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Tractors?

S

Steve-O

World Member
Just wondering what you guy would recommend for a good utility tractor that isnt going to cost me my hunting budget. I just planted 2900 trees on my little farm and need something that i can go down the rows with to take care of my trees and also still use it to mow my lawn and little extra stuff around the little farm, clearing small brush and brush piles.
Thanks for your imputs.
 
If you also want to do the lawn that narrows it down a little but questions are still there.
Do you want diesel or gas?
For yardwork either a belly mower or 3pt finish mower?
You can clear small brush with a bush hog type rotary mower so you need a PTO and most handy is the 3pt variation. When you say brushpiles- do you mean building them? So think about a loader and hydraulics.
Are you going to fix it yourself? So what age range do you think?

Something like a Ford 3000, Allis D-17 series IV, or IH 350 would represent tractors from the 1970's, 60's, & 50's that could handle your chores with good PTO and hydraulics. Even with a loader- the most expensive of these could be had for probably under $6,000.
Good old utility tractors 40-50 HP have a pretty good market yet. You can often get a better buy on a bigger one but then kind of rule out yard work.
Good Luck.
 
Thanks for the info. Here are some answers to your questions, Diesal or gas, does it matter? I have no preference
Belly mower perferably
Brush Piles would be mainly moving and making
Fix it yourself, if it doesnt involve rebuilding the tranny or engine.
Age range? I dont know, I have never owned a tractor nor my family, I just bought a 30 acre "hobby farm" and am trying to make it a hunting habitat area. I want a versital tractor that will do brush cutting, brush moving, dirt moving, and yard mowing and maybe some tilling. But i do know that i want a PTO with my mower. Im a young kid so i want to buy something that will last me 10 yrs or more and i dont have a ton of money because of school debt etc...
 
Diesel usually provides more torque, but might be harder to start in the winter to plow the drive (thus you need a front end loader to plow the drive, move brush/dirt/etc). You would definitely need to plug it in (at least in my experience).

A belly mower will give your yard a nice finish, but you won't be able to mow tall weeds with it. If you think you only want to mow the trees once or twice a year, a three point mower (requiring a three point hitch and PTO) will be in order.

I really can't comment on the price, as I haven't followed the market lately.
 
Sounds like you want a 'tweener tractor. Big enough to do heavy work but small enough to do yard work. Thats a tough one as you will have to compromise on both ends. If you get a tractor that will be heavy enough to do brush hoggin and dirt work the tires will dig up your yard and not be easy to trim around yard stuff etc. If you want a tractor that will do nice lawn work the tires won't give you much traction to push/pull stuff nor will it be heavy duty enough to stand up to tough work.

Best of both worlds, buy an older tractor for the heavy stuff and a cheap tractor (Murry) to mow the lawn.

I'd go gas, all gas stations have gas but not all gas stations have diesel. Gas stuff is much esier to work on than diesel.

Having said all that, New holland, JD, Case IH, and others make several modles of 'tweener tractors 50-60hp but your gonna pay around 30K for one. That is used. At least thats what my limited search the other night found.

Good luck.

The 'Bonker
 
Steve,
Have a look at Branson. My Dad just bought one and loves it.
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He bought the 3510i.
 
I know some people that really like their Kubota's. Korean made (I think)and the price is low. I haven't heard much about durability/service issues.
 
$16,000.00 for the tractor, bucket and the blade on the back. It is a great tractor and would think it would be perfect for food plots, timber mowing, ect...
 
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$16,000.00 for the tractor, bucket and the blade on the back. It is a great tractor and would think it would be perfect for food plots, timber mowing, ect...

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That's a pretty darn good price for a tractor that size
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Never heard of that one before.
My Mom has a diesel Kubota with hydrostatic drive and belly mower, great for mowing, real quick...however over the years the tractor has beome nearly impossible to start in cold weather and the hydrostatic drive is starting to slip. If one wants to use a tiller or other equipment, the belly mower is a pain in the rear to take off and on.
I have a 790 JD with manual transmission and a 3 pt mower...not nearly as nice for mowing around shrubs and trees, shifting etc. but is much easier to remove the mower and hook onto something else. My 790 has a loader which is worth it's wieght in gold...I use that all the time! When I bought mine I insisted on a block heater knowing that diesels are often hard to start. The dealer put one on but said I would never need it to start this tractor...and he was right! This one will start in the coldest weather just like a gas engine...and I have never used the block heater.
Just food for thought when looking...what are the main uses for the tractor?

My 790 with loader and blade was about 15 but that was a few years back. My AC 5040 was about 4500, so a big difference in price between new and used and the hp you get for your dollar. (the AC is a good tractor but you need a block heater for that thing in July!
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Between Muscatine and Blue Grass there is a fellow that always has small to mid sized used tractors for sale...can't miss em (just north of the buffalo ranch)
Just saw what looks to be a 4020 JD for sale east of Columbus Junction (to big for lawn mowing but just FYI)

Make sure your your wife likes it...
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http://www.iowawhitetail.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=137988&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
 
I see what you want. With 30 acres, I think you'd be disappointed in anything smaller than Dbltree suggests- he has a great combo and not too big for a lawn but as he says- problem around edges and landscaping. So for a first tractor I think I'd heed Bonker's advice (did I say that?). I saw a Ford 3000 with new tires and a 6' brush hog for $6000. A loader (used) would add another $1500 or so. Something like that you'd never wear out on 30 acres.
 
Thanks for all the responses, I did looked at the Kubota's but that kind of price seems a little steep for me. But i got to look at what i am investing in I guess. It looks like i should go older.? Obviously cheaper because it is used. Doing the landscaping and smaller stuff is o.k. because i have a little 42" mower that i can trim with so that is not a issue to me. But it does take me 3 hrs to mow right now and with all these trees I just need something that i can get the big half of the yard done and the tree rows cut and still have time to do other things
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I just dont know what route to go but thank you for all your inputs and suggestions. I am also not worried about the tire issue. I was going to buy the agriculture tires with the tractor anyway for more traction.
 
Like others said there are a lot of choices on tractors but one to do all the things could be hard to find , especially for a decent price. I have a little Ford 1100 diesel 4x4 that is only 12 horse. I do the yard and have a 4 foot tiller and also a 4 foot Bush hog rotary mower, it is a very handy tractor!
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I would think a 3000 would be a little big for a yard unless you have a big yard. My Dad used to farm 120 acres with just a 8N when I was a kid. You can buy the larger tractors for around the same price as the compact ones from what I have seen. I probably just confused you more now.
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dbltree, I was looking at the 790 also. I hate to speend money on a new tractor but cant seem to find something suitable used. and the used i find are priced high. jd has no interest for 3 years. my concern w/ the 790 is the limited lifting capacity for implements. i'm thinking I may need the 990. advice, pharmer, your input also please.
 
What size implements? Haven't had any problem with mine but I would go with the bigger one if you can. A heavier brushhog can tip a small tractor around a bit for sure.
 
I'd think about how much and often you are going to use one. Mine is really overkill as I only put about 30-40hr or so a year. My hour total will probably go up as I put in more clover that needs to be cut more than once a year. New ones are really nice and reliable but you pay alot for that if it is going to sit most of the year.
You can buy some really nice older iron for $6-7000 that will never be underpowered for 99% of all foodplot needs. If you are going to be using it around an acreage on a daily basis it is easier to justify the cost of a new compact.
 
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