Looking to buy my first tractor

[Fastdraw]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

​

Brother dont walk...RUN!! from that 8N, I used to work at the manufacturing plant in Dublin GA where we built them, they are a complete basket case of experimental parts and cheap junk!! The CVT is weak and unreliable, the hoods crack because they are Gelcoat fiberglass, the seats are awful and uncomfortable, and they are discontinued and parts are hard to get, dont let anyone fool you about it, if its one of the first 1200 those were recalled and completely disassembled after 4 months in the field due to a powder coat issue we had on the engines and drivelines...those were hastily reassembled afterwards, you dont want anything to do with an 8N or New holland with the CVT, anything after 2012 is junk.

 

[extractr]

When you test drive them, check the shifting. Clutch's can be an issue. When you push in the clutch, it should stop spinning quickly. I would also recommend diesel instead of gas to avoid carb issues. I picked up a Case 685 for 10k with loader and it does all I need. My first tractor was a 70's backhoe. I loved it, it was built like a tank and had lots of power for only a 35hp but I missed the pto option. It was great for clearing brush and stumps. Another issue is finding a mechanic and they can charge up to 150 an hr. Weight can be an issue if you need to transport it so check trailer specs. If you plan on using the bucket a lot, make sure it can lift what you need. Lifting capacities vary. Tractordata.com is a good source for tractor specs. Last of all, be prepared to do some driving.

 

[Humblebub]

All good advise but I just nodded at finding a mentor. I bought my first tractor 6 years ago and asked my 75 year old farmer neighbour for advice. He sat me down and said, "now listen closely". His advice was pure gold. He saved me 10s of thousands and every bit of advice was sound. He is now 81 and I still rely on his wisdom (and assistance).

I live on a farm based island and have two Kubota dealers within 30 minutes. As I only play on 5 acres I settled on a kubota 2370. Love my little tractor. It handled a winter with 18.5 feet of wind driven snow and never let me down.

Craig

 

[Randy52]

I have a TYM 394 and a 494 love them both havent had any problems with either yet. Very reasonably price built well. I use an Allis Chalmers D 21 for heavy work.

 

[rScotty]

Choosing a tractor to fit is as much about the owner as the tractor. You can basically do any job with any decent tractor.
Everyone looking to live on the land also has a truck or pickup. Lots of options there as well, and choices made there carry over to the choice of tractor.

A person who enjoys building and tinkering as part of living on the land will gravitate towards one sort of tractor. That person probably considers his workshop an important part of the farm, finds used and pre-emissions gear type tractors interesting and useful, and thinks of a nearby dealer as being handy more than a necessity - though not as handy as a nearby hardware store.

The person who doesn't enjoy working with his hands so much will want something new and with a local dealer. He may or may not have a workshop, and probably oversees more of the routine building and maintenance on his place instead of doing the work himself.

What I am saying is that the choice isn't just about what the tractor can do. It's also about what the person buying the tractor sees as his role and what he/she enjoys doing. There's plenty of work for each - it's just a difference in the way that the job is approached.

rScotty

 

[FERLING]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

​

New Holland Workmaster 50, 60, or 70. Look at new then compare against what you can find used. The extra weight this tractor has will make a lot of difference. That is a HD 8 ft. box scrape ln picture on a Workmaster 50.

 

[M59]

Appreciate all the responses.

I do believe too, we'll end up getting two tractors. One for the field, one for the woods. For now, I think the Ferguson does all we'll need and when(if) the time comes to take on more land, we'll get a dedicated tractor.

My wife, soon to be baby and I are still young (20s) that come from a suburban back ground, and are "retiring" into a different way of life. Financially we have been saving to do this for the past five years and this year our feet have hit the ground.

We aren't doing conventional farming, just enough to feed ourselves, stock our cellar with canned goods for our growing family, fill the freezer with meat and feed the livestock.

