How much tractor do I need?

[Kosmo]

Hi all,
I'm a brand newbe. I've been reading the forum here for a few months and have now decided to participate. I bought a 38 acre property last fall with a 3/4 mile driveway and need to by a tractor to maintain it. It has a nasty switchback that must be plowed in the winter and I'm assuming will require 4wd. It's gravel so I will also need to grade it during the year. Other uses will be rough cutting about 10 acres of fields on occasion and hauling wood. What's the minimum size tractor I need. I do need to keep the cost down so I can't oversize too much. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Schwartz04]

you will be plenty fine with a 30hp or less tractor and I would recomend the 4x4

 

[IslandTractor]

30hp minimum but I think you could justify up to 40 without worrying about overkill. It is just an issue of time it takes to get projects done.

 

[cperky]

Is the 38 acres hilly? flat? wooded? I like the others think at least 30hp but would probably be better to have 35 or 40. Do you plan on using any pto equipment or a front end loader

 

[WarrenF]

Buy a tractor you can afford. If that is a used one with all sorts of horsepower then BUY IT. You will always wonder what you could do if you had just a bit more horsepower.....if you buy one that doesn't have enough. And you will always smile and find great satisfaction if you have plenty of horsepower.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Looking at your list of needs, I assume that you want a front end loader on your tractor? If so and depending on the amount of snow that you anticipate moving then make sure you buy a tractor with adequate hydraulics.

By that, I mean that the loader raising the loader and rolling the bucket should not take all day or you will be on that drive all day.

Distinguish between engine hp and PTO hp. IMHO, 30PTO is the minimum that you need, 40 would be better.

A six foot brush hog is about tops for 30hp (PTO). That ten acre cut will take about ~eight hours or so to get done.

You mentioned switchback. Is your property hilly? You will want a stable platform. Some of these compacts will take your breath away the way they feel on a sidehill.

If you buy used, big hp is cheap, compact tends to hold the price especially at a dealer. Don't go to big though, no more than say 70hp.

 

[Soundguy]

25-30hp 4x4.. perhaps with loader and an HST tranny.

soundguy

 

[smfcpacfp]

In my opinion, as much as you can afford. The penalty for too small a tractor is that it won't do what you want. The penalty for too large a tractor - there isn't one.

 

[cperky]

The penalty for too small a tractor is that it won't do what you want. The penalty for too large a tractor - there isn't one.

A large tractor can be a little rough around the house. They are not as manuverable in tight spots ,but, they will never be underpowered.

 

[IslandTractor]

In my opinion, as much as you can afford. The penalty for too small a tractor is that it won't do what you want. The penalty for too large a tractor - there isn't one.

Except for:

1) bigger hole in your wallet
2) higher fuel costs
3) larger storage space
4) more expensive attachments
5) less manuverable

Just the right size is best. Challenge is deciding what that is and recognizing that it inevitably comes down to a compromise.

 

[jbrumberg]

Kosmo:

Welcome to TBN ! Choosing the "correct" size tractor is a series of tradeoffs; many of which have already been mentionned. I think you would be best served by a heavy, midframe sized tractor in the high 20's to low 30's HP for manuverability. There have been very few times I wish I had had a larger tractor, and to be honest I really miss my old Ford 1100 (13/11 HP) which was the size of a riding lawn mower when it comes to moving around on my property. Jay

 

[pitt_md]

In my opinion, as much as you can afford. The penalty for too small a tractor is that it won't do what you want. The penalty for too large a tractor - there isn't one.

One penalty for having more tractor than you need...Operating cost. Fuel was $4.17 when I bought some last night.

If all you ever do is what you mentioned, brushhog, snow plowing, boxblading the drive then 30 would do ya just fine. BUT...I will lay even money that you will find yourself wanting to do more and more as time goes by.

