New ranch - need help deciding on a tractor

[fzybear]

Hey, everybody - we've recently acquired 325 AC about 90 miles SW of Houston. About 80 AC is hay pasture, 125 is grazing with some trees and the remaining 120 is forested, sloping down to a creek. We're looking for a tractor to:

• move and store round bales (hay will be cut and baled by someone else)
• keep senderos open with brush hog and front end loader
• use discs or other smoothing device to repair hog ruts
• mow a mile-long 25' strip along highway
• haul large dead trees to burn pile

There are 48 cows, two bulls and a couple of donkeys on the land.

I keep reading that I should buy a tractor larger than we think we'll need and was thinking a Deere 5075E or Kubota M7060, just because they're the brands I'm familiar with. Please know I have very little experience with tractors or implements, other than using a 1949 Ford with a box blade to smooth a driveway many years ago.

What size tractor do y'all think we should get? My trailer will only hold about 5500 lbs, unfortunately.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[Sysop]

Too small is much more common than too big. My only thought on what you had to say: do not limit your tractor purchase according to what fits on your trailer. It is cheaper to get a larger trailer for the tractor you need than it is to buy too small, and need to upgrade tractor and trailer both later...

I'd look at the implements you want to run and see what the requirements are for power and weight needed to operate them. Find a group of tractors within that power and weight range, decide which will traverse your property the best (for instance, tractors made to use larger tires will go through those hog-ruts you mentioned smoother, easier, and with less stress on steering components than a tractor made to use smaller tires), and then look at the various weights of the units. If they happen to fit the trailer, great, but don't let it be a deal-breaker if they don't; just plan on a trailer upgrade too.

All this is said with the assumption your priorities are working on your land over riding it around town on a trailer. Dealers will deliver for free in many cases, so if you plan on using it at your property 99% of the time, having a trailer to move it is not a huge concern.

I think you'd do well with any of the brands, they're all made to do the mix of chores you mentioned. Main things I would look for, you mentioned a few 3 point implements, so I would look for an easy to manage 3 point system. Something with extendable lower links, pin style control arms rather than turnbuckles, or some sort of quick-hitch. I would also recommend the SSQA (skid steer quick attach) on the front loader so you can use any standard skid steer type implements. This makes changing from the front bucket to a hay spear (or anything else) a 2 minute process.

 

[jeff9366]

My trailer will only hold about 5500 lbs, unfortunately.

You cannot let existing trailer capacity nor existing towing capacity of your vehicle control optimum tractor purchase for 325 acres.

An open station Kubota M7060 is 5,000 pounds without a Front End Loader, nor implements. By the time you add an FEL, rear remotes, maybe loaded tires an M7060 will scale 7,000 pounds. Implements will start at 1,000 pounds (++) for this tractor.

Scale up your thinking.

 

[RPW]

Can't agree more about the comment on the trailer. IMO you will need at least a 14k trailer. As far as tractor, I'd be looking more towards a 5093m. A lot more tractor but for the size of your place you wouldn't regret the size, weight and horsepower at your fingertips.

 

[HEC]

A good dealership can be as important as a good tractor so keep that in mind also . They should be able to help you with many of your decisions and back you up when you may need it most .
Good Luck,

 

[texasjohn]

good call on having someone else put up your hay...that reduces the size of tractor needed, somewhat.

Are you going to be disking and planting hay, or is the field a permanent grass??

I know the area. Recommend a cab with AC. You are going to need a 60 hp minimum, 100 would not be excessive. A FEL and grapple will be handy.

Congrats on your purchase. You've got about 6 acres per animal unit there...right at the max, IMHO, for the land and rainfall...might want to consider reducing the grazing pressure until you are settled in and convinced that it will carry the load.

 

[joeu235]

Tractor size has a lot to do with how much time you have. For example, 25 years ago a worked on a 1500 acre ranch with nothing bigger than a 50 Hp Ford 4000. 300 head of cattle all fed by square bales.

