New to forum, need advice

travisneedtrac · Apr 5, 2004

Let me start by saying how much help this forum has been. This is awesome.
I just talked my wife into buying a farm across the road from our house. Its only 35 acres, 11 acres is hayable. Has good roads throughout the property. with a good house site on it for future house. Has a 1/4 acre fish pond, and a 24X36 barn with a 10 foot tractor shed on it. So now we need a tractor, mostly to brush hog with and eentually to cut hay, square bales. The only experience I have on a tractor was my dads old ford 1310 4x4. I think it is only like 16 hp. I have a little experience on my father-in-laws TC40 with hydro and FEL. I have started my window shopping and the best deal I can find in my area is a Zetor 47 horse 4x4 with shuttle shift. I can borrow all the attachments I need to get started with from family. Others I have look at are AGCO, New holland, John deer, Long.....something, Kubota. Horse for horse nothing can come close to the 14,400 price of the Zetor, even the dealer was down to earth old country boy. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Love the site
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

fivestring · Apr 5, 2004

Welcome to TBN!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The TC40 would be the smallest size that I would use for baling.
The 4x4 doesn't necessilarily help with the cutting and baling; PTO horsepower is what is needed.
The 4x4 would probably come in handy for other things, though.

Happy tractoring!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Charlie_in_TX · Apr 5, 2004

My Mom and Stepdad have 30 or so acres of hayfield. The also have a 65hp JD tractor. They have found it cheaper to hire the cutting and bailing than buy the mower, rack and bailer. They just use the tractor to stack the round bails and load them after they sell. Might want to talk to someone local with the equipment already and get a quote vs buying your own equipment.

rockyridgefarm · Apr 5, 2004

I'm with Charlie, if you cut the haying out of the equation, you will find a lot of things that a Compact Utility will do for you, that a larger Utility won't be as nice. Buying the equipment to hay that small amount sure won't save you any money. On years where hay is hard to get, it'd be easy to get it cut for shares, on years where the hay is easy, it'll be a little harder, (but then hay'll be cheaper)

My little 32Hp is super handy around the place, and I can go across the street and ick up bales pretty easily, so that is where I come from...

travisneedtrac · Apr 5, 2004

I wasn't all that concerned about the hay, I figured I would ocntinue letting someone else bail and have the hay until I can afford to find a cheap square bailer. My main concern is that I didn't want to get to small a tractor. One that would be able to run a square bailer ok if I ever get one. My main use for the tractor would be brush hogging, mowing, small garden and food plot areas. I was looking at the small kubota's, but afraid that in a year or so I'll wish I would have went bigger. and for around 4,400 more I could go ahead and get a 47 hourse zeter 4x4.

travisneedtrac · Apr 5, 2004

another question would be is $14,400 seem like a decent price for the 47 hourse Zetor?

BillG_in_TX · Apr 5, 2004

I assume the Zetor is the Kukje/Century/Cummins version.
Here's a link to someone who bought one recently.

See the Zetor/Century/Branson forum for more information about this line of tractors.

travisneedtrac · Apr 5, 2004

thanks, didn't realize there where other forums

travisneedtrac · Apr 5, 2004

yep, has the cummings

LabLuvR · Apr 5, 2004

I have been taking care of about 40 acres, half of which is pasture and deer food plots. My little 8N Ford has been a champ and handled all the task well. However, I would like a little larger bush hog and decided on a Kubota L3710, 37 hp. I figure that if the 8N was decent enough, the 37hp tractor ought to be the MacDaddy!!

Poncho · Apr 5, 2004

travisneedtrac... welcome to the TBN. Have you thought about leasing out the hay operation until you get up and ready? I've got an uncle with 75 acres in S. GA who leases out the front 40 for agriculture.... pays for his property tax plus he gets all the hay he wants for the winter time.

travisneedtrac · Apr 6, 2004

There is so much hay around, its hard to find someone to cut the hay for free, that is with them keeping the hay. The guy that has been cutting it has been doing it for 100 bucks per year. May as well be free. but now that I have it, I have some in-laws that would love to have it. Thanks for the suggestion...

Woodbeef · Apr 6, 2004

Hmmm.....I'd suggest moving up to a Zetor in the Super series if you want to comfortably cut and bale hay. Not sure how well a CUT will survive on a mo/co and square baler over the years.

SteveM · Apr 7, 2004

I will first disclose that I live on a farm co-op of about 1000 acres (40 of which I own) and have close personal ties to the big case/kubota/new holland dealer in the area. I know personally some farmers that went for the 'big bang for buck' with a zetor and regretted it. Maybe things have improved quality and parts wise. But I would use caution. Have you considered a used tractor? It seems that I am always seeing nice 2000 hour (and under) 50hp+ tractors for sale; often I think these machines are used for lighter tasks on big farms, and when a farm gets liquidated (too often) they are at auction in cherry condition. $10,000 buys you an awful lot of J Deere in this size range, with unsurpassed parts, service and resale.

Just a thought, my two cents.

travisneedtrac · Apr 20, 2004

Turns out my dad pretty much gave me his old Tractor, its definately going to get me by and I've found someone to cut the hay.
the tractor is a Ford 1310 4x4 (17hp) I thinik. Probally can't hook it up to a bailer, but have a 4' brush hog, finish mower, tiller, pig pole, cultivator, scoop bucket for the 3pt. hitch, plow, grader blade....
He only have 1.5 acres, and never used it except for a few small jobs. I spent all weekend on it... Love it

KiotiJohn · Apr 20, 2004

( Turns out my dad pretty much gave me his old Tractor, its definately going to get me by and I've found someone to cut the hay.) Sometimes this site has more happy endings than all the movies ever made. Congratulations. Sounds like you have enough goodies for a real good start, and no hay worries. Fantastic. John

travisneedtrac · Apr 20, 2004

I wonder if there would be a way to put a FEL on it?.... lol
Maybe I should stop my wishing while I'm ahead, get some strange ideas up here on cloud 9...

KiotiJohn · Apr 20, 2004

( I wonder if there would be a way to put a FEL on it?.... lol ) I'm pretty sure you can put a FEL on it. I believe Koyker makes one that will fit just about any brand. There are a lot of manufacturers out there that make loaders for all sizes. You have 4x4 so that's not a problem. Maybe someone here already knows which one you can use. I see all the time where someone has put a loader on the small Yanmar gray market tractors. Like the YM1300d, YM1500/10D etc. These are 13 and 15HP at the PTO. So dream on until you find the loader you want!! Good luck, John