Do I Need a Tractor?

[Mark Henry]

If any one ever buys a older Fiat based tractor (some White, Oliver and Cockshutt models) PM me, I have a real good guy with great prices and web site.

[rusnak]

A little tractor makes zero sense, unless you are trying to get through a suburban side yard into the back yard. If you have acerage, then get the biggest diesel farm tractor that will do the job. I use mine to till weeds and scrape our property. I also use it to disc the 1 acre back yard, which it is overkill, until you try it with a small tractor. The small tractors just make everything more work.

Once you actually use a bigger tractor, you will never ever go back to a little toy one.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

Except for seahawks those are all toys, if you want to bushhog you want 50hp diesel minimum. Mine is 60hp FWD White 2-60, which really is a Fiat 640DT
Get a dedicated mower first, I have a JD X320

If you are handy get a solid older model, easy to work on without all the tier4 crap.

This is experience talking, done my share of messing around with the toy tractors, never again.

Some of older brands 35+ hp were skinned over Fiat's. Awesome tough and a bargain buy. Lots of parts interchange too... if you know or have the resources.

The cast chassis were far heavier made vs. ANY Japanese of the same class HP. Matter of fact, some of the larger Kubota's back when were Fiat made chassis. (I think it was the M class.)

The LONG tractor out of Tarboro, NC is a good example. Fiat produced out of Romania. Laugh but these were tough rugged machines, direct injection, great 4wd and without the flim-flam styling.

Point being, you want a hardcore machine to do the job and not get caught up in the pretty look or color, chrome crap, extra useless lever this or that. Look at all those old Fords from the 1950's that have sit outside all those years but still work!

[ckelly78z]

You might look at the new line of Mahindra tractors, a friend has one he uses on his farm and loves it. They are relatively (compared to green paint) cheap, and seem to be well built.

[rusnak]

Or look at New Holland. Those are sort of sporty looking, but seem to be built OK.

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

Except for seahawks those are all toys...This is experience talking, done my share of messing around with the toy tractors, never again.

So the OP really needs one of these:


He's got 2.5 acres. At a certain point there is such a thing as too much (crazy talk, I know). While my B2320 is a toy in comparison to larger machines, it can do a lot of things, including some that aren't possible for a "real" tractor. I'm bringing mine into fairly dense wooded areas to hog out old drainage trenches with the back hoe. Nothing larger would even make it into these areas without clearing a lot of trees/brush. With the smaller machine I can be more surgical in my work. If I had some monster it would be "scorched earth" policy.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Once you actually use a bigger tractor, you will never ever go back to a little toy one.

I grew up on bigger tractors and this is BS. We had a Farmall M, John Deere 820, John Deere 4020w/ M&W turbo kit (over 100 horsepower) and I still remember the day in 1958 when my dad brought home a new John Deere 520. I bought a 520 (35hp), mostly out of nostalgia, and it was useless on my 2 acres. The 23hp Kubota I have is perfect.
Get the tractor that fits your needs, not one to make up for your short dick.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I grew up on bigger tractors and this is BS. We had a Farmall M, John Deere 820, John Deere 4020w/ M&W turbo kit (over 100 horsepower) and I still remember the day in 1958 when my dad brought home a new John Deere 520. I bought a 520 (35hp), mostly out of nostalgia, and it was useless on my 2 acres. The 23hp Kubota I have is perfect.
Get the tractor that fits your needs, not one to make up for your short dick.

So you buy tractors out of nostalgia, and call others short dick eh?

If you need to blat around wide open throttle with a tiny tractor then go ahead. To me, it's like beating yourself over the head with a 2x4.

I said "get the largest tractor that will do the job". For me, it takes 4-5 days of 8 hours per day of driving to clear our field once. And that is with a 8 foot disc. And I have to do it 4-5 times per year. So your little crap 23 HP would be a non-starter.

Don't be an ass hole if you want to be part of a discussion.

[Jerome74911S]

I drive a 1974 Porsche, so naturally a 1978 MF is a perfect match. I grade, run a 5 foot bush hog, haul stuff, pull logs out of the woods. I can get myself into all sorts of trouble with this machine. It's 40 hp +/-, and I've had it for over 25 years, plus after a long winter's nap it has never required more than two revolutions of the motor before it starts.

I have 133 acres, mostly wooded. Diesel, live PTO, hydraulics all work for me. I don't 'need' it (I could hire people to do sundry jobs around here), but it's fun to use. Burns about 1 gallon per hour when running full tilt.

[Mark Henry]

One of the things I see is people wanting a do everything swiss army knife tractor. Problem is these tractors rarely excel at any one job.

Sometimes I wish I had a backhoe, last year my weeping tiles crapped out and I got a $18K quote on the septic, so I almost bought the attachment. I did as much as I could with the tractor, then I rented a mini excavator for 5 days ($700 2 days free long weekend) and installed infiltrators. Total around $3600 and that included digging 200' of new drain hose for my sump and 400' of underground irrigation hose and electric out to my garden and daughters chickens.

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Some of older brands 35+ hp were skinned over Fiat's. Awesome tough and a bargain buy. Lots of parts interchange too... if you know or have the resources.

The cast chassis were far heavier made vs. ANY Japanese of the same class HP. Matter of fact, some of the larger Kubota's back when were Fiat made chassis. (I think it was the M class.)

The LONG tractor out of Tarboro, NC is a good example. Fiat produced out of Romania. Laugh but these were tough rugged machines, direct injection, great 4wd and without the flim-flam styling.

