mml373
Well-known member
3 to 35, now, up to 100 later. My current farm is not my forever farm.
Where to Keep Tractor
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mml373
Well-known member
I tend to agree...love the old/mechanical stuff...but anything I buy that's older would need to still have parts readily available and would also need to be fully restored, mechanically. So there's an added cost for that. I've wondered what such restoration work would cost.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Buying a very expensive tractor now because you might have more to cut with it in the future is like buying a box of rubbers because the gal at the grocery store smiles at you when you go in. Like yeah, you're sure prepared but maybe thinking a little far ahead.
chaded
Well-known member
I think something in the 75 hp range would fit the bill quite nicely. I have a good but more land and use a jd 5075e and haven't needed anything bigger yet. I paid mid $40,000s with a cab and loader brand new.
I have helped the hay guys at times with my hay when something has happened and if i wanted to do my own hay that tractor would be just fine. No it's not going to run the biggest cutter or baler but with this amount of land it doesn't need to. A 4x5 baler and 7-8' disc mower it would run just fine.
I was sort of in the same situation when I bought my farm. If I wanted the next size tractor up it seemed to jump up to the 75-85k price range and I personally couldn't justify it even though I could afford it. So I settle with the 5075.
I'm of the opinion if your going to have a farm you need some sort of tractor. I can't imagine having to rely on someone else for everything that you would use a tractor for. While the financial part of it does and should factor into decisions, there are some things that is hard to put a price on, independence being one.
I have helped the hay guys at times with my hay when something has happened and if i wanted to do my own hay that tractor would be just fine. No it's not going to run the biggest cutter or baler but with this amount of land it doesn't need to. A 4x5 baler and 7-8' disc mower it would run just fine.
I was sort of in the same situation when I bought my farm. If I wanted the next size tractor up it seemed to jump up to the 75-85k price range and I personally couldn't justify it even though I could afford it. So I settle with the 5075.
I'm of the opinion if your going to have a farm you need some sort of tractor. I can't imagine having to rely on someone else for everything that you would use a tractor for. While the financial part of it does and should factor into decisions, there are some things that is hard to put a price on, independence being one.
devonian
Well-known member
Why is that then too much electrics? You've also got the whole moving away from fossil fuels thingy as well, new fossil fuel cars are going to ceased to be sold in 2030 here whilst JCB here in UK are looking into running farm and plant machinery on hydrogen fuel as you can't really run tractors on batteries in preparation for whenever new fossil fuel tractors are stopped.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
To much plastic and electronics.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
I haven't seen a recent cost analysis, but 15 years or so ago, ag economists at UofKY determined that if you're doing hay for your own use... unless you're running at least 600+ rolls through the equipment every season, you'd be money ahead either buying in all your hay or at least paying someone to hay it for you.
It would take a lifetime for me to have justified an $80K tractor PLUS hay equipment, when we had 80 cows... we opted to buy in all our hay... I had a full-time off-farm job, with no way to really accomodate the time to cut, rake and bale... so we just set up management-intensive grazing system and grazed everything for as long as grass was growing.
It would take a lifetime for me to have justified an $80K tractor PLUS hay equipment, when we had 80 cows... we opted to buy in all our hay... I had a full-time off-farm job, with no way to really accomodate the time to cut, rake and bale... so we just set up management-intensive grazing system and grazed everything for as long as grass was growing.
Travlr
Well-known member
Buying an 80K tractor in the hopes of having more to cut is like buying a house with a white picket fence and a nursery already set up for the baby just because some lady smiles at you...
Agree
mml373
Well-known member
Appreciate this. We're like minded on the independence thing and also on having the ability to help neighbors. Thank you.
gman4691
Well-known member
Don't know if it's feasible for you but...I have a small storage building behind my house...when the missus cleans out the cat litter box, I scatter the clumps around and beneath the storage building...seems to have worked so far...the mice/rats smell the predators (cats) and tend to shy away - at least that's the theory
10-e-c-dirtfarmer
Well-known member
Daddy, where are we goin to keep our new tractor?
Son, we goin to keep it out in the big shed!
But daddy we aint got no big shed!
Son, all we got is the big shed!
Son, we goin to keep it out in the big shed!
