Tractor ?

[tncattle]

My sister and her family have bought a 90 acre piece of land with 30 of it cleared pasture and 60 is wooded and hilly with rough roads. They have been advised to buy a 4wd tractor with at least 40 hp and diesel. I don't know who advised them but thought I would seek advice here. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Auburn_Ag]

Well first of all, what are they going to be useing it for? Whats their needs for the tractor?

 

[tncattle]

Well first of all, what are they going to be useing it for? Whats their needs for the tractor?

Cutting the pasture
moving hay I guess
navigating some of those hilly rough roads
I'm sure other things I just don't know about

 

[Earl Thigpen]

I guess this question has been asked several time here and I guess the answer is pretty much the same. What's the application, not just now but what do you think it might be used for in the future?

A FWD tractor will pull circles around a two wheel in the field doing heavy tillage but it won't help you at all moving hay. And there won't be a hill of beans difference navigating hills. Any tractor will be able to climb a vertical rock (just joking) and you would not need FWD for driving back and forth to the north forty. It's a waste of money to buy a FWD if the only heavy work your goin' do is move hay. Just my opinion.

Good luck and let us know what you buy.

 

[kjones]

I would rather have 4wd and not need it than not have it and need it.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I guess this question has been asked several time here and I guess the answer is pretty much the same. What's the application, not just now but what do you think it might be used for in the future?

A FWD tractor will pull circles around a two wheel in the field doing heavy tillage but it won't help you at all moving hay. And there won't be a hill of beans difference navigating hills. Any tractor will be able to climb a vertical rock (just joking) and you would not need FWD for driving back and forth to the north forty. It's a waste of money to buy a FWD if the only heavy work your goin' do is move hay. Just my opinion.

Good luck and let us know what you buy.

4WD is a godsend moving hay in the mud, and from storage areas to feeding.All depends on your operation...

 

[Earl Thigpen]

I guess this question has been asked several time here and I guess the answer is pretty much the same. What's the application, not just now but what do you think it might be used for in the future?

A FWD tractor will pull circles around a two wheel in the field doing heavy tillage but it won't help you at all moving hay. And there won't be a hill of beans difference navigating hills. Any tractor will be able to climb a vertical rock (just joking) and you would not need FWD for driving back and forth to the north forty. It's a waste of money to buy a FWD if the only heavy work your goin' do is move hay. Just my opinion.

Good luck and let us know what you buy.

4WD is a godsend moving hay in the mud, and from storage areas to feeding.All depends on your operation...

Yes, of course if you need FWD by all means get it. It's just I've never needed it and don't know too many folks around here that have FWD.

Only been stuck once with the big tractor and I pulled it out with the Ford 3000 diesel so it wasn't stuck that bad. And the biggest implement I've got is a six row hipper that doesn't even cause the 1486 to breathe hard and slippage doesn't seem to be a problem either.

 

[Cowdirt]

I would rather have 4wd and not need it than not have it and need it.

When some folks go tractor shopping they remind me of the fellow trying on shoes. He wears a 10 but the 11s felt so good that he bought 12s. My point is; unless you are rolling in cash, you have to stop at some point when looking at features on tractors.

 

[Wewild]

I would rather have 4wd and not need it than not have it and need it.

When some folks go tractor shopping they remind me of the fellow trying on shoes. He wears a 10 but the 11s felt so good that he bought 12s. My point is; unless you are rolling in cash, you have to stop at some point when looking at features on tractors.

Good post. I would rather spend the time or money to get it unstuck. Then again I ain't never bought a new one. Still running the old farm tractors from the 60's and 70's. I've been stuck once and it cost me 40 dollars to get it out.

 

[Stepper]

I think i would give alot of thought as to what i plan on doing with the tractor. 40 hp is sure on the light side for doing much work. And is that 40 hp on the PTO or the engine. There is usually about a 10 hp difference between the two. (example tractor engine hp = 50 hp, PTO hp = 40 hp. The PTO hp usually dictates the size of implement you can use with the tractor. The smallest round baler i know of that a 40 hp pto will handle is a vermeer rebel. That is the size and type of round baler i use. I have a 50 hp PTO on my tractor and at times while baleing thick hay that is a little green. I can tell it loads the baler up some.

I did have a tractor with a 40 hp PTO and baled square bales of hay with it. And it was asking alot to do that. In thick wind rows it would almost bog the tractor down.

Myself i have to be able to move my tractor alot with a trailor. So i need all of the PTO horse power i can get and still have a tractor small enough that it is not so heavy that it makes it dangerous to move on a trailer. I have found that when you are looking at 50 hp PTO you can move a tractor that size fairly easy with a ton truck/trailer.

I wold diffinately get a tractor with a loader on it and as far as a 4wd goes. If i thought i needed it i would get it. But at the same time if i thought i could get by without it i would. Because that is just that much more that can go wrong. And when you go to buying parts for a tractor things can get exspensive quick. Exspecially if you have to take it to a mechanic to get it worked on.

That is just my 2 cents worth.

 

[cfpinz]

Good post. I would rather spend the time or money to get it unstuck. Then again I ain't never bought a new one. Still running the old farm tractors from the 60's and 70's. I've been stuck once and it cost me 40 dollars to get it out.

