New meber and "farm" owner

[Trophyduck]

Hi, just an intro. I just bought a 50 acre farm...horses mostly. I have about 20 acres of pasture to mow with 30 acres of woods to play in....Keeping trails clean, etc. My usage would be keeping the paddocks mowed and maybe add a food plot or two. I don't see and BIG projects where I need a BIG tractor. Keeping some trails and woods open, digging a few holes, that sort of thing. I look forward to seeing the valuable info on here.......

Any suggestions on the size of tractor, brnd, implements are all welcome...thanks!

 

[Thomas]

:welcome: to TBN...enjoy.

Least 40hp,

 

[Wagtail]

G'day Mate and welcome to TBN from Downunder.

Enjoy the site.

I too have horses... if you're going to be handling round bales of hay (maybe not now, but in the future), as Thomas recommends, at least a 40hp tractor with FEL (Front End Loader). But not much more hp unless you've got some heavy projects ahead.

 

[Creamer]

Welcome! We love to give advice especially on how to spend your money!

On that big a place I certainly would not go less than 40 hp and would certainly plan on a loader - they are just a useful tool for so many things.

 

[TBN Support]

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

I'm going to move this thread over to our buying, pricing and comparisons section to see if we can help you make the right decision.

 

[BMan2005]

Welcome to the forum! I have pretty much the exact same size farm and needs for a tractor (horses included) so I wanted something big enough to handle round bales safely. The bigger compacts can do it, but look into the utility frame tractors as well. Buy just a little more tractor than you think you will need & get ready for the fun of researching and testing them out man, it's a heck of a learning curve! We just purchased ours and waiting for delivery next week. Good luck!

 

[redman135]

Brand of tractor is secondary. It is the dealer/ service that matters most.
Be aware that ergonomics matter, and that on one tractor it just doesn't quite fit while another feels"just right". EG for me the jd6920 cab layout is an excellent fit while the mf5465 is a average fit.

 

[Tractorable]

What part of Maryland are you in? Hills or flat? Do you want cab or ROPS tractor?

For 50 acres I'd suggest a 45-60hp machine. The Japanese Kubota MX series, Kubota Grand L, or Yanmar YT3 series would suit you well.

Good quality, less expensive Korean options from Kioti, LS, TYM, and Branson are worth researching as well.

John Deere's are good quality, have Yanmar engines, but are pricey.

 

[jeff9366]

GOOD ADVICE FROM TRACTABLE: "For 50 acres I'd suggest a 45-60hp machine. The Japanese kubota MX series, Kubota Grand L, or Yanmar YT3 series would suit you well. Good quality, less expensive Korean options from Kioti, LS, TYM, and Branson are worth researching as well."




To mow 48" tall grass with a six foot wide Rotary Cutter, Bush Hog being a well known trademark, you need a tractor with at least 45-horsepower gross.

Over time, hooved animals will pack pastures unbelievably hard, killing grass. Consider a pasture renovator to keep the paddocks productive. There are several out there. As I am spending YOUR money a Hay King-Miller Pasture Renovator would be my first choice.

LINK: Hay King Renovators - Hay King - Miller
Hay King - Miller - Google Search

 

[N2DFire]

Hi, just an intro. I just bought a 50 acre farm...horses mostly. I have about 20 acres of pasture to mow with 30 acres of woods to play in....Keeping trails clean, etc. My usage would be keeping the paddocks mowed and maybe add a food plot or two. I don't see and BIG projects where I need a BIG tractor. Keeping some trails and woods open, digging a few holes, that sort of thing. I look forward to seeing the valuable info on here.......

Any suggestions on the size of tractor, brnd, implements are all welcome...thanks!

Size -
Well I guess I'll be the first to (at least partially) go against the grain. While I agree that larger, heavier (40+ HP) size will be best for moving round bales; once you get into the woods clearing trails things are going to get snug quickly (depending of course on just how big / wide you want these trails to be). Test drive a few different sizes & brands to get a feel for maneuverability & then think about what you want in your trails and decide for yourself what the best fit will be.

Brand -
Tractors are like cars with brand loyalty, everyone loves what they have. You're going to have to decide what fits you best including price, dealer, and ergonomics (redman135 & Tractorable both already gave you good advice here) .

Implements -
First (and most obvious) is something to mow with. Traditional choice has always been a rotary cutter but it seems flail mowers are gaining in popularity.
A Box blade is always a handy implement to have when you have grading / dirt moving to do but if you're going to be building a lot of trails from nothing, a scrape blade might be a better option.
For food plots you could use anything from a disk harrow to rotary tillers depending on the soil, current growth, and how aggressive you want / need to be.

Another couple things to keep in mind for implements is
1) that new is not always best. You can often times find used stuff with plenty of usable life left at a lower cost.
2) for some low frequency / one off jobs renting (or hiring the job out) is cheaper than buying the equipment to do it.

Best of luck with what ever you decide.