Help me choose a tractor?

[StormyDay]

It’s time; I need to get a tractor. I’ve put off this purchase for as long as a possibly could, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that trying to get everything done with a utility vehicle is not cutting it.
The problem is I have absolutely zero idea about tractors. I’ve never driven one, so I need something very user friendly. I also am planning on getting new, so that it has a warranty and such so someone can work on the thing.

All the tractors look the same to me! There are green or orange ones. Giant ones, really tiny ones. Obviously I don’t need the mega tractor, but I also feel like the tiny ones will be too tiny??

I need it to be capable of dragging my arena with a PTO hitch, mowing about 8 acres of pasture, pulling a manure spreader, and I’d like it to have a bucket. It would be a plus if it also fit those fancy attachments for post hole digging and stuff.

Can anyone help me with what I need here. I have a John Deere or Kubota dealership in town.

[saddleup]

I’ve had both Kubota and John Deere tractors. I currently have a 38 hp JD tractor. I have a front loader, snow blade and arena groomer attachments.

It’s perfect for my little place. I use it every day to move manure and shavings from the barn to the dumpster and to move hay bales from my storage to the barn. I couldn’t manage without it.

Like you, I knew nothing about tractors until I got my own place 20 years ago. I asked around and jumped in. Honestly, I think your dealer is the deciding factor. Where I live the JD dealer is closer so that’s why I have that green tractor.

[SuzieQNutter]

You will love whatever tractor you buy.

You want about a 65hp tractor with an FEL. They all come with a PTO and a 3 linkage. With that you can have all sorts of implements like post hole diggers etc.

Our 65 hp David Brown came with the property. He had a FEL with a single bale spear. Davey is THE most used implement on the property.

He rakes, 2 different rakes, one for hay, one for the dressage arena, square bales, is a stop for the irrigation, digs post holes, slashes, lifts anything that needs lifting, pulls the wire along for putting up a new fence, tightens the wire, carries the fence posts behind the hay spear and shhhh any passengers. He took away the hayshed that fell down in a storm that had telegraph poles and the insurance wanted $8,000.00 to remove. He feeds out roundbales to the horses and cattle. He is probably over 50 years old and he will start first turn of the key, even when covered in ice while being a stop for the irrigation. I complained for 3 years to get a canopy on him.

That tractor deserves a shrine when he gives up.

Casey is my 100 hp Case tractor. He is a luxury model which means a large spacious cabin. We bought him 2nd hand. He rakes and bales including round bales.

Goldie we bought new. A Valtra with a FEL. He is 85 hp but Valtra says is equal to over 100hp pulling against other tractors. He does the ploughing and has a quick change to a bucket or a double spear bale spears. He bales. He is hubby’s tractor.

I hated him the first time I used him. Our guy told me I was feeling claustrophobic because it had a normal cabin and I was used to the luxury one! He wasn’t so bad after knowing that.

You want the quick change system that is probably standard. You want a cab as it protects against insects and weather.

John Deere and Kubota are both good brands. Both probably expensive.

Go with the one with the best customer service.

Ours delivered the tractor and went down the paddock with us to teach us how to use it.

35hp may be all you need with the poster above.

[Heinz_57]

We have a Kubota that is, I believe, 23hp? It’s a ‘compact’ tractor, but it has done all the things you list without a problem. It’s super easy to drive and operate, was ~$19k new 3 years ago (including the quick attach FEL and box scraper). We went with Kubota because the dealership is close and they are nice to work with.

A bigger tractor wouldn’t hurt, obviously, but if you don’t actually need the extra size/horsepower there’s no reason to pay for it.

[cutter99]

I have a 22 HP John Deere with a front end loader that I bought in 1997, and it has been great. I originally bought it when owning a 5 acre farmette, and have used it on the 2 bigger farms we have purchased since. It also has a 5’ mower deck.

It has been used hard, and have never had any issues with it, just performed regular maintenance.

The newer models have even easier attachments, so swapping them out is simple and easy. If you go bigger, to a model with a PTO, you can get a pull behind mower, as well as other PTO driven attachments.

We also have a JD 5065 with 4 wheel drive. It would do all you needed it to, but might be overkill for the size of your farm. We use it to bush hog, move round bales, clear brush with a grapple attachment, etc. It definitely serves its purpose on a farm to that is just under 70 acres, but the tractor and attachments also have heftier price tags that our little 22 HP garden tractor.

We have had great luck with all the John Deere equipment we have and can highly recommend their equipment.

