OK, so when do you NEED a tractor?

[btuser]

I've only got 5 acres. Its rough, some of it wet, and I probably should leave well enough alone. But I've got plans, big plans, plans of things I could do IF ONLY I had the right tools.

Every now and then I start looking for tlb on Ebay, craigslist, and the like. This time it got real serious with exactly what I was looking for and a really good price. Does anyone here own a tractor and regret it? I don't have large animals, I don't have large fields to mow. About the only thing I could justify it for is the 400' driveway but I've got a huge snowblower that works great for that.

Most guys my age want Harleys and convertables. I'm having a midlife tractor crisis. I've already asked the boss and she'd say yes if I'd only shut up about it. I don't have a garage for it so I'd have build one. I've got the cash but I'd probably finance it anyway, so now I've got a hunk of metal getting old under a tarp and a payment that keeps coming every month. I harvest about 2 cord/year from my own property right now while I'm cutting back/clearing it out, other than that I don't know.

I'm not looking for the same scenario as a boat: Use it a couple times and then just glad to get rid of it. How often would I really use it?

 

[SolarAndWood]

I have an acre and a half and use my tractor a couple times a week. Today it moved 30 yards of runner crush. Sunday, it moved my heap so I can split next years. Last week, it graded the space for the orchard, etc.

 

[albertj03]

A great site for info on tractors is www.mytractorforum.com. Very knowledgable and friendly group that will help you out.

 

[SolarAndWood]

BTW, my 30 year old tractor sits outside and doesn't complain too much. Unless it is purely a toy or is making you money, I wouldn't buy a new one. Buy one that you can use and not worry about getting dirty.

 

[btuser]

I'm looking at the sub-compact class. Kubota BX25 ect. Problem I see is this size tractor will only lift about 500lbs into the bed of a truck. I'd really like something that I could put forks onto and take a ton of pellets (or whatever) out of the truck. This size won't do it, but if I can barely justify this size I can't justify anything larger.

 

[SolarAndWood]

A ton is a lot on a small loader, maybe you should be looking at a used skid steer? My 3 pt is rated for two ton but the loader wouldn't do anywhere near a ton especially out on forks. If you had a low trailer, you could use the forks that go in the 3 pt on something a little bigger than the BX25. Also keep in mind that my 30 year old 2 ton Ford was $7500 with a loader and a backhoe. Far from the prettiest but gets a lot of work done and no payment book.

 

[thinkxingu]

Sounds like you already answered your question: if it can't do the one thing you KNOW you want it to do, why go any further?! You'd be as well off buying a Harley and putting forks on it!

S

 

[btuser]

I'd never get away with something that's not pretty. I'm also not looking at new either. With everbody losing their house there are some people letting go of their toys. The thing that scares me is walking down the same road as someone who spent too much money on toys! I can justify it, and then I can tell myself why I don't need it and be right in either case. At the end of the day I know I'm not going to lend it to friends, or rent it, or make money by picking up jobs. Its just going to sit there and I'll have to think of ways to use it. 12-15k isn't going to break me but I can't even stand cars, and I use them every day.

 

[fossil]

I live on 2.5 acres. I don't need a tractor. But that didn't stop me. I have a Massey-Ferguson GC 2310 TLB. Although I've used the backhoe, and it's a lot of fun, it's of marginal value as my property is very rocky and I don't have a lot of backhoe-type work that needs doing. Right now I have the backhoe removed (which is pretty easy to do), and am enjoying using the 3PH to move my trailers & splittter around. The FEL is endlessly useful for everything from firewood to snow...but its lift capacity is something like 675 lbs...nowhere near what you're looking for. Last week I sold my Harley (actually my second Harley, 6th motorcycle...and quite possibly my last). I really get a kick out of my little tractor, and it makes a lot of things a lot easier. Rick

 

[SolarAndWood]

15K buys a lot of machine lately. Unfortunately, I bought mine a few years ago. A neighbor of mine just bought a Deere 110 TLB for 15K, makes me sick. When I was shopping, I couldn't touch it for under 35K.

What else other than pellets do you want to do? You can get yourself a tilt trailer and then use 3pt forks if that is the only issue.

 

[gzecc]

A little tractor is extreamly versatile. Your first tractor should be a short term purchase so you can learn what you really want. Get a compact tractor with a loader and 3 point. Buy used it will retain its value unless you leave it outside. Don't you need a woodshed? Make it a little bigger to house the tractor. Can't go wrong with used deere equiptment unless it was greatly abused.
If you have never been around tractors, get some training from a friend who has. You could kill yourself or others.

 

[chuckn]

Check into Kioti tractors- better than Kubotas, I've had both....more steel and weight for ground work...less money and better warranty (4 years), and they are still orange. Look into a CK20 or CK25 with a loader. Once you get the little micro kubota- you will be kicking yourself for not getting more tractor for the same money.

