For a hack like me, 50 - 65 hp would probably be the max.
I've got a MF50 and JD5055d, the JD is bigger in hp and stature than the MF50 and the MF50 is bigger and clumsier than my brother's Ferguson 20.
We don't have wide open spaces, so just the physical size of the tractor and maneuverability are concerns. The TO20 is a dream to get around stuff - if it had position control and live PTO, it would be even better. The gas start is great in cold weather.
Another thing I look at, being a hack tractor owner, is support beyond the dealer. I find online support to be terrific with the older 35-60ish hp machines. Probably not a question that has been unanswered somewhere with regard to a MF135 or a Ford 3000.
Old vs new - this was a factor in my decision to buy the JD 5055d - and the onset of final tier 4 emissions. While I really REALLY appreciate everyone's help with my tractors and equipment, sometimes I grow weary of laying on my back busting knuckles, wiping rust out of my eyes, so newer is a consideration for me - sometimes... ;-)
2nd tractor is GREAT! An insurance policy for me when making hay and also can put 2 tractors to work at the same time with my boys.
So how much tractor is to much? It depends on your working space and how much you can tolerate in fuel/repair cost.
FWIW - before I bought the JD, I was looking at an MF65 diesel. I think the Nebraska tests show it at 50 hp, lots of great comments about it online, lots of internet support and like mentioned in another post, is IMHO perceived as a "larger" tractor and in my neck of the woods, costs less than a Ford 3000 or an MF135.
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Today's Featured Article - Talk of the Town: The Saga of Grandpa's Tractor - by The following saga is from the Tractor Talk Discussion Forum. Someone. The saga starts with the following message: Hey guys I have a decision to make. I know what you all will probably suggest and it will probably agree with me way down inside, but here it is. I have a picture blown up and framed in my "tractor room" of a Farmall M. It was my Grandpa's tractor, of which whom I never got to meet. He froze to death getting this tractor out of the barn to pull a truck out of the ditch before I was born. Anyway my dad and aunt had to sell it at the auction,
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