Tractor Advice

[Brent Dowell]

So,

I've recently moved to a place with about 68 acres, and a real long driveway.

Most of the property is very hilly, there there some places where I'd like to move some dirt around. Don't really have much mowing to do, since it's mostly sagebrush and dirt.

So, what I'm thinking is that i'd like to get an older tractor with a front end loader and a box scraper for driveway maintenance.

I'm thinking what I'd like is an older model tractor, but I'm not really where to start looking, as far as models/horsepower requirements, etc...

Anyone here have any advice on what I should be looking for? I'm not averse to doing some work on it, but I'd like to at least get something that runs good. (I've already got a '46 chevy in the garage in several hundred pieces)...

Thanks!

[Chuck Wintle]

Go for a Kubota. These little tractors are built like tanks and last forever.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

If you cant afford a big, commercial size, dont settle for anything less than a 4 wheel drive. I have one------ I know. Max

[Jim Becker]

Brent, Harvey hits on something important...effective use of the FEL really requires four wheel drive. Many of the "older" tractors may be devoid of that. Check with your local Kubota, Deere, New Holland, etc., dealers to see what they have used on the lot for a "late model" 4wd compact tractor with a FEL. Even the box blade really is going to work better for you if you have the grip of 4wd when you're dragging your driveway. Most dealers get nice machines in on trade...like in woodworking, many folks like to "move up". (yet another type of "vortex" to fall into... )

My little Kubota is an amazing machine...23hp, 4wd and while it will not lift more than 500 lbs in a shot (it's a very small machine), it will move around 1000 lb boulders if I get creative with the FEL and BH. It has paid for itself in a lot of work, even though we have only 4 acres! When we move here, there was an existing older model Kubota as part of the deal...sans 4wd. No way would I have put a FEL on it and it wasn't great for other things due to the lack of more modern mid-mount power train access...it got traded in.

[Matt Meiser]

Modern tractors also have a lot of safety features that the older tractors don't--things like ROPS. I have a John Deere which is a size bigger than Jim's but like he said, they do a ton of work. As part of your research, visit a few dealers and talk to them about what you want to do and how much of it you want to do. After talking to a few I had a good idea of how much tractor to buy. Certainly there are times I've wanted a bigger tractor, but overall mine fits my property well. You might also check out the TractorByNet forums.

[Von Bickley]

Brent,

The older tractors that are in good shape tend to hold their value. Sometimes it is better to bite the bullet and pay a little more for a new tractor. We have a Kubota 4WD (34HP) with a front-end loader. Great little tractor.

[Eddie Watkins]

I'm amazed at how many tractors I see for sale now that I have one . Seems like most are in the paper that I see. Dealers do get some pretty good trade-ins. The size of the tractor will determine how fast you can do things more so than can you do them. When I first bought mine (34 hp CUT) I decided to remove a dam from a small pond that would not hold water. I had a bunch of folks tell me that I could get a dozer that could take it out in 4-6 hours. I decided if I was paying for a tractor I wasn't going to pay somebody else to do the work the tractor could do so I did it myself in 13 hours. How patient are you? Lots of times full size tractors are cheaper than the compact utility tractors since there is less demand for used ones. With 68 acres you could probably use a full size tractor. I wouldn't rule them out til I checked.

Eddie

[David G Baker]

Brent,
I have a 35 hp 1965 model 2010 Row Crop John Deere with a FEL and back blade. I paid $8,000 for it and the FEL three years ago. If I had put a couple more thousand with it I could have purchased a new tractor that would be more efficient and would not have to worry about it breaking down.
I spend a lot of time on a tractor site and it is amazing what the guys do with the new 4 wheel drive tractors.
I am happy with my 2010 but sometimes drive by the Kubota dealer and drool.
Depending on what you plan on doing with your 68 acres you may want to take the advice of some of the other folks that have posted and look at a full sized tractor but if you plan on doing driveway maintenance a smaller one should do what you need.

[Scott Lingle]

I'll echo the above statements about the Kubotas and the 4wd. Check out the "Grand L" series from kubota. We recently purchased a L3130. 31hp, 4wd, hydrostatic trans. Very nice machine. I wasnt' really looking to buy a new one, but they were having the 0% interest and I couldn't turn it down. The machines are a little pricey but man, I couldn't ask for more. It does everything I could think of. When you look at the loaders, look into the ones with the quick attach buckets if they still offer them, they allow you to put any implement on the front of the kubota that you can put on a Bobcat skid steer. Definitely a plus as you can usually rent skid-steer attachments that you only need for a limited time.

I just looked, and it appears kubota credit has 0% for up to 36 months through the end of June.

Hope this helps, Good luck on the purchase.
Scott

[Scott Lingle]

Now that I look at that picture I attached, I should mention that the oil on the cardboard under the tractor is from me putting a new filter on...not the tractor...kubota might not be happy with my advertising attempt

[Brent Dowell]

Hmmm,

Very interesting. Now All I have to do is convince the wife!

My folks are coming out to visit next week, Just might have to find some local dealers and use it as an opportunity to do a little research!

Seriously, the property is all desert on a hill backing up to a small 'mountain'.

I know for a fact this will be more of a toy for me than a serious working piece of machinery. But we probably will be looking at things like getting some horses in the future, etc. I'm sure it's one of those things that when you get one, you find a lot of uses for it....

Thanks for the tips!

Brent

[David G Baker]

Brent,
Believe me, once you get a tractor you will find things to do with it you would never have dreamed you would or could do, keep that in mind when you buy and don't buy a toy or you will be back to see the dealer before too long.

[Brent Dowell]

David,

That's good advice I intend to take. I've learned the hardway on a couple of shop tools that it's always better to 'go large' than to get something 'okay'.

Case in point, my first compressor was a '5' horse oil free 20 gallon craftsman compress that was too loud, too slow, underpowered, and pulled too many amps. Found a deal on an Ingersoll Rand 2 stage real 5 horse 80 gallon tank compressor. I can run my hvlp gun no problem, so what if all I use it for 99% of the time is filling up the truck tires and running a brad nailer?

I'm already thinking of all the things i could do with one, and the more I think about it, the more I'm conviced that I'd be foolish NOT to have one!

[Jim Becker]

Believe me, once you get a tractor you will find things to do with it you would never have dreamed you would or could do, keep that in mind when you buy and don't buy a toy or you will be back to see the dealer before too long.

Oh, yea...that is the absolute truth! And a good machine both holds its value for a long time and runs for a long, long, long time with (easy) regular maintenance.

[Joe Mioux]

Ditto: re: what everyone says about a tractors usefullness.

I have a 2003, New Holland TC33hp Boomer, front end loader and 6 ft Brush Hog finish mower. I just love it.

If you go for a new or newer model, make sure it has Hydrostat. Oh yea, if you get a loader, make sure it has four wheel drive.

Joe