Tractor Recommendation

Help Support CattleToday:

BoJack Cattle

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
I'm considering buying a tractor and would like some suggestions as far as hp and size. I will be using this tractor for feeding hay, disking and shredding. I'm not concerned about color, as long as, I get a good deal.
 
BoJack Cattle":1rx7jefu said:
I'm considering buying a tractor and would like some suggestions as far as hp and size. I will be using this tractor for feeding hay, disking and shredding. I'm not concerned about color, as long as, I get a good deal.
How many acres, what size bales of hay, do you already have some equipment? ? ? ?
 
Best thing for you to do is to find some used tractors you are interested in and then post the questions on here about those tractors and then people can give you some better advice on weather or not those tractors are considered reliable enough or not for the price. There are some industry standard lemmons to stay away from or just some tractors makes and models that trump others based on a wide variety of factors too numberouse to mention.
 
For hp, a 50 is the minimum if it has really good hydraulics, 75 is much better.
 
was thinking a little bigger, like around 85 to 100 hp just because of the availablility of functional, affordable used tillage equipment like disk and so forth and the size of some round bales. Once in a while I will handle bales alot larger then what I bale and I know that a smaller tractor would not handle them and get through the mud and snow. Also, seems like decent smaller hp tractors are priced alot higher then tractors up over the 85 hp range. My main loader tractor is a Massey 1105 with a Leon loader and I bought that one about 6 years ago for $9500 with about 7000 hrs.
 
So I take it you're looking for something newer than an 1105 Massey then? Because the 1105 matches your criteria of 85-100 HP, able to pull tillage equipment, etc etc.

If you're looking at FWA's, then a 7100/7110 International Magnum is just about indestructible. 7110 has 135HP (around there), powershift, good cab and a/c.

Rod
 
hayray":3lwgl1yt said:
was thinking a little bigger, like around 85 to 100 hp just because of the availablility of functional, affordable used tillage equipment like disk and so forth and the size of some round bales. Once in a while I will handle bales alot larger then what I bale and I know that a smaller tractor would not handle them and get through the mud and snow. Also, seems like decent smaller hp tractors are priced alot higher then tractors up over the 85 hp range. My main loader tractor is a Massey 1105 with a Leon loader and I bought that one about 6 years ago for $9500 with about 7000 hrs.

Depends on the area. No row crops around here and once you start going over 75 the prices get steep because there aren;t many of them around. My 75 pulls a 4 bottom plow and a 12 foot disk with no problems, but we don;t get them very deep in the type of soil(?) we have. Even the 50 did ok with the disk but just barely.
 
that is a good point. Around here there seems to be a lot of 30 year old 100 hp tractors that are cheap to fairly priced and it is real hard to find a 10 or 12 foot disk that you would not have to put a lot of money into already, whereas a 16 to 20 disk is sold pretty cheap at auctions around here.
 
hayray":1wt8t3wn said:
that is a good point. Around here there seems to be a lot of 30 year old 100 hp tractors that are cheap to fairly priced and it is real hard to find a 10 or 12 foot disk that you would not have to put a lot of money into already, whereas a 16 to 20 disk is sold pretty cheap at auctions around here.
There may be in GA too, but speaking from my experience in this area you won;t find much that size.
 
So far I've looked at 2 tractors. Its an 00 Massey 263--53 hp, 4WD, 425 hours, loader, $15k. 05 Massey 431, 52 hours, 2 WD, 147 hours, loader, $13k. Is the 4WD worth the extra $2k? A tractor with a cab is not a necessity since I will be mostly using it to feed, I don't mind dealing with the elements while feeding.

I have 49 acres and this is my first tractor purchase. When I started out I found a used tumblebug, but now I'm ready to upgrade to a tractor.
 
BoJack Cattle":3fbkyr02 said:
So far I've looked at 2 tractors. Its an 00 Massey 263--53 hp, 4WD, 425 hours, loader, $15k. 05 Massey 431, 52 hours, 2 WD, 147 hours, loader, $13k. Is the 4WD worth the extra $2k? A tractor with a cab is not a necessity since I will be mostly using it to feed, I don't mind dealing with the elements while feeding.

I have 49 acres and this is my first tractor purchase. When I started out I found a used tumblebug, but now I'm ready to upgrade to a tractor.

If you get much mud the 4wd is worth it
 
ive been looking at new an used tractors the last few months.an if i bought 1 heres what it was going tobe.a 75hp with 4wd open top an no loader.but if it had a loader it would be able to lift the big heavy round bales.so in your case id go with 75hp 4x4 with a loader.
 
4WD is definitely worth an extra $2000 especially for loader work. I think 4wd gives you a much smoother ride with a bale on front, which is easier on both the front end of the tractor and the loader frame.
 
ChrisB":3w2metc4 said:
4WD is definitely worth an extra $2000 especially for loader work. I think 4wd gives you a much smoother ride with a bale on front, which is easier on both the front end of the tractor and the loader frame.

Just fill the back tires full of fluid and put some wheel weights on a 2WD and you`ll be fine.

Unless you have mud and snow to deal with, an FWA is, IMO, a waste of money.

And watch the lower power tractors you`re looking at. While they may have enough hydraulics to lift heavy round bales, they may not have enough frame size, rear end weight or front end width to make them stable enough. Neither one of the Masseys you`re looking at would I consider to be a useful loader tractor for bales over 1200 lbs. The 263 is only a 5000lb tractor, while the 431 is smaller still at 4100 lbs. A bale hanging off the front means you have about 1é4 of the weight of the tractor up there. Compare that to your 1105, which tips the scales between 12,000 and 16,000 lbs (depending on options and cab).

Rod
 
BoJack Cattle":25tjfbgz said:
So far I've looked at 2 tractors. Its an 00 Massey 263--53 hp, 4WD, 425 hours, loader, $15k. 05 Massey 431, 52 hours, 2 WD, 147 hours, loader, $13k. Is the 4WD worth the extra $2k? A tractor with a cab is not a necessity since I will be mostly using it to feed, I don't mind dealing with the elements while feeding.

I have 49 acres and this is my first tractor purchase. When I started out I found a used tumblebug, but now I'm ready to upgrade to a tractor.
I would go with the 263 over the 431 the 431 is actually only 44 pto hp where the 263 is 52 pto hp so it is a little bigger and it is also it has about 1000lbs more weight
 
ChrisB":f6ffi4ev said:
4WD is definitely worth an extra $2000 especially for loader work. I think 4wd gives you a much smoother ride with a bale on front, which is easier on both the front end of the tractor and the loader frame.

I agree, I have 2 IH 684'S one 2WD, one 4WD both with loaders. The 4WD is far better for any loader work.
 
In my experience with the 50 - 60 hp range tractors a 4wd is a world of difference than a 2wd. If you have to feed hay in the mud with a loader on a 2wd you will regret not having the 4wd, been there done that and paid the tuition.
I wanted a 4wd but settled for 2wd to save some money and regreted every winter feeding hay, last winter was one of the muddiest winters since we have had cattle. Got my Ford 4630 stuck several times and even took the loader off to help out. Had to feed with the neighbors new 4wd for several weeks.

I think the 60 hp range tractor is one of the most versitale sizes there is, in my opinion you can go too small and too big, just look at what you want to do and make sure you get one that will handle it of a little bigger.
 
Thanks all for your comments. It appears that it will be worth the extra money to buy a 4WD tractor. Also, if I were to find a tractor without a loader, what can I expect to pay to have it fitted with a loader and what do I need to make sure the tractor has in order for it to be retrofitted with a loader?
 

Latest posts

Top