Buying Advice Need a small tractor that can do bigger things in the future (e.g. haying)

[Tennsawdust]

That 250 Massey would have been 50 hp. I have a 245, which is a good utility tractor. They were well built machines that had enough mass to keep them from being easy to push around. We ran a square baler with the 245 for years before a 100 hp Case came along.

You could go a couple of different ways with the smaller tractor. If you go with a SCUT it would serve you better to go with one on the higher end of the scale. I think you will find tractors like the BX Kubota to be a bit smaller than you need. Something more the size of the RK24/TYM254 or larger would serve you better. For it to be more useful later on you might consider a Compact like the Farmall C or L series Kubota. A 40 hp model can run a 7 foot brush hog or pull a hay rake. I'm leaning towards a CK series Kioti myself.

There are people haying with 55 hp tractors, but if you have the money I would skip on up towards a 65+ hp utility tractor. Bigger is better.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Like the OP, I bought a larger utility tractor first and it was great for heavy lifts, hauling heavy loads of dirt, etc but I soon found that it was too big to get into smaller spots so I next purchased a B26 Kubota TLB. That tractor is small enough to get into the smallest spots, stores easily (cant fold down the 4 post canopy though so you need at least an 8 foot door) and will lift an incredible amount. The backhoe is very useful for those of use with back problems. I almost never use a shovel any more.

The Kubota is my go to tractor for my uses now and I rarely use my LS P7010 which I am considering selling it and all the equipment I have accumulated over the years.

 

[Bavarian]

If I were in your shoes, I would go with a 40-50 HP CUT with cab. Kubota Grand L or Jd 4R or comparable. You will love the heated cab when snow blowing. And it will be your go to machine.
For your haying needs, they have power enough to run a sickle mower, tedder or pull a rake.
The cab is keeping you out of the dust.

For your "big" tractor, which might not be used that much, I would even consider a slight used one, even an open station in the 70 HP range. Stay with a brand with a good, close dealer.

You can not compare a 50 HP tractor nowadays to a 50 HP Massey from your childhood. They are not built that way anymore.

 

[grandgourmand]

If I were in your shoes, I would go with a 40-50 HP CUT with cab. Kubota Grand L or Jd 4R or comparable. You will love the heated cab when snow blowing. And it will be your go to machine.
For your haying needs, they have power enough to run a sickle mower, tedder or pull a rake.
The cab is keeping you out of the dust.

For your "big" tractor, which might not be used that much, I would even consider a slight used one, even an open station in the 70 HP range. Stay with a brand with a good, close dealer.

You can not compare a 50 HP tractor nowadays to a 50 HP Massey from your childhood. They are not built that way anymore.

Those are some good points. I'm leaning more to a tractor size in that range, as it would be better suited to the large property.

As far as cab goes...think I'll stick with that on the bigger tractor. The smaller tractor, i'm thinking, will be used in the woods more frequently, so the cab might get in the way. And my snowblowing needs won't be that regular until I move to the property full time, which is several years away.

Until then, I'll be focused on landscaping stuff (landscape rake, box blade) where I won't be in any really tight spots, it's pretty wide open. also some firewooding and trail maintenance.

 

[Bavarian]

Those are some good points. I'm leaning more to a tractor size in that range, as it would be better suited to the large property.

As far as cab goes...think I'll stick with that on the bigger tractor. The smaller tractor, i'm thinking, will be used in the woods more frequently, so the cab might get in the way. And my snowblowing needs won't be that regular until I move to the property full time, which is several years away.

Until then, I'll be focused on landscaping stuff (landscape rake, box blade) where I won't be in any really tight spots, it's pretty wide open. also some firewooding and trail maintenance.

This was just an assumption. The cab and comfort on the piece of equipment that you spend most of the time on.
If open station, as a workhorse, I would go with a bare bone version.

 

[grandgourmand]

This was just an assumption. The cab and comfort on the piece of equipment that you spend most of the time on.
If open station, as a workhorse, I would go with a bare bone version.

What do you mean by bare bones? I was also thinking the smaller tractor would have FEL and hoe.

but nothing is written in cement.

(good luck in the playoffs, BTW).

 

[Diggin It]

What do you mean by bare bones? .

No frills, cab, A/C, radio or other creature comforts. All working tractors should have a loader at a minimum, but they can often be removed easily. Think hard about whether you may ever need a small backhoe or not. If you even think you might, you will be much better off getting one initially than trying to buy and add one on later.

 

[hosspuller]

Lay of your land will determine some of your tractor needs. Hills need the weight of a large tractor to manage a big round baler and wagons. Flat lands a smaller tractor will do.

My experience has been a small utility tractor first. Not a CUT but the smallest ag tractor Deere made. It was the lowest power of the 5000 frame size (45hp) MFWD with a loader. Worked well, until I figured it was a NOT a digger. Then got a Deere 310C, a 14 foot backhoe. (13,000 #) I use it to lift, dig and carry anything beyond the tractor's capability.