Point being, you want a hardcore machine to do the job and not get caught up in the pretty look or color, chrome crap, extra useless lever this or that. Look at all those old Fords from the 1950's that have sit outside all those years but still work!

The Fiat 480 and 640 are still made by Fiat-New Holland in Pakistan, spares are no problem.

My tractor cost me $4K came with a 7' blower, plow and a project HD front end loader. I put $1K into new front tires and parts. Runs perfectly.
I just put in a 100'X150" garden in one afternoon.

[intakexhaust]

^Good points.

I should elaborate a bit more for those considering the 'Swiss Army knife' of compact tractors. At the dealership we had the chance to see it all. As great those mighty orange Kubota's were, they often exceeded real job capabilities. Example: You'd have this cute little garden tractor and the owner wants a front-end loader. Of course, common safety is to add rear ballast (as discussed above). Next thing you know, the owner wants a backhoe.

Well, the end result is broken in half chassis. The fabricated steel housings is not to par and some would 'rip' apart.

This rule sometimes applies to larger HP chassis too. We've seen busted in half, large class with cast housings. Unless you have a dedicated 'Industrial' tractor (usually sans 3 point hitch) then go for the backhoe.

For the occasional task such as laying a water line or dig, rent a trencher or trackhoe. Save yourself the headache and long term ownership of the hoe.

(Jerome's Fergi looks great!)

[Rusty Heap]

Kubotas like mine (4x4 27 hp hydrostatic with chevron tread tire) are worth their weight in gold for general work on acreage, I'm a 15 year owner of team orange. I could sell today for what I bought it new back then. Drove the neighbors New Holland and Deere tractors of same hp class, but team orange really is the best.


a multi purpose tool

when I sold my complete assembled 911SC and 915 tranny it was easy with the front loader to plunk it on a pallet for shipping.


You can use clamp-on forklift skids for the front bucket too.



40" wide door gun safe, not light weight, ~750 pounds.

my story, 5 acres, llamas, pasture mowing with 5 foot rear brush-hog, box scraper, angle blade,

1.5 acres of my finish lawn care is with a 54" zero turn Cub Cadet.

Just get the right size tool for your job.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Save yourself the headache and long term ownership of the hoe.

So true on so many levels! This thread really has taken off in the last 24 hours!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I said "get the largest tractor that will do the job".

I re-read your post and that's not what you said At all. You wrote disparaging about little toy tractors. I've had bigger tractors and I've used my " little toy tractor" and for my needs the "toy" is better.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Well, the end result is broken in half chassis. The fabricated steel housings is not to par and some would 'rip' apart.

This rule sometimes applies to larger HP chassis too. We've seen busted in half, large class with cast housings. Unless you have a dedicated 'Industrial' tractor (usually sans 3 point hitch) then go for the backhoe.

Do you mean FORGO the backhoe? Hoes are really rough on a tractor. I bought an Oliver 550 with a hoe that had cracked the crankcase. I welded up a frame to take the load and stitched the crankcase back together and it lasted a few years.

[intakexhaust]

An industrial spec tractor has much heavier and thick housings. Front and rear axles, front radius / trailing arms, etc.. The loader fabrication is much beefier too and often tie in with a backhoe frame.


The fellow above with the fork attachment. Keep in mind its an attachment. The weight of the item is not the issue BUT IS considering the enormous leverage hanging out there on the machine + hydraulics capacity. Doubt many operators realize it. Just sayin'.

Bent lift rams turned into horseshoes. Goes for both loader and the backhoe. Some guys were brutal. The ram would be bent and they'd continue using it, scrapeing the crap out of the piston, gland packings leaking like a sieve.

Sorry for babbling on, just be safe out there guys. Easy to get in trouble with these machines. Seen it all. Never trust those hydraulics, helper should always be off to the side (feet) arms away from pivot links, etc., etc. Helpers, young kids getting pinched in while trying to hook up a 3 point implement. Never hook a pull chain on the upper link point. Use a draw bar only and keep it below the rear axle height. You wouldn't believe it when you see a little 'toy' torque diesel pull its weight right over with the operator on it. Respect it and have fun.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I re-read your post and that's not what you said At all. You wrote disparaging about little toy tractors. I've had bigger tractors and I've used my " little toy tractor" and for my needs the "toy" is better.

Well, I will concede that for mowing the lawn, I have nothing but little toy tractors.

[MT930]

Kubota B7800 4.0 Acres With Horses. It's the most useful tool I own.
Front End Loader, Clamp on Bucket forks, Box blade, 60 ''finish mower, landscaping rake.
Plow snow
Scoop poop
Lift things
lots of things

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Jerome74911S

so naturally a 1978 MF is a perfect match. I grade, run a 5 foot bush hog, haul stuff, pull logs out of the woods. I can get myself into all sorts of trouble with this machine. It's 40 hp +/-, and I've had it for over 25 years, plus after a long winter's nap it has never required more than two revolutions of the motor before it starts.

Great tractor there Jerome. My Mum had a Massey TEA on the farm for 40 years or so and it never missed a beat. The unsung hero of the farm. It pulled old posts out, fed bales of hay to the cattle, the Power take off ran all sorts of things. It had even been used to cut hay.

[Jerome74911S]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Great tractor there Jerome.

Thanks. It has 7750 hours on it and the engine has never been opened. Doesn't consume engine oil, either. The MF 135 diesel was the largest selling tractor model ever, worldwide, and most all of them are still out there, working.