I'll be buying a tractor in the 30-35 hp range within a year and would like to join a forum to learn more about them. Appreciate if anyone could point me to one or two worthwhile forums.
Thank you
I'll be buying a tractor in the 30-35 hp range within a year and would like to join a forum to learn more about them. Appreciate if anyone could point me to one or two worthwhile forums.
Thank you
When I was tractor shopping I joined http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/index.php and picked up some good info. They tend to focus on modern and newer tractors, as opposed to other forums that are filled with guys who love to talk about tractors that haven’t been made for 30 years or more.
If you’re thinking about buying used then http://www.tractordata.com is a good place to get comparison info.
NRA Endowment Member
Armed people don't march into gas chambers.
I'll second that
And if you're in the market for a tractor you already know what you're getting into. Do your research before you shop and know what you want/need.
The big decisions are: Hydrostatic drive vs. geared, Horse power (remember the new tier 4 emissions requirements) and basic layout.
I’ll third tractorbynet and for chainsaws I’d recommend arborist site. Who doesn’t like chainsaws?
I left shuttle shift out because I sort of lump that in with gear drive, but yes, probably the best option. Unfortunately, it's hard to get shuttle shift on compact tractors until you start getting into the higher HP ranges.
I wish the manufactures would offer shuttle shift on more models but they seem to be concentrating on hydrostatic drive on the under 28hp machines. There is a big jump in cost when you get up around 30 hp.
check out LS tractors, they are also sold as New Hollands at a lot higher price.
guess I'm getting old, my "new" tractor was bought new in 1980, still does the bulk of the heavy work around here.
Out of curiosity. At what acreage do most people find they need a tractor and what’s the biggest job (s) they do with it?
For many years Dads main tractor was an International farmall 400 made in the 50s and we used it into the 90s. This was a 40-45 hp tractor and basically a new improved M. It did a great job on the 40 acres. Regular maintence ( oil changes, spark plugs, filters, and keeping fluids topped up) and this equipment runs forever.
Doc, I am also going to be looking at a smaller sub-compact or so. My needs are due to my back. I can't do much labor so will be used for moving dirt, small grading, work on my road, and hopefully putting in a pond. I have 81 acres of mostly mountain trees.
every man needs a tractor
This is my second year with my John Deere 1025R with loader and 60" mower deck and I love it. I look for any excuse or reason to use it. Father in law just bought a King Kutter XB rototiller for me to use on the 3 pt hitch. Works awesome. I have a little over 5acres with about 3 in grass so now mowing is much faster with a 60" deck versus a 48". And since I compost, I have a bagger attachment.With my two gardens and both my sons gardens the tiller is ideal. Never though I would have so many uses for a loader either. A good web site to visit for older tractor and I'm sure new ones would be www.yesterdaystractors.com. very informative and they have a parts store. Several years ago I bought a new exhaust manifold for my FIL's Farmall H from them.
I'm the King of my castle---anytime my wife's not around
Life NRA member
"A Government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSIUT OF THOSE WHO TREATEN US
Our family farm had a Ford 8n that I grew up with. It had everything, hay rake, plow, disk, belt-driven cross-cut saw with a fire-wood buck, sickle-bar cutter, and more. It was kept in an equipment shed out of the weather. When Uncle Junior died, there was nobody living on the farm for awhile. I told my Mother I wanted the tractor. She said "I already sold it for $200. I was afraid someone would steal it." Someone did; I still miss that tractor.
I bought one when we moved onto seven acres because I wanted to not have to run a lawnmower over that much territory. I let quite a bit of it grow up and now only bushhog it just a couple of times a year. I also bought a 3 point tiller and expanded my garden quite a bit beyond what I could do with a 5hp rototiller.
One piece of advice: nobody ever bought a tractor and then regretted having too much horsepower. A second piece of advice: even if you don’t think you need a loader you will be amazed how useful it is when you have one. And a third piece: when you get the loader spend a few hundred extra and get the quick attach version so you can add a set of forks or a blade later.
My tractor is a Kubota L3800. 38 flywheel/35 PTO horsepower, and I went with the geared shuttle transmission. Less to go wrong than a hydro, and cheaper. If I anticipated a whole bunch of loader work I might consider hydro, but for field mowing and plowing I prefer the simpler option.
Oh, one last thing: you probably want 4wd in a compact tractor, unless you have nothing but hard, flat ground. I have hills I couldn’t mow without 4wd.
My Dad used a early 50’s Farmall Super C until 2004. It had seen so much use all the teeth were worn off the flywheel and we had to crank start it. It was still running when he died in 2010.
Last edited by Elkins45; 05-06-2018 at 02:07 PM.
NRA Endowment Member
Armed people don't march into gas chambers.
I did my time with the Ford 8N.
Not a bad machine for what it was but things are a lot better these days.
I have a small Kubota B6000 from the 70's with a 3pt mower & back blade & tiller. I use it at my camp and groom about a 1/3mile of dirt road, it works hard dragging rocks and dirt up the hill but it keeps coming back for more. It's only a 2cyl diesel with about 15HP I'd love to have something bigger but can't justify it.
It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years (Abe Lincoln)
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” George Washington
For what it is worth, I bought a 25 hp Kubota with a front loader a few years ago. Was worried it would not be strong enough. It is absolutely amazing. I have a grapple rake on the front 99.9% of the time. The next size up had to had the new emission control garbage so I opted for this one. No regrets whatsoever.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |