Posted by gander on May 15, 2015 at 13:45:13 from (216.114.60.194):
Hi all. I have 20 acres south of DFW and have been looking at tractors. Primary use will be brush hog, but would very much like to have the ability to cultivate/bale sudan or something should time permit and potentially some digging/moving (small pond).
My father has had an 8N forever that he's used as a general utility tractor, but never for cultivation or even tending acreage. It's a reliable machine, very affordable and, of course, familiar to me. Not a fan of transmission PTO, brakes, and lower-end HP.
I've been mostly looking at Fords, anything from 8/9n, 850, 2000, 3000, 4000. The reason is that I understand that parts for the ford tend to be more available, they are standard 3 point, etc. I'm capping my cost at around $5,000. I know that I can do what I have to with an 8n, but would very much like to have the HP and flexibility to grow beyond current needs. I'm leaning towards the 4000 (not SU) with the heavier front-end and extra horses.
That's where I'm at right now, what advice recommendations would anybody have on my current thinking? There's also a few more things to consider: It's a small town, lots of farming, and we have a JD dealer in town, but that's it. I am near enough to Dallas (under an hour) that I'm not terribly worried about that. I'm looking on craigslist and see MF, JD, IH tractors that interest me, but I'm not as familiar with the quality and maintainability compared to the Fords. Is this thinking valid or should I just look for the most and best tractor for the money as long as it's one of the common brands?
Finally, probably bears mentioning that I am mechanically inclined though mostly ignorant. That to say that I don't know much up front but usually get myself out of any binds (and big bills) without being too creative. Not at all too proud to use repair manuals as guides.
Any information and opinion is appreciated. I've read a lot here but as soon as I get settled I read something else that leads me astray.
Upload one or more videos to your post. Photo filesizes should be less than 300K and Videos, less than 2MB. Formats allowed are gif, jpg, png, ogg, mp4, mov, and avi. Be sure to use filenames without spaces or special characters, and filetypes of 3 digits lower case.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Upgrading an Oliver Super 55 Electrical System - by Dennis Hawkins. My old Oliver Super 55 has been just sitting and rusting for several years now. I really hate to see a good tractor being treated that way, but not being able to start it without a 30 minute point filing ritual every time contributed to its demise. If it would just start when I turn the key, then I would use it more often. In addition to a bad case of old age, most of the tractor's original electrical system was simply too unreliable to keep. The main focus of this page is to show how I upgr
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
