Farm Tractors

[Onkel Neal]

Anyone out there own a tractor? Any experience or recommendations? I'm looking for something that will manage about 30 acres of coastal bermuda.

[NeonSamurai]

You may want to clarify if you are planning to use the grass for feed or not. As for a tractor, it depends on the type of implements you plan on using with it, or if you already own them or not. The implements you plan to use determine the kind tractor you would need.

Other questions to consider would be how much time you want to spend cutting the stuff, and how often. These things would be more important if you just want to keep the stuff cut, as harvesting would only be a few times a year otherwise.

It also would be useful to know if you plan to use the tractor for any other duties.


Now if you have lots of money, you could get yourself one of these...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUtn-N--LyI
But it might be just a tad overkill for 30 acres

[Oberon]

Neal...you live in Texas...

http://i.imgur.com/SlidvBg.jpg?1

In all seriousness though, you've got the big four, Ford, Massey Ferguson, Caterpillar and John Deere, oh and New Holland too. You'll want something that's fuel efficient too since fuel prices are an ongoing concern, but NeonSamurai has said it best, it depends on what you want it for in terms of activities and the like.

[Betonov]

When it comes to brand, I'm not really that savy.
JD is nice because it's popular in my country that has high petrolium prices and a decent aftersale service.

30 acres is about 12 hectares so you don't need those 4-wheel per axis monsters.

A JD-904 is quite adequite.
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/101248597/Jd_904_Tractor.jpg

or a Massey Fergusson 3645
http://www.traktorfinder.de/static/10346/3.jpg

[Wolferz]

Neal...you live in Texas...

http://i.imgur.com/SlidvBg.jpg?1

In all seriousness though, you've got the big four, Ford, Massey Ferguson, Caterpillar and John Deere, oh and New Holland too. You'll want something that's fuel efficient too since fuel prices are an ongoing concern, but NeonSamurai has said it best, it depends on what you want it for in terms of activities and the like.

Good women. Pull plow.:up::O:

A Ford red belly is a good all around tractor.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/Wolferz_2007/Red%20belly.jpg

[Aktungbby]

Anyone out there own a tractor? Any experience or recommendations? I'm looking for something that will manage about 30 acres of coastal bermuda.

Just for cutting or are you raising commercial sod for harvest? My brother runs a John Deere S240-the beer holder is lacking!:down:https://www.deere.com/common/media/images/products/equipment/riding-mowers/lawn-tractors/S240/r4e001640-S240-642x462.png but 30 acres means an upgrade>http://mstsodequipment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LS-TRACTOR-0461-539x433.jpgI was a ground keeper in 1970 at an upscale country club golf course (during a US OPEN:down: ) and made due with one of these with a reel-mower array: 1941 I. H. http://www.tractordata.com/photos/F000/291/291-td4-b01-ext045.jpg (http://www.tractordata.com/photos/F000/291/291-td4-b01-ext045.jpg) This led to a girlfriend's dad letting me go wild on 7000 acres of Illinois corn in '74 (hog feed) on an IH 715 Combine.http://www.toytractorshow.com/images/ih_com8.jpg You sorta aim at point on the horizon and keep the furrow straight or the neighbors will laugh at you- at least there was Air Conditioning!...Trucking was a breeze after that(there were lines on the pavement):03:! The way to go here: New Holland TL 80- USED if possible: $17-25K http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&Manu=NEW+HOLLAND&Mdltxt=TL80&mdlx=exact (http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&Manu=NEW+HOLLAND&Mdltxt=TL80&mdlx=exact)

[NeonSamurai]

Nowadays modern combines (and tractors) can practically drive themselves thanks to GPS. Its about the only way you can manage with 40+ foot cutter heads, Like what this one runs
http://www.caseih.com/northamerica/en-us/products/harvesting/draper-heads

Speaking of which Case IH is a pretty good brand too, so is Claas but their selection and availability in North America isn't so great. Virtually all of the stuff Caterpillar sells for farm equipment is Claas rebranded & repainted.

[nikimcbee]

:har::har::har::har::up:
FTW.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/Wolferz_2007/Red%20belly.jpg

[swamprat69er]

One could cut 30 acres with my old Farmall C or with my new Kioti CK27. It will just take a while. The little ones will do the same thing the big ones do, they just do it slower.

[Onkel Neal]

Neal...you live in Texas...


.

Wait, that's not in Texas. We don't have bulls that wear headbands here. :O:

You may want to clarify if you are planning to use the grass for feed or not. As for a tractor, it depends on the type of implements you plan on using with it, or if you already own them or not. The implements you plan to use determine the kind tractor you would need.

Other questions to consider would be how much time you want to spend cutting the stuff, and how often. These things would be more important if you just want to keep the stuff cut, as harvesting would only be a few times a year otherwise.

It also would be useful to know if you plan to use the tractor for any other duties.


Now if you have lots of money, you could get yourself one of these...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUtn-N--LyI
But it might be just a tad overkill for 30 acres

Yah, a little. :know:

At this point, mainly for cutting grass and mesquite shrubs, spreading fertilizer. I will have the grass cut and baled by someone else, when that time comes. My father uses JD, I was wondering if we have any farmers here who wanted to chime in. I'm reading up on managing grazing grasses. Thinking along these lines (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJx_EPv_CTo)

[swamprat69er]

I don't think you would go wrong with a JD. Just get the cabbed model with A/C and heat.

[Onkel Neal]

My dad has a cabbed model and man, is that nice... but it adds $8000 to the price :wah:

[Jeff-Groves]

Suck it up and hire an Illegal to blow on you.
Would be cheaper and they ain't in short supply down your way.