I'd get something in the 95 Hp range, like a new 6105D, or a used 6403 or 2955. Even with someone baling your hay, you'll still need to renovate your pastors, spread fertilizer, and spray herbicide.

For the trailer size, don't worry about it. The tractor is probably only making the trip once to your property.

Personal opinion on cabs is they aren't worth the trouble. Only time I wish I had one is when the round baler is wrapping and chaff is blowing in my face, but then a dust mask is a lot cheaper.

 

[jimpen]

Another consideration. Is the guy haying for you going t be around for a while?

My neighbor who is a pig farmer and a had a few cows for the beef. He was haying for his cows. But Ike went through and destroyed his barns. He's older and decided to give up on livestock and switched to corn and soybeans. He was haying 2 acres of my property; and some of the neighbors as well. But luckily one of the other neighbors decided to rent the fields for corn and soybeans. He's also a master butcher and has a store and picked up a job at the local community college to teach butchery.

But if the guy doing your haying decides he's done. Do you have a tractor that would hold up to that?

 

[boggen]

sounds like a bunch of reading and research and trial and error headed your way!

TractorData.com - information on all makes and models of tractors generic way to compare tractors (a tool to use to help compare tractors)
www.tractorhouse.com sell used/new along with many farm implements both field and livestock.
www.everythingattachment.com has videos of a wide varitey of stuff along with text. it doesn't cover farm implements / livestock that well but a starting point.

i realize you are asking about a tractor, but how much do you know about the livestock? and how to take care of them?

not sure what texes laws are, but you may or may not be able to burry dead livestock on your place, and may need an incinerator. or call the local disposal place. if you can burry, i might suggest a backhoe. to help dig hole. granted you don't want to do this, but things do happen. sadly.

fence line... if putting in, make sure ya get your property line checked, you may loose land or gain land. pending on how old the fence line is.

PHD( post hole digger) or some other way to hammer / put in posts.
winch
grapple
forks / bale spear for FEL, (front end loader) (for larger round bails)
forks / bale spear for 3pt hitch (for larger round bails)

you may need to deal with fire brakes, on your land either creating them or maintaining them.

rotatory cutter (bush hog) to cut down tall weeds. in pasture and water ways, road side ditches. you might go with a single rear deck for some areas, then you might want a "bat wing" rotatory cutter (2 decks) for larger mowing.

keep on adding to the list of attachments / implements you may need.

=============
dealing with the large round bails, and rotatory cutter is most likely going to help set min HP of a tractor you need and over all lifting force of FEL and 3pt hitch. more so a bailer.

tree pulling, can be good or bad. pending on size and type.

==============
keep in mind, that trying to tackle the entire acreage can be rather daunting, higher stuff out, field work for example, from spraying it, to planting it, to combining it. farmers out there are doing a few thousand acres with the correct built setup for the given job at hand.

 

[mikim]

Have you talked to the guy that owns the animals and does the hay? What machines is he using? What are your plans for the land? Assuming you'll keep it ag - are you planning on living on it in the future? Tractors last a long time. You need to try to plan for future needs as well as immediate. You may decide you need 2...a large one to keep the ag sections and a smaller one near the house.

 

[bigbull338]

ok with 325acs to tend to and work you need a min tractor of the 7060.it will move hay shredd and do some clean up of down tyrees if theres room to get it where the trees are.but a 9960 or 108 kubota with or with cabs would do the trick.the 6105d is a good choice as well if you like jd.we have a new 6105d cab 4x4 set up for fel but no fel on it.that we just use to bale hay with and thats all it does.the kubota does most of the work here its a 7040su 4x4 rops fel.we also have a jx80 4x4 fel that pulls the big shredder.a cab will hinder you if your going to work in trees alot.

 

[oosik]

Well - - Welcome to TBN. One of our most fun jobs - deciding how to spend other folks money <laughing>. Go to your Kubota dealer and JD dealer and ask for names, locations of farmers using their 100hp ++ type tractors. Talk to them, see what they say. In my humble opinion (IMHO) you may well be needing something in the 150 to 175 hp range. You may, at a later time, wish you had a bigger unit - - seldom have I ever heard of wishing for smaller.

