Go with the tractor, you can use it so many different ways. You can buy the attachments, they all fit the tractor. Check the loader abilities, weight capacity, when you shop tractors. I have a Kubota L2600DT, which can lift 800#. That is a good size for us, holds a lot of sawdust for bedding! It is not TOO big, unused power to be paid for, not utilized. It moves gravel, crushed stone, drags dirt flat with the bucket edge. We get a lot of use out of it.
For attachements, I have a back blade, also good for flattening, spreading dirt, plowing snow. We have lovely finish mower, which mows level with 4 corner wheels, runs off the PTO, very adjustable to height and gives a lawn mower type smooth cut with two blades. I love it for the pastures, which are kept maintained, not brushy or rough. I also have a brush hog mower, which I use outside the fences on the neighbor’s side. It is good for cutting tree sprouts, heavy weeds, with no ill-effects from rough ground. I don’t use it often, but it does tough jobs easily. I used the brush hog on my fields before I got the finish mower, cutting grasses high. I don’t want to ever cut pasture grasses shorter than 5 inches for better growth. It did a nice job, but was harder to keep level since it mounted on the 3-point hitch. Left some scalped spots, but did get the grasses mowed which was the important point.
We have a chain harrow, flexible, with teeth on one side. I find it a really useful tool. With mud you can drag it flat, which smooths the mud, lets it dry faster, smoother. Levels up the ring sand after rain, gets hoof prints gone, manure broke up after using ring as a sacrifice turnout in the spring. With the teeth down, I drag where I spread manure, after mowing, drag pastures to break up manure, or with some weight of tires on the drag, it does a good job smoothing pasture dirt after discing them in the spring. We got our chain harrow from TSC, is about 6ft wide, with two pieces of chain fabric hooked on the pulling bar. Everything comes apart for storing, if you want to do that. A manageable size though heavy. Fabric of chain is MUCH thicker, so is also heavier, which works better for you in dragging uses. This drag has to be 15 years old, still is in excellent shape, with MANY hours of use over the years. I got another chain drag, thought I would like it better because it was both wider and longer. I did not because the wider size was hard to turn, got hung up easier on the gate posts. Metal thickness of the chain fabric was not nearly as heavy, so I had to put a lot more tires on for weight, to keep the teeth down while dragging. Not really enough weight to do the job. I sold that drag, kept the old one which is just easier to use. It is pretty heavy for our Gator, when I just moved it a couple times. Drag effect like that would kill the Gator pretty quick with the weight. Needs a tractor to move it. This is not exactly like ours, but the similar size. As mentioned, check the size of the metal used in chain fabric because heavier, bigger diameter makes a better drag.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/loyal-drag-harrow-6-ft-x-8-ft?cm_vc=-10005
I do have a small disc, which I use to cut pastures in the spring for fertilizing and smoothing out any rough ground from horses in soft dirt. I do NOT disc enough to make the ground all dirt, more like cutting into dirt, grasses, so the cuts allow air, water, to get into the soil easier. I fertilize, then run the chain drag over everything to smooth it up. Even if it looks rough when I finish, spring rain, warm sun gets the grasses growing quickly, so fields are smooth surfaced, good pasture when horses are finally switched from hay to full time grazing. Usually have mowed the fields a couple times by then which adds a bit of mulch with those clippings left to lay. This disc is 5ft wide, has two rows of discs so they do a nice job in cutting up the dirt. I do have it weighted too (more old tires tied on), so the disc blades stay in our hard ground. Tractor easily manages the small disc in work, can lift it clear of ground for travel to put it away.
We have an older manure spreader, used daily for cleaning stalls. I empty daily as well, but I have more acres than you, so composting might be your better way to dispose of manure. Then dump the compost on your fields, spread with the chain drag. You could clean into tractor bucket, dump it on the pile and have no need for a spreader. Bucket lets you turn the pile to get air into it, composts quicker.
With your small acreage, you don’t need to go crazy with machinery, but you don’t want lawn tools either. You are keeping up pasture, not lawns. Having the tractor and attachments, you should get away spending less. Check for USED tractors, USED attachments over new. The price savings is huge. Most are quite basic in design, with the mowers being the most complicated and needing some upkeep with greasing the gear box, wheels, blade attachments and sharpening of blades. Regular disc will need greasing too, each year before use. Find your local tractor dealers, get a brand that has a dealer nearby for parts or service if needed. Saves a LOT of driving time.
