Small Farm Tractors...Opinions, Facts, Information....Help

[Tom M King]

I've gotten by just fine with 2wd on this 70 hp tractor, but would want 4wd on anything much smaller. It's heavy enough that I can still pick up a ton, and the power steering works just fine even with a loaded bucket. If the ground is too soft for me to work without miring up, I leave it in the shed anyway. If it does get stuck, I can push it back out with the bucket. It clears the road of snow just fine with no tire slipping. It has wheel weights and 55 gallons of fluid in each rear tire. I would have had to pay several times what I paid for it to get one less than half this size new, but I can pick up some of those tractors with this one. It's been one of the best tools I've ever bought, and it still finds new uses every week.

One reason I went with a bigger tractor was pulling a box blade. The little 35hp would often get to the place that it couldn't pull the box, and you had to raise the blade leaving a hump to have to deal with, which could take many times longer to get things leveled out. With the 70 hp, it's "come on let's go" with not only a full 7' box, but even if stone is boiling over the top. I also have an 8' grading blade with a tailwheel that I can control with the remotes from the seat for swing, tilt, and offset. It's not quite a motor grader, but comes pretty daggone close for cutting ditches and grading a crown on a road.

I've built our farm with this tractor, and it's still ready to go and do it again. It's great for lifting plywood and roofing materials up to a roof.

[Don Corbeil]

Excellent point. Without that support and ability to get parts quickly, it can make maintaining/repairing a tractor a real hassle.
Fortunately here in southwest colorado we have a good supply of dealers - and used tractors.

Picking a new or used compact tractor relative to brand really needs to revolve around the local dealer environment. Being able to access service and parts is important.

[Izzy Camire]

Don't discount consideration of a newer compact tractor from Kubota, Deere, etc. You can often get a good buy on a trade-in (or zero percent financing on a new one with a full warranty) and they are just as easy to work on than the older machines. I use a Kubota subcompact to maintain our 4 acre property and it's a real workhorse...and even "non-mechanic" me can handle most maintenance and repairs. The diesel engines run "forever", too...

Oh, and don't buy anything with just 2WD. You WILL get stuck at some point and 4WD increases the versatility. IMHO.

Jim, is giving you good advice. I bought a Yanmar a few years ago and it is a great tractor. It will last the rest of my life.

The other thing is buy a bigger tractor than you think you need. Once you have one and start using it you don't want to bump into the limitations of too small of a machine. You do not know today what you will want to use it for until you have it.

[Don Buck]

A few tractors are partially "assembled" in the US from 100% foreign parts, partially to facilitate easy shipping. The advertisements mislead people into thinking they are buying US made. I believe Mahindra may be one such company.

On the other hand, I don't believe there are any real US made compact tractors any more. Even if you buy green painted ones, you are buying a piece of equipment that was manufactured somewhere in the orient. If I am buying a foreign made tractor anyway, it doesn't matter to me whether it is sold by a domestic company or not. I will go strictly by reputation and value. Mahindra is fairly new but they are developing a pretty good reputation around here and there are several dealers within 50 miles. Not sure whether I would buy one.

I purchased a 12 ac property last year which came with a 35 hp Mahindra with 200 hours on the meter. So far I've only used it to bush hog. Initial impression is that it is a well made tractor. I wish it had external hydraulics as I had to pass on a well priced 3 point/PTO wood splitter as I had no external hook ups.
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[Mike Lassiter]

Jim, is giving you good advice. I bought a Yanmar a few years ago and it is a great tractor. It will last the rest of my life.

The other thing is buy a bigger tractor than you think you need. Once you have one and start using it you don't want to bump into the limitations of too small of a machine. You do not know today what you will want to use it for until you have it.

YES! I started out wanting an 855 JD when I moved here. Trees to cut and stumps to get up, 7.5 acres of land and mowing about 5. Unable to get a tractor I started out with a BCS 12 hp tiller and bush hog attachment and mowed everything by walking behind it. Later I was able to order a NEW JD 4610 tractor with R4 tires, loader and backhoe attachment, and a new MX 6 bush hog. I was vey pleased to be able to dig the stumps up with the backhoe as opposed to pulling them up with a 3000 lb pull come-a-long and chopping the roots with a ax. Front end loader able to lift and move most everything I tried to move. Tractor pto hp was 37.5 with the hydrostatic drive transmission. That was 2002 and the first year JD offered the ehydrostatic drive. I ordered mine as the pedals were so much easier to push than the mechanical pedals the current model had in the hydrostatic drive.

For loader work, the hydrostatic is the ONLY way I would go. I do a lot of loader work, and mow several acres at my house and family farm with the bush hog. It looks like it was mowed by a lawn mower. I can back up to either side of trees and no weed eating ever needed. Engine at pto speed and the pedals just make repeatedly changing directions so easy and fast. Never have to move hands off steering wheel or lift controls as being used.

