Small Farm Tractors...Opinions, Facts, Information....Help

[Rich Riddle]

I need to learn a bit about old tractors and know less than nothing. The type that seems best suited and small have front wheels spread apart. Can any of you old woodworking types lend an idea or two concerning types, brands, what to look for, what to avoid, etc.?

[Ed Aumiller]

Check out www tractorbynet com

Need to know what you want to do with it first....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

What are you doing with it? What implements? What's your favorite color? How old are you thinking is ok, price range? Seriously, a lot of options, a little more info would be helpful.

[jared herbert]

You need to supply a little more information. There are so many older tractors available that we need to know what you plan to use it for, how much you are willing to spend and how much mechanical ability you have in order to be able to give any advice. If you only want one to mow weeds with it would be much different from one that you plan to do actual tillage work with. Do you need a hydraulic system to power a wood splitter or a 3 point hitch to lift implements or a post hole digger? What size implements do you want to pull? Gas or diesel? I have farmed my whole life and have owned and worked with a lot of tractors, some old, some new, some large and some small. Jared

[Rich Riddle]

I have quite a bit of mechanical ability and am looking for a small farm of about 20 acres. More like a "truck farm" use type of tractor. It will be used to keep weeds in check, perform a bit of tillage work, and a post hole digger would prove nice. I have no preference for gas or diesel. It seems like most folks recommend a 3 point hitch, so that's a yes. No wood splitter is needed at this time. Thanks.

[Ken Platt]

+1 on tractorbynet. Great source of information.

[Tom M King]

I started with a new MF 35 hp, but found out in fairly quick order that it wasn't big enough to do much. Even new, I still ended up working on it, and found out that tractors are easy to work on. I've had the same tractor now for probably 20 years, and it had some age on it when I got it. It's around a 1980 model John Deere 70hp low end category 2 with a front end loader. It's large enough to not only move dirt, but shape dirt.

I'm not brand loyal, but my tractor experience says get a major brand name that you have a dealer nearby to get parts from, and do work on it when needed. One good thing about John Deere is that not only do they keep most of the parts in stock, even for the older models like mine, but if they don't have it in stock, it comes in tomorrow with no shipping charges. I'm talking about a tractor dealer used to dealing with farmers, and not a place that sells mainly small equipment.

Picture below is the 2640. It didn't come with a rollbar, but that was one of the first things I added, and welded some brackets on to hold a large wooden top to keep the sun off my bald head, along with lights that turn night into day.

edited to add: I paid 12,500 for it when I bought it, and might have put a couple of thousand back into it since. It rarely lets me down.

[Rich Riddle]

Thanks for all the information and the forum suggestion.

[Mike Cozad]

Great thread and timing. I am I the process of selling my over priced and taxed home in town and looking to buy a small farmstead with a shop and room for a large garden, chickens, etc. I was thinking a little Ford N series tractor for the fun of owning an older small tractor (a resto project for me and my oldest boy). But now you have me thinking I might be setting my sights too low?
DSC01496_zpsf22d89ae.jpg

[Jerome Stanek]

8 N's are a nice size good all around tractor

[Curt Harms]

I'd check into parts availability early on. Simple drive trains would be good - no torque amplifiers, hydrostatic drive, that sort of thing unless current or recent production where you can find parts and people that know how to work on them.

[Todd Burch]

A big question is 2WD or 4WD. If you will be lifting logs or doing a lot of heavy work with a front bucket, 4WD is a good option. Makes steering a lot easier. Also, your decision on 2WD vs 4WD might be influenced by what kind of soil and terrain you have. If it's sandy and drains wells, you might be able to get by with a 2WD most of the time. 4WD is a nice added benefit when having to work on wet ground.

A local dealer with a service department is a good thing when things break. They can come out and fix it, or, come out and get it to take it back to the shop to fix it. And, parts will be close to you.

The compact utility tractors are pretty popular. If I had to buy one today for a 20 acre parcel (shredding, dragging stuff around, box blade work on a driveway, fence posts) I would probably opt for a 35-45HP 4WD with a FEL (front end loader) and category 1 hitch with quick attach and high flow hydraulics.

Todd

[Jim Becker]

Don't discount consideration of a newer compact tractor from Kubota, Deere, etc. You can often get a good buy on a trade-in (or zero percent financing on a new one with a full warranty) and they are just as easy to work on than the older machines. I use a Kubota subcompact to maintain our 4 acre property and it's a real workhorse...and even "non-mechanic" me can handle most maintenance and repairs. The diesel engines run "forever", too...

Oh, and don't buy anything with just 2WD. You WILL get stuck at some point and 4WD increases the versatility. IMHO.

[Clarence Martin]

An old Farmall Super M can do anything you need.

[Clarence Martin]

http://www.rustyacresrestoration.com...ll_Super_M.jpg