[Libby2563]

I also have a 23-horsepower Kubota (model is B2320 HST) with a front-end loader and it is perfect for my 9-acre farm. I can’t imagine you needing a 65-horsepower one. I have a Woods brush hog, a Drag N Fly Mini for the arena, a Tractor Supply chain harrow for the fields, and a 50-cubic-foot ABI manure spreader. I also have a Pat’s Easy Change quick-hitch system for the PTO arms that is really a nice labor-saver.

I’ve been very happy with my Kubota, though I usually do the service myself or use an independent service rather than the dealer, so I can’t comment much there. I buy parts from Messicks as needed because they are cheaper than at the dealer, and shipping is very fast.

[Mango20]

When we were tractor shopping 25 years ago and looked at comparable John Deeres and Kubotas, we went with Kubota since it cost less. I got an L2350, which is 25 horsepower. We only have 6 acres, and it’s been fine, but if I had to do it again, I’d want the next size up because we have nothing but hills, and it sometimes struggles when plowing wet snow, especially if it’s heavy enough that it pushes the tractor over as it tries to push the snow the other way. It has done everything I need it to do though. It just could have done them better with a few more HP and more weight.

[Rackonteur]

I like the pretty blue New Holland tractors.

But, like you, I know nothing about tractors. Except that they come in blue and red as well as orange and green.

Whatever kind you get, please post a pic!

[SuzieQNutter]

We have 100 acres so Davey Fits right in here.

@Mango20 do you have water in your rear wheels? That might help with the snow. I have no experience with working with snow.

[frugalannie]

We have about 60 dry acres: rest is marshland. Most of the dry is paddocks or hayfields. We have an old Kubota L2850, a John Deere 955 and the “fawn”, a Deere lawn tractor from the days when they were made of steel. They all have their jobs!

You will love having a tractor. They aren’t difficult to drive: the new ones are quite easy and if you ever drove a standard shift car you’d find an older model pretty simple too.

4 wheel drive is a must for us. Calcium chloride in the rear tires for weight and traction. Plain water would freeze in the winter and not work too well.

Front end loaders (FEL) are a must. If not doing round bales you’ll probably find bolt-on forks very useful. We have a brush hog and a finish mower, York rake, large dump cart for manure, smaller dump cart for small jobs, snow plow, snow blower, cultipacker, small roller and chain drag for the indoor. Please don’t let my DH see this list!

The JD has a cab. If anyone knows where to get a used cab for the Kubota please let me know!

A perhaps strange but very useful item is the big green tarp bags that Waste Management sells for junk/construction debris removal. I think they go for about $35. We use them for garden debris, brush etc. We hook them on the FEL when full and they make moving the junk to the brush pile so much easier. They generally wear out after a year or two but they are worth it.

Looking forward to hearing about your acquisition.

[Bluey]

I would suggest, for most use, absolutely get 4 wheel drive and not to get any less than around 35 hp and you can’t ever have enough if you want to go a bit more.
To handle big bales, 35 hp may be enough to push them around, but maybe not safe to lift them more than a foot off the ground or move them far.

Bucket and pallet points are the most versatile you can have.
Pallet points are great to carry all and everything, with a pallet for a platform, you can even lift someone up there to paint or do other safer than climbing ladders.
We also use them to move big bales around, never needed a bale spear.
For bigger tractors pallet points interchangeable with the bucket, on smaller ones you can chain or bolt them to the bucket front, like these:

https://www.palletforks.com/skid-steers/pallet-forks-and-accessories/clamp-on-forks/30-in-light-duty-clamp-on-pallet-forks-1500-lb-capacity/145121.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp145121&sc_intid=145121&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxIzx3vu69AIVL3tvBB3J9AZiEAQYBCABEgLZCfD_BwE

A cab and so necessary air conditioning is wonderful if you run a tractor much, keeps bugs and dust and molds and pollens and all that at a minimum.
Spend any money on an hydraulic post hole digger and post pounders if you have to build much fence, three point PTO post hole diggers are useless on other than soft ground and don’t cost hardly less than hydraulic ones.

Quick hitch systems are wonderful to change tools, from a bucket to pallet points, mowers and blades and other on three point hitch.

Too big tractor for smaller needs is not necessary, figure what you need first.
Always keep safety in mind, run around with implements low to the ground, not high up where tractor may tilt or whatever is carrying fall back on you.

Also, don’t faint, tractor prices, used or new, are thru the roof, there is a real shortage of machinery right now.

[S1969]

@Libby2563

I also have a 23-horsepower Kubota (model is B2320 HST) with a front-end loader and it is perfect for my 9-acre farm. I can’t imagine you needing a 65-horsepower one.