The last time I got stuck it took three tractors and a JD 450 trackloader with a backhoe on it to get me out. Plus it was 10 degrees outside. I bought a 4wd tractor the next year, not new by the way. The only time I really need to flip the button is feeding in the mud/snow. You can get by with a 2wd but the 4wd's are convenient. They also rob more power from your motor.

cfpinz

 

[Bullbuyer]

Okay - all you flat land guys need to get out of this debate. FWD is an absolute up here in the hills - especially moving hay in winter/spring. I've seen pastures in the last few days that could swallow a 2WD.

 

[Auburn_Ag]

I think i would give alot of thought as to what i plan on doing with the tractor. 40 hp is sure on the light side for doing much work. And is that 40 hp on the PTO or the engine. There is usually about a 10 hp difference between the two. (example tractor engine hp = 50 hp, PTO hp = 40 hp. The PTO hp usually dictates the size of implement you can use with the tractor. The smallest round baler i know of that a 40 hp pto will handle is a vermeer rebel. That is the size and type of round baler i use. I have a 50 hp PTO on my tractor and at times while baleing thick hay that is a little green. I can tell it loads the baler up some.

I did have a tractor with a 40 hp PTO and baled square bales of hay with it. And it was asking alot to do that. In thick wind rows it would almost bog the tractor down.

Myself i have to be able to move my tractor alot with a trailor. So i need all of the PTO horse power i can get and still have a tractor small enough that it is not so heavy that it makes it dangerous to move on a trailer. I have found that when you are looking at 50 hp PTO you can move a tractor that size fairly easy with a ton truck/trailer.

I wold diffinately get a tractor with a loader on it and as far as a 4wd goes. If i thought i needed it i would get it. But at the same time if i thought i could get by without it i would. Because that is just that much more that can go wrong. And when you go to buying parts for a tractor things can get exspensive quick. Exspecially if you have to take it to a mechanic to get it worked on.

That is just my 2 cents worth.

I agree with Stepper. I think a 60 to 70 Hp or bigger tractor will come more paying for its self in the long run than a 40hp. Of course I know that they cost more but if I could afford it I would get a bigger hp tractor.

 

[dun]

The last time I got stuck it took three tractors and a JD 450 trackloader with a backhoe on it to get me out. Plus it was 10 degrees outside. I bought a 4wd tractor the next year, not new by the way. The only time I really need to flip the button is feeding in the mud/snow. You can get by with a 2wd but the 4wd's are convenient. They also rob more power from your motor.

cfpinz

Must have taken a long time to buy all those pieces of equipment on ebay then drive around the country picking them up

dun

 

[MillIronQH]

Until you get up with the big dog tractors (150hp+) I don't think there is any such thing as to much horsepower. It seems like if you get a 50hp tractor you find yourself needing a 75. If you don't get a loader you seem to need one every day.Z

 

[cfpinz]

The last time I got stuck it took three tractors and a JD 450 trackloader with a backhoe on it to get me out. Plus it was 10 degrees outside. I bought a 4wd tractor the next year, not new by the way. The only time I really need to flip the button is feeding in the mud/snow. You can get by with a 2wd but the 4wd's are convenient. They also rob more power from your motor.

cfpinz

Must have taken a long time to buy all those pieces of equipment on ebay then drive around the country picking them up

dun

Yeah, got some strange looks driving the trackloader back from Oregon. Bumpiest 9 weeks of my life. :lol:

cfpinz

 

[tncattle]

Okay - all you flat land guys need to get out of this debate. FWD is an absolute up here in the hills - especially moving hay in winter/spring. I've seen pastures in the last few days that could swallow a 2WD.

O.K. I did forget to metion that the pasture is gently rolling but the other areas that they will use it for are rough and some quite steep.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Rough and/or steep needs to be avoided by beginners. You have to be aware of the tractor's center of gravity. Never a summer goes by up here that someone isn't killed in a tractor rollover accident and it's always the same - wasn't using the safety gear provided.
That safety gear isn't just for novices - everybody needs to be using it. And no - that flat hitch isn't for kids to stand on and ride.

 

[Cowdirt]

Okay - all you flat land guys need to get out of this debate. FWD is an absolute up here in the hills - especially moving hay in winter/spring. I've seen pastures in the last few days that could swallow a 2WD.

Bullbuyer, I've spent the most part of my life making do with what I have. Guess I've gotten quite good at it. Suspect that many folks in southern West Virginia are not that different. 4x4 tractors in the overall scheme of things is a fairly recent development, especially on small operations. BTW, parts of southern middle Tn. is not referred to as the Plains States. ;-)

 

[novatech]

If he/she only has 30 tractor working acres 40 HP is fine. For square bales or small round maybe, but ask someone that bales.
I would think that with 30 acres all he would do is bale hay or all he would do is have cows. If it not hay 40 HP will do everything he needs to do. Another point is that attachments for the larger tractors is more expensive.
30 acres is certainly not a place where one would make a living.Given that, it is a hobby. So get the 40 and spend a little more hobby time and enjoy.