Comparison What do you look for when buying a tractor

[steve24rdg]

Yes in the days that your tractor was buit, a Cab meant that you were just soft and 4WD meant you didn't know how to operate it. Joke

 

[Soundguy]

Hello to all
I am new to this site and farming in general.
I was just wondering out of interest what you look for when buying a tractor for your area of farming.
are there certain things you require if say you are a vegetable farmer that a dairy or ceral farmer does not need so much
im sure there are a million and one different things that are important for different tasks but if you dont mind taking the time id really like to know.
perhaps if there is enough interest in this topic we could make a poll of certain things.
Many thanks
Steve

Wow.. that's an open ended question that 'books' could be written on.. let alone an email post.

Is there a specific task you are thinking about?

soundguy

 

[NH-Rob]

On the dairy opperation that i work on we have many tractors. Most are large over 200hp but we still have tractors in the 70hp range to do smaller jobs. Often times a tractor will be to small for one job yet too large for the next. For the work I do around the farm (feeding Cattle) I find around 120hp and 4wd works best. A cab is a serious plus too.
Rob

 

[forester2]

Steve: You kind of answered your own question- suitable for the tasks at hand. What and where you are planning on using a machine for is , to me, the over riding question. Then it boils down to budget, future requirements, brand and dealer preference etc.

 

[flusher]

Hello to all
I am new to this site and farming in general.
I was just wondering out of interest what you look for when buying a tractor for your area of farming.
are there certain things you require if say you are a vegetable farmer that a dairy or ceral farmer does not need so much
im sure there are a million and one different things that are important for different tasks but if you dont mind taking the time id really like to know.
perhaps if there is enough interest in this topic we could make a poll of certain things.
Many thanks
Steve[/quote

I own or have owned five tractors so far.
My first was a 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydrostatic tranny) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket, 800 lb lift) that I bought new in Apr05. I used it on my 10 acre place (flat pasture land) while my house was being built (moving dirt, gravel, compost, digging trenches for paver block sidewalks/patios, landscaping).





Then in Jul06 I bought a 1964 Massey Ferguson 135 diesel (45 hp engine, 37 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny) to use for plowing/discing my 6 acre hayfield.



That 135 was a mess when I bought it so I spent a few months cleaning it up and repainting it entirely. Right now it's in my shop for service (coolant leak, pto clutch problem).

I decided that I needed a newer large tractor so in March08 I traded the Kubota in on a 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift). I use the 5525 for my haying operation.





In Nov08 I found a nice 1951 Farmall Super A tractor (~20 hp engine, 2WD, gear tranny) on craigslist for $1300. I snapped that little gem up because it came with a 6-ft mid mount sicklebar mower and has a 3pt hitch instead of the usual 2pt hitch. I plan to use it to mow the ditches around my place. It's an excellent tractor for vegetable gardening.



Finally, in Jan09 I found a 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF tractor (25 hp engine, 2WD, gear tranny) on craigslist that I grabbed to restore as a parade tractor. It's completely disassembled now for repainting and the engine has been completely rebuilt.



I'm alway shopping around for used tractors--I'll probably pick one up in a few months after the BF is up and running.

 

[stravis]

Your original question was what did I look for in a tractor. When I started shopping I was looking for my last tractor. I wanted to get big enough that I didn't ever wish for bigger. I wanted four wheel drive. A loader was a must to move round bales, and generally act as a wheelbarrow. A cab would be nice as my allergies act up some during the cutting season. I wanted enough horsepower to run a bat wing mower if I ever got one. I shopped in the 75 -85 HP range. I went to the dealer to look at the 5083E model. He had a 5101E in stock with all I wanted except that it only had one rear remote. I probably would have gotten three just in case. I figured I could add remotes if needed and the extra horsepower could never hurt so I got the 5101. I've been pleased and I can honestly say, unless this thing just falls apart, I'll still be using this tractor in 30 years.

 

[steve24rdg]

very interesting
which just makes me want to know more
If it is of interest I could knock up a questionaire covering tractor features and options so people could post what is important to them. this might be easier than sending messages back and forth. then I could keep you updated with the results. It might be interesting and might lead to further discussions about who needs what and if there are other ways of doing things. Let me know what you think.
Steve

 

[Coolnorth]

Yes in the days that your tractor was buit, a Cab meant that you were just soft and 4WD meant you didn't know how to operate it. Joke

HAHA, yes! To add to that, when you only have the 2 wheels driving, you learn where NOT to go or what NOT to do after you've had to pry a tractor out of the mud with a large pipe and a shovel! (I'm learning what to carry with the tractor for those lapses in judgment...) I should start a new thread on adding a winch to a tractor.

 

[The Dougster]

My best advice is to talk to dealers and even neighbors in your area.. give them some idea of what you hope to accomplish and go from there. IMHO, most folks on here tend to get more tractor than they need, and if budget is not a problem, get the biggest and best you can afford. There are many, many factors that should guide you... Every part of the country is a different environment and require different machines.. Good luck and welcome to TBN..