I was in the same boat u are at the beginning of spring. I looked and looked at tractors with not a whole ton of guidance. Best peace of advice I got was buy as big as u can afford along with the implements u need. I bought a l4740 kubota, bucket, pallet forks, cab, 4x4 used found on tractor house just under 1000 hours. I couldn't be happier so far. I even replaced the stock junk speakers with some better sounding aftermarkets so I can listen to the radio while I mow . Paired it up with a little box frame disc and a finish mower to use up close to the house. Planted 3 acres of forage beans and getting ready to put in another acre or so of winter mixes. I also had brush to move with it (pallet forks came in super handy for that) could I have gone with less? Sure but I'm glad I didn't it's small enough to get it into some of the tighter spots but big enough to empty out a wide open field in just a few hours.
I use a JD 3120 to mow our 3 acre yard and manage about 8 acres of food plots and believe it to be just right. Strong enough to move earth, but compact enough to maneuver in tight spaces. Like the rest have said, go with the loader and 4x4, in addition to a big bush hog and rototiller. I wouldn't like to imagine life without these implements. The 30 hp diesel has plenty of power, wether you are chopping through overgrown briar patches or running 16+ mph on the road. We picked it up used with about 400 hrs for $16k. Best investment we have ever made.
Here are some things to consider. From what I've experienced after owning my tractor these are what I consider "must have" features. 45 hp - minimum hp 4wd 3 rear remotes - max # of remotes you can get Hydrostatic transmission Industrial tires Rear tires filled with Rimguard (for traction) With the above mentioned accessories I pull 6 and 7 foot implements depending on what they are. With the remotes I can run a grapple or a snow plow in the front and most all hydraulic controlled implements for the back. This investment has been the most useful and fun to use tool I have ever bought. Tactorhouse.com and Tractordata.com are useful sites to look at. Also, do a search on tractors. Lots of info there. Here is a good thread. http://forums.bowhunting.com/showth...-help-with-buying-a-tractor?highlight=tractor
I forgot to mention that yes, Landpride implements are very good. I have a couple of them. However, don't overlook the others including KingKutter (Farm & Fleet etc.) My 6' KK tiller is awesome and quite a bit less $$ than the Landprides.
Side question for those who have a tiller. Do you all cultipack before broadcasting? That's the reason I went with a disc I read a lot of stuff saying if you were going to till u needed to pack. Other than that Greg is spot on 4x4 for the win for sure.
What are your guy's thoughts on a gas tracker? Reason is I found one that seems to be very reasonable. 2001 Kubota for sale. Has 8 cyl. Gas engine. 3pt hotch with pto. Pto is rated around 94hp. Included is 5ft brush hog with new pto shaft. Grader blade. 2 bottom plow and dirt scoop. $8500
I guess I don't know the reason for a gas tractor but I would go diesel if given the option Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Do some research, maybe gas isn't the end of the world? Probably starts easier in the winter Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...112031-their-noticable-difference-gas-vs.html Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would look for something like this http://www.tractorhouse.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=9544281
Thanks! I am starting to get a better feel for what I want in a tractor and what they should cost everyday. Just trying to jump in feet first rather then the other way around.
Have any friends or relatives that are farmers? That would be a good source Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'd stay with a diesel, they run at lower RPM's and tend to run cooler in summer. With most modern diesels, winter starting isn't much of an issue. They either have a block heater to plug in in extreme cold weather (which you probably won't even want to use it) or they have glow plugs that pre-heat the combustion chamber in a few seconds. There's a good reason gas tractors are cheaper. There's also a reason companies are constantly trying to shoehorn diesels into smaller and smaller machines.
We have a MX5100 and I love it. We bought a package deal that included a trailer, box blade, Mower, and a loader. We didn't need the bucket so we swapped it out for a reverse tine tiller. Also decided not to go with hydro model and got the gear driven model.
If you have 4 wheeler, you can always get tow behind mowers and plows and not have to buy a tractor. By far my favorite tractor is what ever is owned by somebody else that I can use.