Develop and refine a list of tasks - now & future - for your property. Post on one of the farming threads here on TBN. See what other farmers have to say. Time spent now on research will be rewarded in the future with appropriate equipment.

 

[fzybear]

Thanks for pulling my head out of the sand regarding choosing a tractor based on size of existing trailer. It was foolish of me to think that should dictate size/hp of tractor. If it needs service, the dealer can come get it or I can get a bigger trailer.

 

[C4Ranch]

Thanks for pulling my head out of the sand regarding choosing a tractor based on size of existing trailer. It was foolish of me to think that should dictate size/hp of tractor. If it needs service, the dealer can come get it or I can get a bigger trailer.

Good call. Another strong reason to find a good local dealer. I agree with others that a 90+ would be ideal. You may not want to get into working the ground or haying now but you may go there. But of coarse your budget has to guide your decision too.

 

[C4Ranch]

Duplicate post

 

[fzybear]

Wow, y'all are really amazing! I'm really humbled by all the great responses that are so thorough and genuine. You each have given me so much to think about. I know I'll be really busy these next few wknds trying to make the best decision possible. Based on everyone's answers, I'll sit down and make a short-term and long-term list of what the tractor's going to be doing throughout its life and then visit several dealers in Houston, Bay City and El Campo and get their input.

Though no plans to live there full time in the future, it will be an "every wknd" getaway from the big city. Starting in a month or so, we are building a 40'x80' metal building, of which half will be living quarters and half will be shop/barn storage.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Wow, y'all are really amazing! I'm really humbled by all the great responses that are so thorough and genuine. You each have given me so much to think about. I know I'll be really busy these next few wknds trying to make the best decision possible. Based on everyone's answers, I'll sit down and make a short-term and long-term list of what the tractor's going to be doing throughout its life and then visit several dealers in Houston, Bay City and El Campo and get their input.

Though no plans to live there full time in the future, it will be an "every wknd" getaway from the big city. Starting in a month or so, we are building a 40'x80' metal building, of which half will be living quarters and half will be shop/barn storage.

Thanks, everyone!

You might want to think about adding a few square feet to that building, like maybe 60'x100'. That 40'x80' is going to shrink down to a match box in front of your eyes as you build the living area and start putting some equipment in it.

Good luck with all of your up coming decisions.

 

[jeff9366]

If it needs service, the dealer can come get it or I can get a bigger trailer.

To me dealer proximity is important.

A dealer's cost to transport your tractor for service on a HD trailer, towed by an HD truck, driven by a mechanic/driver, covered by commercial insurance will be $1.50 per mile.

So, for service at a dealer 50 miles away…… 50 miles x 4 = 200 x $1.50 = $300 at cost.

Most dealers will not be content with cost for trailering.

Most new tractors require some "shakedown" service under warranty. Transportation for warranty service is on you.

 

[jeff9366]

Though no plans to live there full time in the future, it will be an "every wknd" getaway from the big city.

Be aware that as expensive as tractors are, there is no state nor federal registration of the chassis. Tractors are prone to theft. When stolen, tractors are seldom recovered.

Make sure your tractor is secure, inside, while you are away. I would have the dealer install a concealed engine kill switch and would cable tractor to a steel beam. Insure tractor, specifically, on your Homeowner's policy.


Design your building with a door tall enough for the tractor to enter with the ROPS up, including an allowance for a tractor canopy.

 

[flusher]

First, make a 5-year plan listing all the routine jobs and special projects you want to do around your place. Then figure out which tractor implements you will need. The size of your largest implement (weight, horsepower) and your time requirements (how quickly to you need to get your work done) will size your tractor.

If you don't want to do this exercise, then my advice is to buy as much horsepower as your budget allows.

Good luck.