How often do you use your tractor

[KevT]

I guess I use mine a lot. Bought mine last April? and have 123 hours on it. But I am clearing and planting pastures. Once that is done I doubt the hours will remain high, but I use it for everything... post holes for fencing and shed poles, bush hogging, clearing trees and hauling them to a burn pile, running water lines, tilling garden, disking fields, spreading fertilizer and seed, keeping the driveway smooth, unloading hay, and so much more.

A lot depends on what you want to do with your 5 acres? I have 20 in what used to be a hunting camp and working to make it "Happy Hooves Farm"

 

[tman1020]

I bought a brand-new tractor in 1995 I put about 350 hours on it in the course of about 2 to 3 years. Finished all my projects with it and started thinking same as you I should maybe sell it because I wasn't using it much anymore. So I did and I put the money in bonds Lehman Brothers to be exact. Well that was great for a couple years then Lehman Brothers defaulted on their bonds. So then I didn't have the tractor and I didn't have the money and soon after I was longing for another tractor. So then only had enough to buy used junk. Took a long time to build my way back up again in order to get a new one. Now I would have much rather have my tractor then it's equal value in stocks or bonds. So in my opinion unless you really need the money for something else don't sell it unless it's to upgrade to something that would fit you better if you sell it you will miss it. Sooner or later you're going to wish you had it.

 

[IslandTractor]

I use mine about 50-75hrs/year. Not a lot of hours but given what local contractors charge for bush hogging, stump removal and general land clearing it is a good investment. At $50/hr the tractor TLB has already paid for itself in 500hrs. And contractors where I live charge much more than $50/hr for land clearing because we are on an island.

I recently spent about five or six hours clearing land for a neighbor who had been quoted $3K for the job! Got a very nice gift certificate to a nice restaurant out of that work as well as a commitment to provide me with fresh bluefish for all eternity. Lots of good reasons to have a tractor!.

 

[nybirdman]

About 150 hours per year.Food plot prep,land clearing in the summer ,snow removal in the winter.Couldn't be with-out it.
I have 100 acres to play(work) on.Winter use depends on snow fall;the last two years have been busy.

 

[newbury]

Are you sure? I think the meter reads if the key is on even with the engine off.

Yes, although I should have written

only counts a full hour when the engine is at full PTO speed. Otherwise it seems prorated.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/150221-b7610-hour-meter-tach-rpm.html

I've read other threads where some tractors only count hours if the engine is running, regardless of rpm and some like you describe.
I've read CL ads with people claiming their tractors hours were not accurate because they left the key on by mistake.

 

[4570Man]

I have never checked my meter to see if it is prorated. That concept kinda makes sense. My meter does move if the tractor is idling, but I don't know if it moves an hour in an hour. My Cub Cadet lawn mower took a boost of about 100 hours by leaving the key on.

 

[MitchellB]

I wanted a tractor and brush hog...got sick of looking at used junk...bought a 2015 brand new LS xj2025h....with a new brush hog...now I used the brush hog on my 5 acres...put about 10 hrs on it...now it sits in my garage,,,I will probably use it this winter but not a lot...wondering if I made a mistake buying it...paid 15k total....I love the tractor and its nice when I need it but.....

Like most folks say, if you can afford it and need/want it, then you are OK. Personally, I don't use a tractor enough to warrant paying for a new one. And even if I did, I'm too cheap (and poor) to buy new. But I've owned Lawn & Garden tractors/mowers for as long as I can remember, and bought our first real small farm tractor back in 1998 and couldn't imagine life without one now. Just another tool to me. As long as I own dirt, I'll need something to work it with besides a shovel and hoe. As long as the grass grows, I'll need something to cut it. If I was young man, a new tractor would come a lot closer to paying for itself by the time I'm an old man, if repair/maintenance parts are still available that long. However, I'm not young anymore, so I figure my used antique tractor will still outlast me with hopefully minor future repairs.

 

[davesl708]

I use my BX about 100 hours per year. Mowing 1 acre, clearing brush/firewood, clearing snow on 200ft of drive, roto-tilling, spraying/spreading fertilizer/weedkiller and moving large rocks.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Me: not enough. 120hrs in 3mos

My wife: WAY too much!

My 3yr old: not enough with him on it. (safety police please ignore last statement)

 

[peter3759]

Had mine just over 2 years and by the end of today I'll have about 370 hrs on her! Use her in the summer to make improvements and maintain 40 acres and snow removal in the winter. Could not imagin not having a tractor!

 

[Leejohn]

I use at least one of mine everyday. I just know I have used a little over 100 gals of fuel starting in april.

 

[TripleR]

As others have said, if you want it and it causes no financial issues, it is well worth it. We've got tractors that will get several hundred hours a year and others under fifty, none are going anywhere.

 

[STx]

When I'm in the city, only when I have a paying job, probably 2 or 3 times a month. When I'm at my property, it's used every single day we're there, even if its just to carry corn around and refill the feeders. It is, by far, one of the best purchases I've made. I've had it 10 months and have put 120 hours on it, about 1/2 of those paying jobs and the other 1/2 on my place. The stuff I've done on my place couldn't have been done without a tractor and having it sure beats renting it, especially when the monthly payment is about equal to 16 hours of rental or 5 hours hired out.

I only need to about 200 hours of paying work to cover the purchase price of the tractor, so far I've about broken even on fuel, maintenance, repairs and payment vs. what I've earned with it.

 

[Texas Dawg]

Does it put a strain on the budget? If not, then it comes down to how much is your time worth? I use mine on 7.5 acres and spend 50-60 hours a year on it. I may go weeks w/o needing it, but when I do, it is right there ready to hop on and go to work. I suspect, that I would put off or just not do a lot of what I do if I had to take the time to go rent it, haul it home, and then haul it back. In addition, after you have used yours a while, you know where every knob and lever is and what the limitations of your machine are. Occasionally I will have to rent something (attachment or larger tractor) but those are the exception rather than the rule.

 

[4570Man]

If I had to rent a machine every time I needed to do something I would never get anything done. I usually only use my tractor 30 minutes or so at a time which doesn't justify renting a machine. I get more then average seat time ( about 1000 hours a year ) but it is almost all piddly jobs.

 

[IslandTractor]

If I had to rent a machine every time I needed to do something I would never get anything done. I usually only use my tractor 30 minutes or so at a time which doesn't justify renting a machine. I get more then average seat time ( about 1000 hours a year ) but it is almost all piddly jobs.

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

 

[moriboy]

About the same here. I bought a brand new tractor as well, it'll last me for the rest of my life.

About 360 hours in 3 years. Sometimes it sets for a couple of weeks, sometimes I will use it several times a week. Just depends on what needs doing.

 

[Fawken]

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

Yeah, for piddly jobs? I've got almost 4,000 hrs on my 32 year old Ford, but at 1000 hrs a year that would now be 32,000 hours!!! Maybe he meant 100 hrs a year which is about average for most CUT/SCUT owners.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yeah, for piddly jobs? I've got almost 4,000 hrs on my 32 year old Ford, but at 1000 hrs a year that would now be 32,000 hours!!! Maybe he meant 100 hrs a year which is about average for most CUT/SCUT owners.

Yes, that makes more sense.

 

[4570Man]

1000 hours a year is 20 hours a week. That is a lot of seat time for a CUT.

That was divided between about 5 different machines. I am not the only operator of any of the machines, so it is hard to figure how many hours I actually get in a year. 500 hours is more like it.