After having this tractor for 5 years I traded it and my beloved backhoe attachment for a 2006 model 4520 cab tractor with self leveling frontend loader. I was getting covered by poison ivy bush hogging and the pollen and dust began to get to me when it was hot and dry. I love the cab, with the a/c and heat and radio. I have bush hogged where it was so dry and dusty that I could hit the glass from inside the cab and watch the dirt drop off the outside of the glass. You just will love getting out of the cab clean and dry when you would otherwise be covered in dust that had turned to mud because it was hot and you were sweating and chocking to get the needed mowing done.

In 2011 I traded the 4520 for the biggest one of this series from JD - 4720 ehydrostatic drive, same MFWD as all have had, another self leveling loader, with a HD 72" bucket, a debris bucket, a root grapple bucket (weights 800+ lbs by itself), and we got a free Frontier 4 in 1 bucket for buying the tractor at the time. I had the 4520 about 5 years and we gave $32,500 for it used with a little over 100 hours on it and one year old. After 5 years I had around 300 hours on it, and was offered $29,000 trading on it for the new tractor and buckets. The 4720 as with the 4610 had to be ordered and waited a good while for it to arrive.

The 4720 has a 540e pto that allows me to shift it either into 540e or regular 540 pto. The difference is mowing most everything I use with it with the engine running about 1700 rpm versus 2500 rpm for regular pto operation. Fuel last over twice as long for me running it tractor in 540e pto. Mainly cutting grass in fields and some fairly heavy bush hogging. Killed the engine once in 540e trying to cut down so small trees. Bush hog is very heavy double layered top. I think it weighs over 1000 lbs. I can back over many things and cut them, but small trees I have raised the bush hog up and backed into the trees and lowered it down on them slowly and then cut them. MX6 claims to be good for up to 2" diameter, but mine has cut probably double that on occasion. Using the same one bought new in 2002 and zero trouble form it. Changed the blades once so far. I have cut down untold small trees clearing on the farm because it was neglected and let grow. That was primarily the reason for me wanting the 4720 - more horse power. I was amazed going from the 4610 @ 37.5 pto hp to the 4520 @ 40 pto hp. The 4720 has 66 engine hp and I believe 58 pto hp. Same size and weight tractor other than I added double rear wheel weights and fluid in both rear tires. Still can raise back tires up enough to loose traction at times. I built a rack for 3 pt hitch to hold 2 55 gal barrels filled with water for ballast. I had to remove a 8' x 15' covered porch from a mobile home we bought and had to move and the front end loader was all I had to do it with. Wife and I (mostly me) moved it with our tractor and also put it back on the mobile home after getting it moved to it's new home. That was an ordeal! The bottom was treated wood, with a shingled covered roof above. It was almost too much for the 4720 to lift. I couldn't tilt the porch back, but could hold it due to being at the limits of loader. Front tires slightly over inflated, and mashed 1/2 flat. We ordered the R1 (ag tread) tires instead of the R4 (industrial tread) and I have regretted that many times using the loader. The R4 tires are rated to carry over double what the R1 tires are. I NEVER mashed the R4 tires with the other 2 tractors and I have had the rear end lifted off the ground a time or two. Another really nice thing is called a automotive throttle that when turned on, allows the throttle lever to remain at idle, and when you press the forward or reverse pedal the engine rpm increases just like your car when pressing the accelerator pedal. I use that all the time, unless bush hogging. Something else I ordered is telescopic lift arms. It's a PITA to climb up and down , in and out trying to hook up a 1000 lb. bush hog that you cannot move 1/2" to get the lift arms on the pins. Money well spent! MX6 is suppose to be quick hitch ready, but not for a cat 1 lift. My lift arms hit the square tubing the pins are mounted in.


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[Matt Marsh]

In the mid 1990s I made about a 10 acre food plot for the wildlife on my property. I wanted something with a 3-point hitch, and I also wanted some good hydraulics to operate implements like disks and plows. I couldn't justify the cost of a later model compact tractor, so I began doing my homework like you are. After talking to many different tractor people, I decided that the model 65 Massey Ferguson would fit the bill nicely. They were somewhat ahead of their time in that they have a 3-point hitch, hydraulics, and a three position clutch, which in my opinion launched it way ahead of the Ford N series tractors. It is also a bit larger HP-wise. It was also made with the Perkins diesel, the Continental gasoline, and continental propane models. Because I didn't plan on using mine all that much, and because I live in Northern MN, I decided on a gasoline model. I found one at one of the area dealers. It is a 1964 model, which was the last year for the 65. It also has every available option. Little did I know that old tractors would become a new interest of mine. Here is a pic!

