Tractor(s) for land purchase

Shotoif · Jan 1, 2014

Thanks for the tips everyone! The sellers have said they would sell them in separate deal but no further details as of yet on that. The present owners are not the original owners of the property so I am unsure if they purchased the equipment or if it came with the property. I'll have to check on the 4x4 or 4x2 next time I go by the property.

Shotoif · Feb 9, 2014

Unfortunately as this deal has progressed the seller pulled the tractors off the table. I assume they either decided they needed them or they had a better offer on them. That then puts me in the market for some equipment. There are definitely plenty around eastern NC on craigslist to choose from. It's about 7 cleared acres of finish cut. I assume they bush hogged the two fenced in pastures which are basically the entire top left quadrant and bottom left quadrant in the picture. There is a barn in the trees behind the house but it is hard to see in the picture, there is also a large pond in the bottom left quadrant tucked away in the trees. A zero will most be the preferred cutting option and has a higher priority on my list as the season approaches. Other land related chores will include: redoing all landscaping around the main structure (leveling beds, removing beds, moving landscaping bricks and rock) blading the driveway as needed, tilling for vegetable garden, moving firewood. I am sure there will be many more but those are the immediate tasks over the next 18 months. Now this could all still go south as closing isn't until late march.

Tractor Seabee · Feb 9, 2014

First decision is behind you. Now go reread those posts we all sent you. Don't tie up your cash on a used one when you can buy new for only 10-15% more and outlay no cash including implements. Whether you buy one or two units is probably determined by what your work flow and life style will be. Maintaining multiple gasoline engines can be a real pain. You may think a backhoe is a luxury until all of a sudden you find one would be real handy. Been there done all that thinking and planning.

Ron

the whispering oaks farm · Feb 9, 2014

I bought my farm, 35 acres- half woods, half pasture, seven years ago. The owner tried to sell me his old kubota that had a lot of time on it for $15k. I didn't buy it and ended up buying a Kubota Grand L 3530. I used it the first summer and thought that it was too expensive to use as a lawn mower so I sold it and bought a nice Home Depot Cub Cadet riding mower to keep the place nice. Well the riding mower was a typical HD mower and started to fall apart soon afterwards, the deck was too thin, the spindles were aluminum, just not meant to mow 20 acres a week. I then bought another Cub Cadet zero turn used to back up the rider that was always in a state of disrepair. Same company and same build quality-now I had two mowers that were always broken. Hit one rock and it would either tear up the spindle or even bend the deck. Next I bought a Ariens 60" zero turn and the quality is much better-but at 3 times the price. It works fine but I had grass growing in the 300' driveway and $40 a quart weed killer only worked for a short time. I tried dragging it with a chain link drag I made up. better but no cigar. Finally I just went out and bought a new LS xr4046hc with the backhoe, a landplane, a 6' blade, a 6' landscape rake, post hole digger , and a bunch of other stuff. I should have done that in the beginning trying to maintain a large piece of property. in the end I spend a lot of money but I should have done it right the first time and I actually would have saved a lot of money. I figure if you want a big place it takes professional grade equipment.

Shotoif · Feb 10, 2014

Thanks all for the tips. I did follow some leads during my lunch break for the zero turn. So far I have Gravely, hustler, toro, and Bob cat all available to me. I also stumbled on a JD dealer as well which I never noticed despite passing it several times. That obvioulsy has zero turn and tractors. From what I have seen most places are offering zero down and 48 months, so it looks like new will be the better option for the zero turn. I'll have to stop at the JD dealer when I have time to look at tractors.

grm61 · Feb 10, 2014

You're in Kioti country, their factory is in Wendel NC.
Find a Kioti dealer near you and take a look.
Really good heavy tractors.
I think they have the free loader program going on.
Way cheaper than a Deere.

newbury · Feb 10, 2014

I think you need to look at 25 to 35hp tractors. Big enough to move a lot of dirt. Then decrease your mowed lawn to a half acre around the house.

This American obsession with large areas of short grass

Before the invention of mowing machines in 1830, lawns were managed very differently. They were an element of wealthy estates and manor houses, and in some places were maintained by the labor-intensive methods of scything and shearing. In most situations, they were also pasture land maintained through grazing by sheep or other livestock. Areas of grass grazed regularly by rabbits, horses or sheep over a long period often form a very low, tight sward similar to a modern lawn. This was the original meaning of the word "lawn",

Graze some sheep

/edit - My Dad and Grandfather built a duplex on 30 acres in Vermont. The first few years we had about half an acre of lawn which my Dad mowed about once a week during the season. Might have taken 45 minutes with a push gas lawn mower. My Grandfather kept expanding the lawn, my Dad kept on mowing more, first with a 10hp lawn tractor and finally with a 14HP lawn tractor. And it would take him several hours a week to mow and tend about 3 acres. By then I was in the Army and couldn't help out. He sure missed his fishing time mowing lawn for several hours a week. Taught me a lesson.

Shotoif · Mar 7, 2014

Well after much research on these forums, internet, and adivce from folks I have decided on a kioti CK30HST. My quote is at $20343 minus taxes and such for the tractor with FEL, bush hog, boxblade, R4 tires, T3 engine and free delivery. Thanks Newbury for that interesting perspective I don't think I will need a zero turn after all.