Tractor question - please give me some advice

[tater74]

Want to purchase a tractor and only want to do it once. I'm not brand particular but have some pre-conceived ideas.

I have 90 acres that I will be turning from row crop to pasture and hay over the next several years and want to be able to mow, fertilize, bale hay, and grade the ruts in the lane. I want to be able to use the loader to carry/stack round bales. Probably want a post hole digger as well.

I feel that an older diesel tractor would suit me better than a gas powered one and I think that 40+ horsepower would be necessary. The more the better.

How important is it to have 4x4? How old is too old? Do the number of hours count more than the age of the tractor?

I have some experience with tractors but never really paid that much attention to what HP they were. I used them mostly for shredding pasture.

I'm also a little cash strapped so I am looking in the $7,000 range. Lower if possible. Is it even possible at that price? I've looked at tractor house but don't honestly know how to compare a JD 2020 to a JD 3010.

Thanks for looking and for your advice.

 

[dun]

If you don;t have a serious mud or snow season 4wd would be on the nice but not required list. A minimum of 50 hp but 75 would be better. The compare tractors this link will help: http://www.tractordata.com/

 

[Craig Miller]

It is hard to find a round baler around here that will run on a 50 horse, so i second a 75 horse would be better. We dont have 4x4 but have had to fall neighbors to pull us out before with theirs. As far as price goes, dad bought a jd 75 horse for 3000$ last year. Youll probably find a better price locally than on tractor house.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

If you ground is not to steep and you don't have alot of mud 4wd is not a must have. For a round baler i would want atleast 60 or 65 hp a little more would be good but that should work. In most cases i would not want anything older than a early 70s but for the right thing that could change. Some of the tractors that come to mind that sould be in you range might be a 5000 ford, or a 2030 jd. Another one that some don't like is a hesston tractor, they are not made anymore but you can gen any part you need for one at a nh dealer. They are cheaper and you would probably get more tractor for you money than with any other brand. I have owned 2 and i know a guy that brushogs for a living and he has 3 all with over 10000 hours, mine and his are all the same model they are 80 horse and you could find a 2 or 4wd late 80s or up to a 1990 for what you can spend, the best model is a 8066, they are as tough of a tractor as i have ever seen.

 

[midniteplowboyy]

You might look into 8600 through the TW-15 Ford tractors. You can pick them up cheap and there built like a tank. There not the Cadillac of tractors, little harder to shift and not as ergonomic as some, but have good power, good hydraulics, start easy and easy on fuel.

There fairly simple to work on and parts are pretty easy to get and if you need high dollar parts go to the salvage yard, most parts interchange between the years and series. My brother-in-law has has around fifteen in that style of Fords(8600-8830), he has one 8700 they call Frankenstein that his dad bought new. About the only thing original on it is the cab after 27,000 hours, its went though a couple transplants over the years, it has a 9700 rear half and a TW-25 engine in it now I think.

I'm a Deere man, but for cheap horsepower these Fords get the job done.

 

[greybeard]

40 hp is too small. I have two 45 hp 2wd and yeah, they'll pull a 5 and 6 ft mower, but they won't "run" one like it should be run. Get in thick grass and you will have to slow your travel speed down a lot. Really lugged down when disking too. Get as big as you can afford--ya won't be sorry.

 

[wbvs58]

4WD would be nice but you would be looking at the bottom end of them with your budget whereas you would have better quality to pick from with a 2WD. The older 2WD are usually built like a tank and designed to drive from the rear wheels better and no real disadvantage. I have an old 1974 2WD 70hp Chamberlain tractor ( Australian brand bought out by JD in the early 1980's), it would have just as much traction and capability as my 84 hp 4WD Kubota. The 6 cylinder Perkins in it just ticks over all day long and is unbelievably frugal on fuel. It was made when Horse power meant the number of Clydesdales as opposed to modern tractors which are measured with ponies. Good value and reliability in some older 2WD tractors.
Ken

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

My answer to this question is always this...

Dad and I started with an 8N and kept trading up ever so often UNTIL we got to a 65 PTO tractor. We've had three 65 HP tractors since. At that point you have a tractor that can do anything that needs to be done, just not as fast as somebody with a larger tractor.

4WD is a luxury that is nice and useful if you can afford it. But, I always was able to get by without it just fine (until I bought my most recent John Deere). I personally would spend the money first on horsepower before 4WD. I would rather have a little bit bigger 2WD than a smaller 4WD. Most days and weather conditions, the 2WD will get the job done just fine.

 

[John SD]

You might look into 8600 through the TW-15 Ford tractors. You can pick them up cheap and there built like a tank. There not the Cadillac of tractors, little harder to shift and not as ergonomic as some, but have good power, good hydraulics, start easy and easy on fuel.

