Tractor & Horsepower Advice Needed, Please..

texasvinny · May 2, 2021

My wife and I own a 100 acres of Oak, Elm & Cedar property in the Texas hill country. I'm in the market for a tractor to use in property upkeep. It would need to pull: a full size (12") wood chipper (6000 lbs) around when I'm thinning out cedar, a 6' or 7' bush-hog, a landscape rake, a harrow and potentially a few other attachments. The ground has some rocks (6" to 8" and smaller) on it and is hilly in some places. I plan on raking out most of the rocks in the open areas early on so that bush-hogging can take place. I'm looking for a dependable used tractor with enough horsepower to do the above listed things, yet stay under a budget of $10K. I'd rather have a 'little extra' horsepower to cover those times when I'm trying to pull the chipper up and down hills, pull stumps out of the ground or any other activity where the extra 'umphh' would be helpful. Right now, I'm seeing the John Deere 4020 as a dependable choice (based on what I'm reading online), but I'm not set on anything yet.

Would appreciate y'alls' advice on what to look at and what to stay away from!

fastfarmall · May 2, 2021

A 4020 would be good, and you can start and stop the PTO from the ground, for standing PTO work that's important to me! But where can you find a good 4020?

Tony in SD · May 2, 2021

This is what I look at when Im in the market for a tractor;
1) purpose. You have defined that
2) budget. You have defined that
3) HP needed to get the job done
4) distance to a good shop with repair parts & service
5) engine hours on the tractor
6) leaks
6) tire condition
7) fuel type & per hour use
8) creature comforts
9) paint. Dad said beware of paint. Make sure you know what is under the paint of a repainted tractor.
Good luck on your search.

showcrop · May 2, 2021

Don't be afraid to look at tractors with 30% more HP than you need. Your requirements put you just above the general homeowner market size. There are fewer people looking at a tractor of that size so they tend to be priced accordingly. "Too big for the homeowner but too old for the serious farmer" can put you into very good value tractors if you can stand a little extra size. Don't worry about dealer support in the vicinity. They are not interested in older tractor customers. With a little effort you can find an independent who has worked for a dealer in the past and then struck out on his own. They charge a lot less than a dealer.

used red MN · May 2, 2021

Hello Vinny welcome to YT. Fast with Farmall in your handle I am surprised you recommended the ..golden child.. of green to him. He wants tractor that will give him the MOST for his money. Dont lead him into the ..green underwear.. batallion. I will admit there product support is hard to beat but in my book that is their only draw. Vin if you cannot tell by my wording I answered your post on AgTalk, but this is my normal hangout.

jon f mn · May 2, 2021

A case 830/930 or 8/9/1070 would fit the bill nicely for you no
leave some change for upkeep.

DaveBN · May 2, 2021

Careful pulling stumps and always face forward when pulling heavy loads!
When looking back words you can't tell if the front end is going up. I
found that out the hard way. I never dismount the tractor until the PTO
has stopped. If you need to get off with PTO running be VERY careful.
Slippery boots and metal tractor parts make it easy to fall which is bad
but falling into a running PTO is death.
With conditions your describing I'm wondering if a track tractor might
be best for you.
Dave

Geo-TH,In · May 2, 2021

You might find its easier to dig stumps
out instead of pulling. Consider a
Backhoe or stump grinder.

Tim in New York · May 2, 2021

How are your mechanic skills? Any older farm tractor is going to be 40+ years old - and stuff happens. They are a lot heavier, tougher, and stronger than a modern tractor of equivalent HP. And much easier to work on. But you will be signing up for fixing it occasionally, which can be frustrating if you need to use it and it has a problem.

For some of us - its a labor of love, but that even that is a reach when its snowing, 20 degrees, and the radiator is leaking like a sieve.

Given all that, a Ford 5000 comes to mind - 60ish hp from the late 60's to early 70's. BIL has one as his big tractor for a small beef herd. It struggles on the banks pulling a baler and kicker rack, but its a tough old beast. Lots of options in red, green, blue. And in green, don't forget Olivers - they made some really nice tractors in that time frame. The other green, at least around here, is usually priced much higher than the other colors.

