New guy. City slicker..

MoPops · Mar 9, 2014

Howdy,
I'm from Missouri. Small farm (not primary residence) 44 acres, for hunting, and getting away.
Now it looks like I need a tractor, if I'm going to make some of the changes I need to make.
Plus, a tractor looks like a cool toy.. Ha, I admit it.
But I'm a cheap b#%^€£¥, and I don't want to have to switch or trade again,,,, soon.
So, I'm here to learn, and maybe someday contribute.
I'm a 59 year old rookie.
(Pops, is what my grand kids call me.)
Jeff

murphy1244 · Mar 9, 2014

:welcome: see http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228416&page=53&p=3694856#post3694856

deerseeker001 · Mar 9, 2014

Welcome from Wisconsin

TripleR · Mar 9, 2014

Welcome to TBN and good luck in your tractor quest. Figure out if you want new or used and the tasks to be done and do a post on the "Buying and Pricing" forum, lots of good advice will come your way, lots of different tractors out there.

newbury · Mar 9, 2014

Welcome to the forum.
When you post your question try and give us all the parameters you know or can guess at.
What you plan to do with it, the biggest load you see needing to lift, are you going to be using ground engaging equipment, do you need to dig a lot of holes, pull a lot of stumps, hay?
Will you have a place to store it and work on it?
How capable/comfortable will you be doing your own mechanical work?
What's your terrain like? Hilly? Swampy? Flat? Heavy clay? Loose sand?
And of course some ball park price range of what you can spend to get all the critical jobs done. Remember a tractor is basically just an engine on wheels, it's all the attachments that really make the difference. Some people fail to budget for a needed box blade or rotary cutter.

MoPops · Mar 9, 2014

Thank you for all the replies.. I'm going to say hi in the Missouri thread, thanks Murphy.
I've already posted in the buying advice section, I put a bunch of info in there with, probably, too many questions..
I do a lot of motorcycle riding.. (Long trips) which has given me a bit of experience with forum etiquette.
Hopefully, I will keep newbie mistakes to a minimum..
Thanks again,
Jeff

TripleR · Mar 9, 2014

I just went over and checked this: Buying Advice Bobcat CT 225

A lot of good information, but I would have overlooked it as I fear others may also, as I know little about Bobcat tractors and they are now out of the business. They are, as you know really a Kioti, but even some Kioti owners don't pay much attention to them.

The CT225 would not be my choice, but "if" it is the same as the Kioti CK which it appears it is, my brother owns one and I believe, it would get you by, not ideal, but will do it. My brother has bigger tractors when needed, but we have been pretty impressed with what the CK27 will do.

You will need a rotary cutter, rear blade, grading scraper or box scraper for road maintenance, lots of threads and opinions on which is "best".

Will your tillage be to prep a field once or will it be ongoing, sometimes you are money ahead to hire something done than buy equipment you rarely or never use again. The "best" tires is another hotly debated topic, we have tractors with both, in general in loose soil, mud, tillage Ag shines, otherwise Industrial work well, as mentioned, only my opinion and others will see things differently.

k0ua · Mar 9, 2014

Hi Jeff, welcome from Branson, Mo.
I of course am another Kioti owner off down here in the hills.

MoPops · Mar 9, 2014

TripleR said:
I just went over and checked this: Buying Advice Bobcat CT 225

A lot of good information, but I would have overlooked it as I fear others may also, as I know little about Bobcat tractors and they are now out of the business. They are, as you know really a Kioti, but even some Kioti owners don't pay much attention to them.

The CT225 would not be my choice, but "if" it is the same as the Kioti CK which it appears it is, my brother owns one and I believe, it would get you by, not ideal, but will do it. My brother has bigger tractors when needed, but we have been pretty impressed with what the CK27 will do.

You will need a rotary cutter, rear blade, grading scraper or box scraper for road maintenance, lots of threads and opinions on which is "best".

Will your tillage be to prep a field once or will it be ongoing, sometimes you are money ahead to hire something done than buy equipment you rarely or never use again. The "best" tires is another hotly debated topic, we have tractors with both, in general in loose soil, mud, tillage Ag shines, otherwise Industrial work well, as mentioned, only my opinion and others will see things differently.

I'm thinking of putting it all in alfalfa, so it shouldn't need ongoing tillage. I may put it back into crp, depending on how it's going.
Thanks for the info..

TripleR · Mar 9, 2014

MoPops said:
I'm thinking of putting it all in alfalfa, so it shouldn't need ongoing tillage. I may put it back into crp, depending on how it's going.
Thanks for the info..

That will save you a lot of work. There are ongoing maintenance with CRP, but once you get your cover established, it will consist of burning if it's in grasses and some mowing. To establish it, you can hire someone or rent the planters. If you go with reforestation, you will need a bit more until the trees get established.