There fairly simple to work on and parts are pretty easy to get and if you need high dollar parts go to the salvage yard, most parts interchange between the years and series. My brother-in-law has has around fifteen in that style of Fords(8600-8830), he has one 8700 they call Frankenstein that his dad bought new. About the only thing original on it is the cab after 27,000 hours, its went though a couple transplants over the years, it has a 9700 rear half and a TW-25 engine in it now I think.

I'm a Deere man, but for cheap horsepower these Fords get the job done.

I agree on the Ford tractors. I have a 8600 and 9600. Good on fuel and will start OK in winter as long as they are plugged in.

Mine both bought used. Both have had some major work done on trannys. Should outlast me now. The cabs on these and the previous x000 tractors suck. x700 and TW cabs are much better.

40HP is basically a lawn mower and post hole digger tractor. Not enough HP or iron there to power a swather, round baler, or move bales. I'd say 80HP minimum if you want to run a baler or handle bales. Size does matter.

 

[cowski]

i would look for a jd 5XXX or 2355 series tractor .2wd older tractors like mf 150 ,165,250 , 265 or a ford 5000 would be good.50 pto horse would be enough to work 90 acres.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I don't know alot about them, but i have seen alot of nice 1085 mf's sell for under 6000$, that's just a 2wd 80hp tractor but they seem cheap.

 

[Limomike]

Want to purchase a tractor and only want to do it once. I'm not brand particular but have some pre-conceived ideas.

I have 90 acres that I will be turning from row crop to pasture and hay over the next several years and want to be able to mow, fertilize, bale hay, and grade the ruts in the lane. I want to be able to use the loader to carry/stack round bales. Probably want a post hole digger as well.

I feel that an older diesel tractor would suit me better than a gas powered one and I think that 40+ horsepower would be necessary. The more the better.
I would go with at least a 60+ hp tractor to do all you are wanting to do.

How important is it to have 4x4? How old is too old? Do the number of hours count more than the age of the tractor?
4x4 is a nice thing to have, but not necessary. I have a 35 hp 4x4 JD, but my 60+ is 2wd. Old is old.. but I have seen 4000 hour tractors crap out, and 10000 hour tractors that start right off, and are still running strong. depends on how well they have been kept. I have a 7200 hour JD2440 that is very strong.

I have some experience with tractors but never really paid that much attention to what HP they were. I used them mostly for shredding pasture.

I'm also a little cash strapped so I am looking in the $7,000 range. Lower if possible. Is it even possible at that price? I've looked at tractor house but don't honestly know how to compare a JD 2020 to a JD 3010.
Keep shopping around, and you should find something good at that price.

Thanks for looking and for your advice.

 

[lavacarancher]

Want to purchase a tractor and only want to do it once. I'm not brand particular but have some pre-conceived ideas.

I have 90 acres that I will be turning from row crop to pasture and hay over the next several years and want to be able to mow, fertilize, bale hay, and grade the ruts in the lane. I want to be able to use the loader to carry/stack round bales. Probably want a post hole digger as well. You probably should consider the kind of baler you want before you make your tractor purchase.

I feel that an older diesel tractor would suit me better than a gas powered one and I think that 40+ horsepower would be necessary. The more the better.

How important is it to have 4x4? How old is too old? Do the number of hours count more than the age of the tractor?

I have some experience with tractors but never really paid that much attention to what HP they were. I used them mostly for shredding pasture.

I'm also a little cash strapped so I am looking in the $7,000 range. Lower if possible. Is it even possible at that price? I've looked at tractor house but don't honestly know how to compare a JD 2020 to a JD 3010.

Thanks for looking and for your advice.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Well everybody, i guess we may be wasting our time i think tater has disappeared. Oh well i like talking tractors.

 

[skyhightree1]

Personally i think the tractor that would do him justice is a JD 4020.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Personally i think the tractor that would do him justice is a JD 4020.

I do to, but they may be a little over what he is wanting to spend.

 

[skyhightree1]

yea may be able to pick up one pretty reasonable at an farm auction... I love mine

 

[tater74]

Not gone, just have a day job plus trying to build a house. Lot's of good advice here. I appreciate it. We have a heavy clay soil and a little rain makes it pretty lousy to work the dirt so a 4X4 would probably just get me stuck deeper. The ground is fairly flat.

The suggestion was made to pick a baler first and then the tractor. So what is a good, reliable baler for someone in my position?

 

[skyhightree1]

I am not an expert on balers I have only owned one a NH 660 its old and gets the job done for me so far. I just built a house its a pain... Good Luck.

 

[skyhightree1]

my JD 4020