Suggestion for 16 acres

[roxynoodle]

Oh yeah, the horses will tear up your pasture over time and mowing will be rougher than your yard. I lightly disc mine at least once a year. You will find they wear out the areas they travel frequently like near the stock tank or where they have shade/shelter. I also ride in mine so I can make tracks pretty much all over. I have one mare that loves to do sliding stops (guess she should have been a reining horse rather than an eventer) and she does them all the time and leaves skid marks.

As a side note, I like your MF, flusher, nice looking older tractor!

 

[Jethro]

I own a landscape maintenance company and we mow 10 acre jobs with ztrs. For mowing grass on smooth land a ztr is the way to go, unless you have a huge finish mower. However, I think you will have a lot more going on than mowing grass on smooth land. I agree that the pastures will become uneven, even if they are smooth now. A tractor will be far more versatile. And come on, if you are going to have a horse farm, you gotta have a tractor. Why stop with one dream when you can satisfy two? It will be one of those toys...I mean tools... that you will quickly wonder how you ever did without.

 

[jbrumberg]

jkruer01:

Turf tires (R-3's) would probably meet your needs from what you have reported. If you need extra traction you could add chains. It is my opinion that chains on Turf tires probably work better than chains on R-1's as the chains tend to slip between the lugs on the Ag tires. There are also Galaxy "Turf Special" tires that do not have lugs on the tire's outer edge, but I do not know anythng else about the tire application. Jay

 

[shane]

You have been given a lot of very good advice so far. I am surely not an expert on tractors but I believe my advice would be not to run out and buy something right away. The mowing season is over and time is on your side. I would suggest that you continue to read the highly valuable information on this site. If I had done a better job I would have never bought my JD 790 (a great little machine) and I would have done a few things different in buying my JD 3120. Having said all that, my vote for your needs would be a 3X20 with a cx loader and R4 tires, along with a 7 foot finish mower and a brush hawg (actually anybodies anything in that class and you'll be a happy camper).

 

[daTeacha]

I just talked with my SIL. He has 6 acres of flat woods, new house heated by groundwater heat pump -- all electric. He just got a tractor for maintaining the woods, plowing the driveway, and running a generator when the power goes out, which it does around here with distressing frequency and irregularity. What did he get? An International 685 (?) -- 70 hp two wheel drive diesel with loader. He figures that should be enough engine to run a 15 kw generator, which is the next item on his shopping list. It helps that his father is an auctioneer and we are in an Ag area, so he got the tractor at a good price, cheaper than a JD 1050 went for a couple of weeks ago.

So, don't rule out big used equipment if you can make it work for your place. I have no idea how that machine is going to work in the woods, but I'm pretty sure he'll have enough power for whatever he wants to do.

 

[Soundguy]

That 685 will run a 24kw genny...

Soundguy

 

[GEB]

We cut about 6 acres, she uses a ZST Scagg 54in, up around the house.
I use a 1953 Ford Jubilee with a 6ft mower.
If your main thing for a tractor is cutting fields, look into
a old Ford 8N, Jubilee, NAA, these tractors run forever, parts
are easy to come by.
The rear tires are tall which makes the ride much better,
I also put turff tires on mine.
Nice thing is you can find one in real nice shape for around $3000-$4000
I cant think of anything I'd rather cut with!
Gene

 

[Soundguy]

Maybee a 660 /661 or 860/861 to get the live pto, and possibly optional power steering.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[jkruer01]

We cut about 6 acres, she uses a ZST Scagg 54in, up around the house.
I use a 1953 Ford Jubilee with a 6ft mower.
If your main thing for a tractor is cutting fields, look into
a old Ford 8N, Jubilee, NAA, these tractors run forever, parts
are easy to come by.
The rear tires are tall which makes the ride much better,
I also put turff tires on mine.
Nice thing is you can find one in real nice shape for around $3000-$4000
I cant think of anything I'd rather cut with!
Gene

Maybee a 660 /661 or 860/861 to get the live pto, and possibly optional power steering.. etc..

Soundguy

You all are talking over my head.

 

[jkruer01]

I just talked with my SIL. He has 6 acres of flat woods, new house heated by groundwater heat pump -- all electric. He just got a tractor for maintaining the woods, plowing the driveway, and running a generator when the power goes out, which it does around here with distressing frequency and irregularity. What did he get? An International 685 (?) -- 70 hp two wheel drive diesel with loader. He figures that should be enough engine to run a 15 kw generator, which is the next item on his shopping list. It helps that his father is an auctioneer and we are in an Ag area, so he got the tractor at a good price, cheaper than a JD 1050 went for a couple of weeks ago.

So, don't rule out big used equipment if you can make it work for your place. I have no idea how that machine is going to work in the woods, but I'm pretty sure he'll have enough power for whatever he wants to do.

I would think a tractor that big would tear up the yard.

