Re: Proper tractor

Posted by wallacedw on December 29, 2008 at 08:04:48 from (65.171.112.174):

In Reply to: Proper tractor posted by ALWMach1 on December 29, 2008 at 06:53:46:

I have 160 acres and move round bales and mow and grade, dig holes, move stuff, etc... I have a Massey Harris 44 with a Du-Al loader.. that is my lifter ($2000) and a 1956 Farmall 400 ($2400) that does my pulling, mowing, grading, etc.. Both are gas engines but do have power steering. I have to say that is a MAJOR plus. So 1 that lifts and moves and 1 that pulls and plows. The Farmall has a 2 point fasthitch with a 3 point conversion on it and it can move round bales also... Personally I don't think a diesel is necessary for what you are looking to do. Gas is cheaper and parts/labor are also cheaper. I have diesel trucks and so I deal with both fuels. Keep it simple, since it is retirement living like me you aren't having to make a living at it so you don't (in my opinion) need to go for the real hardworkers. The big diesels and all are good when plowing and such, but it doesn't seem like you need to spend the extra money on the extra power. The loader is much more important for your application it sounds like. You will want to make proof positive that it is in good shape and will lift what you want before you buy it. You will also want to get both a bucket and a balefork. You can get clamp on forks but I haven't heard a lot of good things about them. So the ability to change loader implements also comes into play. Once you start playing with the tractor and loader you will find tons of stuff to do with it so don't skimp on that.

So, I guess I am saying that there is nothing wrong with old iron to do what you are needing. Maybe at a considerable coast savings as long as you make sure it is in good running order. I would get at least a 35 - 50 horse tractor if you are going to be playing with big bales. That size has the body and power heft to handle the bales safely. Also, there are different sizes of round bales. It sounds like you will be buying them. Bales can go from over 1200 pounds all the way down to 500 or so.. When in doubt, go for a bit bigger than you think you need.

Parts availabilty and a general mechanical ability are handy. Although you can get just about anything online these days.

And welcome to the site, regardless of what you go with you can get most any question that you have answered in a timely manner by people with years of experience. I have learned a ton. I would suggest taking someone along that knows something about tractors when you think you have decided on one.

- I agree with ultrdog's post except that there will be a LOT of mowing eventually. As a beginner myself, live PTO was really invaluable and safer. The ability to turn the mower on and off without the clutch or transmission saved my butt a couple times.

This post was edited by wallacedw at 08:28:51 12/29/08 3 times.

Replies:

• Re: Proper tractor ALWMach1 09:14:09 12/29/08 (0)

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