I agree that 65 HP is overkill if you’re not plowing or moving round bales. Mine is 34 HP and has never been too small for a regular farm job - mowing, moving manure, pulling things, etc. I think I could plow with it (e.g. plow a field, not plow snow - that is easy) but not as well as a larger one; but I’ve never really needed to plow anything.

I have a Kubota with FEL, and it has been great for my 20 acre farm. I also have a quick hitch system to change implements which is, in my opinion a necessity unless you a) always have help; and b) are stronger than me. I have this kind but there are others. http://deltahook.com/

Also, I am assuming JD are the same at this point but they are super easy to drive - hydrostatic transmission is a piece of cake.

[McGurk]

I love John Deere, but if you are new to tractor ownership you can’t go wrong with a Kubota. They are VERY user friendly and drive similar to cars.

Do get the quick-hitch system.

Absolutely, positively get the FEL on whatever you buy. You won’t believe the things you can do with an FEL, it’s half of the value of the tractor.

We have 14 acres, about ten acres in pasture to mow. We do move round bales, turn a compost pile, drag a chain harrow, etc. We have a Ford 45 HP tractor and it’s just right for us. We were feeding VERY large round bales at one point and it pushed the tractor to it’s limit, adding fluid to the rear wheels helped.

Also worth noting is that the Kubotas tend to be smaller for similar HP; a friend has a 45 HP Kubota and it’s 2/3 the size of our old Ford. Smaller size/same horsepower = perfect for small property maintenence.

Essential implements besides the FEL are a bush hog, a harrow, a road blade and pallet forks.

[lenapesadie]

If you’re buying new, I’d want one that is set up to drop the FEL and attach a grappler. Unless you live where there are no trees/bushes/evil shrubberies. The grappler is amazing for moving felled trees / brush.

If you’re planning on using round bales, you’ll want to check out the lift capacity of different models.

[Simkie]

@StormyDay

I need it to be capable of dragging my arena with a PTO hitch, mowing about 8 acres of pasture, pulling a manure spreader, and I’d like it to have a bucket. It would be a plus if it also fit those fancy attachments for post hole digging and stuff.

Do you have an arena groomer in mind? Different tools have different tractor requirements. See how this Parma Groomer recommends a 30-60 hp tractor?

Same goes for the manure spreader. They need to be sized to the tractor. Are you composting manure before spreading it? Loading the spreader and pulling it with the same machine is certainly doable, but it’s a PITA to have to load/hitch/empty/unhitch for every load you spread.

Same goes for mowing. Do you want a flail mower? A rotary? Flails are pretty cool, but need quite a bit of HP. A good rule of thumb for bush hogs is 5 HP per foot of width.

What will you do with the FEL? Are you going to move large bales with it? How heavy are they? How much reach do you need? Are you stacking them? How high?

Think through how you want to use the tractor. Look up the things you want to use with it & the HP required.

Before settling on brand, ask around locally and see what people say about service. Having a shit service center will make you hate your tractor, even if everyone here loves theirs. The big brands are similar enough, but it really sucks to have a tractor problem and issues getting it fixed.

We have a John Deere 2320, which has been great for us. It’s small size is very useful in tight spaces. It runs a 4’ rotary mower and can stack 700# large square bales two high. It pulls a chain drag on a 3 point rack for grooming the arena, and has run a pto post hole digger. We have a Millcreek spreader, although rarely use it because it’s a pain to load & spread with the same machine. The 4’ FEL bucket is very handy although it does take awhile to move the manure pile. It’s too small to run a flail mower, and not big enough to unload large bales from the truck.

You really do need to figure out what all you want the tractor to do–specifically, not generally…which implements do you want to use?–and then go from there.

[Tarlo_Farm]

@Simkie

Before settling on brand, ask around locally and see what people say about service. Having a shit service center will make you hate your tractor, even if everyone here loves theirs. The big brands are similar enough, but it really sucks to have a tractor problem and issues getting it fixed.

Ding, ding, ding! The single best comment.
I’ve got a 25 horse Massey Ferguson that I bought new almost 20 years ago. Before that I had an old 8N Ford. I’ve used the MF on 40 acres, 25 of which I mowed regularly. I’m now on 13 acres, about 8 of which I mow, spray, and drag - along with all the other random things I do with my tractor, ranging from dragging the Littles around on their sleds to pulling a big leaf vacuum to yanking brush and hauling trees.
4WD is essential. I don’t have a bucket or auger. Rather than pay for those and need the extra space to store them (I like my stuff under cover), it’s cheaper for me to rent a Bobcat every other year or so for those particular jobs.

