best small tractor- need budget pricing help

I’ll concur with there being gold dust sprinkled into that green paint. I’ve seen it... every time I buy parts. I’ll also include that they paint those parts green so they’ll be lost forever in the yard. All that being said, I’m still a Deere man through and through. My Papa bought the first rubber tire Model A tractor in Cleveland County (so I’m told) and it still runs to this day. Granted, my newer 2032R isn’t anywhere near the same quality, but it’s got a damn good bloodline. At least that’s what I like to tell myself.
 
maulcruiser said:
Having said that, I wouldn't go with a CUT (compact utility tractor). It will never do what you need it to do.
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weight, weight is where its at.....4wd helps but moving another mass it tends to equal out. Nobody who cares about equipment uses "wheel speed" all the time to compensate. If your that guy your crap is gonna be ragged out and sloppy in half the time.
kaiser715 said:
Also got the subframe backhoe. It works great for what it is, but no way can it make up for the weight and power of a real backhoe. To do it over again, I'd probably have put the backhoe money into a mini-ex.
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I couldn't agree more. If you wanna dig by a digger, If you wanna play or do little jobs that aren't hourly go with the swiss army knife does all nothing well.
jeepinmatt said:
Get a 90s model New Holland LX series skid steer for under $10k, and a 35hp 60s or 70s model tractor for $2-4k. Use the tractor for scraping the driveway and running a bush hog. There is no comparison between a skid steer vs tractor for cutting or moving dirt, lifting capacity, stability, or maneuverability.
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Spot on. Established graders always have a full frame and a box blade. You cannot beat it for speed and efficiency. Yes a skid steer will work but a tractor in high range at half throttle will run circle around finish grading with a skid steer anything.
Tacoma747 said:
I kind of agree with Matt, but unless you have a field where you don't want to mess up the grass to bush hog, the brush mowers on the skid steers work great.
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Brush mowers are not bush hogs, I get the dual usage and you get it. Most overlap the two. Maintaining any tree line and field once established with a bush hog is cake. Waiting every five years or what I consider half clearing a lot with a Skid Steer works but is slower and leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. People pay for it I get it, but why spend money on the crap basically doubling in scrub growth. Planting or over seeding is a waste. As soon as that sapling re sprouts your gonna have 8 trunks instead of 1. Then the root system is stimulated into "What just happened mode". Everything I have ever cleared this way and tried to maintain seems much worse in the next 3 years. I'd rather clear less properly then fight lots more later.
 
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jeepinmatt said:
Get a 90s model New Holland LX series skid steer for under $10k, and a 35hp 60s or 70s model tractor for $2-4k. Use the tractor for scraping the driveway and running a bush hog. There is no comparison between a skid steer vs tractor for cutting or moving dirt, lifting capacity, stability, or maneuverability.
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This x2.

You're going to have to make some kind of a compromise with either machine so just get both.

That said, for being in Boone, Kubota is going to be your best bet for service and parts IMO.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Get a 90s model New Holland LX series skid steer for under $10k, and a 35hp 60s or 70s model tractor for $2-4k. Use the tractor for scraping the driveway and running a bush hog. There is no comparison between a skid steer vs tractor for cutting or moving dirt, lifting capacity, stability, or maneuverability.
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Agreed. Thats how we do it. NH ls170 and a 80s ford 3910
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jeepinmatt said:
My New Holland L555 is on the smaller end of skidsteers at 45hp and 4500lbs, but it was able to pick up a 36ft long, 16" DBH pine trunk, along with a lot of other stupid heavy crap. I loaded an old Cincinnati #1 Horizontal mill on my trailer with the 4 in 1 bucket on it.
When I need to move gravel around my driveway or scrape it, I walk past my tractor with the box blade on it, and crank up the skidsteer with 4 in 1 bucket.
I agree about getting stuck easier and tearing grass when you turn, but I think you've driven some crappy skidsteers based on your other comments. Or maybe I'm just a really awesome skidsteer operator?
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I have run a large assortment of skid steers and wheel loaders, and yeah I own a piece of shit Ford/new Holland skid steer but also a couple 50hp tractors. The question being " I live in the mountains, have a long road to keep graded and a homestead to take care of and want to spend 5-10k" the answer is simple, as big of tractor/loader as you can find. And it will probably come with a 7' bush hog that will handle 2" trees and a box blade that will handle the driveway and do 15mph. I personally would rather own one moderately shitty machine than two completely worthless ones.
 
braxton357 said:
I have run a large assortment of skid steers and wheel loaders, and yeah I own a piece of shit Ford/new Holland skid steer but also a couple 50hp tractors. The question being " I live in the mountains, have a long road to keep graded and a homestead to take care of and want to spend 5-10k" the answer is simple, as big of tractor/loader as you can find. And it will probably come with a 7' bush hog that will handle 2" trees and a box blade that will handle the driveway and do 15mph. I personally would rather own one moderately shitty machine than two completely worthless ones.
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Sorry about your cornflakes :flipoff2:
 
Here's how [USER=2 said:
@shawn[/USER]'s trailer got bent. Those beams are 1/2" plate, about 2000lb/each, and no issue to move around.
View attachment 263350
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Badass tow pig and trailer.
Maybe, just maybe, i'll be able to sit at the cool kids table one day.
Til then i'll just polish the lugnuts on my Dana 35.
 
