Tractor or skid steer? Just bought 150 acres.

[Fixastuff]

I used to take pride in doing everything myself, thinking of the money I saved. As I've gotten older I found it wiser to put more effort into making money and paying other people to do stuff, you just don't have enough hours in the day to do everything yourself and still enjoy your family.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm chiming in a bit late, but will toss in my two cents worth anyway...thought much has already been said. Rent a big enough excavator to do all it can do--and that is a lot--in a short time. Then, rent a dozer to do what the excavator couldn't do. Then, figure out what you need yet to do and buy your tractor.
I also agree that a better business plan may be in order.

 

[BarryTX]

I used to take pride in doing everything myself, thinking of the money I saved. As I've gotten older I found it wiser to put more effort into making money and paying other people to do stuff, you just don't have enough hours in the day to do everything yourself and still enjoy your family.

Amen to that. Prioritize the quality family time

 

[olenjohn]

It appears you DKS about farming. I would like to see you harvest hay with a track loader. It would be even more entertaining if it’s mowed with a batwing as was suggested. Do you have any idea what’s involved? You made no mention of any equipment / implements beyond a tractor / skid steer. I expect you will get an education from the school of hard knocks. Spend an entire summer working at a farm to get a taste of reality or take mikester’s advice and “run Forrest, run”. Best of luck on your journey. It’s going to be full of surprises.

 

[LARGEONE]

Tractor...rent skid or other necessary equipment for specific jobs the tractor cannot do well. Or hire those jobs out as stated.

 

[JONNY BOYYY]

I need help figuring out what to buy!

Please tell me what YOU would do! And how YOU would approach this project.

We just bought a 150 acre farm (all crop land). All of it is rolling hills - nothing terribly steep, but not flat either.

In the next year or so, I need to:
1. Cut and grade an entrance from the road (about 50 ft of wooded area next to the road). Need to install culvert, etc. for road access.
2. Grade and install a 1/2 mile long driveway. Everything except the entrance is through the middle of a field - rolling hills - with 1 extra culvert needed
3. Grade a 60'x120' pad for our barn.
4. Clear 2.5 miles of fence line that is currently extremely overgrown honeysuckle (think 50 years of honeysuckle growth)
5. Pound about 1200 5-6'' round posts into the ground (quoted over $70k just to pound the posts, so I'll be doing this myself.)
6. Standard maintenance of pasture - so mow about 150 acres

We plan to hire someone to come in and seed hay - so roundup and a seed drill. We plan to hire that job out to someone who knows exactly what they are doing. Currently all weeds, so will hopefully be pasture and hay fields by this time next year.

But the big question:
Do I buy a tractor or a skid steer (with tracks, so a track loader)? And buying one thing - keeping it for a year to complete all of the above jobs - and then selling it and buying something different - is something I am willing to do.

Budget of about $35-40k, including any needed attachments.

I can buy a track loader for about $30k, a bush hog for $4k, and a post pounder for $4k - and be comfortably under my $40k max. Going this route means I wouldn't be able to harvest my own hay, etc until I sell the track loader and buy a tractor. And bush hogging 150 acres with a track loader is going to be rough.

Alternatively, I spend $30k on a newer 60-70 hp tractor with a loader, $5k on a post pounder, $5k on a bush hog - and be right at my max. I would probably need to rent a bulldozer or track loader to do the driveway, etc - which would be about $2000/week. No idea if I can get it done in one week or not, but my guess is closer to 2 weeks.

And it might actually be better if I buy a cheap dozer ($10k?) and sell it when I am done with it. Then buy the tractor after I sell the dozer.

I need help making a decision! Any and all advice appreciated!

150 acres is almost nothing in the farm world so you need a tractor with a loader only..to cut and bale hay you need $100k of equipment to do it ,so thats out..have it done by a custom baler..you wont like skid steers or track loaders and selling them is sometimes hard to do..selling a tractor 4x4 with a loader is the best bet and would be sold as soon as a for sale sign is put on it out by the highway ..and pound the posts in yourself or hire a fence guy..you will save a lot of money that way..

 

[Skypuppy]

Buying a tractor and just renting a dozer was another option I had considered.

How many hours do you think it would take to clear the entrance (50 wooded ft), grade a drive (1/2 mile), and grade a barn site (about a 60x120 pad - 3' high on one corner, 2' high on another corner - so not a terrible amount of grading work)?

Are we talking 5 full days? or 10 full days? And keep in mind, I have never operated a dozer, so there will be a learning curve.

There is a JD 550k that I can rent for $1800/week (max 40 hrs per week). Think I can get this done in a 1 week rental?

Strongly recommend you don't do that dozer work yourself especially as a newbie to it!

 

[buffaloman]

Aden2112 Good luck on your adventure!​

 

[chardage]

Alarm bells are ringing. This should be a warning sign telling you that this farm purchase is a bad idea. You can't afford the lifestyle you want. Mow 150 acres? WTF, you are sunk before you even begin. YOU can't afford to maintain 150 acres of park land. You can't afford even the fuel and maintenance costs for the equipment you want let alone break downs and repairs buying older equipment in your budget.

Run Forest, Run!

 

[chardage]

Alarm bells are ringing. This should be a warning sign telling you that this farm purchase is a bad idea. You can't afford the lifestyle you want. Mow 150 acres? WTF, you are sunk before you even begin. YOU can't afford to maintain 150 acres of park land. You can't afford even the fuel and maintenance costs for the equipment you want let alone break downs and repairs buying older equipment in your budget.

Run Forest, Run!

jealous?