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Need help choosing a tractor
QUESTION:I'm a woman in my 40's that lives alone in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
I am 200 miles north of Green Bay - far from civilization and tractor
dealers. I'll need to be able to do the minor servicing myself (dad was
a mechanical engineer and I grew up helping him build things). I need
something reliable and versatile for a hobby farm that a woman can
handle and a man would be comfortable with.
I've got 36 sloping acres with decent soils, but rocky. About 20 acres
is in fields - mostly 3-4% slope, one 10% slope. I do a fair amount of
brush pulling (tag alders) to clear some overgrown parts that will
eventually turn into brush hog work. I have almost 1000 feet of
driveway to keep open - this is an area with as much as 350" annual
snowfall and I mow about 5 acres of lawn (well it's green anyway). The
'74 plow truck needs to be retired.
I'd like a compact tractor to do some landscaping and gardening. There's
wires to bury, a septic system to dig up for cleaning, manure to handle,
fences to build/repair, gardens and drives to maintain and terrain to
smooth out. I'd like a loader, a brush hog, a blade or snowblower, and
a backhoe and post hole auger would be nice. Most of the hours will be
for snow removal and mowing/brush hogging.
I already have a Cub Cadet riding lawn mower, a DR field and brush
mower, a 26" snowblower, a rototiller and a Farmall M tractor with a hay
mower, plow, etc. for field work (but no 3-pt hitch). I need something
for the "medium" sized jobs. Is there such a thing available for around
$20-25,000?
ANSWER: You definitely want a 4WD tractor for negotiating those slopes in snow and/or
mud. For what you describe, I'd recommend something at the top end of John
Deere's "Compact tractor" line or at the small end of their "Utility Tractor
line." I recently bought a JD1070 (their biggest compact tractor) new for
$17,400. This tractor is 4WD, but I didn't buy the front-end loader or
backhoe. You could probably add these options and keep within your price
range. The backhoe looks as if it can be taken on and off win a few minutes
which will be necessary for the use of three point hitch implements.
My feeling is that this tractor (with backhoe and frint end loader options)
will do everything you want. The tractor is a bit underpowered (35 HP) for
serious regular backhoe work, but it is adaquate to use a small backhoe for
occasional digging of small ponds, ditches, septic systems, root cellars,
etc.
This (and most) compact tractors are much lighter than "utility" tractors and
tend to stay on top of soft ground rather than sinking in and getting stuck.
The traction and steering of this tractor are very positive, it has a tight
turning radius, and is much more agile than utility tractors. On the down
side, the three point hitch is not nearly as beefy as the slightly more
powerful utility tractors, and the linkage arms seem a little short which can
lead to implements hitting the back tires if the operator isn't careful.
The JD1070 4WD will pull a two bottom plow through our heavy clay. It
dowsn't go really fast doing it, but it turns the dirt over to an acceptable
depth. This tractor operates a 5' rototiller and a 6' woods rotary cutter
through the thickest soil and brush for which these implements were designed,
and it does it with positive traction, steering, and power. However, it's
clear that the tractor is maxing out its power pulling these implements
through heavy damp clay , thick brush, or tall, thick, wet grass. JD's utility tractors (such as the 5210) start at around $23,000 with 4WD but
without many other options. By the time you add a backhoe and front-end
loader, you're probably over $30,000 new. You can probably get down into
your price range by buying used equipment, but that depends on whether or not
you're willing to take the greater risks that entails and how good you feel
about your ability to evaluate used equipment or how much you trust the
expertise of the person evaluating the used equipment for you. The 2WD
utility tractors can be had new for around $17,000, but a 2WD utility tractor
is a nightmare on slippery slopes. They have neither the traction, steering,
nor agility to meet your requirements. They do a good job on dry, level
ground where ther's plenty or room to turn around, but I've gotten a 2WD
utility tractor stuck so many times I've lost count. I've never gotten a 4WD
tractor stuck and I've gone into some pretty tricky situations.
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