 

[peterc38]

I'm not looking for the same scenario as a boat: Use it a couple times and then just glad to get rid of it. How often would I really use it?

I had a boat. In fact I had two boats. Nice boats they were. Hardly ever got a chance to use them.

I now have a Kubota that I use probably on average 3 times a week.

You will find uses for it that you probably can't now envision.

 

[peterc38]

I'm looking at the sub-compact class. Kubota BX25 ect. Problem I see is this size tractor will only lift about 500lbs into the bed of a truck. I'd really like something that I could put forks onto and take a ton of pellets (or whatever) out of the truck. This size won't do it, but if I can barely justify this size I can't justify anything larger.

Not to knock the BX, for a TLB they may not be a better integrated package on the market but I would forgo the backhoe and buy a larger more capable tractor. If it is a Kubota a larger "B" or even and "L" might be the ticket, but there are good options in other brands too.

You could always rent a mini excavator if need be for digging stuff if needed.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I bought a Bobcat Track machine for 13K and I am having a blast with it. It will lift 2,000 lbs, and dig and plow, lift logs with forks and you can rent a ton of attachments like post hole diggers etc. I do not have a tractor but have looked at a bunch of used ones, I would not buy a new one. It is amazing what you can buy used for a couple of grand and tractors seems to run forever (you see 1940s and 50s still going strong). Ford 8N, Case, Farmall etc. Some are pretty too . A pilot I know has 3 huge Case Farm tractors he bought for $5,000 a piece and they actually lifted a whole house and moved it and look great (new they would be over 70K). Don't get me wrong I have a kubuta lawn tractor and used my buddies Kubuta Tractor today to move rock for rip rap at my lake house. He cuts the grass with it, has a tiller and it has a small bucket. If you buy a used tractor first you will always get your money back out of it. A new one and it will needlessly depreciate in my opinion. Kubuta is a good brand, in fact my Bobcat even has a Kubuta Diesel in it.

 

[woodsmaster]

I have a older massy 60 hp tracter and probably use it about 25 times / year. I use it to grade the drive, plow snow, pull logs out of the woods, pull my wood trailer to and from the woods when its to muddy for my truck,
pull broken or stuck cars and misc. chores.

 

[hedge wood]

A little tractor is extreamly versatile. Your first tractor should be a short term purchase so you can learn what you really want. Get a compact tractor with a loader and 3 point. Buy used it will retain its value unless you leave it outside. Don't you need a woodshed? Make it a little bigger to house the tractor. Can't go wrong with used deere equiptment unless it was greatly abused.
If you have never been around tractors, get some training from a friend who has. You could kill yourself or others.

Not to knock other brands of tractors because I have owned other brands but I think you will find deere do hold there value. I will give one example. I farmed and worked in town for years. Six years ago I had some health problems so we had a farm sale and rented our ground out . I had a 1982 4240 I had bought in 1995 with 2000 hours on it for 20,000 and sold it on auction 2004 with 4000 hours on it for 28,500. The tractor had cab heat and air 120 HP. The tractor had always been shedded and was very nice. All the john deere tractors and equipment we had sold like this. Buy a nice tractor and enjoy it. I know have a newer JD 5603 front wheel assit for moving snow, fire wood and mowing around fields. It is a mid size tractor and loader 90 Hp. It will pickup 1500 pounds on a set of forks but it is a big load for it.

 

[Dix]

I live on 2.5 acres. I don't need a tractor. But that didn't stop me. I have a Massey-Ferguson GC 2310 TLB. Although I've used the backhoe, and it's a lot of fun, it's of marginal value as my property is very rocky and I don't have a lot of backhoe-type work that needs doing. Right now I have the backhoe removed (which is pretty easy to do), and am enjoying using the 3PH to move my trailers & splittter around. The FEL is endlessly useful for everything from firewood to snow...but its lift capacity is something like 675 lbs...nowhere near what you're looking for. Last week I sold my Harley (actually my second Harley, 6th motorcycle...and quite possibly my last). I really get a kick out of my little tractor, and it makes a lot of things a lot easier. Rick

NOT the purple bike ?!??!!?

 

[Danno77]

With 5 acres I think you NEED a tractor. for what, I'm not really sure, but were I in your shoes, I'd be posting pictures already. I don't really have much advice on what to get, my experience is with a bunch of oversized farm tractors that get used for jobs big and small. My own personal tractor is an old John Deere B that isn't horribly useful as it stands. I've pulled out fences with it, ran augers, pulled wagons around, and even ran a mower with it. I've never had a loader on it, nor a plow, but those are things that you can get ahold of. I'd imagine a newer tractor would be even more useful. My tractor has to live on the family farm, because I don't have space now that I'm a city boy, so i have to pretend that my John Deere mower is a tractor....

