Anyone have a tractor?

[TDI-Minnie]

I'm looking to buy my first "real" tractor. Looking for advice one compacts in the 35-55hp range. 1980's and newer, all the way up to new.

Also, any opinions on transmission types? I know HDS trannys are smooth and easy, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so a manual with clutch sounds reliable and good.

Thanks

[jenandjon]

We have big and small. No newer small tractors like you are talking about.
I would go with a nice John Deere 4020. About 80 hp and no electronics. You can get a good one for 10-15k

[mahon1993]

I have a 1965 AC D-17 with a front end loader. "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin".
Use it for plowing snow, moving dirt, hauling firewood. Best thing I ever bought.

[TDI-Minnie]

I get the impression that the older American ones are a good buy, but I'm worried about brakes, clutch, rebuild. Need it mosty for mowing, cultivating about 1 acre garden/food plot and some light loader work. The John Deeres are nice, but seem to be pricey compared to some of the others. (Probably for a reason).
In the $10-15k range you can also find new Mahindra, Branson, and Kiotis. They seem to be well made and built heavy, but not sure I want to buy from India or S. Korea.

[Enconcapt]

Blue, orange or green are so close in value and quality that you should look for the added features you want such as live hydraulics front and rear to run attachments. Once you get a tractor you will be surprised how much you can do and how many attachments you will have to have.
A front bucket with quick detach is about the handiest, and then get a fork lift attachment.
Used anything means maintenance and repairs but all the major brands, New Holland, Kubota or J on Deere are good quality and worth the investment.


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[jenandjon]

Going price for a fully restored farmall H like what I am driving in the above picture is $1,800. People what more because they have more than that in them but thats the going price. They are 34 hp. You can get loaders, belly mowers, Pull a small disk or plow.

The John Deere 70 in this picture can set you back around 5 k will do the same job faster and better.
I would suggest a farmall H or M or Jorn Deere A or 60 or 70. The older generation that collected and restored tractors is dieing out and the next generation coming up is not interested. There are tons of these around.

[hardy1000]

I have a Kubota B3200.

Kubota 2014 B3200HSD Tractors

[ahicks]

I'm a big fan of the "compact" tractors, mostly because I'm restricted on the amount of storage space I have available. One of those with a loader and 4x4 is on the expensive side, but they are efficient when it comes to getting power to the ground - to the point where their smaller size (storage footprint) often catches people by surprise.

Regarding mowing and lawn, the only thing that will beat a belly mower setup, is a belly mower AND a brush hog. The belly mower for mowing and trimming up near the house, the larger brush hog for those instances where you can get away with a "rough" cut or in conditions that haven't been cut recently and you're not real sure of what's under there? Hydro nice again here when it comes to trimming as it will allow infinite speed control.

For much in the way of loader work, I would not consider anything but hydrostatic drive. When up against the load, you have to maintain slight froward pressure on the bucket for best efficiency. The hydro does that easily, while slipping the clutch is the option. Not a fan of doing that, but I suppose it's been done for a long time.

I have a newer Kubota B7610 and a '97 JD 755, both with loader, belly mower and brush hog (up home & down home). These are 20-25hp and are over achievers when it comes to anything I've asked of them. If you're looking for reasonably priced used and bigger, you might look into a JD 855.

Oh, and preferred tires? The ag tires are hell on lawns. Turf tires load up almost immediately in mud or anything soft (think street tires in snow). Industrial tires are the best compromise.... My opinion, FWIW -Al

[Jim2]

To maintain my winter ranch, 80 acres & 1 mile gravel entrance road, I bought a Kubota L39 40HP with front end loader, backhoe, and several attachments for the rear 3 point hitch. The front bucket also removes , with skid-steer type quick clamps, and I have a fork lift attachment for it.
Its got an automatic hydro transmission that's been flawless. All I do is regular fluid & filter changes, & grease the fittings, and never had any issues. a few desert thorns gave me flat tires on the smaller front tires, before I started using the green slime.
Lots of good choices out there, it really comes down to your primary uses for the tractor. In my case the front end loader & backhoe features were just as important as the basic tractor features. I bought mine new, back in 2009, for about $30K

[NeilV]

My experience with the hydraulic drives is that they use more fuel to get the same amount of work done.

The 3 cylinder Ford Diesels will get the job done and can be found in in the $5,000/$7,000 price range with a loader included. It all depends on your budget and what your real needs are.

For 1 acre you really should not need very much. I assisted friends who maintained 27 acres of land with a 1 acre garden plot 3 ponds, a mill stream, two cow pastures and about 15 acres of woodlands using a Diesel Ford 3,000 with a bucket loader, Wayne Roy back hoe and sickle bar mower.

We also had a Bombardier twin track logging tractor with a 1950's Chrysler flathead six, small derrick up front and 30" cutoff saw on the PTO in the back for dealing with the trees and such.

[vraines]

Stick with a diesel if possible. I have several John Deere compacts, all with standard transmissions and three cylinder engines. I also have a John Deere utility 5205 with over 50 hp that is pretty versatile. The John Deere 970 is over 30 hp, standard shift and will do a lot of work, mowing, brush cutting and pulling ad can be bought used for well under $10,000. I forget to add fuel and sometimes run it dry. It is four wheel drive, live PTO, rear and mid PTO, and will start well in cold weather. Stick with the big brands. I have owned all the old stuff I want and I want it to go when I push the button.

[TDI-Minnie]

I found a nice, diesel Ford 3000 on Craigslist near me for $4800. Sounds like it's been overhauled and everything works well, but no loader or implements. Tires are original with some dry-rot. Thoughts?

[ahicks]

Kinda like a loaded down car, vs. one that's "stripped"? Often, the implements don't cost a lot when purchased with a tractor. Purchased separately new, they can be pretty expensive. Used, that'll depend on how patient you are, and how good you are at turning up good deals?

Re: the loader, the compacts often have a quick detach feature. Awesome for a tractor that's going to have to serve many different functions. Mowing with a loader tricky around trees, when not out in the open.

What kind of place is this? Will this be the primary mower, cutting an acre around the house, or will you be mowing an airstrip or something? Will you be plowing acreage, or tilling a 100' garden?

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Jim2

To maintain my winter ranch, 80 acres & 1 mile gravel entrance road, I bought a Kubota L39 40HP with front end loader, backhoe, and several attachments for the rear 3 point hitch.

Jim2
Nice!
I often wish I was towing a tractor like yours, (to grade/level some of the poorly constructed campsites I am assigned).
Mel
'96 Safari