Y'all are a bunch of assholes.
 
shawn said:
Y'all are a bunch of assholes.
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No shit.
You want to sell the Haulmark trailer? I know a guy....
Or the gooseneck Kraftsman?
 
Paul said:
No shit.
You want to sell the Haulmark trailer? I know a guy....
Or the gooseneck Kraftsman?
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I need to sell that Haulmark, but it's too damned useful as a storage container.
 
I have a JD 3520, 37 horse power 4wd with a loader(5' bucket and quick change pallet forks).
We have lots of attachments including a 72" finish mower.
We use it to bush hog, plow, till, grade driveway, move stuff around...
Sure it can't lift as much as a skid steer, but I feel its a great size/weight/versatile tractor.
 
braxton357 said:
I have run a large assortment of skid steers and wheel loaders, and yeah I own a piece of shit Ford/new Holland skid steer but also a couple 50hp tractors. The question being " I live in the mountains, have a long road to keep graded and a homestead to take care of and want to spend 5-10k" the answer is simple, as big of tractor/loader as you can find. And it will probably come with a 7' bush hog that will handle 2" trees and a box blade that will handle the driveway and do 15mph. I personally would rather own one moderately shitty machine than two completely worthless ones.
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well somebody actually listened....

wont need anything driven off the PTO at all. only need to push snow and pull the box pan / ditch cleaner.
 
Chuckman said:
well somebody actually listened....

wont need anything driven off the PTO at all. only need to push snow and pull the box pan / ditch cleaner.
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I would get 4wd over more hp. But if you ate running a loader/blade the heavier the tractor, the better, most likely.
 
1967 Massy Ferguson 135 diesel
Perkins 3 cylinder diesel 45 hp
Hi/lo range transmission gives 6 fwd speeds 2 reverse, manual locker
2 speed pto, 3 point hitch, power steering

I have had access to my neighbor's for the last 20 years. That being said I will give my thoughts and obserations. There are other similar tractors, so this is not the only one.

This is a farm tractor so it will do all those duties. My neighbor use it as such. I never did.

Tractor is relatively wide and low. Good center of gravity. Weights bout 5000 pounds. Can be pulled behind a 1/2 ton pickup.

I have used a scrape blade and a box blade numerious times on dirt, gravel, and snow. The low gearing and the diesel lets you do work at a slow controllable speed when needed. You can use 1st gear low range and idle through some rough pulls. The locker speaks for itself.

You're going to want a boom pole. This tractor will pick up aboutn 600 pounds with the lift. We also have some forks and a carry all. I've moved a lot of firewood with any of thes set ups. Boom pole is also good for loading/unloadig trucks and trailers. Low gearing and low idle is also usefull when front tires are off the ground and you are using the brakes to steer.

Just a few rambling thoughts.
 
PAT Ventures said:
1967 Massy Ferguson 135 diesel
Perkins 3 cylinder diesel 45 hp
Hi/lo range transmission gives 6 fwd speeds 2 reverse, manual locker
2 speed pto, 3 point hitch, power steering

I have had access to my neighbor's for the last 20 years. That being said I will give my thoughts and obserations. There are other similar tractors, so this is not the only one.

This is a farm tractor so it will do all those duties. My neighbor use it as such. I never did.

Tractor is relatively wide and low. Good center of gravity. Weights bout 5000 pounds. Can be pulled behind a 1/2 ton pickup.

I have used a scrape blade and a box blade numerious times on dirt, gravel, and snow. The low gearing and the diesel lets you do work at a slow controllable speed when needed. You can use 1st gear low range and idle through some rough pulls. The locker speaks for itself.

You're going to want a boom pole. This tractor will pick up aboutn 600 pounds with the lift. We also have some forks and a carry all. I've moved a lot of firewood with any of thes set ups. Boom pole is also good for loading/unloadig trucks and trailers. Low gearing and low idle is also usefull when front tires are off the ground and you are using the brakes to steer.

Just a few rambling thoughts.
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I have a very much exact tractor at my farm which is not where Im building. I totally 'get it' on all accounts. just need to know whos buying what on the cheap. low gears FTW
 
2 different things people are talking about here. My opinion, as worthless as it is...

1. If you are CUTTING a new driveway and doing construction : Decent skid steer and find an older tractor for maintaining the road, bushhogging etc.

2. If you have already built and looking for a "swiss army knife" machine, then you can do all the tasks with a nicer 45-60 HP tractor w/ front end loader.

Personally, I use my skid steer 10x more than my tractors. And I have a tractor with a front end loader also. Cutting driveways and dirt work is much much better with a skid steer. Visibility and pushing power being the main concerns. Speed is the major downside to a skid steer, so I do use my front end loader for moving wood and jobs that require covering a lot of ground between 1 site to the next.
 
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