Hello, I have a small ranch 80 acres. I would love to know what size of tractor (HP) I would need. I need to move round bales ( 6 ft) and do some no-till drilling, some mowing and some bush hogging. The soil here is sand loam. Any suggestions on the horsepower I need and who makes the best tractor for my needs....Thank you for any and all assistance.
- Thread starter Faith
- Start date
As much as you want (hp) , and as much as you want to spend, or what color you like.
I like orange, and I would use a 60+ horse tractor for that. A D-17 or D-19 Allis-Chalmers. ($2k-$5K) Gas or diesel, your choice. Got more money you don't want, and want a newer, more user freindly choice? Get a 170,175,180,185. ($5K-$8.5K)
Lots of other colors to choose from, many very good choices, for very good value.
Want less value for your $? Get a green & yellow one.
Still not enough $ for you, but you want alot less tractor with a shorter life cycle and lots of expensive little parts that tend to fail? Buy a 4wd compact utility tractor for $15K-$50K
There, you have my answer, FWIW. (Prolley very little)
I like orange, and I would use a 60+ horse tractor for that. A D-17 or D-19 Allis-Chalmers. ($2k-$5K) Gas or diesel, your choice. Got more money you don't want, and want a newer, more user freindly choice? Get a 170,175,180,185. ($5K-$8.5K)
Lots of other colors to choose from, many very good choices, for very good value.
Want less value for your $? Get a green & yellow one.
Still not enough $ for you, but you want alot less tractor with a shorter life cycle and lots of expensive little parts that tend to fail? Buy a 4wd compact utility tractor for $15K-$50K
There, you have my answer, FWIW. (Prolley very little)
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Faith! PLEASE! This question will cause a WAR! Just go to your nearest dealer and buy the one the salesperson recconends(wethin your price range), then ask us. In over 110yrs. we only have opinions nothings perfect.
cadet trooper
Well-known Member
Those round bales you said 6ft. are you talking a 5X6? If that's the case those suckers can get pretty heavy maybe 1200 to 1500# so a good sound 3pt hitch and front end weights or if you're going to carry one on the loader and one on the rear you'll need a good heavy front end and tires too. If you're going to move bales outside in the winter time you'll need a cab too. Dealer support close by helps if you're buying new or used.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
How much no till drilling? That is the operation that takes the horsepower. If not much, rent one for a day. The boys have a 15 foot 750 Deere no till drill and we normally run 80 acres in one day. Horsepower used 130-175 depending on what tractor is available. Buy what you can get service for in your neighborhood.
HAPPY DEERE
Member
figure out your implements size needed first. then buy something within your price range. if i was wanting to run 80 acres and not spend all day doing it i would look for a deere 4520 w/cab cause around here the winters are cold and you can buy them for the same price as a 4020 but they got a few mroe ponies and a whistle included.
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
I think you will need 2 or 3 at least. I have 35 of them and have 44 acres. I know I could never live with out at least 4 or 5 tractors because its a pain to say bale hay with just one tractor because you are always changing equipment.
Hobby farm
Hobby farm
I would say for 80 acres something in the 100hp range would suffice. Specifically I like the Deere 4020, in my area, central OH they will pull up to a 15ft no till drill and I have used one to moved 5x5 bales of baleage which is probably close in weight to a 5x6 hay bale and it handled it fine. If you want a cab tractor though I would recommend a Deere 4230 with a soundguard they are a very nice tractor if they are well kept.
Rusty wheel
Well-known Member
I'd go for a JOHN DEERE 830. It'll do anything you want it to. Wouldn't even consider orange rw
Goose
Well-known Member
You nailed it, ohio. I borrowed a 4020 from my renter for a particular project several years ago, and I never did get the shifter figured out. Whenever I shifted into what I thought was the right gear, I had a 25% chance of going too slow, a 25% chance of going too fast, and a 50% chance of going backwards when I wanted to go forwards.
Sparktrician
Member
I dont understand how yall get so confused by the synchro range deeres....I had them figured out when i was five years old...Hardest part was reaching the clutch AND brakes at once....i never have thought of them as mystery shift or a rubix cube....heck of a lot easier than a wore out '06 or simmilar IH.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
People,
The question was how many HP, not what color matches my eyes? My best guess is minimum of 80 and find a friendly helpful dealer nearby. Most used Deeres are over priced, but parts are available, BUT dealers are becoming very "independent" when you come in with an older smaller tractor(small operations don't make them much $). Case, before they became CIH, would get you alot of HP at a low price,dealer support ???, Allis,Massey, White; a GOOD AGCO dealer could help with any of these.
