Need a tractor to tame the hills

[LongKnife]

Hey ya'll!

Brand new member here looking for some advice on my 1st tractor purchase.

I have a 30ac farm that is 20ac wooded & the other 10 pasture set on VERY hilly terrain in Northern Kentucky.

The planned uses for this tractor will be cutting the grass, grading/plowing the driveway (its 500yds long & you go up 180ft from the bottom to the top). I will also be using it to clear another 10ac so it will be used in the pulling/dragging of trees & then post hole digging for fences.

I know very little about tractors & as I surfed the various manufacturers websites I had it in my head to get a 22-25hp compact tractor but after reading this forum I am starting to 2nd guess that decision.

So I ask all of you, what tractor would you recommend? Price is always a consideration but I don't mind spending money on quality.
Also what implements would you recommend to get the work done that I have mentioned?
Lastly any special accessories or cautions about dealing with steep grades in a tractor?

Many thanks for any & all advice!

 

[RPW]

Welcome, for your hills you maybe better off with some kind of tracked tractor. I can't imagine clearing snow etc with that steep of a grade. Is your driveway setup with switchbacks?

Good luck.

 

[bigbull338]

you want a min 50hp tractor in my eyes,an 4x4 to boot.being 4wd drive youll have added traction an stability.

 

[Redneck in training]

Google "orchard tractor". They are low to fit under tree branches. Since they have low CG they handle slopes better or look at Ventrac.
Some have four wheel brakes very usefull on slopes.

 

[nybirdman]

As soon as you throw in "cutting the grass" it throws a ringer into the equation.Most will advise a separate machine.For grading,snow-plowing on hills you will need a four wheel drive,R1(Ag type) tires and ballast(load the tires or wheel weights,ballast box).Ag tires generally not good on lawns.
Somewhere in the 35-40 hp.tractor should work,set the wheels as far apart as they can be set.Front end loader(FEL),rear grader blade(medium duty) or a box blade.
In the Kubota line
L3400,L3800
L3240-L3540
Not familiar with the other manufacturer's,check local dealers for more information.

 

[professor]

I have a 60 acre farm in mid-TN with steep hills. I have had good luck with a 1998 New Holland 3930 4WD. It is a tough tractor within the 45-50 hp range. They are common in the area. You can expect to pay $14000-16000 with loader.

 

[TripleR]

As per "Redneck in training", consider a low profile tractor. The most stable tractor we ever owned is our Massey Ferguson 375. We don't use it much anymore, but when we first got our farms, it was invaluable.

Like "nybirdman", cutting the grass is going to be problematic with anything that fits your other needs unless you go to a very high dollar tractor designed for that sort of thing.

 

[daveinnh]

Well doing the math: 180' / 1500' = 8.3 %.

We have 7 percent avg. slope and it's not that steep.

Dave

 

[9973720wb19]

the wider the tractor, the better on hills. i had a JD 3720 cab and did not like the way it handled hills and Field bumps...traded it in on a JD 4720 cab - much wider, heaver and better on hills. if you're mowing a lot and that part of your land is not too bumpy, consider a Z Mower...much faster than a tractor and more stable on hills. I use a Zmower on my "lawn" and tractor on the bumpy fields...with either an 84in grooming mower or 72 Rotary cutter - depending on how long it gets.

using your tractor to mow, always go up and down the hills using 4wd. you may find you'll need front weights or keep your FEL on.

 

[flusher]

Steep hills: for safety's sake, you want a tractor with a low center of gravity and a wide stance. Take a steel tape with you when you go tractor shopping and measure the width of the rear wheels to the outside of the tires and the height above ground of the centerline of the rear axle. Compute a "squat ratio" = track width/axle height. You want this number to be 3 or larger. Ask the dealer/owner if the rear wheels can be moved outwards more (the rear track width can be adjusted inward or outward on most tractors). Check the specifications in the owner manual for maximum track width.