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what size to get.

G

George Boothe

New User
Hey all i am buying land here in New Jersey. It's not a lot but it's gonna be mine. 4.75 acres. at the most I'll probably farm 1-2 acres at most. What size tractor should i get. i plan to have chickens, maybe a horse and a cow and maybe a pig, not sure. We do plan to farm the 1-2 acres every year. should i get a big tractor, like a ford 9n? or a small JD tractor like a garden type?
 
Newer than an N series Ford. About a 35 HP tractor with a 3 pt. hitch and live PTO would be a good choice. An MF 35 or newer 135 tractor would do everything you needed. A good used full size(lower HP) tractor will work circles around an overpriced glorified garden tractor and should last longer too. What kind of budget do you have? That's the big factor???
 
A lawn tractor won't cut it (sorry for the pun...).

A Ford 9N was a wonderful tractor 60 years ago, but today it doesn't have the features that would make farming safe & fun & enjoyable for you. Their hydraulics, 3pt, and gear selection is poor, for what a person wants to do.....

What you want is a compact diesel = JD, Ford/NH, Kubota, JD. Some of them are 15 hp or so and not much bigger than a lawn tractor, but they have a real gearcase, a 2pt hitch, and so forth.

Avoid the one's from China they are junkie, you can get a 15 year old one from the models I listed in the 15-25 hp range and not spend too much money.

Define what you want to do tho, if you plan to bale hay, you need a 35 hp tractor with a live pto to enjoy yourself and handle a baler.

If you want to blow snow, you need a selection of rear speeds and a live pto.

If you want a loader, you want live hydraulics.

If you want an older USA tractor, a lot of the features you would like started appearing in the mid 1950's, and you might want to start there for an older tractor to use.

Then again, if you are looking at an acre of garden, a good stout 'lawn mower tractor' with a tiller might be just the ticket for you.

Probably need to know a little more of what it is you want to do exactly now and in the future.

I was really helpful, eh? :)

--->Paul
 
If I were looking for a little tractor to handle that size of acreage, this would be my choice.


http://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gallery_10051_14101_1207104_1210107_600003_-1_image
 
Like the others said,a 9n is not the best choice, I have an 8n and a ford model 2000, after Igot the 2000 I hardly ever use the 8n, the 2000 is sosmuch better, I am from nj too! I am in somerset county, what county is your property in?
 
I'm buying land in Cumberland County, near Port Norris, NJ down by cape may.

the cub cadet looks nice... and expensive too..lol.. my budget is small right now= under $2000 That is more what i thought i needed a small compact tractor. i plan to use my tractor for a loader, garden tilling/plowing, and possibly a little snow moving.. as well as general heavy lifting/moving around the farm. also some tree and brush removal at first.. property has a bunch of trees on it.

Can't wait contracts are getting signed end of this week and it's all mine...


so now knowing my plans for it what tractor would you recommend?
 
I think a decent compact to do all what you mentioned might be hard to find to fit your present budget,you may have to save awhlile, dont get a 9n with a loader,they are near impossible to steer when using the loader because of no power steering, Might be better to save up for a newer tractor, thats my 02 cents for what its worth. lol
 
Just a couple thoughts to consider. It's your place so it's yours to do what you want.

If you have very good pasture and keep up with it you should have at least 2 acres per horse and another two acres for the bovine. That is if you are rotating them on different paddocks so the grass has a rest between. Check with a local extension office or college of agriculture as to what the animals require before you get in too deep. Pigs don't require pasture but do much better (imho) on pasture then in a small pen.

So you are already down to 3/4 acre for the house, garage, yard and garden.

Do you really want a horse for riding or will it just be a lawn ornament? What are you going to raise on the two acres you are planning on farming? You will not raise enough feed for the horse and bovine. The space just isn't there. You will have to buy feed for the critters. You might want to choose one direction to go in and see how that goes first.

Just some thoughts and good luck.
 
The Ford N Series catch a lot of hazing on this board but they are good little tractors in spite of it.
They are in your $2K price range for sure.
If you do buy an N make sure it is an 8N and not a 9N or 2N as the 8N has several significant improvements over it's older sisters. The thing about the Fords is the 3 point hitch - so darned handy.
Personally though I would skip the N Series and buy a little more tractor up front. Something like a Ford 600 could be had for $500-$1000 more and are superb small tractors. Tractor prices are depressed right now so it would be a good time to buy.
 
I agree with "Good" , smaller Ford or MF from late '50,s or early '60,s. MF 35 / or small tire utility 50 would be perfect. Might have to go $3500 though. Well worth it. Any of the late model "ladies tractors" that you can get for $2000 will be junk allready.
 
