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advice on tractor purchase

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a barn and board horses. right now I share some good, but old equipment with other family members. I would like to buy a tractor for my personal use. I need to move manure for 20 horses from the pit outside the barn to our big manure composting area. I also need to brushhog pastures and some fields. What would you recommend as the right size tractor for these needs. I live in northeast Ohio so we deal with snow and ice in the winter.
 
well that depends, Are how big of a tractor do you want or have the space to store? Are you looking for a new tractor or one with some age on it? What is your price range?
 
Hey Judith,

Where are you located in Ohio? - I'm near Springfield. I for one use a 1972 Ford 3000 for mowing fields and plowing snow. There's a good supply of older tractors in the Ohio area - Let me know if I can be of help.
 
I want enough horsepower to mow about 60 acres of pasture and fields and move the manure mentioned. I live east of Cleveland in the "snow belt". I do not think that I need a new tractor. I think it important to understand what I need and then worry about the price.
 
60 acrs is alot to mow so will want more than a 5 ft bushog. I would say a 50 to 60 ho tractor. Look at what you have for dealers because you will need parts. But good American Iron. 4000 - 5000 series Fords are my first choice are plentiful and reasonable in price. Same size Massey's are also good. A 2030 or 2040 John Deere is also good but pricier.
 
If you're moving that much manure I would suggest a 4 wheel drive with around 80 h.p. This will give you the traction you need with a bucket full of "compost", as well as traction in the snow.
I have a 4230 Case diesel, 4 wheel drive, and loader, and find it fills my needs well here in central Michigan. You should be able to find them for around $12,000 without a ton of hours.

My 2 cents...
 
A suggestion about the brush hogging part of it. If you are actually doing what is called "topping" fields and pastures that are fairly smooth and free of rocks, roots, brush, tires, wheels, trailer hitches, and similar obstacles, you can get a lot more done better in a day with a 7 foot sickle mower than a brush hog type mower. There is a little more learning curve with setting up and using and maintaining one, but for the right application they are much faster.
 
i also live in NE Ohio! what a small world. if you ask me id say you dont want an antique tractor, you want something made in the 80s or 90s so the price isnt too high but yet you can do work without having too many repairs. I would look for a 50-75 HP white, john deere, ford or case IH. there are plenty of dealers in NE Ohio and im sure one of them has just what you need.
 
(quoted from post at 06:58:22 03/08/11) I have a barn and board horses. right now I share some good, but old equipment with other family members. I would like to buy a tractor for my personal use. I need to move manure for 20 horses from the pit outside the barn to our big manure composting area. I also need to brushhog pastures and some fields. What would you recommend as the right size tractor for these needs. I live in northeast Ohio so we deal with snow and ice in the winter.
Click to expand...

The best advice I can give you is to pay a visit to one of the dealers in your area. Choose one that has been in business for many, many, years and has a service and parts department with an excellent reputation. Even if you do not buy from him, you would do well to buy the same brand as he sells and services.
 
I would buy a skid loader to use around the stables,easy to get around with in tight spaces and good for snow.You can always pay a neighbor or somone to bush hog and if it's a bussiness it's a deductable expense.
 
Someone mentioned a 4000 or 5000 Ford. I'll second that. One series newer (4600, 5600 or 6600) would get you a much needed increase in hydraulic flow for better loader use, though. 4-wheel-drive (front wheel assist, really) would be nice, but isn't a must have. As for clipping pasture, I use a 9' mower-conditioner. Way faster than the 6' brush hog that I have, and doesn't need any more power. (pull it with my Ford 4600) I "bleed blue", so of course I'd recommend Fords... but get what is serviced in your area. 50 to 75 h.p. would cover your needs nicely.
 
I agree with the suggestions about a bigger tractor needed for hauling manure especially if you are in hilly ground. I would suggest a 50-90hp tractor weighted to the 8,000 to 12,000# range depending on the size of the spreader.
I have no experience with MFD assist to make a suggestion, but I would recommend renting any you think might suit your needs for at least a day before purchase.

Do you need to trim weeds and dry thatch back to
4-12" in the pastures or do you really need to cut brush? A good 3 point hitch tractor with an IHC 1300 9' sickle bar mower set up with a gauge wheel on the end of the bar and a limit chain to control the height of the inner shoe will let you trim 60 acres evenly in about 11 hours (if your ground is smooth enough to allow you to run 5-7 mph) on the least amount of fuel.

If you are trimming grass and weeds with a shredder, you will need about 3X as much hp to pull the same width as a sickle bar trimming grass and weeds.
 
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