I need help deciding HP needed

[tonydga]

I am in the market for a tractor with front loader, but I have no idea what hp I need. The major uses for the tractor will be to level about 3 acres of land and redo a dirt drive and clear out some brush. I know that I will need a box blade, but what hp tractor is powerful enough to level land with a box blade? I was thinking small like 24hp, but someone told me I needed 50hp.

 

[teg]

How big of a rush are you in? How deep are your pockets? ($$$$) You can use a small tractor, it will take longer but you can get it done.

 

[newbury]

You need a bulldozer for a few days AND THEN get a tractor sized for maintenance.

 

[jeff9366]

How capable a tractor is is defined by its WEIGHT.

Most Georgia soil is pretty tough stuff. Ground contact work requires quite a lot of tractor weight.

Based on minimal information provided I suggest a tractor with bare weight of 3,000+ pounds. A tractor of this weight can pull/operate a Box Blade with a weight of 120 pounds per foot of width, which is what it takes to cut tough dirt.

Bulldozer first may be a good idea.

 

[tonydga]

I'm not really in a rush to completion but in a rush to get started at least to see some progress so that I feel like I'm making a difference, if that makes sense. As far as $$$, I really wanted to stay under $15,000. I found a 2004 John Deere 790 with 300 hours for $12,000. I believe that is about a 30hp.

 

[kthompson]

Don't buy for temopary need. Rent or hire for that. I have a 91 motor hp with fel and it has great lift capacity. However it is oversize for working in our yard. I use it but will not fit in tight areas and unless dry will leave tracks. Think on your long term use and buy for that.

 

[jeff9366]

I used to own a John Deere 750. John Deere 790 is a very sound, uncomplicated tractor.

It would be fine for maintenance after heavier equipment did your leveling. The Deere 790 is too light (2,000 pounds, bare tractor) for leveling work.

Here are the specs for the Deere 790: TractorData.com John Deere 790 tractor information
Some were 2-WD, some 4-WD. Know what you are inspecting.

 

[fried1765]

I am in the market for a tractor with front loader, but I have no idea what hp I need. The major uses for the tractor will be to level about 3 acres of land and redo a dirt drive and clear out some brush. I know that I will need a box blade, but what hp tractor is powerful enough to level land with a box blade? I was thinking small like 24hp, but someone told me I needed 50hp.

Follow the NEWBURY advice!
Hire somebody with a dozer for a few hours.
Then you can trim it up with a tractor pulling a box blade.
IF you get 30+HP you can pull a 5' box blade, if the Georgia red is not wet.

 

[RNeumann]

The someone who told you you need 50hp for 3 acres like to spend your money! Most HP is used for implements like brush hogs, mowers and farm equipment. For ground engagement work like the BB the weight of the machine have a bigger impact.
Under $15,000- try Mahindra eMax or 1526, Kubota B series, Kioti also makes solid machines. Typically you pay a bit more for Kubota and JD.
The implements you buy will be sized for the machine you purchase. A 50hp tractor may have a 7' box and a 25hp machine may have a 5' box.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

50hp like you have seen would blow your 15k away and ask for 15k more lol.

My buddy has a 28Max with a backhoe and FEL, it's a 2013 model I believe, it's a very stout machine but only weighs around 1800lbs I think.

The problem that you face is, your expectations are really high for a little machine, my buddy with that 28 max did the same, within the first week he talked about trading it off for a bigger 1538 tractor because the 28 max couldn't lift chunks of concrete sidewalk for him.

So far he still has it but my point is that these little tractors are little lol they will get the job done VERY slowly.

I have a 4320 which is 48hp at over 5k lbs and I wouldn't think it would be very useful for heavy ground work, I feel even at its weight would spin tires with the R4 tires.

To get a smaller tractor to pull harder Tires, Weight and 4x4 is very important, R1 tires are gonna pull hardest and turf prob the worst.

Grading existing drives, a land plane is very effective, faster and more efficient than a box blade but the box blade digs better on new ground.