:D

[swamprat69er]

My dad has a cabbed model and man, is that nice... but it adds $8000 to the price :wah:
If you want to be comfortable in 100+degree heat then the 8G's for the cab is nothing.
I gladly paid out the 8G's for my cab mainly because of the -40 temps we get in the winter. I blow snow in a T-shirt and love every minute of it.

[swamprat69er]

Some fast grass cutting?
https://youtu.be/zPTnLYfV0DA?t=47s

[Wolferz]

Some fast grass cutting?
https://youtu.be/zPTnLYfV0DA?t=47s


Tractors for grown boys with more money than they have sense.:yeah:

[swamprat69er]

I like watching them, but they got way more loot invested in them than I will ever see.

[Commander Wallace]

There are a number of options available depending on how you want to dispose of the grass clippings. If you have a somewhat powerful tractor or ATV, you can use a pull behind reel mower. if you use a tractor, you can cut one section while the pull behind is off set mowing another section doubling the cutting area. Some of these are powered by a PTO setup from the tractor. Others have a pull behind that also have an engine on board that powers the blades. Those are the ones that can be offset

The benefits are they are relatively inexpensive and cut very large swaths of grass in one pass. I have seen ones cut 10ft in one pass. The configurations can vary too. Some in diamond formation or straight across.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g5pNat0XPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxjT_b42dIA

The zero turn mowers are also efficient and fairly fast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxmVdUNADc4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGh3PKeZzK4

If you race your neighbor, wear a helmet. If you win, they buy the beer :D

[Aktungbby]

NEAL: Aktung, my plan is to work another 4 years, then retire on my ranch, raise chickens and pigs, and just be lazy MODERATOR: please move this thread! http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=221062 (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=221062) :03: I've just figured out why Neal really wants the tractor...after all. He said he was gonna raise pigs and chickens in retirement...now suddenly it's grass!!!???:timeout: http://temporarytemples.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3116-West-Amesbury-Wilts-24-06-15-OH2.jpg:k_confused:

[NeonSamurai]

Yah, a little. :know:

At this point, mainly for cutting grass and mesquite shrubs, spreading fertilizer. I will have the grass cut and baled by someone else, when that time comes. My father uses JD, I was wondering if we have any farmers here who wanted to chime in. I'm reading up on managing grazing grasses. Thinking along these lines (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJx_EPv_CTo)

Hmm, well you may find that model to be a bit too underpowered. So the plan is just to keep the brush and grass from getting too high.

Again my suggestion would be to pick what implements you want, then look at what you would need to run them. You probably would also do well to look at used equipment in about the 80hp range, preferably diesel as they tend to last a lot longer. Also with something with a bit more power would mean you could do more with it later.

Mowers there are lots of different options and sizes, including disc, flail, and sickle-bar/rotary. Just about all of them can handle what you are talking about. Disc would be the fastest, sickle-bar the slowest but disc is more expensive (and requires more powerful tractors)

I'm guessing for fertilizing you are thinking about something like this
http://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/frontier_implements/seeding_equipment/broadcast_spreaders/ss10b_series_broadcast_spreaders/ss10b_series_broadcast_spreaders.page

[AVGWarhawk]

Well...at the rate we are going. Things like "prepping" are the catch words of the day. It might be best to find something that does not require petrol of any kind. Go steam!

http://www.customservicecrane.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Large-Flag-Tractor-Show-5-02-2007-031.jpg

[AVGWarhawk]

Wait, that's not in Texas. We don't have bulls that wear headbands here. :O:



Yah, a little. :know:

At this point, mainly for cutting grass and mesquite shrubs, spreading fertilizer. I will have the grass cut and baled by someone else, when that time comes. My father uses JD, I was wondering if we have any farmers here who wanted to chime in. I'm reading up on managing grazing grasses. Thinking along these lines (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJx_EPv_CTo)

Could work for what you want the tractor to accomplish

http://www.myfarmlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/1_12_mower1.jpg


Or...make 3 swipes with this on 30 acre and done.

https://www.deere.com/common/media/images/product/cutters_and_shredders/496300_cutter_762x458.jpg

[NeonSamurai]

If you want speed you want something like the Claas Disco 9100 or other butterfly disc mowers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTyGyWzcr_U
Not at all cheap though... and you'd need a mid sized tractor to be able to power it.


Otherwise you could look at this sort of stuff, as examples (not that I recommend JD equipment over others).
http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/html/brochures/publication.html?id=729db26d#14
http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/non_current/DSFE41081_20_Series_Rotary_Cutr.pdf
http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/html/brochures/publication.html?id=3a96d8a9#1

[Wolferz]

Well...at the rate we are going. Things like "prepping" are the catch words of the day. It might be best to find something that does not require petrol of any kind. Go steam!

http://www.customservicecrane.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Large-Flag-Tractor-Show-5-02-2007-031.jpg


Correct me if I'm wrong but, isn't that a fuel oil tank hanging off the back?

Besides, OSHA would never go for it.

Steps leading up to the piston and flywheel?:timeout:

[Mr Quatro]

Don't forget to cover your tractor up with something or how about a tractor shed: http://shedsbuilding.com/how-important-is-a-tractor-shed.htm

http://shedsbuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tractor-shed-designs-3.jpg

[Syxx_Killer]

I don't know which dealers are near you, but if you're willing to consider other brands like Kubota, Kioti, Mahindra, TYM, or LS you could save thousands over a comparable Deere. You could also probably find good deals on other brands like New Holland, CaseIH, or Massey Feruson, too. For that size lot, you're gonna want something big enough to run a batwing mower. Each of those brands have something in the 70+ hp range. You could always check out another forum like TractorByNet. I've been there longer than here. I'm not sure what the latest models are, but something like a Kubota M7040 with cab, would be just the ticket for 30 acres.