement aproaches, I've got away from the chores requiring anything big. No hayin', no corn crop, no more land to clear. The biggest tractor (Deere 4250 110hp/mfwd) went away already. The next biggest (Deere 2440 60hp) hasn't seen more than a few hours of bush hogging in the last 16 months. Looks like its days are numbered here. (Son wants it) That'll take my down to 2 (useable) tractors, 40 and 47 hp, to take care of 45 acres. That's more than enough. (3 future restoration projects sitting out behind the barn don't count as "working tractors")

IMHO, once you get a place to your liking, maintaining property is easier with something a little less "monsterous". I personally like smaller tractors with high HP to weight/High hp to size ratio. You can still do the pto work of a bigger tractor without the physical presence of a giant. Heavy tractors compact soil, drink fuel, usually repairs come with a price tag comparable to the tractor itself, and they don't fit between or under trees very well. And then there's providing a protected place to KEEP it.

Bigger may be better. BIGGEST isn't always better. BTDT, got the butchered barn doors to prove it.

 

[3RRL]

I had a Kubota B7800 for my place (20 acres) and it was too small for the jobs I needed done. I put the tractor up for sale, it sold in 2 days, and I'm still waiting for its replacement. I have found, and am (still) negotiating w/ a dealer on a NH TC45DA. I question whether or not it will be enough...but I cannot afford more.

Robert,
LOL .. when your new NH comes in you'll have to change your TBN name.

 

[California]

I think I hit it about right.

I wanted a rig just big enough to handle a loader and lift pallet-size loads. I figured the minimum would be either around 18hp/4wd or a little larger and 2wd, no preference. Anything big enough for that could also handle a bushhog and box scraper at the size I needed. (4 ft and 5 ft.)

A large tractor would be a liability in this orchard since it won't fit under the trees.

And a major emphasis was on inexpensive. At the time I didn't anticipate how much I would use a tractor so I didn't see a reason to have a lot of money tied up in it.

This Yanmar does everything I hoped for and has been inexpensive to maintain.

I finally found its upper limit, the hp is insufficient for disking going uphill. But that project was free help for a neighbor so that is hardly a necessity.

At one time I expected to replace this tractor with a smaller one after I completed some major projects, for example re-aligning the driveway. But now I think this one is permanent.

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