Then I started doing Hay. Getting quality hay requires your own equipment because anybody with hay equipment has their own fields to do. Yours are second for spraying, cutting, baling, etc. My small utility tractor (4500 #) has been able to step up to a square baler with a wagon behind it. Plus good for Sprayer, MOCO, tedder, & rake (My land is flat enough) This year I'm trying a bale accumulator with grapple to eliminate labor issues.

Point of my post, weight of the tractor determines the capability. Power determines how fast you move. There's a Utube video of a 17 horse power steam tractor out pulling a large diesel tractor drawbar to drawbar. The steam tractor moved slow but it likely was 3 x or 4x the weight of the other tractor.

 

[aczlan]

We bail hay with a 38 horsepower Kubota L3830.
We cut with a 9 ft sickle mower conditioner, we bail with either a New Holland 273 Baler with a kicker and a wagon behind it, or a Ford 552 round baler.
I would consider our tractor to be the absolute smallest you would want to go. 50 to 100 horsepower would be much more comfortable when running in heavy hay.
That could also handle a disc mower or other larger and faster cutting hay mower.
If I were looking to do what you want to do, I would look for a smaller tractor with a loader, perhaps a backhoe and a cab in the low-to-mid 30 horsepower range and have that one either be new or relatively new. I would make sure that it is able to lift 1500 to 2000 lb with the front end loader and that the backhoe can be removed to run attachments such as a hay Tedder.
Then I would look for a older 50 to 100 horsepower open station tractor without a loader and use that to cut and bale hay with. A tractor like that one should be between $5,000 and $7,000 in decent condition and should last you for many years.

Aaron Z

 

[Bavarian]

We bail hay with a 38 horsepower Kubota L3830.
We cut with a 9 ft sickle mower conditioner, we bail with either a New Holland 273 Baler with a kicker and a wagon behind it, or a Ford 552 round baler.
I would consider our tractor to be the absolute smallest you would want to go. 50 to 100 horsepower would be much more comfortable when running in heavy hay.
That could also handle a disc mower or other larger and faster cutting hay mower.
If I were looking to do what you want to do, I would look for a smaller tractor with a loader, perhaps a backhoe and a cab in the low-to-mid 30 horsepower range and have that one either be new or relatively new. I would make sure that it is able to lift 1500 to 2000 lb with the front end loader and that the backhoe can be removed to run attachments such as a hay Tedder.
Then I would look for a older 50 to 100 horsepower open station tractor without a loader and use that to cut and bale hay with. A tractor like that one should be between $5,000 and $7,000 in decent condition and should last you for many years.

Aaron Z

Finding a 30-35 HP unit with 1500 to 2000 lbs loader capacity might be a challenge. Our local Kubota dealer does not recommend the Grand L for large round bale handling.
When I was tractor shopping, the salesperson at the JD dealer didn't even recommend a 5 series tractor for that task.

 

[searcyfarms]

from 50 + yrs of farming experience and land maint here is what i would recommend

provided you are going to have some steep 25 acres on your new land we can pretty much eliminate the flat one, nothing special required for it. A ravine/timber will be more demanding.

I would get a skidsteer for the maneuverability and plethora of attachments for them, WHY - go ahead, argue with me and fire away nay sayers here is my perspective - getting older stinks - you will be trying to turn around behind or look around the front of your long nosed tractor with a crook in your neck digging holes, planting trees, maneuvering, etc........when you can dig holes, plant, put in posts, blade, get up to some deadfall, scoot under a log, process firewood, take your pick and its all right at the end of your nose close up and personal and when your wife or neighbor is there helping you, you can hear them, guide them, and its SOoooooooooooooo much easier and no crook in neck. Did i mention maneuverable and no crook in my neck and i can see what i am doing?

For the rest get a mid sized tractor and use it for all the other stuff. I would get 4WD/FWA, cab, SSQA on the tractor so you can share implements as needed. My kids and wife love using my SS and help me when i can be in front of it doing things guiding them. Tractors can be a little more intimidating and precarious.

I would get a shuttle shift/power shift as you wont find a mid sized tractor large enough just yet for the PTO HP you would want processing things ( hay, mowing ) if you are letting things grow and not keeping things constantly groomed, it takes some ponies to run a larger mower in tall thick wet pasture, that is what we have here.

Weight will be your friend with the hay and for comfort mowing.

you can also move hay with a SS - its my go to unless im transporting for a long way

after having a SS i will never be w/out one, they are priceless on acreage and what you will be doing.

the only thing i use my 2038R for is mowing my yard, spreading yard maintenance items a scoop of something when the yard is softer in spring when i dont want to leave depressions in my yard from my SS due to its weight and being a wheeled machine with heavy no flat tires on it if i dont have my pneumatics on it.

Depending on how large of a yard you might have you might want to consider a zero turn for that. You can spread your yard stuff with one of those.