Growing seasons are short and there are plenty of cons about this region, but for us it is still viable and the pros outweigh the many negatives of the more "desirable places"

Anywho, check this out
CT50U
"2010 McCormick CT50U 43hp 4x4 4 cylinder diesel power steering, with loader. Starts at first crank with no smoke or blowby. Everything works on the tractor as it should. Has 16 speed transmission with forward reverse shuttle shift. Has 700 hours. Excellent condition. Tires are approx 85%. Has rear remotes. Tilt steering wheel and quick disconnect loader and bucket"

Eugene Savoy,

Based upon another contributors response about 4 wheel drive. Torvy indicated their is a difference between full time 4 wheel drive and part time wheel drive so I looked up the McCormick CT50U on TractorData.com McCormick Intl CT50U tractor information which indicates it is "4x4 MFWD 4WD". So what is MFWD? I looked up Kubota M59 which I am familiar with and it too is "4x4 MFWD 4WD". Here is my concern. The M59 is by default 3 wheel drive. Both front wheels and the left rear wheel. You get 4 wheel drive ONLY when you step on a lever to engage the right rear wheel and keep your foot on that lever until you no longer need 4 wheel drive. The lever locks the rear differential.
It is easy to get a 4 wheel drive tractor, running R4s, stuck when the ground gets wet, slippery, and mushy. I know this from experience when I left the M59 in a field overnight, at which time it rained, and I then had to resort to using the backhoe to pull myself out of the muck. Left 20 inch deep ruts.

Keep this in mind when you look at the McCormick CT50U since you best know your property.

 

[Egon]

Eugene Savoy,

Thanks for adding your your location. I am impressed you want to take on farming, in retirement, in upper Maine with its short growing season so Egon, in Nova Scotia, should be especially helpful with tractor suggestions, growing season, crops, and all importantly, the weather. My wife has cousins in Presque Isle and Bar Harbor so we have some idea of seasons and weather.

Best wishes in your retirement and farming plans.

Egon grew up on a farm in the land of Alberta. This was at a time that a large tractor was maybe forty or so horsepower. Many farms of 320 acres were worked with two wheel drive 30 HP or less tractor with no three point attachments. There would be a pro and belt drive. Things have changed since then.

 

[charles todd]

For that acreage, I'd step this to 60-75 hp. Budget is small. LS is solid brand. On our farm we have LS, IH, JD, Ford, Case.

CT

 

[rScotty]

For that acreage, I'd step this to 60-75 hp. Budget is small. LS is solid brand. On our farm we have LS, IH, JD, Ford, Case.

CT

I'd spend 80/90% of your budget get a good 40hp 4wd tractor, ten years old or more, shuttle, with good FEL and open station. That is what I call a traditional "utility chore" tractor.

The big tractor can wait. You will want one eventually; not today. If you live there a few years and get known as a neighbor, I'd be surprised if you aren't offered a good old big tractor for no more than a nominal fee and the requirement that you fix it up and use it. Most old farmers have one or more retired old tractors on their place. At least most farmers in grain growing country do. Not rusted, just old. AC, Massey, JD etc.
The truth is that older - 30 to 50 year old - 90+ hp tractors are a drag on the market and often need nothing more than a few months of evenings with wrenches and some mechanical attention and a five thousand dollars for this and that. Cheap or less because nobody really wants them.. So get a good 4wd chore tractor now, and give that big ugly brute of a tractor a chance to come to you.
rScotty

 

[charles todd]

I'd spend 80/90% of your budget get a good 40hp 4wd tractor, ten years old or more, shuttle, with good FEL and open station. That is what I call a traditional "utility chore" tractor.

The big tractor can wait. You will want one eventually; not today. If you live there a few years and get known as a neighbor, I'd be surprised if you aren't offered a good old big tractor for no more than a nominal fee and the requirement that you fix it up and use it. Most old farmers have one or more retired old tractors on their place. At least most farmers in grain growing country do. Not rusted, just old. AC, Massey, JD etc.
The truth is that older - 30 to 50 year old - 90+ hp tractors are a drag on the market and often need nothing more than a few months of evenings with wrenches and some mechanical attention and a five thousand dollars for this and that. Cheap or less because nobody really wants them.. So get a good 4wd chore tractor now, and give that big ugly brute of a tractor a chance to come to you.
rScotty

Like my Allis Chalmers 180. Big straight 6 will drink 5 gal/hr when working.

CT

 

[jeff9366]

Like my Allis Chalmers 180. Big straight 6 will drink 5 gal/hr when working.

Back in the days when rows were ROWS and crops were CROPS!

