Used tractor recommendation for 40 acre property for $15-20k?

[boostmg]

Hey .. we have a 40acre property ... it's about half woods and half fields.

We have trees and rocky areas and wet areas.

I'd use the tractor for:

- moving rocks, clearing paths making them nice
- food plots
- diverting water (backhoe?)
- mowing grass
- Other?

I'm looking at a place I can start when looking at tractors, right now I have been gravitating towards a kubota bx22/23 ... but would love to hear some recommendations as to what I should look for.

 

[Jchonline]

1. Do you have a house on the place?
2. Rocks get heavy quickly and the biggest challenge with a small machine is getting them out of the ground. Once out you can skid better than carry (small machine).
3. Mowing 20 acres with a BX is something I dont even think Diggin It would do. How much are you mowing?
4. Ground clearance is an issue on unfinished property with the SCUTs. Consider this carefully.
5. For drainage are we talking digging a trench to put in a 4 inch pipe, or digging a natural trench for water to run down? The bucket is about 8 inches wide on these small machines and the reach about 6 feet. Research this carefully to ensure it will do what you want. Lots of other uses for a BH, but they are an expensive implement and you probably do want to buy it with the tractor.
6. Food plots - not my wheelhouse but if we are talking acres of plowing/seeding I just dont see a BX doing it well. It depends on your soil and how much ground clearance you need.


Take a look at an L series machine in the Kubota line...maybe even a L2501 if you dont need a cab. HP goes up from there, and should be considered for HP intensive tasks (large width 3 point mowing in heavy/wet/hilly terrain for example).

Other brands to consider based on locale of reputable dealers: LS (XG or XR), Massey (17 series), Deere (3 or 4 series), Kioti (NX maybe 1 smaller), RK, TYM (they make RK fyi), Mahindra.

 

[boostmg]

1. Do you have a house on the place?
yes

2. Rocks get heavy quickly and the biggest challenge with a small machine is getting them out of the ground. Once out you can skid better than carry (small machine).
We don't have any MASSIVE boulders, but annoying rocks .. still probably 2-300 lbs

3. Mowing 20 acres with a BX is something I dont even think Diggin It would do. How much are you mowing?
We'd probably just mow a path, it's high grass, we probably won't be mowing the whole thing, just clearing a path to drive through, we did it this year with a pull behind motorized flail mower we got from china

4. Ground clearance is an issue on unfinished property with the SCUTs. Consider this carefully.
good point

5. For drainage are we talking digging a trench to put in a 4 inch pipe, or digging a natural trench for water to run down? The bucket is about 8 inches wide on these small machines and the reach about 6 feet. Research this carefully to ensure it will do what you want. Lots of other uses for a BH, but they are an expensive implement and you probably do want to buy it with the tractor.
As we speak we do have 2 projects, one is laying drainage pipe from our gutters on the house, the other is creating a path to let water flow naturally into a creek. For the water diversion I am going to try and tackle that this summer myself without a machine just because the template of the water flow is there and it just needs some assistance

6. Food plots - not my wheelhouse but if we are talking acres of plowing/seeding I just dont see a BX doing it well. It depends on your soil and how much ground clearance you need.
we wouldn't do acres .. probably 20x20ft ... 20x30ft patches .. maybe more .. maybe 1 acre even


Thanks for the replies on the other brands .. are there any brands to stay away from? Like new hollands?

In my initial research it seems like Kubota, Mahindra .. are decent bangs for bucks.

 

[jeff9366]

Any brand of well maintained, used tractor will serve you better than The Best Brand tractor poorly maintained.

Search for a ONE OWNER, owner/operated tractor.

Search for a tractor where the operator normally operates it at no more than 75% of its limits, more only occasionally.

Owners who buy too light may operate near 100% much of the time.

VIDEO: How To Evaluate A Used Tractor - YouTube

We have a 40acre property ... it's about half woods and half fields.

We have trees and rocky areas and wet areas.

I'd use the tractor for:- diverting water (backhoe?)

A Middlebuster (AKA Potato Plow) may suffice.
VIDEO: Middlebuster trenching - YouTube


I recommend a tractor with a bare tractor weight of 2,600 to 3,600 pounds and 25-horsepower to 35-horsepower. Shop tractor weight first, horsepower second. Tractors in this weight range will have 12" to 14" ground clearance.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

 

[prof fate]

bx is WAY too small...think L or bigger maybe.
For your price - used.
Or learn to like payments...

Rocks..heavy. You'll want a loader. loaded tires on the tractor.
food plots - disking, plowing or tilling...for a 5' tiller or disk you'll need/want 3000lb or more tractor and 30hp min.
hoe- adds a lot of cost to the deal - $5-8k on a new one. You can do a lot with a box blade, back blade, disks and bucket.
Mowing..bigger tractor can run a bigger brush hog for the rough areas, and a rear finish mower. Often a second machine for finish mowing is a better option. You can often get a zero turn for the cost of the mower deck on a bigger tractor, and you won't have to take it off/on all the time you want to use the tractor for other stuff.

I got a kioti CK3510 w/ options and loader for $22k (300/month for 6 years).
Most of my attachments I bought used - 6' brush hog 550, 5' finish mower 400, 5' disk 300, pallet forks new 270, post hole auger new 800, box blade new 450, back blade used 150

I may go for a bigger finish mower, hard to find 6 footers. May do a plow...or a tiller. Issue is i can break ground with the disk and till with a rear tine I got for $150...one for the tractor is $1000 used and double that new.

I cna hire a hoe when I need one...or rent one. Vs $7500 for one for my tractor. There is some residutal value in that when I sell it...what, 10, 20 years from now?

