We bought a 5 acrea place with a new home and 300 feet of driveway. My plans were to maybe buy a small tractor after living here awhile. But I have watched diesel go up and up. It is now over $3.00 a gallon. I have now shoveled our 300 foot driveway twice because of snow fall. I wonder how expensive it will be to keep fuel for a tractor on top of buying gas for our cars. I have thought of putting the place up for sale and moving back into town,that is back to Colorado and buy a place with a small yard. I wonder if things will ever get better.
purchase or not
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David Cockey
Bronze Member
We're new owners of a BX2350, and 8 hours of use, half of it moving snow used around 3 gallons of Diesel. So a little over $1 per hour. Our 23 year old, 8 HP snow blower uses about as much gasoline per hour. Compared to the cost of the tractor the fuel will be a minor expense.
Based on what I've seen supplies for following the factory maintenance schedule will probably add another fifty cents an hour. Still minor compared to the cost of the tractor.
Assuming we eventually have 2000 hours on the tractor, cost of ownership per hour will be greater than $5 per hour after the time value of money and insurance are included.
Based on what I've seen supplies for following the factory maintenance schedule will probably add another fifty cents an hour. Still minor compared to the cost of the tractor.
Assuming we eventually have 2000 hours on the tractor, cost of ownership per hour will be greater than $5 per hour after the time value of money and insurance are included.
davitk
Platinum Member
If you want to save money, the country is not the place to do it. And as some would say, you really don't need a tractor, but it sure makes country life a whole lot more enjoyable. Just kiss that vacation money goodby, put it into your tractor. I'm sure the wife won't mind 
johnk
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A tractor is a great multitasker given the right implements. It will perform many different types of chores that would be a pain without one.Add up your needs and how badly you want the chores done and have that extra time on your hands. Also the extra money you would have after the initial investment of the tractor. Having to pay somrone to take care of the chores, and the convience to do it yourself are the things you want to weigh into the equation...
do it yourself are the things you want to weigh into the equation...
ToadHill
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The Amish guy down the road plows his place with a home made wood blade and One horsepower. The only thing he has to do is feed it and clean up after it.
If the cost of fuel in a tractor is making you feel the pain - you probably are living much too close to the edge.
Also, if you can hand shovel 300 ft of driveway - you don't need the tractor! (Or a gym membership).
You can probably make a snow blade and drag it behind pushing the snow off to the side. It will melt pretty quick in Mo. (I used to live in St. Louis). That would be cheaper than buying a tractor that sits most all of the time. I'm thinking a weighted wood box attached to the rear of your vehicle by chains. Length of chain will dictate the direction of snow removal.
jb
Also, if you can hand shovel 300 ft of driveway - you don't need the tractor! (Or a gym membership).
You can probably make a snow blade and drag it behind pushing the snow off to the side. It will melt pretty quick in Mo. (I used to live in St. Louis). That would be cheaper than buying a tractor that sits most all of the time. I'm thinking a weighted wood box attached to the rear of your vehicle by chains. Length of chain will dictate the direction of snow removal.
jb
bota7800
Gold Member
If your only need for a tractor is snow, you can plow better with a $1000 blade for your truck or SUV than with a tractor and backblade. If you have an ATV, you can get a plow for that for less than $500. It depends on if you have any other needs for a tractor- lots of 5 acre homes don't use a tractor. Even a service duty plow will set you back less than most tractors.
Oh, and don't go for the 1 horsepower option - you have to feed them every day even if it doesn't snow.
Oh, and don't go for the 1 horsepower option - you have to feed them every day even if it doesn't snow.
mjncad
Super Member
Mechanic:
I doubt you'll be burning that much diesel with whatever you buy to make it a big problem. To me you need to ask yourself, "Can I stand living back in town next to the neighbors 10-feet away?" I have less than 2-acres where we live now, and since I don't garden, I find it easier to take care of in some ways as I only mow the weeds two to three times a year when we have a normal dry year. In the burbs, I mowed once a week whether I wanted to or not to keep the Kentucky blue grass down to a reasonable height.