The question was how many HP, not what color matches my eyes? My best guess is minimum of 80 and find a friendly helpful dealer nearby. Most used Deeres are over priced, but parts are available, BUT dealers are becoming very "independent" when you come in with an older smaller tractor(small operations don't make them much $). Case, before they became CIH, would get you alot of HP at a low price,dealer support ???, Allis,Massey, White; a GOOD AGCO dealer could help with any of these.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Phil,
What kind of sickle mower are you using ? I wish I had a nickel for every acre on an F12 or JDB and a 7' mower.
What kind of sickle mower are you using ? I wish I had a nickel for every acre on an F12 or JDB and a 7' mower.
Need more info. Where are you, how bad is the winter? If its real wet you may want FWA, if it's real cold you may want a cab. Are you wanting new or older? New, you want to be close to good dealer. Older, get something that still has alot of parts around. Is the 80 acres something you are going to be doing on the weekends around and day job or are you retired and have nothing else to do? If you are farming around a job, you will want something more reliable and bigger. If all I had to do was my 160 acre farm I could get by with older smaller stuff but I have to make the most of my time with a 14' disk insted of 8'. What color tractors are in front of your nearest GOOD dealer, ask around for which ones are good and which ones are not? You are going to need stuff. A good dealer with good parts guy, well stocked parts room, and a few good wrench turners is invaluable. Are you going to be putting up your own hay or buy'n? Drag'n a baler around you might need more tractor than you need just for mow'n and pulling a 10' no till drill. Also some balers need two hyd outlets. With out know'n all this no one can give you a good idea.
Dave
Dave
You could park it on top of stuff to keep it from blowing away. If you want it to start, just put all the stuff you don't want to blow away at the top of the barn bank, then park the tractor up there. (Eyes rolling)
Neat tractor, stout, about as powerfull as it needed to be, but built sereral years after it was obsolete.
At their current market value, their lack of usefulness for anything but heavy tillage, and the possibility the poor guy might have to start it at some point, makes it a rather poor choice.
Neat tractor, stout, about as powerfull as it needed to be, but built sereral years after it was obsolete.
At their current market value, their lack of usefulness for anything but heavy tillage, and the possibility the poor guy might have to start it at some point, makes it a rather poor choice.
There is a whole lot of 'it depends' in a question like this, but you'd be looking around 100 hp for size. You need a heavy tractor to move round bales safely, so 80-120 hp would be about right.
Which tractor???? Oh, the color wars!
You want something comfortable for you. In that size, diesel engine. For manuvering, a good tranny - many speeds, easy shifting. (Some big old tractors are great for tillage, but their trannies shift hard, not good for manuvering a loader or round bales, etc.)
Are you looking for brand new tractor, or a little used, or kinda older (aka cheaper)? I'm not going to suggest anything unless we know what your situation is.
--->Paul
Which tractor???? Oh, the color wars!
You want something comfortable for you. In that size, diesel engine. For manuvering, a good tranny - many speeds, easy shifting. (Some big old tractors are great for tillage, but their trannies shift hard, not good for manuvering a loader or round bales, etc.)
Are you looking for brand new tractor, or a little used, or kinda older (aka cheaper)? I'm not going to suggest anything unless we know what your situation is.
--->Paul
When new, I'll bet they were only mildly silly. When they get sloppy, you can catch gear selections Deere didn't intend. It's always fun to tear into the console to get them unstuck. Too many pieces to accomplish a task requiring, well, none of those pieces.
I'm partial to the 8spd allis setup (4spd shifter w/standard 4spd pattern +2spd power director), but I always liked the Oliver/White 6sp + over/direct/under. Yes, the IH struck me as poorly thought out.
I'm partial to the 8spd allis setup (4spd shifter w/standard 4spd pattern +2spd power director), but I always liked the Oliver/White 6sp + over/direct/under. Yes, the IH struck me as poorly thought out.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Ask 25 people and you will get 25 answers.
