Newbie/ Hopeful tractor owner...

shizadi · Jun 29, 2013

Hi everyone,
I just joined the forum. I recently moved onto 6.24 acres in the sierra foothills. I want to buy a tractor, but I don't know much about them. Everytime I search a question I have, TBN forums pop up, so I decided to join. I currently don't own a tractor, but so far for the price and simplicity in maintenance, I'm interested in a Ford 8N. My husband and I like Kubotas, but I don't want to spend the $$. I think we can get an 8N + implements and be just fine. I guess I'll read along and find out. Some of my tractor related goals are to clear the 3+ acres of blackberries on my property to prep it for moving our horses onto it. We want a half acre sustenance garden, we'll need to mow down the horses turn out area, haul manure/ compost etc. I think it will just be handy to have around. Maybe, someday I'll actually have something to contribute to the forum, but for now I'll just be learning

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whistlepig · Jun 29, 2013

Welcome to TBN. Good luck on your search for a tractor. We have horses also. A tractor with a loader is pretty handy around a horse farm.

dragoneggs · Jun 29, 2013

Yes welcome. Lots of information if you use the search function. Good luck in your research and purchase.

shizadi · Jun 29, 2013

Thanks! So many of the users on the threads I've seen are from the NW! Just noticing because I love WA. @ Whistlepig, I really want a front loader. The cheap me wants the 8N, the impatient me wants a Kubota lol. I'll probably end up with a Kubota, I still have so much research to do. I feel like a little kid reading a grown up's book. Instead of cracking open a dictionary to look up all of the words I don't understand, I'm opening new tabs on the web and searching everything I read just so I can follow some of the info haha. What do you like most about your tractors? I'm pricing out some B series right now. Let me know thanks!

shizadi · Jun 29, 2013

@Whistlepig, do you have an arena? And if so, did you guys do the grading etc. yourselves? An uncovered outdoor is something I'm considering doing if we get a tractor that can do that, but I'm nervous about screwing it up and definitely don't want to do it twice.

creekbend · Jun 29, 2013

Welcome aboard. Best wishes.

Bigfoot62 · Jun 29, 2013

:welcome:
Good to have you aboard.
Ask all the questions you want. Use the search function, and read a bunch.

Just my :2cents: worth:
The Ford 8N was a great tractor in it's day. But, you do realize that any 8N is now over 60 years old.
Unless you and your husband enjoy mechanic work, I would suggest something newer. For instance, the Ford x600 series, like my 2600, is 30 years old, but a much more capable machine with improvements like a pto clutch, a 12 volt electrical system with an alternator, and power steering.

whistlepig · Jun 29, 2013

We have had horses for 35 years now. I had an older tractor without a loader for decades that got the job done. I got my first tractor with a quick detach loader 4 years ago. If I had know how much wear and tear the loader saved on my body I would have got one with a loader a lot sooner. After taking care of horses with an older tractor for decades I would say that these are the things on my newer tractor that I couldn't live without now. 4WD. A loader. And a hydrostatic transmission.

whistlepig · Jun 29, 2013

shizadi said:
@Whistlepig, do you have an arena? And if so, did you guys do the grading etc. yourselves? An uncovered outdoor is something I'm considering doing if we get a tractor that can do that, but I'm nervous about screwing it up and definitely don't want to do it twice.

We have a small outdoor arena. It's covered in pea gravel. The pea gravel works the horse's and doesn't chip their hooves. We have barefoot horses. The arena doesn't require much care. We spray for weeds and tine harrow it. We tine harrow with our ATV's or lawn tractor. Whatever is handy at the time.

whistlepig · Jun 29, 2013

For an arena you need flat ground and a base poured over it. Some folks use sand for a base. We have tried sand and it works well. We started using pea gravel for a base about four years ago and we like the pea gravel better. Sand seems to work into the ground quickly and gets muddy. Pea gravel seems to stay on top of the ground, drains very well, and doesn't have as much mud issues.