Allis Chalmers 180​

1967 - 1973 Row-Crop tractor

Allis Chalmers 180 Weight
Gas Operating:	6420 lbs 2912 kg
Diesel Operating:	6510 lbs 2952 kg
Ballasted:	10270 lbs 4658 kg

Engine Detail
Allis Chalmers 2800
diesel
6-cylinder
liquid-cooled
Displacement:	301 ci 4.9 L
Bore/Stroke:	3.875x4.25 inches 98 x 108 mm
Compression:	16.25:1
Rated RPM:	2000
Firing order:	1-5-3-6-2-4
Starter volts:	12
Coolant capacity:	17 qts 16.1 L

Allis Chalmers 180 Power
Drawbar (claimed):	55.2 hp 41.2 kW
PTO (claimed):	64.01 hp 47.7 kW
Drawbar (tested):	56.05 hp 41.8 kW
PTO (tested):	65.16 hp 48.6 kW

1968 Allis Chalmers 180 Tractor $8,250​

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Contact Seller

Kevin Morell
Morell Equipment LLC
Bad Axe, MI
(989) 375-1506

7/11/2022​

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Big Allis Chalmers straight 6 will drink 5 gal/hr when working.

A "working", contemporary, low emissions, 75-horsepower, 6,000 pound bare weight tractor uses max 1-1/2 gallons of diesel per hour.

 

[TexasDigger]

I've purchased 2 kioti tractors since I purchased some land. I have had zero problems with either of them. Ive never owned any other make and my only other experience was growing up with an old Alice Chalmers D14 gas tractor.

Me recommendation would be to look at Kioti.

Kioti lacks the dealer network enjoyed by Kubota and JD. And accessories and filters are harder to get. But I have had zero problems and I enjoy every minute of sitting on the seat working it.

I second on Kioti if OP has a dealer close enough to you. If you look at my prior posts, you will see the dilemma I got myself into by not buying enough tractor first go-around. I'm on 30 acres and went from a 35HST to a 73hp. When I bought my first tractor I was green as could be, and several dealers recommended I should have gone with the Kioti DK5510 or bump up to their RX series (didn't need all the bells/whistles on the NX series). They all recommended the Synchro Shuttles over SE series (HST) but there again - I was green and wanted an HST for my first tractor just for the sake of being green. Also, at the time I was being very "finance" conscious and wanted to keep my investment/payments as low as possible, so I went with the 35hp HST - what actually happened instead of saving $$$ was that I actually cost myself WAY more money after realizing I needed more tractor within less than 1 year and 100 hours.. If I had listened to the multiple people/dealers instead of having my guard up on them just trying to sell me a bigger tractor, I wouldn't have lost my 1st year of equity on a trade-up. The biggest DK with synchro shuttle was (may still be) the DK5510 which actually puts MORE HP to the PTO than the DK6010 SE (HST robs PTO HP). I think the 5510 put right at 50HP to the PTO which is enough to run a regular 5x5 baler... Even the 4510 put out around 42hp to the PTO which is barely enough to run a small 4x4 baler or a smaller square baler. BUT at the time I bought I didn't even think to look at the prices of balers etc - and Ass-U-Me-d that a smaller baler would be easy and cheap to find since I only needed to feed our livestock. I also Ass-U-Me-d that the 35hp could do the rest. In hindsight, I had no idea what I needed and didn't realize what extra options a few extra HP and a little more weight can mean when you need it. I also found out that smaller balers cost WAY MORE money than a used 5x5 Hesston, Vermeer, or any JD square baler (enough to justify a significant HP upgrade!)

So - I'll pass on the same advice given to me - buy more than what you need, not the minimum. If you ever plan on running a decent sized backhoe, baler, or any other implements that need weight + power, you won't regret it. Forget about the HST - learn how to drive a shuttle slowly & carefully and it's no different then any car with manual transmission but a lot more powerful/dangerous if you aren't (#1) careful. As long as you stick with anything putting ~50+ HP to the PTO, you should at least not be forced into an upgrade too soon like I was... something to think about.

If OP were only doing 5 acres this would be a totally different response & I would recommend smaller, but OP sounds like has potential for growth so very important that the tractor can accommodate future (bigger) work. In the woods, HST makes no difference to me - if you know how to use a clutch and a break pedal, the synchro shuttle is a breeze & preferred for longevity. My 7310 plows through woods like a tank - just make sure to keep those low lying limbs trimmed or use your bucket to break them before they whip back on you! I carry a sawzall and a couple of spare batteries behind my seat when going into the woods to clear the small stuff in my way as I go unless it's big enough that it takes getting a chainsaw involved! Has to be done about once per year on the tighter trails in thicker parts.

Whatever you get & however big you go with the tractor/property = GOOD LUCK!

 

[anchorhd]

Right now, we use farmlogs to divide up our five acres, and allocate a section within that five based on our yearly needs. We track what has been planted and the cost of the seed. Information regarding harvest and planting times have been sourced from the local community members as well as the local AG office.

