Tractor Sizing Tractor for 20-50 acres

[Bluegill2]

400 acres here, around 150 get mowed, rest is timber. The last 10 years we've taken care of the place with an old L3750, 1984 model, 45hp. I just got a L3800, 38hp. Now have a two tractor farm.

Ya don't really need a large tractor, but if ya want one, get it. :thumbsup:

 

[Bluegill2]

Also, my brother is logging with a little 23hp Massey 4WD. He can snake logs out of the woods where the larger tractors can't.

 

[IslandTractor]

Only about 10-15 acres is grassy, and the rest is wooded. We plan to selectively remove some trees though.

30-40hp would be fine then. Six foot implements are a good size for 10-15 acres. No reason to get greater than 40hp, just make sure that you get a decent loader with at least 1500-2000lbs lift to help with the tree removal.

 

[abeal]

400 acres here, around 150 get mowed, rest is timber. The last 10 years we've taken care of the place with an old L3750, 1984 model, 45hp. I just got a L3800, 38hp. Now have a two tractor farm.

Ya don't really need a large tractor, but if ya want one, get it. :thumbsup:

Just bought a 100 acre farm - mostly wooded and horses take care of the pasture. We ordered a L3200 and figure it will be fine for what we need. Will rent or borrow if we need something bigger.

 

[Bluegill2]

Just bought a 100 acre farm - mostly wooded and horses take care of the pasture. We ordered a L3200 and figure it will be fine for what we need. Will rent or borrow if we need something bigger.

And it'll do a fine job for ya! Congrats! :thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

You mention working with "large" trees; depends on your definition of large. My 50 HP tractor won't budge some of the trees with which I have worked. We used our Massey Ferguson 375 72 HP 4WD loaded tires and cast centers to pull them out. I have two trees down right now that I am going to have to work up or get the 8540 down in there as my other tractors just won't do it.

 

[Bluegill2]

It also depends on how much a guy wants to spend. $$$

 

[TripleR]

It also depends on how much a guy wants to spend. $$$

Almost always a consideration for sure. I didn't particularly "want" to spend the money, for us, nothing else worked.

 

[Bluegill2]

Almost always a consideration for sure. I didn't particularly "want" to spend the money, for us, nothing else worked.

True that. I tend to get by with less, because of the money.

 

[IslandTractor]

True that. I tend to get by with less, because of the money.

Advice on TBN is almost always more more more horsepower etc. Maybe we need a new subforum for "small is beautiful" tractors.

20hp is plenty to get a lot of work done so long as there is no critical time element.