I suspect most of use would agree that having a tractor that requires a lot of repair$ is not a wise investment. That would rule out abused equipment, old high hour equipment and some models altogether.
It's possible to exceed the price of a new tractor by just purchasing & fixing up a used bargain tractor.
Your personal situation would make anything with roll over protection system (rops) and seatbelt wise. Goes for everybody else if they want to admit it or not. Plenty of careful crippled/dead people have been talked about here.
Something with power steering, live pto, live high flow/high pressure hydraulics, differential lock, 12V electrics, rops and a real drawbar. Not some drawbar mickey moused onto the three point hitch.
I suspect most of use would agree that having a tractor that requires a lot of repair$ is not a wise investment. That would rule out abused equipment, old high hour equipment and some models altogether.
It's possible to exceed the price of a new tractor by just purchasing & fixing up a used bargain tractor.
Your personal situation would make anything with roll over protection system (rops) and seatbelt wise. Goes for everybody else if they want to admit it or not. Plenty of careful crippled/dead people have been talked about here.
Something with power steering, live pto, live high flow/high pressure hydraulics, differential lock, 12V electrics, rops and a real drawbar. Not some drawbar mickey moused onto the three point hitch.
jared in wi
Member
i would say something around 100 hp, buy the tractor, then buy the machinery to match the tractor,
I think the no till drill will size your tractor. The guys that do grain can give you a better idea of what drawbar HP per unit width that entails then I could.
The rest of the requirements can be met with a ~ 55-65 pto hp 4WD tractor( The loader work would require the heaver 4WD front end, in my opinion.) If you're doing winter feeding, a cab sure is nice. Self leveling loaders are nice for handling big rounds as is a shuttle shift for forwrd to reverse.
I have a 2WD Ford 4610 with a rops and canopy that I use on our ranch in Western Montana and I'd like a 65 pto HP cab tractor with 4WD drive is what I'd like to have for our operation.
The rest of the requirements can be met with a ~ 55-65 pto hp 4WD tractor( The loader work would require the heaver 4WD front end, in my opinion.) If you're doing winter feeding, a cab sure is nice. Self leveling loaders are nice for handling big rounds as is a shuttle shift for forwrd to reverse.
I have a 2WD Ford 4610 with a rops and canopy that I use on our ranch in Western Montana and I'd like a 65 pto HP cab tractor with 4WD drive is what I'd like to have for our operation.
farmed a little with a super H, a H with 3-point and live hydrulics, a M with a loader and live hydrulics those old tractors never were broke down, and were easy to run.and the price would be great on them. as far as 4020s go when there in the field and see a 806 coming they run and hide in the weeds,were they mite better stay.
Buckeye Oliver collector
Well-known Member
Whatever you purchase I don't know that I'd recommend John Deere. Just looking at prices recently here. 4430 Deeres in the $10000-18000 range while I see 1066 Internationals starting at 6,000 and topping out at 10,000. Both good tractors if used correctly (like anything else) but I can't believe an average 4430 is worth double an average 1066. Tell that to the guy that puts in the same number of acres with his 1066 as his neighbor does with the 4430 and he'd say the same thing. Anyway, yes Deere is best investment if you don't have to dump money into them for repairs. About any 4020 brings double the money of any 806. You are looking for a working tractor though not a tractor to sell. Allis-Chalmers,Farmall/IH, Ford, Oliver, Massey ferguson, White and several other brands too. Anything newer than 1980s really limits matters (Case IH, AGCO, JD, New Holland)....still, lots of options. I would recommend getting a Farmers Fastline magazine. Lots of information in those.
I would go to the New Holland dealer and check out these nice small tractors they have. I was checking them out at the fair the other day and they are a real bargain. Very stoutly built with power brakes and steering, powerful 3 point, 4 cylinder 50 hp diesel, roll over protection and good lights. Really nice tractors for about $13,000 dollars. A real bargain if you ask me. Probably would pull about a 3 bottom plow and work very well for all chores. Good luck.
These new Massey's are also very nice. This model 1533 is a 40 hp diesel, loader ready, 8 speed shuttle shift, four wheel drive, nice lights, and rop with seat belt. I could buy this right now from our dealer for $13,800 cash out the door. A tremendous tractor for the money. More electronics than the New Holland but has more features but is a touch smaller but not much.
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