Small tractor for belt work

Any suggestions as to to a johnny popper that would be good to run a grist mill with a belt. Need at least 5 hp

I really like my 42 H JD on belt work does a great on my sorghum mill.
Richard in NW SC

I'd look for a "B", they are plentiful and relatively reasonably priced. Great for light duty belt work.

I will agree the H is a surprising tractor on the belt, & they won't use
as much gas as a B or a model M. But a B or a M / MT will do some other
chores better than a H. But the Model H is a Surprising & simple little
tractor.

Grew up heating the home with wood. We hauled it out of the woods on a trailer in pieces as long as we could load on a trailer with only side boards. We'd get several trailer loads in a big pile near the stationary buzz saw.

When the pile got big enough we'd belt the tractor to the saw. Dad, my little brother & I would start buzzing it down to size. I'm left handed & so I worked to the left of the blade usually holding the wood. Dad being right handed stood to the right of the blade & he took the sawed off pieces from the saw & tossed them into a pile safely away from the saw. My brother was always right there with the next hunk of wood to be cut. This old saw was one with a heavy flyweel like was powered by a hit & miss.

The tractor? JD H. He ran the saw at between 1/4 and 1/3 speed. With good set, sharp teeth and a coordinated crew I honestly believe we cut more wood on less gas than the Poulan Chain saw would use and it was a lot quieter!

Dad would stack it later. Of all the work to be done in heating with wood, stacking was (for me) the worst job of all. I'd rather carry it to the house than to stack it. Dad always liked stacking & so we let him!

In a few days 'round Christmas we'd easily cut enough wood to feed the old coal furnace for next year.

If you look close in the second photo, you can see a gas can on the other side. People ask if I have to add gas during the day I run the mill. I tell them "No, I have to drain some out every couple of hours".
Richard