Tim

JD Dave · May 2, 2021

I can tell you from experience that the 55 series John Deere tractors were the best engineered and quality ever, mostly built either side of 1990. Tens of thousands were built in multiple
configurations, - from utility to ultra large. Nevertheless, you don't want a lemon so check engine and trans oil, coolant quality and overall look at to see if the machine has been serviced and
cared for. There are still a lot of good ones out there. Check TractorData for specs. I have a couple 2755's which we use for everything. Nice size and power for close-knit orchard and field work.

fastfarmall · May 2, 2021

I don't have anything against a 4020 JD, but the only thing they all come with 18.4x34,but i have owned 3 Deere also !! I did buy a 806 new, it's been a very good tractor for me!

flying belgian · May 2, 2021

What ever is the closest dealer that you are on good terms with. Red, green, orange or blue. Makes no difference. I would look for something 80/100 hp.

cushman · May 2, 2021

One of our 4020s came with 16.9/38s the other with 18.4/34s.
They can be switched to your desires.

showcrop · May 2, 2021

Understand that the 4020 is not just a good dependable tractor, it is also a desirable collector tractor so you need to expect to pay a premium over pretty much anything else.

504 · May 2, 2021

Keep in the back of your mind, that when mowing land with rocks to mow 8 to ten inches off of the ground. They are
fields not lawns. Gear boxes on brush hogs are not cheap.

buickanddeere · May 2, 2021

Do you have a fully equipped shop and experience repairing equipment ?

tomNE · May 3, 2021

your budget and what people are telling you to buy, doesn't match!

showcrop · May 3, 2021

(quoted from post at 02:55:12 05/03/21) your budget and what people are telling you to buy, doesn't match!

Really Tom? I don't see that. Which ones?

jon f mn · May 3, 2021

He going to be able to buy one of those for 10,000?

jon f mn · May 3, 2021

That was my thought too.

MarkB_MI · May 3, 2021

You might want to hire out the stump and rock removal. That's best done with specialized equipment such as a backhoe or crawler. Or you can grind the stumps.

As someone else said, the 4020 is in huge demand and prices are exorbitant for a fifty year-old tractor. Any 50+ hp tractor can handle your requirements if you farm out the heavy stuff. Note that the bigger the tractor, the bigger the implements it will require, which will increase your total cost. The kind of work you'll be doing tends to be rough on paint and sheet metal, so don't worry about the appearance of your tractor.

caterpillar guy · May 3, 2021

You can buy most 75-100 HP tractors cheaper than most of the smaller 75and down HP tractors. Like Jon siad case 730-930 or similar 70 series as well as some IH models. Though I would lean towards the 56 66 series for ease of use compared to some of the older models. If you are wanting to use it for heavy work later on I'd shun away from the 60 series. Good enough engines just that was when IH thought they could still use an M rearend and keep adding HP to it. About 60-70 HP that bit them. Since there is no good way to tell if they got the update for that I'd run not walk for those reasons. Yup there will be guys say well they had a nomenclature on the S/N tag when it was done except for the last 50 years and who know what has been changes swapped and not listed. Then when you decide to put a loader on it you will already have the live hydraulic,PTO,and power steering.

Jim Phelps · May 3, 2021

Unless it is a piece of junk you most likely will not get a JD 4020 for that, collectors buy them. I would say an old Allis 190 to 200, or IH 1066 or just a size or two smaller, a ford, there are lots of 80
to 100 hp tractors out there and as someone said you can get them cheaper than going below 80 hp.

BarnyardEngineering · May 3, 2021

(quoted from post at 03:23:33 05/03/21)

(quoted from post at 02:55:12 05/03/21) your budget and what people are telling you to buy, doesn't match!

Click to expand...

Really Tom? I don't see that. Which ones?

To start with, a decent field ready 4020 is north of $10K. Prices have gone up recently on used farm equipment.

Anything off of a "local dealer" lot is going to be north of $10K.

buickanddeere · May 3, 2021

There are some 1980s-1990s Massey 4X4 tractors with a loader that would almost fit that budget .
I agree to hire out the industrial work instead of beating your tractor .

caterpillar guy · May 3, 2021

Most of those bigger 20 series will be 24 volt which is a pain to deal with. That would be the biggest drawback to me owning a 20 series Deere. Might better move up to a 30 series and have a decent cab if you decide to go with a Deere. Otherwise like I said earlier many much cheaper options out there with dependable models.

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