[NancyM]

Don’t go less than 32 hp. Everything below this is too limited for much farm work. “New” is lovely, but expensive. “New” is often also full of computers, and anything that goes wrong has to go back to the dealer for work, because basic backyard home mechanics can’t work on them. “Old” is “mechanical”, which is simpler and often cheaper to fix. Both Kubota and JD are excellent breeds of tractor, either would be a good choice.

A bucket (FEL) is necessary. PTO is necessary. Brush cutter (brush hog) is necessary. With a small farm, a manure spreader is not necessary because spreading fresh manure on small pastures is not a good idea. Your manure pile can be managed by your FEL, turned, loaded, transported to where you want it, or onto a trailer. 4WD is recommended, especially if you have snow or mud. Back blade is useful, to clear driveway of snow. 32 hp is OK for a post pounder, if you need it- better than an auger- not as deadly as an auger is. Augers are deadly, responsible for many farming deaths. 32 hp will pick up “small round” bales, 600 lbs, if that is in your future, but not the 1200 bales. Happy shopping. Make the dealership you use give you some input on operation and care of the beast.

[Bluey]

Our JD dealer has a fall special where they come get your tractor and service it and clean it for you and return it like new, all for $99.- plus parts.
Many here are now using that for maintenance and it does help when they find something or other that needs tweaking before it may malfunction.
Mechanics can check newer tractor’s functions by plugging their laptop and read how is working.
Our JD tractors have been running great since we started in that program several years ago.
Only time we needed them, someone forced the ignition key and messed the switch.
It was time to send it in for fall servicing and that was an easy fix while there.

You may want to check into that also.

[S1969]

@NancyM

“New” is lovely, but expensive. “New” is often also full of computers, and anything that goes wrong has to go back to the dealer for work, because basic backyard home mechanics can’t work on them. “Old” is “mechanical”, which is simpler and often cheaper to fix.

I guess it depends on how you define “new” and “old”. My Kubota is a 2007 and definitely not “full of computers”. But I could probably sell it for more than I paid for it. It’s still new enough that it’s desirable, so it’s not really a bargain to buy one that is only 10 years old or so…which is past the warranty period.

New will be available with financing and warranty - definitely the right choice for a non-mechanical, first time tractor owner.

No way would I recommend buying a 30-40 year old tractor unless someone is mechanically inclined. My brother has one that is 30+ years old and still runs great - but he’s a good mechanic.

[goodhors]

Locally, Michigan, folks now used beet pulp juice for weighting tractor tires instead of the old calcium chloride. Beet pulp juice is non corrosive, not a cleanup issue if an old tire starts leaking. We had an ELDERLY tractor tire split the sidewall, so we called the tire guy to come out and replace it. Well he could not because the tire rim had corroded so badly with the chloride, there was no way to seal the new tire on. Had to buy a new rim as well as the new tire.

You do not need front 4WD tires filled, only rear tires. Extra weight of filled tires in front will do bad things to the tractor. Also do not drive in 4WD unless you need it to prevent getting stuck or moving a load. Using 4WD full time wears out the front tires MUCH faster because they move slightly faster, always pulling the rear of tractor. I love having the 4wd, but only need it now and then, never all the time. It is my “last resource” to save myself in situations. So trying the 2wd methods first is usually going to work, but 4wd is ready if I need it. Like with trucks, 4wd will get you in farther, deeper, faster, than just slowing a bit in 2wd.

New tech on diesels is the DEF (diesel emission fluid) they require. Have to keep that checked or they quit. I expect they have a light to warn you now. Semi drivers hate the DEF upkeep.

We need to know more about your property, cleared land, feeding proceedures, etc. To me, it sounds like a smaller tractor, 25-35hp would be plenty big enough. Mine was certainly big enough to do all you say until we got into doing our own hay. Runs a spreader, drags, mows with both brush hog and finish mower, discs fields, pulls a blade, though the bucket edge actually works as well. Our ground is too hard for an auger, so we rent a skidsteer with auger for fencing if needed. Even a bigger tractor can’t make 3pt auger drill into the clay dirt. It is always used the most, the first choice tractor if capable of doing the job, though we have larger tractors. It moved 80 yards of fill dirt and 20 yards of crushed concrete as we laid out our new barn to fill the tight areas bigger machine didn’t fit into. She is a BEAST for work. Several people have tried to buy it after seeing what she could do trail clearing for our driving club work days! Kind of like a Justin Morgan of the tractor world! Small but mighty, gets the jobs done!