If I had to dig deep in soil I would buy a 2-3 bottom plow and disk, fastest way to dig up soil with a tractor I feel, plow to dig, remove dirt with FEL and smooth with a 6-8ft disk.

I have never graded with a tractor but that's how I would approach it.

 

[newbury]

I'm not really in a rush to completion but in a rush to get started at least to see some progress so that I feel like I'm making a difference, if that makes sense. As far as $$$, I really wanted to stay under $15,000. I found a 2004 John Deere 790 with 300 hours for $12,000. I believe that is about a 30hp.

This is the ~50HP M4700 I got for about $12K in 2013

.

But it took about 6 months of serious shopping around.

 

[Egon]

A JD 790 should do fine if you have time. The loader bucket will do it all. Follow up with a heavy drag about ten feet long that's pulled by chains. That way you can use the chains for angling. The drag can be almost anything. Railroad tie, I beam, big log, a baulk of wood etc.

Depending on the brush,trees and terrain three acre's will go faster than you think. I have done the same as you on a little over an acre with a sixteen horsepower Kubota B7100. Tree's removed were poplar, alders, Hawthorne and some gray birch. Trunks were up to ten inches in diameter. Rototiller and used a home made harrow for smoothing out. At present I am quite confident my JD 4200 with backhoe would have no difficulty doing the same work only a heck of a lot faster.

 

[jeff9366]

You can buy a Chain/Drag Harrow pretty cheaply. Add a Boom Pole lift if you need additional maneuverability.

LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...c-countyline-tarter-boom-pole.html?highlight=

 

[fredflintstone]

also you mite want to look at an LS a good bang for the buck they are about the same as a newholland boomer
made by same company .couple yr ago I bought an LS 4140 41hp was a new non currant model $17.200 couldn't
even come close to anything else that size including YTM, MAHINDRA. BOTA has the name and price also JD.
ALL NEW TRACTORS are pretty good and mostly run out of traction before you loose power so weight makes a big diff
in what your tractor can do and these are just observations of a kinda newbe good luck and buy the biggest you can afford
pays to look around

 

[bookmyer]

I'm not really in a rush to completion but in a rush to get started at least to see some progress so that I feel like I'm making a difference, if that makes sense. As far as $$$, I really wanted to stay under $15,000. I found a 2004 John Deere 790 with 300 hours for $12,000. I believe that is about a 30hp.

I think that would be fine. I'd make sure that it has front wheel drive especially with a loader on a tractor that size.

 

[tonydga]

Thanks so much. A lot of good suggestions and opinions that I appreciate A LOT. I think I have decided to get someone out with a dozer to do the initial level and then get a 30hp or so tractor to maintain the property and little jobs that I need to do. I've had the property for 1 1/2 years and it's been trail and error (the errors cost $$ unfortunately).

 

[Musdalen]

tonydga, good move. These guys just saved you a bunch of money in the long run. Clearing acres and getting it stump free in particular is ridiculously fast and easy with big equipment - that you would never need again. They can level it fast with GPS equipped gear too. But you will be glad to have a small tractor up ahead when you need it for smaller, frequent, and varied chores.

 

[JimRB]

The Georgia Market Bulletin has a listing for a JD 870 in Macon with 915 hours for $5,700. No mention of a loader. I can move some dirt and gravel with my 870 2wd but it is not the fastest. There was a 1070 in the Bulletin a few weeks ago that would really do some work for a small tractor.

 

[mike69440]

BrokeFarmerJohn
Max26/28 with BH is still a small machine but weights about 3,200 lbs, Bare tractor is 1850 lbs

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

BrokeFarmerJohn
Max26/28 with BH is still a small machine but weights about 3,200 lbs, Bare tractor is 1850 lbs

You are correct, thanks for the correction. I'm not even looking it up because the weight I got was from tractor data I believe and I'm sure it's just the tractor, I don't remember looking up the loader or backhoe.