 

[elginfarm]

Welcome,
I am in the same boat as you. We bought 15 acres this year and plan to keep our own horses as well as boarding a few of our friends horses.
I bought a used JD 4400 and have been using it to bushhog and just about everything else. Prior to buying the tractor I posted some questions here and asked for alot of opinions and advice. I also went to the various dealers and shows to look at equipment. I had one dealer try to sell me a bobcat rather than a tractor. I am very happy with my JD, but I was also impressed with the Kubota and the Ford.
I think you should go with a CUT becasue you will find it more useful down the road.
Good Luck

 

[Soundguy]

You all are talking over my head.

The 8n / NAA were nice.. but no live pto* or power steering.

With the 6xx series you had the option of power steering. Also.. *6* models had live pto.. thus 660 / 661 and 860/861 models had live pto.. X00 series was 1955-57 X01 series was 1958-1962 ( 8n was 47-52 and NAA was 53-54 ) ( all listed in model years ).

* ( Though they are like hens teeth, you occasionally run across a live pto unit for a NAA.. and even more rare is one for an 8n.. they are essentially an axle clutch giving you a 2nd hand clutch, similar to an older allis chalmers with live pto..e tc .. thus you can disengage the axle clutch.. stop forward motion, but still have pto.. disengaging the foot clutch kills everything )

Soundguy

 

[jbrumberg]

jkruer01:

There is a strange language spoken in TBN . I suggest you consider purchasing/downloading TBN's Compact Tractor Buying & Basics. It gives a pretty good overview of CUT's and accessories as well of some of the operational "lingo". The more you read in and ask of TBN the more everything will make sense. I would explore various threads through TBN's search engine and also go to tractor attachment websites and read what is available. It will make sense after awhile. Jay

 

[sandman2234]

The larger tractor will tear up the yard if you drive over it continously, or make sharp turns on it. My little Ford 1100 4x4 was great with turf tires, cause you almost couldn't tell it had been near the yard. I got a chance to buy a larger tractor and don't regret it. It weighs in at about 7,000 pounds and has about 65-70 hp. Quite a difference from the little Ford. It came with turf tires, and I managed to get it stuck several times so I went to Ag's. Still manage to get it stuck pretty often, but that is another story. The turf tires on the big tractor didn't chew the yard up too bad, but you can tell where it had been. Multiple trips around the yard would show, but that is the case with the ag's also. As several people have mentioned, tractor owners generally have a separate lawnmower for the yard, mainly so we don't have to hear it from SWMBO when we leave tracks or accidently run over her favorite flower or bush in the yard. Mine is a 11 year old Steiner 525, and was cheap when I bought it. The larger tractor will cut grass faster and heavier than the Ford ever would, and do it pulling a mower twice as big. It just gets stuck more often.
David from jax

 

[GEB]

Welcome,
I am in the same boat as you. We bought 15 acres this year and plan to keep our own horses as well as boarding a few of our friends horses.
I bought a used JD 4400 and have been using it to bushhog and just about everything else. Prior to buying the tractor I posted some questions here and asked for alot of opinions and advice. I also went to the various dealers and shows to look at equipment. I had one dealer try to sell me a bobcat rather than a tractor. I am very happy with my JD, but I was also impressed with the Kubota and the Ford.
I think you should go with a CUT becasue you will find it more useful down the road.
Good Luck

Yo Elginfarm, would that be in Elgin?
Gene

 

[schmism]

when dealing with horses i always think about bailing hay myself (not that i have horses)

and while you may only have 16 acers today, it might be only a year or 2 down the road when your longingly looking at that 10 acers next door thinking what great pasture that would be for bailing for the horses.....

and then youll find yourself without enough tractor


I have TC33 and think it would work great for most stuff. although i would think a TC40 (size) would be more approperiate. and a TN seiries if you want to bail something....

 

[jkruer01]

Please keep in mind that the readership at TBN is more than willing to help you spend your money.

Now I know what you mean!

 

[sparky2terra]

I have a situation very similar to the original poster ... 35 raw acres of which ~10 acres is pasture (knee-to-waist high grass, 1" shrubs, holey, and littered with some rocks) and turning it into something that will support up to four horses. I was originally looking at CUTs, but now am thinking a TLB may be better-suited for my application. The Kubota L39 has over a ton FEL lift capacity, powerful backhoe, plenty of hydraulic power, 30.5HP PTO, and comes with R4 tires. The only thing I'm bummed about the L39 is the lack of cab, and am unsure about the GST (for mowing). Overall, I'd use the TLB for putting in a fence and planting trees with a hydraulic PHD (hard/rocky ground) on the BH boom, trenching water/electricity to a future barn and around the land, digging three compost bins into a slope, grading the road, mowing and harrowing the pasture, and maintaining the horses (hay, manure, feed, et. al.).

I know the bushhogs are popular, but don't they clump the grass quite a bit? Despite being a little bit more expensive, I've considered a flail to completely mulch the grass and provide a cleaner looking cut.

Any thoughts on smaller TLBs for the above use or even flail mowers?

 

[Billy_S]

Sparky, from what part of northern Colorado do you hail? I lived in Sterling for 10 years.

 

[sparky2terra]

Ft. Collins. New to the area and trying to get a crash-course on the land, vegetation, critters, and weather.