Most things have been planned out as per our CSV sheet and have came together nicely thus far, the only abstract thing at this moment is which piece of machinery will do the job we need.

Just from attempting to find answers regarding this problem, there seems to be a lot of opinions regarding equipment, and the only raw, unbiased numbers one can look at are the hp, weight, hydraulics, and misc quality of life features. Knowing the work that needs done, one can determine which raw numbers are required, after that it is a preference; dealer support, specific model reviews, ease of parts and etc


After working on cars for 10 years, I don't trust a single brand as far as I could throw them.... they all have their issues and reputation doesn't seem to go much further.

With all that being said, I think the 40-50hp range at the 5k weight range and decent hydraulics , can do what I intend it do for the next couple years while I get my bearings around the farm, and region.

Appreciate your thoughts guysWhen I bought my 2008 t2310, there was an 8n on the floor.

I saw a 8n in 2008 when I bought my NH T2310 . The 8n Seemed like a 50hp boomer, shaberia engine.
The best advice I have seen so far is a good service department with available parts.
I'm on a tree farm 67 acres. It gets more expensive.
Price a woods 9' Backhoe, box blade, brush hog, snowblower,forks, rake, farmi winch, chipper, chainsaws,tire chains, sawmill, and building to put them in.
Was the 8n loader 2000lb max? Some pallets come 3000lbs.

 

[7010P]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

​

I have ~80 acres and when I looked at a 40hp compact tractor I knew it would not do the kind of work I was going to need to do with it. There are many things to consider, one of which is what are you trying to accomplish with your property. I have ~40 acres of fairly dense woodland and about 30 acres of semi-open pasture land. and not able to really keep up. I bought a used 72HP for just over your price range 4 years ago (only had 490 hrs of use). I quickly learned the more horsepower the tractor has the more expensive the implements cost. Due to diesel prices this year and a damaged rotary cutter (just got it back from the dealer) I have only cut once but only about the close 6 acres to the house. quite honestly since I work a day job (luckily I work from home) I don't have as much time to do what I wanted with mine as well nor the resources with inflation. IMHO keep leasing the 40 acres as it is paying for itself. Cut down some trees as you will and use a 4x4 pickup to pull the logs out or get a log splitter and use it where you drop the trees then pack out the split wood with a pickup or a UTV and sell it come Fall. Don't spend money if you don't have to and let the land pay for itself.

 

[Yander]

I think you have been getting some good feedback in this thread. That McCormick does look like the right size for your needs. You won't outgrow that and you can run pretty large cutters and implements with it. It also has the Mitsubishi engine which is right up there with the best.

I know nothing about McCormick but that tractor is the right size. I wouldn't get hung up on a close dealer. I have several within 20 miles from me and I went 40 miles to get my tractor. Mostly because none of the close dealers had what I wanted in the price range I wanted.

The frequency in which you will need a dealer does not necessitate living next door to one. Stay within an hour if you can but that is what they make trucks and trailers for. IMO

If you were a full time grain farmer on 1,000+ acres I would not being saying that about the dealer. In that case you would need a close dealer.

 

[tradosaurus]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase my first tractor. From my extensive research online and locally, most of my questions have been answered but I would to hear your guys opinions.

What the tractor will be used for:
40 acres tillable (currently leasing 35 of this and using 5 for sod/garden but may take it over as time passes)
80 acres forest
bush hogging
log yarding
snow blowing

Goals:
Want a tractor that will be able to work the field and go out in the woods and yard logs as well as general grading of roads

Specs I think that are priority

4x4
50hp
bucket loader equipped
3 point
remote hydraulics

Price range
25k

Units I've found:
New Holland Boomer 8N low mileage, meets above critea
McCormick CT50U low mileage, meets above critea

If I was living up north I would have a cab, no question. As far as operating in the woods, depending upon what you are doing, you might be able to clear low elevation limbs to make it less risky.

 

[Henniker]

Eugene;
In my (limited) experience; the dealer can make a big difference.
In my area (NH) Kubotas and New Holland seem to be the most popular. There's only one Massey dealer around, and they have a poor reputation. I don't know where I'd go to find another brand.
Parts and service should be a major consideration for a first time owner. If a kubota dealer is selling a used "brand X" tractor, then I'd be leary. I like my Kubota, but I'm sure there are other brands just as reliable around. Good Luck!