That said I have a 30 acre horse ranch (wife insists we call it a ranch) and find that my 50hp 4x4 tractor is just enough. I find myself maintaining pastures, planting hay fields, tilling ground, major construction projects. It just seems to never end. Could I get by with less tractor...probably. Am I glad I went bigger? Heck yes!

 

[RWolf]

I'm kinda like pitt md in I have a 25ac horse property. For the last couple of years I've been maintaining it with a 14hp subcompact (power-king) tractor with a FEL and a MMM. Was I successful? Sort of. Last year while mowing the pasture I got into some rough taller weeds and almost cooked the motor. It would take me almost 3-4 days to mow the 25ac. I now have a JD5103 and it took me about 20 min to mow about 1-2 ac (initial testing) and in some of the heavier brush by the road the tractor didn't even notice the 6ft mower. I now have the power to do what I need to do without worrying about the equipment breaking. BTW: the JD5103 is 40pto hp and it's very easy to manuver around tight spots.

 

[Texashayman]

As Pitt_MD says "That said I have a 30 acre horse ranch (wife insists we call it a ranch) and find that my 50hp 4x4 tractor is just enough. I find myself maintaining pastures, planting hay fields, tilling ground, major construction projects. It just seems to never end. Could I get by with less tractor...probably. Am I glad I went bigger? Heck yes!" form my experience go at least 50hp similar to a 3930 ford with a fel or whatever you favorite brand is...i have a couple of smaller kubota's and they hardly ever get used..the size of a 40-50hp tractor is not much more than a 30 hp and will do a ton more work for the size..

 

[N80]

Acreage is relative. I have 250 acres but most of it is woods. That's way different from having 250 acres of pasture that need to be mowed. My needs are met, on the acreage the tractor is used on, with a light 45hp 4wd.

The OP says he has 10 acres that have to be mowed. Ten acres is a lot to do at one time with a 6 foot mower, but it is doable. Depending on what he is mowing, anything that can run a 6' mower would be fine. A 7 or 8' mower or the need for a HD 6' mower push him up into the 50hp range.

I agree with Texashayman that a small 50 hp tractor would be great. Something like a Kubota MX5000 or M5040.

I also agree with IslandTractor that there are far more 'penalties' to big tractor than people think about. I can tow my L4400 w/loader and the mower with my F150. But anything more would take more truck and trailer than I have. A new truck and trailer....while being loads of fun, is a big expense to add to the expense of a tractor that is bigger than what you need.

Also, as mentioned, the bigger it is that harder it is to use on woods roads, around the cabin, shed, fence line, etc. The footprint of my 4400 is just about max for my uses but as Texashayman says, you can get 50 hp machines similar in size to 40 hp machines.

 

[smfcpacfp]

In my opinion, as much as you can afford. The penalty for too small a tractor is that it won't do what you want. The penalty for too large a tractor - there isn't one.

I was going to say that the penalty for too much tractor is that you could find uses that you haven't thought of. Much as I would like to have more power and could afford it, in reality what I have a B3030 Kubota with 30 hp is just right for what I use it for, most especially snowblowing. If I had a bigger tractor, the snowblowing would take 30 minutes instead of 35, and as some of you mentioned, in my case, I would have a lot of trouble with manuerverablity in a few spots.

It is a guy thing, you can't have too much power.

 

[swampvol]

Acreage is relative.

Thank you!
What portion of that acreage you use the tractor on is what matters.
Actually, what portion of that acreage you're cutting is whats most important.

They're tractors, not dozer's.

If I had 5000 acres with 10 acres to cut, I would be fine with my l3400. Enough to pull a ld 6ft. hog, and small enough to cut all the trails I would want throughout the remaining 4990 acres.

If my land was 20 acres of pasture, then yeah I would want a bigger CUT.

 

[Tritonman]

Lets start with how much you want to spend and go from there.

 

[shimp]

i think u should get a Terramite, it will do nething u need,forever

 

[Kosmo]

Thanks for all the responses. Although somewhat varied, all the imput is good. It helps to read others experiences. This is a great forum.