Never Before Seen on Rokslide

[Whisky]

A thread about tractors, compact utility tractors (CUT) to be specific.....trust me, i searched.

So, got my self an 18 acre farmstead, of which 5-7 are going into food plots. I require a heated cab for snow removal. I need a loader, 3 pt rear blower, and plot implements. I have been researching for quite a while now and still trying to decide what I can "get by with" vs what would be the "cats ass", and thinking i need to split the difference.

Any of you guys have compact utility tractors you use for food plots and snow removal? Or other chores maybe related to farm and ranch. What HP, what implements, overall satisfaction?

FYI Deere has been primarily my focus because the dealer support around me is incredible. Kubota would be a pain.

Thanks
Whisky

 

[rayporter]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/

the tractor forum deluxe.

i would make sure i got enough HP and not just try to get by. i piddle with 25 acres here and had 10 ac in ohio that needed snow removal. i got by with 28 horses for a long time. now i have 45 and wish for more. get it? also i run a small 21 hp mostly for yard mowing. it keeps hours off the big tractor and will fit in small cracks.

the snow blower i had required 38 hp but that aint the whole story. it would run on 38 but did not throw snow far enough to do any good.

even with a blower a plow is almost needed. somewhere i have a pic from the blizzard of 78 or 79 where i am pushing snow in a pile about 15 feet high because there was no where else to put it.

horse power is speed. so if your time is valuable get more hp. if not a 26 hp compact will do anything you want. it will just take a lonnnng time. i have a 6 ft bush hog and am looking for a 7 footer. a 5 ft would drive me crazy. my 45 hp tractor will run a 7 fine but i dont know about an 8 ft or i would be after one. the rule of thumb is 5 hp per foot to run a bush hog. [ they say ]
anyhow good luck. ray

 

[mt100gr.]

Our landscaping business/small ag runs John Deere. We have a 2720, no cab....small tractor. Ideal for turf work and handles a front mounted 42 inch blower with ease. It handles a 6ft brush hog, pulls an 8 wheel hay rake, etc. 1056 hours ago we traded our 3720 for a 4720 with a cab. Though the 3720 is the smallest model for which a cab is available. The 3720 would move round bales, run a small square baler, easily handle a 6ft brush hog.

Our new "big" little tractor, the 4720 is a much better fit for the cattle side of our business. It moves 1500 lb round bales fairly easily. Pulls and powers a hay mower/conditioner, no problem for small square bales, and the cab is really nice. An 8 foot disc is no problem, 12 ft harrow, 6 ft box scraper, etc. We just got a 12 foot grain drill, too, and it does just fine for seeding. I believe it's around 44 or 48 engine horse power.

All of them have front loaders, and I would definitely recommend splurging on at least one set f remote hydraulic hookups at the back for the 3 pt.

Personally, however, I think the JD line is overrated....no doubt they make nice equipment, but I have really been impressed by some New Holland machines, too. And I know the blue and yellow paint doesn't command near the cash that the green does.

 

[Brodie]

My father has a 29 hp kubota, with lots of implements. He likes making lots of small food plots on his land and it works fine for that.
I borrowed it and attempted to replant an 8 acre field at my place (30 acres of hayfield total and 70 bush) and it's just wasn't big enough it took me forever...the next time I bought seed and had a real farmer plant 18 acres and he made it look like a breeze with his larger equipment. Now I just have him take care of the 30 acres and I get paid by the bale.
If you can swing it I highly suggest getting a larger tractor! The compacts are decent for getting back in the bush or mowing your lawn but there is no replacement for a real tractor if you want to plant 10 acres of plot everyyear.

 

[Blockcaver]

Whisky, Where are you located? I am planning to sell a 6' snow blower and 6' brush hog located at our central Colorado mountain place when I am there in late June to early July. I ran them with a 43 HP John Deere 4600 tractor and it handled them just fine. The snow blower would throw snow 50'. PM me if you want more info.....I'll sell them for a reasonable price!

 

[kipper09]

I have about 30 acres and brush hog about 5 and mow about 12.. and push snow.. I been through this and had an exmark zero turn to mow and 43 hp massey with cab for snow removal and odds and ends.. I was trying to get one piece of equipment for many things.. I ended up buying a ventrac.. has like 30 attachments available.. no very big but a very good multi use piece of machinery.. I doubt it would be great for a big food plot.. I plant about an acre and it works ok for that.. just another idea I thought I would throw out.

 

[Whisky]

I'm in central ND. 45-55 HP is where I've been looking.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I guess I fall in the scut range with my 24 hp Kubota. Some one above said it well. You can do just about anything with a little tractor that you can with a big one it will just take you longer.

 

[rayporter]

with out a little more info i would say you are in the ball park. modern rigs aint what the old stuff was and you need more hp to equal a 50 year old tractor.

one of the kids has a sweet little 50 horse john deere with a cab. sweet but it is light and will not pull a lot. this is a problem with the new compact stuff. add all the weight you can and you still have a compact rig. make sure to fill the tires before you bring it home. and get wheel weights at the same time, too. i only drove the 50 hp JD once but in 4 wheel drive it struggled to pull a 6 ft disc or an arena worker. i had to scoop up some dirt with the bucket to help it turn. it had the hp but not enough weight.

 

[Bighub1]

Buy something with a few years on it. Maybe an old Case. Had a case 1070, heat/ac/cab. Plenty of hp. They are fairly inexpensive 3-8k and are fairly easy to work on and maintain. The problem with the new stuff is if it breaks good luck fixing it yourself. The older stuff most guys can wrench on. Try tractorhouse.com

 

[timberland]

Dad's got a little Deere and the one thing he splurged on was the backhoe. We use it a TON! from trenching wire to digging out stumps in the food plots. He's gotten out 20" + oak stumps with that thing.

 

[T43]

Stay away from the cheap Chinese stuff. Anything associated with yangdong / jinma etc. Including the cheap tractors that northern tools sells. I picked one up new and have been working on it ever since. The prices are good but the quality sucks. The big red, green and blue manufacturers have used some of these in their budget lines over the years as well so be careful and check the engine block for mold marks and stamps that don't appear on a normal keyboard.