Newbie looking for advice

Would it be possible to find a tractor that will allow me to move earth, plow snow and cut grass for less than $2000 used? If so, what brands/models are recommended?

Not likely, But if you lived in 1960 perhaps you could.

Yes - A farmall Cub.

Contact me I have a 1959 for sale currently - Cheap.

Farmall cub. You may find one for 2000 but implements are extra, unless you get lucky.

Chris. Do you want to mow the yard or the pasture? If it's the yard in my opinion your dirt work would be very limited with a tractor that does a good with a finish mower. If it's the pasture you might have to up your price a little for a good runner, but a AC WD45 or the lettered series Deeres with a rear blade will do driveway and minor grading work. If you need a loader go with a JD 2010, AC D17,or any of the other brands of that size and era they all made good tractors.

Any substantial garden tractor will work if your talking light work. Deals come every now and then if your flexible about brand, time and condition.

Plenty of them around as long as you don't need one in perfect condition. You could buy a Case VAC for $700 (with a three point hitch), a used 5' bush hog for $300, a back blade for $150 - and there you go. Don't let the Eagle Hitch scare you - once a little worn it works fine as a standard Cat. 1 three-point hitch.

I'm just picking the VAC since I find so many around, cheap. I've got four here in New York, and I recently bought a nice one in northern Michigan for $700 that came with a back blade, new rear tires, and a new battery.

If you want a really nice tractor that usually sells for bargain - look around for a British-Indian International Harverster - another great "bargain" tractor. I like B275s and B414s. Around 30 horse, three point hitch, live PTO, four speed trans with a hi-low (thus an 8 speed), and a differential lock. I've bought several in the past couple of years in the $1500 price range. Nice plus with the live PTO and low-range - is it will run a rototiller or snowblow quite well.

Yes, BUT, at $2000 you're right on the edge. If anything goes out of whack --let me restate that. WHEN something gits out of whack the budget gets busted and maybe the marriage as well, unless you're married to a mechanic with a whole bunch of used tractor parts. Don't let this dismay you. If I were you I would move ahead, get a small used farm utility tractor with hydraulics, PTO and a three point hitch. With a $2000 ceiling you can't be fussy so you might have to settle for a not too pretty Ford N or a Ferguson. Either will plow snow going backward. You can make your own snow pusher to fit on the 3PH. A used mower will take care of the grass cutting and you said "move earth". Get a used slip scoop for $50 and you'll be able to "move earth" without all the headaches and $$$ that a loader would bring about. I know where I could buy a usable Ford N for $1500 and a guy tried to sell me a Ferguson 20 the other day for $1800 asking. Both had fair tires (they held air), the Fergy had put a rod thru the side of the block but that had been "fixed". I want to get a tractor low enough to get under some trees and either would have done that but I'm not limited to a $$$$ budget but am limited to a time budget so will probably get a new Deere. I know, I know. A lot of the guys on this forum will tell you to get live hydraulics, live pto, etc. You might not be able to for <$2000. Three point hitch for slip scoop and snow pusher or blade, and pto for mower and you're "good to go". Tell us more as time goes by.

I'll bet you could find an Allis WD for less than that price that would do most of those tasks.
I like the Fords myself but pound for pound and dollar for dollar a WD is tough to beat

Where are you located, how cheap and what's wrong with it? Chris in western Ill.

OK, I get your point! I may need to adjust my budget.

There are several I'm looking at on craigslist. I will post when I narrow it down. Thanks for your response.

Where are you located? I am in RI, but would be willing to travel up to 200 miles.

It's for the lawn, approx. 8 acres

Thanks for the leads. I am now on the hunt! WIll post again when I get more specifics.

Thanks for the tons of info. I may need to adjust my budget. I will post more as I progress.

The biggest problem with bargain tractors is shipping and distance. Seems the best deals are always far away. The "grass is alway greener on the other side." Another problem is competing with tractor salvage guys. They've been upping their prices and often offer more for a tractor than I will - just to cut it up.

Don't believe a good tractor can't be bought cheap. They pop up fairly often, but you have to look around. Forget Ebay - too many idiots buying stuff they know nothing about, and therefore pay more. You will rarely find a bargain there. Same with most classified ads. Usually, if someone has the incentive to pay for an ad, they are also motivated to get the best price. The exception is Craigs List. Some real bargains there - probably because it's free.
Many scammers there too, so you have to watch out.
Also, if you live in a farming area, or a recently "ex farming" area, knock on doors and ask when you see something of interest.

I'm in a dairy farming area of central New York. I've got over 100 tractors - but many I got cheap as trade-ins when I worked for a Deere dealer. There are still old tractors all over the place, but things are changing quickly. But, for now - almost on a weekly basis - I get a chance to buy 8Ns or Fergusons in running but beat condition for $600 - $1000. Case VACs for a little less. And, as I mentioned before - there are still quite a few IH B275s and B414s around. They offer the best bargain of them all. Live power, live hydraulics, three point hitch, differential lock, hi-low range trans. etc. All mine are diesels and the most I ever paid for one was $800. I bought one last summer with a front loader on it for $500. Best running run I have - but it needed new rear wheels and tires. I found a set of used mounted tires and wheels for a Ford and paid $200 for the set. They fit right on.

Live hydraulics makes a big difference - and for that reason alone, I don't have any N tractors. They are also too fast in 1st gear with 4 speeds and no aux. A Case VAC has live hydraulics - but no live PTO. You can live with that if you install an overrunning clutch on the PTO shaft.

This past year, I've had the experience of trying to buy a tractor in northern Michigan and/or western Wisconsin. 800 miles from where I live. I have two small farms in northern Michigan and needed equipment up there - mostly for brush hogging. The picking is scarce and asking prices are substantially higher. Supply and demand, I guess.

That being said - here is what I bought in northern Michigan in the past 6 months.

I paid the most for the Ford 641. Excellent condition and brand new tires all around. 134 gas engine, nice front loader, and it came with a brand new King Kutter brush hog, rear disc harrows, and a back blade. It is a four speed and does NOT have live PTO. Out of frustration - and since it was for sale next door to one of my properties - I paid $3800 for the whole set of equipment. Then, a week later, I come across a real nice Case VAC-14 with a HD backblade for $700. It's been stored indoors almost since new and still has the original PTO guard and hand crank. If I'd found it earlier, I'd never bought the Ford 641.
Then - a week later - I came across a guy with a moving sale and a John Deere 420 crawler loader with a winch on the back. Runs perfect and the tracks were just pinned and bushed. Also came with an extra pair of tracks. I paid $2200 for it.
Shortly after, I bought a real nice HD tilt-bed equipment trailer from the Presque Isle Power and Light Company. It's a Ditch Witch trailer with tandem 16" tires. I got it for $650 and used it to move all this stuff I bought.

The Ford 641 with the previous owner on it (he didn't come with the deal)

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The Deere 420 crawler loader

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The Case VAC-14 and extra parts

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Tough call Chris without knowing what part of the country you are in.

I'm age 61 and have yet to see a Case VAC or an Allis WD, except in shows,--which I believe were two models mentioned. They just never were used in the area I grew up in.

John Deere, Case, Minneapolis Moline, and International were the brands of choice where I grew up. Case---most were LA models until the newer ones came along.

Lots of WD Allis tractors around for a grand to $1500. Live hydraulics/pto. Good loader tractor, mowers, rear buckets are available.

I don't know where you are, but there is a WD in Pendleton Ky. with an after market 3 pt, grader blade, bush hog, and loader. I think he wants $1800.00 for it.