But daddy we aint got no big shed!
Son, all we got is the big shed!
10-e-c-dirtfarmer
Well-known member
All kidding aside, a new tractor might set at a dealers lot, outside, in the rain,sleet,snow,hail for 12-18 months, don't matter if it cost $50K or $400K outside till its sold!
10-e-c-dirtfarmer
Well-known member
BTW . I think the sun does more damage to the belts on a hay roller than any other weather!
Dave
Well-known member
I have a 390 MF that I bought about 6 or 7 years ago for $9,500. It is a 1990 with 83 hp. It had 3,300 hours on that Perkins diesel which is good for about 10,000 hours. The only thing I have done to it is change the oil. Well I did add a used front end loader. But that is because I handle 3x4x8 big square bales. It will do everything you are talking about and do it for a lot less money. Shop around they are out there.
My tractors sit in a 3 sided shed. But there are a lot of much bigger more expensive tractors here that sit outside year round. The only piece of equipment which everyone parks under cover is their balers. Of the 10 ranches in my little valley only one has a building where he parks everything under cover.
My tractors sit in a 3 sided shed. But there are a lot of much bigger more expensive tractors here that sit outside year round. The only piece of equipment which everyone parks under cover is their balers. Of the 10 ranches in my little valley only one has a building where he parks everything under cover.
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mml373
Well-known member
Thank you for this.
So...taking everything into consideration, the bottom line is I'm not buying. Listened to an old farmer today across the road who also strongly advised against it. His input is to pull animals off the entire farm in March, pay someone to hay it all in June, and put animals back on afterward. Sell the extra hay.
I don't like passing up on tractor ownership, but that doesn't matter. It might make more sense when I'm retired from working "a regular job", perhaps have more land and have "figured out" farming better, have the time to cut hay for folks, and can use my littlest kids to help with the work.
Adulting, blech.
Travlr
Well-known member
Gotta say... I'm impressed. I can't tell you how many times I see people come here for advice, laying out their problems, and they get responses from people that have been there and done that... and the op defends their own preconceived conclusions. Thanks for thinking it through and I'm pretty sure you'll be better off.Thank you for this.
So...taking everything into consideration, the bottom line is I'm not buying. Listened to an old farmer today across the road who also strongly advised against it. His input is to pull animals off the entire farm in March, pay someone to hay it all in June, and put animals back on afterward. Sell the extra hay.
I don't like passing up on tractor ownership, but that doesn't matter. It might make more sense when I'm retired from working "a regular job", perhaps have more land and have "figured out" farming better, have the time to cut hay for folks, and can use my littlest kids to help with the work.
Adulting, blech.
I always got my hay cut on shares, 50/50, and it worked out well for both of us.
Dave
Well-known member
I did hay for years. I put a pencil to it and figured 4 out of 5 years I could buy hay cheaper than making it. And it freed up time in the summer to do important thing like go fishing.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Damn, you actually listened. That's so rare around here.Thank you for this.
So...taking everything into consideration, the bottom line is I'm not buying. Listened to an old farmer today across the road who also strongly advised against it. His input is to pull animals off the entire farm in March, pay someone to hay it all in June, and put animals back on afterward. Sell the extra hay.
I don't like passing up on tractor ownership, but that doesn't matter. It might make more sense when I'm retired from working "a regular job", perhaps have more land and have "figured out" farming better, have the time to cut hay for folks, and can use my littlest kids to help with the work.
Adulting, blech.
mml373
Well-known member
Hehehe. Now just want to figure out WHO is buying new tractors and how this can actually be justified. My neighbor and folks here really made a strong case for the lack of any real need -- assuming I can get someone to come cut. Nobody will cut a couple acres, which put me in a rough position this year. I suspect cutting 35 acres would be worthwhile for them, so now the problem becomes one of selling extra hay.
Followup question being, how big a hay barn do I need? I came up with something like 4700 square bales on this 35 acres, or maybe 320 round bales. Rounds can be left in the field till I sell, yes? Squares must be stored in a dry place once baled, correct? What size hay barn for 4700 bales? Do I "pre-sell" so that the stuff is sold before it's baled?
Everyone seems to have an abundance of hay this time of year--round bales everywhere.
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