 

[Thrash44047]

Ive only got 3.5 AC but I wish I had bought an old Ford 8,9 or 2n. They are great old tractors take an absolute beating and are very versatile. I have a Cub Low-Boy which is nice but no 3pt hitch makes it a bit limited. I still do what I need but a few friends have 8Ns and I envy them. You can usually get one for about 2-4K. The 4k ones are in great condition. Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[lowroadacres]

We have a 20 hp Ford/New Holland hydrostatic with FWA. Bucket forks, FEL and 3pth are essentials for me. We have 2 and a half acres of our own and the run of a whole lot more where we cut our wood and where we hunt.

We use our tractor on a daily basis for firewood, landscaping, market gardening, renovations, hunting, mowing, snowclearing, etc etc.

I do not know how we got along without it prior to having it. Last night I went to our lumber stockpile and in less than 5 minutes moved several sheets of plywood across our yard on the forks and parked the tractor in a convenient place for the roofer who came today to put new shingles on our house.

Tomorrow I will use the tractor to move the plywood back that was unused and to take the few chunks of rotten plywood to our burning pile.

Between the father in law who shares our yard and I the tractor is in constant use.

I have grown up using all sorts of tractors and I find there are very few bad ones. I would stay as simple as possible in my choice of tractors though if I were you.

In hindsight we enjoy the hydrostatic but if and when it ever has troubles it is waaaaay more complex to fix than a mechanical drive tractor.

 

[fossil]

...NOT the purple bike ?!??!!?

Yup...it's gone.

 

[firefighterjake]

OK, I'm going to be the odd man out and say that for me personally I would be hard pressed to say I would need a tractor if I only had 5 acres of land. To me a tractor is a tool . . . but the one thing about a tool -- any tool -- is that you need to pick out the right tool for the right size job . . . in other words if I was building a birdhouse I probably wouldn't need to buy a top end table saw, air compressor, air nailer, etc. . . . if a regular old Skil saw and hammer would do the trick.

Don't get me wrong . . . my own feeling is it's your money and your call . . . and only you can decide if you would truly use the tractor . . . and I suspect that if you had a tractor you might opt to plow the driveway with it instead of the snowblower . . . and you'll probably find some other uses for the tractor. However, in my own case, even having access to my father's Kubota with a winch, I do most of my wood harvesting with my ATV and trailer . . . and I don't often find a real need to borrow the Kubota . . . but again . . . it really is your call.

 

[gzecc]

OK, I'm going to be the odd man out and say that for me personally I would be hard pressed to say I would need a tractor if I only had 5 acres of land. To me a tractor is a tool . . . but the one thing about a tool -- any tool -- is that you need to pick out the right tool for the right size job . . . in other words if I was building a birdhouse I probably wouldn't need to buy a top end table saw, air compressor, air nailer, etc. . . . if a regular old Skil saw and hammer would do the trick.

Don't get me wrong . . . my own feeling is it's your money and your call . . . and only you can decide if you would truly use the tractor . . . and I suspect that if you had a tractor you might opt to plow the driveway with it instead of the snowblower . . . and you'll probably find some other uses for the tractor. However, in my own case, even having access to my father's Kubota with a winch, I do most of my wood harvesting with my ATV and trailer . . . and I don't often find a real need to borrow the Kubota . . . but again . . . it really is your call.

You don't oftern find a real need to borrow the bota. Its nice to have one at your disposal!

 

[firefighterjake]

OK, I'm going to be the odd man out and say that for me personally I would be hard pressed to say I would need a tractor if I only had 5 acres of land. To me a tractor is a tool . . . but the one thing about a tool -- any tool -- is that you need to pick out the right tool for the right size job . . . in other words if I was building a birdhouse I probably wouldn't need to buy a top end table saw, air compressor, air nailer, etc. . . . if a regular old Skil saw and hammer would do the trick.

Don't get me wrong . . . my own feeling is it's your money and your call . . . and only you can decide if you would truly use the tractor . . . and I suspect that if you had a tractor you might opt to plow the driveway with it instead of the snowblower . . . and you'll probably find some other uses for the tractor. However, in my own case, even having access to my father's Kubota with a winch, I do most of my wood harvesting with my ATV and trailer . . . and I don't often find a real need to borrow the Kubota . . . but again . . . it really is your call.

You don't oftern find a real need to borrow the bota. Its nice to have one at your disposal!

True . . . true . . . after being in the minority on the tractor opinion I will be the first to confess that there have been times when the Kubota has been wicked useful . . . namely in pulling down hung up trees after I've had a bad day . . . or in moving very large rocks on my property. That said, I really don't borrow it that often.