I normally do not hang out in this section as Folks here will tell you that you need the biggest tractor or what they bought. If I were you I would get a 4wd 60-75 hp utility tractor with a shuttle shift transmission and a loader leaning towards a Kubota
M6800 as it has a locking front differential to help in the mud. But that is not the right tractor for you, it is for me though. Below is my opinion, based off of running tractors from subcompacts to large 4WD articulated at home, in a turf maintenance enviroment and farming in three states (all 12 hours apart).
I would definitely get a hydrostat transmission. The learning curve on them is much shorter than a geared. I am not a fan of hydrostat transmissions for personal reasons, however they are the way to go for a new operator.
John Deere 430 (used 2002 model, no cab, 1600 hours, fork blades, snow plow included)
Kioti CS2520
Yanmar SA series
Mahindra emax 20S
John Deere - something newer like a 2025R
John Deere 1026R (used 2012 model)
Kubota
BX2380 or
BX2680
The JD 430 is a lawn mower not a tractor and is not comparable to the other machines on your list.
The "BX series is a glorified lawn mower". Yes it is the size of a lawn mower, yes its loader capacity is small. But it is much more capable than a lawn mower, the category it falls in is "sub compact tractor".
It's a 1949 Ford 4N but I don't think a loader can be used with this.
I have an 8N and can say they are terrible with a loader as they take 50 plus pounds to turn the steering wheel.
I am going to keep saying BX but what I really mean is sub compact tractors. See my comments in red below.
Tasks to be done with the help of a machine:
clearing overgrown fields Larger tractors have more lift and can push / mow over larger brush. 30+PTO hp is nice However once its clear a small bx can keep it up if mowed frequently. You can clear with a BX but you will have to do lots more hand cutting and cutting to smaller sizes.
clearing some underbrush areas Smaller tractors are more maneuverable and agile. A BX with a 4 or 5 ft brush hog can run a circle around a tree
moving dead/cut trees Large tractor with high lift capacity. A grapple makes this job soo much easier. However for a grapple you will need third function hydraulics on the loader. Grapples are also $$.
maintaining gravel drive Unless your driveway is crazy steep, washes out terrible or is poorly constructed a small or big tractor will do just fine. You will want an implement such as a land grader scraper, back blade or box blade to use.
snow removal as needed (a handful of storms, nothing too horrible) A small tractor will move less snow but still can move it. I used a BX in college and could push piles of snow that were three feet tall hundreds of feet with the little 4' blade on the front. However the bigger 45hp tractors with 8' blades could move move even more snow.
organization/movement of hay bales (sometimes up high) Depends on how high or how heavy. Larger tractors have taller lift and larger capacity loaders.
tilling for planting Any size tractor can do this. I have tilled with a 4' tiller on a BX and with a 40' disc on a 425 hp articulated tractor. Depends on how fast you want to till.
movement of barn pen/goat bedding (this is the hardest one) Not really the hardest, any of the tractors your looking at will move manure just fine. A manure grapple helps, but a bucket can do it too. A smaller machine might be nicer depending on the room you have to work in. Less room and the smaller tractor will shine. I would have not problem cleaning manure with a BX. Most of my manure cleaning with with a large backhoe or a skidsteer with a grapple in a feedlot.
A loader is a must based off of your chores. It significantly increases the capability of a tractor.
We own 13.5 acres in Michigan. 4-5 of those acres are swampy lower level creek lands. The remainder is high, mostly field and a tiny bit wooded.
Any tractor size will work for your needs. There is no perfect size. Most folks here subscribe to "bigger is better" and "buy what I have its the best".
TBN is a great tractor info source, but at times some tend to go big HP size because maybe speed is their priority , but hobby farm budget and time can manage with small effective tractors too.
However I believe that everyone's needs are unique and there is no perfect tractor size. I know that two weeks ago I was filling in a ditch in a ravine and barely had room to turn my tractor to dump in the ditch a BX would have been perfect as it would have been small enough to maneuver. Last week I was mowing a piece of property that had not been mowed in 10 years and I was wishing I could have borrowed a friends 120 hp tractor with a 8' brush hog as it would have mowed more down than I was able to with my smaller 45 hp tractor (plus the air conditioning would have been nice). Also note that horse power (HP) is rated in two places engine and PTO (Power Take Off)
As I've been researching and reading, I'm seeing that horsepower is probably #1 on the list followed by the weight of the machine as #2.
There is no #1 consideration, it is all about balance. I would determine what size of tractor I need then get something with hp on the higher side. No one ever had to much horsepower. Weight is not that important, what is is the comparison of weight to loader capacity. A very strong loader on a light tractor will require significant counterweight. A heavy tractor will sink in wet ground quickly. You can always add weight to a tractor but you cant put one on a diet. So determining what you need done, how quick it needs done, and your budget then drive what you need for size of tractor.
I worked for a tree farm that had a kubota 7500 it had 21hp and we mowed with a 5' brush hog. Everyone here would tell you your nuts if your going to mow 75 acres with a 18 pto hp tractor. It took a darned long time but the deck of the mower stuck out so it was easy to get under the trees and the small tractor was very manuverable. I also worked on a farm that had 180 acres of trees. I mowed it with a Case 5240 100hp tractor pulling a 7' brush hog. I could mow darned fast but it was a real !@#$ to turn around at the end of the row. I also could mow over 3" junk trees without slowing down. Each one had advantages, most folks here would not recommend either for this job. A 75 hp small framed tractor with a 8' dual spindle brush hog would have been perfect. The reason I told this story is that balancing needs is critical to finding the right tractor. Both of these tractors were the wrong tool but still got the job done.
There is one guy here who only focuses on weight, his advice is wrong most of the time. I have an Industrial tractor it is really heavy and the loader is really strong but it is not a well balanced machine (but was cheap). Others focus only on HP or brand there advice might not be right for you either.
Go to at least your 3 nearest dealers and get some sitting in the seat type experience.
This is great advice.
Our tasks can be delayed, we have someone or we would need to have a dealer.
The dealer is just as important as the tractor. See what they have for a repair shop, don't be turned off my messy / dirty shops, it means their mechanics are fixing stuff, not polishing the floor. Is the shop willing to pick the tractor up or do they have a mobile mechanic? What are their hourly rates? Also how far torn down is the equipment that they are repairing, some dealers can handle major repairs, whereas others anything other than an oil change befuddles them.
I was in the ag parts business, I have had way to many calls from dealers looking for parts for their Bison, Hinimoto, Long, Tafe, Satoh, Iseki, Mitsubishi, Belarus, Leland, etc. These were all smaller companies that are either no longer in business or have exited the tractor market. This is why I avoid the less common brands. It sucks to have your $XX,XXX tractor stranded and worthless because you cannot find a $500 hydraulic pump or some other part. The big names in tractor's are Case International, John Deere, Kubota, Massey Ferguson, and New Holland.
Have fun sorting out opinion vs fact and finding the tractor that you need!