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/contents/atp247.htm


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[Rich Riddle]

What do you folks mean by external hydraulics? I know what a 3 point hitch is but not sure of external hydraulics.

[Mike Lassiter]

remote couplings for implements. I have 3 pair on my tractor. Like you have a hay baler and need a remote hydraulic circuit to raise the back to roll the round bale out, or hay rake that has a hydraulic cylinder to raise it and lower it. Some bush hogs use remote hydraulics for raising and lowering them (pull type) and bigger ones have sections that fold up that need a circuit for that.

[Tom M King]

Each hydraulic remote is controlled by a lever next to the driver. Each pushs and pulls with hydraulic pressure. Remotes are separate from the 3 point hitch. Each one has a couple of ports to connect hydraulic lines to, and a lever handle to operate it. Any tractor with the capability can have from 1 to several. Mine has three. I use one for swing on the grading blade, another for tilt, and the third for offset from side to side. That's the only implement I have that uses all three.

[Brad Schafer]

I have quite a bit of mechanical ability and am looking for a small farm of about 20 acres. More like a "truck farm" use type of tractor. It will be used to keep weeds in check, perform a bit of tillage work, and a post hole digger would prove nice. I have no preference for gas or diesel. It seems like most folks recommend a 3 point hitch, so that's a yes. No wood splitter is needed at this time. Thanks.

rich - am late to the dance here, but have some relevant experience. i used a Ferguson 35 (gas) and Massey 30 (3 cyl Perkins diesel) in just such a capacity ... also a Super M, Super H, Deere B double-lunger, and 4020. i bought a Kubota L3010 with FL 15 yrs ago. here are a couple thoughts:

1) power steering is worth its weight in gold - don't get a FL without it
2) 4WD is as well - if you have a big sloppy load going downhill and no weight on the back, you'd better have it
3) for 20 acres you really don't need more than 30-35hp ... we farmed 50 with the 30 & 35 for years - no issues
4) IMO (and experience) single stage PTOs are dangerous. buddy had his kid get wrapped up in one; was almost tragic.

also important depending on what you want to do ... some newer tractors do NOT have an Ag 3 pt hitch (read: down pressure and float). my L3010 is one, as i didn't buy that hydraulic option. if you intend to use a post hole digger, you'll want a down-force capability. the float is almost a requirement for a plow, and is nice to have for brush-hogging depending on the mower you get, or for a drag blade (e.g., for driveway dressing).

i'd throw in with others who suggested looking for something used with low hrs. older utilities will lack power steering, and 50-60hp Ag units (which certainly are nice) will probably be too much machine for what you need.

good luck, -b

[Matt Marsh]

One of the main things I use my tractor for is running a brush hog to clear the many trails I maintain on my 40 acres. One thing if you are considering a tractor like the old N series Fords is that you cannot run the 3-point up without having the clutch disengaged and the PTO engaged. In other words if you get hung up on a stump with your brush hog and kill the engine, you can't lift the 3-point without also engaging the blade. You will need to get off the tractor, and disconnect the PTO shaft before you can lift the brush hog off the stump. A 3 position clutch enables you to disengage the clutch half way, allowing you to lift the 3-point without engaging the blade.

[Jason Roehl]

For the record, I don't own a tractor of any sort (1/4-acre neighborhood lot), but I have driven quite a few (church, in-laws' farm), and have driven various pieces of other machinery (Skid-steers, payloaders and the like).

If you're going to have a bucket on front, one that's set up with a Bob-tach would be nice. This means quick-connect hydraulics, and the bucket can be quickly swapped out with forks or other implements that may or may not have hydraulic controls, such as a skid-steer uses--universal and plentiful.

[Jim Andrew]

I have a small farm in Kansas, have 5 tractors, the oldest is a super H International, the rest are all John Deere, found parts for the old H are super expensive through case IH, and only keep the H around because it was my Dad's. Find my skidsteer the handiest machine I have for loader work, fence building, cleaning up manure, anything you can get an attachment for. Attachments are getting much less expensive, and I have several. Found I can use my grapple to pick hedge posts up by the end and put them in a hole. Use it to dig fence post holes, much straighter than with the 3 point, and I can get them clean enough that I don't have to clean them out by hand. The late model JD's are much more refined than anything older, my newest is an '08 7130 I use with a loader, to feed in winter, and bale hay in summer. It has a quiet enough cab to listen to the radio, and the heater and AC are excellent. I keep a CD of my son's band in the radio to play when the radio is barren of anything good. Also have a '69 JD 4020 diesel. If one of my sons keeps the place after I die, either will keep the 4020. Bought it used in 75, very few repairs, and it is still in running condition. They both learned to drive on it.