It was worth it for us, I was in the same boat. Got a Kubota BX with a FEL, belly mower and box blade used on FB and never looked back.
Keep it maintained and it'll take good care of you. And resale is better than any car.
Keep it maintained and it'll take good care of you. And resale is better than any car.
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I had a little Massey GC1710 TLB (tractor/loader/backhoe). It was the first tractor I ever bought. Quite the little workhorse but just couldn't handle some of the bigger jobs. This was my learning tractor in terms of knowing what I needed in a tractor.
I sold it and bought a TYM T454 with a cab. Personally, I think TYM is a great machine. Hell...they build tractors for almost every major brand out there and they're one of the biggest tractor companies in the world. I wish I had that tractor now. It was too big for my place in Idaho but would be perfect here.
I sold the TYM and bought a JD 2038R with a backhoe. That was a fantastic tractor and it's another one I'd love to have back for this property. It was a perfect mix of capability and compactness for small/crowded spaces. Lifestyle change forced me to sell that one.
Now I have the 3025E.
I have the compact Branson 1905H I bought in Coweta a few years ago. Package deal, not cheap..but since people wanted to charge 1000's of dollars for any dirt work I needed it was a no brainer. I don't believe it would be the best option for pulling trees or larger boulders since the lifting is maxed out at 600 lbs. But I can tell you I've used this thing a lot and I only have 1 acre. The mowing deck is nice since the the tractor has power steering. That alone makes me think I'll keep this thing forever. I bought clamp on pallet forks but I really don't use them since the lifting capacity is only 600 and then these things extend enough that I'm losing most of that ability. Anyone in the Tulsa area needing/wanting clamp on pallet forks DM me and let's talk. Titan 43" LW clamp on pallet fork 1500 lbs capacity w/stabilizer bar
Look at Tractor House. They have tractors from all over all sizes. I have 5 acres. I bought a JD 5045E with a loader use it for everything. One manual has it listed as 45hp another has it listed as 50hp. Anyway would not I would not go smaller. Also have a quick attach for implements on back, saves a lot of time. Most of my implements are 6 ft wide to cover the tractor tracks.
https://www.tractorhouse.com/
Bought my first tactor with front loader when son left home. Did not have any one to lift the heavy stuff.
My Massey handles a 6.5 foot box blade with folding rippers made of 3/8 plate. I think Massey out weights TYM by 1000 #
my opinion, I use a tractor (jd 4020) to move dead trees with grapple loader. if you pick up a large tree it will not back out of any steep embankment. even with a 7 ft flail mower on back. front wheel drive would be a major assist. pulling stumps, not likely unless ground is really wet or stumps really rotten. small cedars maybe.. be extremely careful skidding logs with any tractor. a tractor, until you really get good at running it is not the best for grading simply because the dirt moving apparatus is on the back. go over a hill it lifts, in a ditch it drops. front blade can eliminate that to an extent. not to say it cant be done but theres a definite learning curve
That’s because it’s a new Holland!
I say that half in jest, but the other half is all the hell I’ve had with New Holland hydraulic systems. These were bigger, 300 hp machines but they made me doubt any other machine made by them.
The older Fords were great, both tractors and backhoes. No Ford quality survived that merger/buyout, I’m afraid.
IMO you can buy a good tractor under 5k. You may struggle to get a good one without any work needing done to it with a loader under that but it’s possible.
As a kid we had next to no equipment. Everything we did was by hand because that was free.99.
My grandpa gave us his MF35 with the continental gas motor in it, and it’s astounding how much you can do with such a small tractor and a little ingenuity. I’m a big fan of any of the MF x5 or 1x5 tractors, they’re stout, reliable (nearly unkillable) and parts are plentiful.
Pound for pound/hp for hp the Ford Powermasters will outwork the Masseys, but the MF 1x5 series has some larger options that may be a better buy.
I love the older John Deere iron but you’ll pay a premium, both in upfront cost and parts cost. There are some that aren’t so good, and you really need to do your research on specific models, like any other brand. Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s good.
Ford’s older industrial skip loaders are often very affordable tractors that are under appreciated. They’re heavier built than similar hp units, and usually have rear remotes to run a Gannon style box blade. The only knock I have against Ford SL models is to my knowledge they don’t have hydraulic power up/down like Case and JD, and that is a handy feature.
If you won’t ever need a tractor after you finish cleaning your place, then go ahead and rent, but if you think you’ll use it even a half dozen times a year I think you’ll be happier in the long run buying your own machine.
As a kid we had next to no equipment. Everything we did was by hand because that was free.99.
My grandpa gave us his MF35 with the continental gas motor in it, and it’s astounding how much you can do with such a small tractor and a little ingenuity. I’m a big fan of any of the MF x5 or 1x5 tractors, they’re stout, reliable (nearly unkillable) and parts are plentiful.
Pound for pound/hp for hp the Ford Powermasters will outwork the Masseys, but the MF 1x5 series has some larger options that may be a better buy.
I love the older John Deere iron but you’ll pay a premium, both in upfront cost and parts cost. There are some that aren’t so good, and you really need to do your research on specific models, like any other brand. Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s good.
Ford’s older industrial skip loaders are often very affordable tractors that are under appreciated. They’re heavier built than similar hp units, and usually have rear remotes to run a Gannon style box blade. The only knock I have against Ford SL models is to my knowledge they don’t have hydraulic power up/down like Case and JD, and that is a handy feature.
If you won’t ever need a tractor after you finish cleaning your place, then go ahead and rent, but if you think you’ll use it even a half dozen times a year I think you’ll be happier in the long run buying your own machine.
I've never owned a tractor, either. I did, once upon a time, own 7 acres of land on which darned few of the things I wanted to do to it got done because I didn't have one. My dad bought a ranch in Western Colorado after I left home. He wound up with a couple of tractors, and an old cable-operated D-9 Cat. Only had 80 acres. Raised cattle & horses, and most of the food he needed to feed them. Used them to pull a baler, and probably a dozen other attachments, build a 4 acre pond for the grand-kids to fish in, and sculpt the land to suit him. Put in an orchard, roads, gardens, et cetera. Used them to build & repair buildings, too. Working mostly by himself, he could lift and hold things in place as needed.
I have never own a tractor but is looking for one now but i have operated many different JD's, Fords and Massey's over the years with and without front buckets, But the tractors today compared to yesteryears is no comparison IMO I dont care for the new ones out today but quess i will have to get to like them. Was looking at a 3025D but dont know if i would like the forward/reverse controls on it or not.