George before you buy, look around for a tractor dealer near you, so you dont have to drive 200 miles for parts. All tractors will need repair at sometime in their life. I had to run those 2n, 9n, 8n tractors when I was young. Do yourself a favor, dont buy 1. If you have a ford/newholland dealer near you, find a 2000 or 3000. As stated before, a 135 MF is a good little tractor too.
 
Looks like i'll have to save a little more to get what i need. THanks for the info. The 9n was just a starting point didn't have it in mind because of the hard steering problem. I know i can get 8n and 9n 's for under $2000 and have seen some masey20 's for $2000-2500. I was just trying to get an idea of what to look for. thanks guys.
 
You don't have nearly enough land for what you are talking about doing. You'd be better off to just forget the big animals and think about something more in line of chickens and a big garden.
 
You could just farm with the horse. He has built in power steering. Also be working for his keep. On top of that you'll have someone to talk to while your working.
 
your gonna need a bigger tractor than that. you should get domething like a 75hp tractor. a ford 6610, 7700 should meet your needs and there both good tractors
 
A friend in farm equipment repair/sales says "they all gotta have 4wd diesel so ya can't get much for the old ones." Sounds to me like better dollar value in the old one as long as you are handy. I own 4.5 acres but I farm 65. Down from about 100 a few years ago. So get a running start on some "useful" equipment.
 
IF you get one of the FORD N tractors, at least get one with the side distributor. OR like someone else suggested, get one of the little bit later FORD 600, 800 series, they will do big work and not even know they are small tractors. Paul
 
75 HP for 4.5 acres? You've got to be kidding! That's like having a 400 HP 4 wheel drive for a quarter section. If he had at least 80 acres, then 75 HP would be a good choice.
 
It's common for people new to buying an acreage to under estimate the budget they need for equipment. A tractor under $2000 may need a bunch of work done to it to make it reliable and then you need to buy all the implements to go with it. If you buy a bunch of old worn out stuff because you didn't budget enough, you'll end up paying way more in the long because you'll have to keep repairing or replacing it. 4.5 acres is not considered a farm by any stretch of the imagination. If it's a residential sub-division, it's doubtful you can even have livestock on it. If it's not in a sub-division, the general rule is 2 animals per acre. If you have a dry season or tons of snow, you'll have to buy feed and it will cost you a small fortune to keep your animals. Realistically I think you need to budget in the $5000 to $7500 range to get a tractor and implements that will fill your needs. Having an acreage is also a lot more work than a lot of people from the city ever imagined. That's why some people move back to the city in short order.
 
Are you kidding me? He only wants to farm 1-2 acres!. I could do that with a rototiller. A ford 9n would be able to do that for 100 years for less than $2000 dollars with no problems. How can he need a $15,000 dollar tractor to "safely" farm 1 acre? Maybe he also needs to pay his mortgage.
 
Ok first off.. i have farmed most of my young life and know all to well about how hard it is to farm and raise animals. The township I am moving to is in the country and does allow livestock already checked. 2 acres for first horse and 1 acre for each additional large animal if I chose to have them. I have had farm animals before and know how much work they are.. and how much they eat.. the reason I budgeted $2000 for tractor is because i am building a house as well as putting in a well, septic system.....ect... and i have to agree, a $20,000 75 hp tractor is way too much for this property.. my grandfather had an old farmall he used on his 5 acre farm and it was just right but he farmed the whole 5 acres or almost all 5 acres except for where his house was. So I won't be moving back to the city anytime soon. My job pays me well enough and my side business keeps me busy so money for extra stuff once house and stuff is done will not be a problem. :? My original question was what size tractor would be right for this size property, not do you think i should have animals? do you think I can call it a farm? no offense meant.. I can not afford 100's of acres for my family right now.... and so for someone that has been confined to 1/3 of an acre the last 10 years and working hard to get some land to call his own..... yes to me a 5 acre parcel is a farm... or farmett.... what ever you want to call it it's big enough to do the things I want on. :) but thanks for your guys time .. in answering my question. seems like i need to go online ans see whats available with attachments.. in my price range. :wink:
 
I till 10 acres for my Asian vegetable farmers with a 48 8N. It would be nice to have a few more HP but it does the job just fine. It is in your price range too. For 2 acres, you do not NEED anything bigger or newer. Parts are available and not high priced. They are simple machines that are easy to work on. Live PTO and Live hydraulics would be nicer but now you are on the top side of $3500.00 plus the implements you will need. No one lets 3 pt equipment go very cheap.
 