My tiller is a walk behind reverse rotation and I can till up ground at about 1/4 acre/hour and never break a sweat.

Hey .. we have a 40acre property ... it's about half woods and half fields.

We have trees and rocky areas and wet areas.

I'd use the tractor for:

- moving rocks, clearing paths making them nice
- food plots
- diverting water (backhoe?)
- mowing grass
- Other?

I'm looking at a place I can start when looking at tractors, right now I have been gravitating towards a kubota bx22/23 ... but would love to hear some recommendations as to what I should look for.

 

[TheMadOne]

1. Do you have a house on the place?
yes

2. Rocks get heavy quickly and the biggest challenge with a small machine is getting them out of the ground. Once out you can skid better than carry (small machine).
We don't have any MASSIVE boulders, but annoying rocks .. still probably 2-300 lbs

3. Mowing 20 acres with a BX is something I dont even think Diggin It would do. How much are you mowing?
We'd probably just mow a path, it's high grass, we probably won't be mowing the whole thing, just clearing a path to drive through, we did it this year with a pull behind motorized flail mower we got from china

4. Ground clearance is an issue on unfinished property with the SCUTs. Consider this carefully.
good point

5. For drainage are we talking digging a trench to put in a 4 inch pipe, or digging a natural trench for water to run down? The bucket is about 8 inches wide on these small machines and the reach about 6 feet. Research this carefully to ensure it will do what you want. Lots of other uses for a BH, but they are an expensive implement and you probably do want to buy it with the tractor.
As we speak we do have 2 projects, one is laying drainage pipe from our gutters on the house, the other is creating a path to let water flow naturally into a creek. For the water diversion I am going to try and tackle that this summer myself without a machine just because the template of the water flow is there and it just needs some assistance

6. Food plots - not my wheelhouse but if we are talking acres of plowing/seeding I just dont see a BX doing it well. It depends on your soil and how much ground clearance you need.
we wouldn't do acres .. probably 20x20ft ... 20x30ft patches .. maybe more .. maybe 1 acre even


Thanks for the replies on the other brands .. are there any brands to stay away from? Like new hollands?

In my initial research it seems like Kubota, Mahindra .. are decent bangs for bucks.

There's not brands, so much as models. Kubota B3350(engine/def issues), Mahindra 45 series(Non-syncro gears and reported build quality issues), JD 3Es(aluminum rear)

That said, there are owners of all these on TBN and most are happy, or at least content, with their purchase and work within the limitations of the given tractor. I just wouldn't recommend them "off the cuff".

With 15-20K you could very easily go ham. You could probably grab a "real" TLB for that.

My 2cents, if you only have the two digging projects, is to rent an excavator to do them. With your budget you could easily get an older loader tractor and implements if you forgo the backhoe.

I really don't think a BX is the correct size for the jobs you list. Plus tractors tend to shrink after you've put a few hours on them. I'd want to be around 40-50hp and 3500lbs minimum tractor weight if it was me. I do tend to trend on the "bigger is better" side for TBN, though.

 

[finn1]

I see continued negative comments on the JD re the aluminum rear end housing.

Has anyone personally had an issue with one?

And I don’t mean your neighbor’s cousin’s nephew!

 

[jeff9366]

Do not hijack BOOSTMG's thread.

You have a legitimate topic.

Start a fresh thread with your topic in the title.

 

[atsah]

No worries about the Deere's rear end, I would suggest a little bigger tractor for 40 acre's, I think you would find a SCUT to be a little small. Something you could go a little bigger on the implements would cut down on time mowing etc, you may wind up cutting more than you thought.

 

[Jchonline]

1. Do you have a house on the place?
yes

2. Rocks get heavy quickly and the biggest challenge with a small machine is getting them out of the ground. Once out you can skid better than carry (small machine).
We don't have any MASSIVE boulders, but annoying rocks .. still probably 2-300 lbs

3. Mowing 20 acres with a BX is something I dont even think Diggin It would do. How much are you mowing?
We'd probably just mow a path, it's high grass, we probably won't be mowing the whole thing, just clearing a path to drive through, we did it this year with a pull behind motorized flail mower we got from china

4. Ground clearance is an issue on unfinished property with the SCUTs. Consider this carefully.
good point

5. For drainage are we talking digging a trench to put in a 4 inch pipe, or digging a natural trench for water to run down? The bucket is about 8 inches wide on these small machines and the reach about 6 feet. Research this carefully to ensure it will do what you want. Lots of other uses for a BH, but they are an expensive implement and you probably do want to buy it with the tractor.
As we speak we do have 2 projects, one is laying drainage pipe from our gutters on the house, the other is creating a path to let water flow naturally into a creek. For the water diversion I am going to try and tackle that this summer myself without a machine just because the template of the water flow is there and it just needs some assistance

6. Food plots - not my wheelhouse but if we are talking acres of plowing/seeding I just dont see a BX doing it well. It depends on your soil and how much ground clearance you need.
we wouldn't do acres .. probably 20x20ft ... 20x30ft patches .. maybe more .. maybe 1 acre even


Thanks for the replies on the other brands .. are there any brands to stay away from? Like new hollands?

In my initial research it seems like Kubota, Mahindra .. are decent bangs for bucks.

Great feedback, thanks for responding. NH is a LS with a different sticker and higher price. They are just fine and I should have mentioned them. However I would buy a LS over NH, just due to the above.

So it sounds like for what you have today, the BX would work. However the real question is what will you want to do with the place in 5 years, 10 years? Ideally we want to prevent you from needing a second machine, or trading in the BX for something larger you should have gotten to begin with.

Try and think about all the things you might want to do a few years out. Can you still get those things done with the BX?