I spent the majority of my life in the burbs, and a few years in an apartment, and after moving to where we are now, we enjoy having the elbow room that one can't get in the city. We even bought 35-acres so we can eventually sell this place and move farther away from town and get more space; especially since our current small acreage neighborhood has turned into a royal pain.
I doubt you'll be burning that much diesel with whatever you buy to make it a big problem. To me you need to ask yourself, "Can I stand living back in town next to the neighbors 10-feet away?" I have less than 2-acres where we live now, and since I don't garden, I find it easier to take care of in some ways as I only mow the weeds two to three times a year when we have a normal dry year. In the burbs, I mowed once a week whether I wanted to or not to keep the Kentucky blue grass down to a reasonable height.
I spent the majority of my life in the burbs, and a few years in an apartment, and after moving to where we are now, we enjoy having the elbow room that one can't get in the city. We even bought 35-acres so we can eventually sell this place and move farther away from town and get more space; especially since our current small acreage neighborhood has turned into a royal pain.
JoeinTX
Platinum Member
I have to echo some of the others here...........if the cost of a gallon of diesel is major factor in deciding whether to live the country life or pack it in and move half-way across the country then you've got bigger problems than we can really discuss here.
Modern small tractors are pretty fuel efficient devices and if clearing the drive and doing a little finish mowing are your biggest needs then you can probably expect to fill up the 5 gallon Blitz can once a month, maybe twice in the busy seasons, to take care of it. $15-30 a month. If you've got a mental block about diesel then find an older gas engine rig.....Ford N-series, MF TO-20, etc.....they are pretty stingy with the gasoline and can be had in nice running shape for $2k +/-.
Can it get any worse? YES! Fuel lines.......runaway inflation.....a depression....high interest rates.....if you think $3 diesel in 2008 is bad you can't imagine what real economic hardships can be. Factor inflation and fuel isn't that high in the historical sense.......we've just gotten use to very cheap transportation and the market is beginning to correct itself.
Modern small tractors are pretty fuel efficient devices and if clearing the drive and doing a little finish mowing are your biggest needs then you can probably expect to fill up the 5 gallon Blitz can once a month, maybe twice in the busy seasons, to take care of it. $15-30 a month. If you've got a mental block about diesel then find an older gas engine rig.....Ford N-series, MF TO-20, etc.....they are pretty stingy with the gasoline and can be had in nice running shape for $2k +/-.
Can it get any worse? YES! Fuel lines.......runaway inflation.....a depression....high interest rates.....if you think $3 diesel in 2008 is bad you can't imagine what real economic hardships can be. Factor inflation and fuel isn't that high in the historical sense.......we've just gotten use to very cheap transportation and the market is beginning to correct itself.
smfcpacfp
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JoeinTX said:
I would have to agree with Joe here. It looks like you are looking for a reason to move back to suburbia. I don't think you would get a great deal of support here, on this forum for the notion of moving to the city. If you want to move back to the city just do it and admit to yourself that you made a mistake. Don't blame that on the price of diesel fuel for your potential tractor.
I lived in New York and Chicago for eight years and grew up in suburbia. I have lived in the country for the last 30 years. I got married shortly before I moved here to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. When my wife was unable to get the professional level job in her field that I thought she should get, I began looking for a job in Chicago. I found a really interesting job, but I told her that moving back to Chicago would be like going to prison. Her comment was, "I will find something that I like here. I didn't ask you to look for the job in Chicago, that was your idea." Well, we stayed, and we're still married.
I remember when I was finishing up my MBA at The University of Chicago and I attended a graduation party. I was telling this cute girl, that I wanted to move to the country. She asked me why I would want to do it. I guess that caught me off guard because the only thing that I could think to say was I really enjoyed walking in the woods, which I do. Her comment was, "When you've seen one tree, you've seen them all." Classic big-city girl.