There is no way for anyone to know your past or what your exact plans are or your budget. Maybe it would be better to waite until after the house is built and you're moved in before you look at tractors and a small farm? You could be taking on too much at once and guaranteed, there are going to be extra costs in building the house and having all the hook ups done, etc. It is extremely rare for a new house to built under or even on budget, especially on an acreage. You don't want to leave yourself short because you spent the money on a tractor and implements.
 
Regardless of the size tractor you get, I"d get one with live pto and hydraulics. You"re gonna be doing a lot of turning around on that little plot so you don"t want to be putting a lot of wear and tear on the clutch at the end of every row. A narrow front might be a good option as well as you can make tighter turns with it.
 
My dad told me of a neighbour of his back in the 40s that farmed at least 100 acres with an 8n, but of course it ran 24 hours a day with 3 of his sons driving it in shifts. I think start with what you can afford and work up later. You will likely loose money over time on machinery unless you buy extremely well and are very lucky. I started farming 160 acres with an IH 275 22 years ago, but soon got fed up with it and traded for a JD 2130. The more features you can get for the money, the nicer your life will be, but what else is new? An 8n may be too small for pulling out stumps, and a loader on it will make you swear. They used to have 3 point hitch loaders around for them, but then you are always looking over your shoulder. Have Fun!
 
I actually only crop about 8 acres. My main crops are soybeans and wheat. I do it all with very old equipment, most of it bought years ago for less than scrap prices are now. Even so I don't plan on a profit, I occasionally make a little, but just break even a lot of the time. I guess that puts me in the same category as most farmers, but it is a labor of love, not for any economic motive.
Some things to consider:
Your level of experience?--have you ever actually farmed before or worked on an active farm. Or does the idea simply appeal to you.
What are you thinking of raising?--having a tractor of any kind is about worthless without the right kind of equipment for the crops involved. What kind of machinery will you need? Cost of equipment, even mostly worn out used stuff will probably exceed the cost of your tractor. The days of finding small usable equipment in a fencerow are gone, that stuff was all scrapped years ago.
How good are you at repairing machinery?--even if you are pretty handy the tools you are going to need to keep your old stuff working isn't cheap. Welders, torches, jacks, etc. just start to scratch the surface.
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you have to ask what size tractor and what features you will need, you probably don't know a lot about what you are trying to do. My suggestion would be to find a neighbor that has enough equipment to handle the job. Maybe you can trade some help for him farming your 2 acres, which probably is barely big enough to turn his equipment around in, until you know what you are really getting into. Meanwhile a decent lawn tractor will mow the 2 acres you will have in lawn, and yo u won't mow your lawn with a farm tractor anyway.
Just some thoughts from a guy that's been doing this for 35 years. email is open if you want more info.
 
Meanwhile a decent lawn tractor will mow the 2 acres you will have in lawn, and yo u won't mow your lawn with a farm tractor anyway.
Ya and if any of yous were smart you would collect the grass clippings and feed then to the cows! Works for me. I cut my lawn 15 minutes a day 7 days a week, I have a 60" Exmark Lazer Z, but I use my 21" TORO commercial rear bag hand mower! Dump the grass over the fence to the cows.
 
Well I only have 9 acres at my house, had 3 cows and 35 chickens, I cut my lawn daily to feed to the cows. I have a 1720 compact Ford 4wd with fel. I have a 2 bottom plow, 6ft disc, chipper, wood splitter, pallet forks a NH 518 manure spreader that I use on it. The place were I keep my horse and do the hay, I have a 55hp Ford 4610, I bring my little ford down for the summer to help with haying, rakeing, tedding ect. I know you have a budget but I would wait and save if you can and get a compact diesel. A ford 8n could never do what I can do with my 1720, or you could look for a smaller one like a 1320 or 1520 or any other brand. I wouldent touch a 8n, 9n ect to do anything with today. I can just tolarate my Farmall H. My 1720 will out work our 4600 2wd ford with a loader as far as snow removal, manure loading ect, not as much lift capacity thought, 55 hp vs 27, but 2wd vs 4wd. A 2wd tractor with a loader is almost useless in mud or on snow and ice. Ya great on pavement and dry ground, and you could put on chains, but Id rather pull a lever and have 4wd. Good luck, and congrats on your land. Dont forget to use your cow/chicken manure on your garden!:) J
 
thanks for posting,it is nice to here of people who have a love of the land.Whatever you do .please keep us posted,many of us have the feelings for land just like you. You will get many replies on this forum, the good always outweighs any bad ones , Please keep us posted on your adventure, it would be interesting to many of us.
 
You want something large enough to handle a loader, snowblower and be able to pull a stuck vehicle.
Do want something with re-sale value in 10,20, 30 years? Do you want some new and reliable or something wornout and abused. That requires time and $$$ for repairs?
JD 4005 or 4015.
 
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