First Tractor Advice

Here are some of the requirments

Usage: General - 5 acres
Impliments: Front loader, brush hog, auger

Use location: Soggy (rain) pacific northwest

The tractor is for general usage, being able to
move gravel, general digging, mowing 5 acres of
pasture, pulling small stumps, brush clearing such
as black berries (a lot).

Price range: $2500-$4000

If anyone could narrow down the options I would
sure appreciate it. Also any URL's to web sites
with pictures would be a big help.

Thanks much.
.. Steve

Regards.
Mark

You can find pictures on the internet, search for farm machinery sites, many of them include pictures.Sorry my list of sites is on the other computer....

Be careful of advise you get here. Lots of friendly people who really want to help, but we all have our favorite machine & will want to talk you into that. For example, if no one in your county has even heard of a Ford 100 series tractor, that might be a bad purchase - no one will be familiar to work on it, not even NAPA will be stocking parts for it. The 'local' salvage yard won't have any to buy a cheap casting off of when yours breaks, etc. If you happen to live next to an Agco dealer that used to be an old Massy dealer, Massy would be a better buy than a Ford. And me, I would want to steer you to a Ford.... ;)

For example, I am on my second old Gleaner F combine. Ran the first 20 years, kept it for a parts machine. I have 3 dealers, all 45 to 60 minutes away, and all have a couple of old 'F' combines in the back row to strip parts from. Combines need a lot more parts than tractors, but it is very easy for me to find something I need. If I had an Olver combine, there are no White/Agco dealers around me, so I would be ordering parts from a 1-800-number & waiting for UPS. Ugh.

You probably want a 3-point hitch & hydraulics. Live pto & hydraulics are better, but you could live without. This will all depend on your tastes & needs, which we can only guess at. You need to go out & look and decide for yourself.

I think any of the older 20 - 50 hp tractors would be just fine. Since others were talking about a wife in this thread, finding a tractor is kind of like getting a partner - you won't find perfection, just find something you like & can put up with. :) And maybe that's why we all have our favorite brand - it's something we are familiar with, and we overlook the flaws because it's something we are comfortable with.

And if you buy an old tractor you just don't like, you can probably sell it for about what you paid for it and start over with something else. Hey, better than dating! :)

Have fun,
--->Paul

For your price, a reliable tractor I believe you would be satisfied with would be a International 300 or 350 Utility with IPTO. Not all 300 & 350's have IPTO so if you go that route be sure the tractor you look at does. Just my two cents worth to stay in your budget and do the work.

Harold H

Actually, I had the tractor 3 or 4 years before I bought the loader, and since I've had it, I will NEVER be without one again. Moving manure, grading out dirt, pulling fence posts, lugging everything from 5 gallon buckets of fuel to rocks to stumps to fence posts, setting my tiller into the back of my truck, it has been a labor saver like you wouldn't believe.

COULD it be done with a 40 year old row crop? Sure. Would it be fun? Probably. Would it be as easy as a modern utility? Nope.

Have I done $13,000 worth of work with it? Nope, but I guarantee I will before I wear it out! In eleven years, I've put exactly one battery in it. That's it for parts, period.

Just my opinion, of course.

my 2 cents dave

Also, if you don't have the skills and tools to do it yourself, make sure you have a decent dealer in your area for whatever you buy.

I live in the Pacifc NW too, and the ol' JD backhoe has rescued the MF 165 and 245 from the boggy lower 40 on a pretty regular basis.

If I had the bucks, I'd opt for 4wd too.... but for now, I just have to be careful and keep the backhoe handy with the chains & cables.

You're one of the lucky ones then and your machine either wasn't worked really hard or had meticulous care.

My MF's and the JD are inherently good machines, but 30+ years of work have taken their toll on them...

This year had to fix the freeze plugs (rusted out), the exaust manifold is loose (165) (age).. the generator on the 165 isn't charging (needs brushes ?) the starter on the 245 has stopped engaging (age)... the JDwas a rolling oil leak (neglect and hard use).. Then there's the starboard brakes that aren't working.... and the alternator bracket.. oops, there I go again.

(sigh) I could go on for several pages...

Well, whatever he gets, I hope he spends enough to get a good machine that isn't used up.

bbott

A 20 to 30 horse diesel utility, be it a Ford, Kubota, Deere, Massey or whatever will do a fine job for you. The trick is to find a good used one at a price you can afford. I WOULD plan on spending in the neighborhood of $8000 to get one you can use NOW and not have to put money into repairs before you can use it.