Buying a tractor

[Woodjr55]

I'm thinking about purchasing a tractor for my land hunting land and I'm looking for some recommendations. I have 30 acres of mostly hard woods and some pines. The tractor will mostly be used for clearing land for food plots and putting in food plots and level trails and what not. I won't be using it for mowing at all. Was thinking of a kubota bx or a John Deere 1025r if anyone has any recommendations or advice id appreciate it

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[t_barb]

A well maintained tractor will last a long time..   I would favor a little older tractor with more horsepower..   A BX or 1025 will get some work done, but I can guarantee you will appreciate the additional horsepower and capability associated with a 30 or 35hp tractor.

[Woodjr55]

I'm more concerned with the size of a bigger tractor and that my woods are pretty thick right now and I'm not sure about going used just because tractors don't loose their value that fast and Deere has 0% for 72 months


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[mowin]

I agree the 1025 would be a little small for what you want to do.  

Great little tractors, but go bigger if you can.  Love my 3320, but there's times I wish I went with a 4000 series. 

[dbHunterNY]

i have Kubota B7200D. 17HP and 14 hp PTO.  built early 1980's.  i can use a 4' tiller, 4' bush hog, or C tine cultivators to prep plots.  comes with a 48" belly mower, 4 wheel drive, and ag tires.

be careful with the newer style industrial or turf tires.  they won't wreck your lawn, but will routinely get you stuck and don't bite like ag tires.  newer BX tractors seem a bit smaller than mine and that will not at all help with getting around with 3 point hitch equipment on anything less than level grade.  Overall physical size wise, mine is more like the B-Series Kubota versus BX.  i would go with B series at least. mine definitely isn't heavy and probably 1500-1700 lbs with mounting frame with mower and weights up front.  great thing is for the category 3 point equipment and the size i really can't break or bend things unless i'm being stupid.

if i had a little more weight, height, and power it'd be good.  then again i can take mine right down ATV trails with ease and get down into other places much easier.  if i get stuck or in a pickle it's light enough for a really easy pull with a come-a-long.  

[philoshop]

The Kubota in my avatar is a B7500. It's served me well for 7 years of mowing, plowing, and hauling firewood, and served my Dad well for about 10 years before that, and he bought it used. It's a tough little tractor that will likely outlive me.

The thing about tractors in a forested area is that there will always be times when you wish you had a bigger one for additional power, but there will be just as many times when you wish you had a slightly smaller one for maneuverability. It's always a trade-off. The lower end of a semi-professional grade machine is always going to be better than a top-of-the-line homeowner grade. The price difference is definitely worth it.

[mowin]

I agree w dbhunter on the tires. Definitely get AG tires. I've got industrials on mine because I use it on clients lawns.

[Steuben Jerry]

If you're thinking along the lines of a Deere, have you looked at the E-series? I've got a 3038E (38 hp diesel) and it's been up for about anything I've asked from it. It's lacking a few things to keep the pricing down, like no remote hydraulics and no mid-PTO. That's never affected me as I haven't had a need for those two particular items.

Mine is about 5 years old and IIRC, it was around 15-16k. Had some hiccups in the beginning but JD stood behind their product and it's been flawless for me since.

BTW, 5 ft bucket, and 5 ft brush hog. I "learned" to be maneuverable, and where I couldn't, I just those trees down for firewood.

Edited August 25, 2017 by Steuben Jerry

[mowin]

The E series are great tractors for the$$.

Just be aware that JD does not make or recommend a backhoe attachment for there E series as they have a aluminum case. If a backhoe isn't needed, its a great option. I was about to sign for a 3038, but opted for the 3320 because at the time I was planning on getting a BH.  

Woods makes a BH for them, but JD won't warranty it if you crack you case. 

[Will_C]

I had a BX for 9 years. Great tractor. I think it would be too small for what you are talking about doing.l think you will have problems with ground clearance, using implements, and generally ride quality (it doesn't take much of a bump or rut to get one of those 45 degrees sideways!) in the woods and tilled fields. I now have a B, and that is more suitable for what I'm doing now-bush hogging, roto tilling, snow removal, spreading seed and fertilizer, and mowing a rough 2 acres that I don't do with my zero turn. I'm actually thinking about buying an L series Kubota to get more ground clearance, etc.

Will 

[TreeGuy]

Must haves: ag tires, 4wd, FEL.

As far as size, I know you will regret going to small Vs the odd chance you ever regret going too big. The more you use a tractor and realize the capabilities you will always find a task requiring more hp.

I have a 40hp Kubota grand L with a cab. I am in the woods 90% of the time. I would never get a smaller tractor and try and accomplish the tasks I do now.

As far a moving through the woods and wanting a smaller tractor, make the trail to accommodate your bigger tractor. The task will be a fun way to break in your new rig! A good size is 30-40hp. Kubota L is a great buy and holds its value.

New is awesome except for the whole regen issues with emissions. A clean used rig saves you a bit of money and some of that lost equity. If you stick with the big names they are worth what you pay years after you buy. Minimal maintenance can have them running for a lifetime and parts are typically easy to find for 20+ years. Good luck with your search !

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[TreeGuy]

Another tidbit. If you will be doing alot in the woods, u will want a hydrostatic transmission. Another thing I would never get again is a gear drive tractor !

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[wolc123]

To get a rough idea of the size tractor, I would figure on at least one hp per each acre of land you will be working on.    In a new tractor, something like a John Deere 3032e would get you there.  That would handle a 5 ft rotary mower, 5 ft front loader, and a 6 ft disk.  As others have already mentioned, steer clear of those R4 (industrial) tires that are standard with most compact utility tractors.  They become slicks with just one revolution in wet ground.  They may have better puncture resistance, but that is a small consideration compared to traction on a foodplotting tractor.   R1 (agricultural) tires are harder to find, but they will allow you to utilize all of your tractor's traction potential on soft ground. 

 

 

[Death From Above]

I currently have three tractors, and no i am not a farmer.  Funny that i have lots of implements/attachments and always though id use different ones on different tractors in the woods, but each time i go i almost always end up taking the biggest tractor with me.  I have a 24, a 40, and a 50hp tractor.  The 50hp can just do so much more when necessary, and that can be important when i am a long way from the shop.  The 50hp is a New Holland, and id likely state Kubota as my favorite, but when i head to the woods size seems to matter more than i thought it would.

Couple suggestions for you if i could....some people get caught up in the hp, but that can have more to do with its capability at the PTO.  I think that frame/weight can be just as an important factor when deciding what to buy.  A brand will offer different series, an some come with lighter frames and price tags.  In addition those lighter weights can be attractive when you consider hauling them around, but just remember that a lighter tractor is a lot weaker than one wih a better frame at he same hp.  Pushing over stumps, lifting things, moving dirt is important to me out in the woods, and the weight of your tractor has a lot to do with what it can do for you.  I made a big misake when I bought my first new tractor and didn't put fluid in the tires.  Years later I added the fluid and that tractor can move twice as much.  I probably would have saved that tractor a lot of excess stress by adding that weight when i bought it, but instead it worked a lot harder to do jobs that now seem easy.  Frame weight is important when you consider size, in my opinion. 

 

[wolc123]

6 hours ago, Death From Above said:

 Pushing over stumps, lifting things, moving dirt is important to me out in the woods, and the weight of your tractor has a lot to do with what it can do for you.  I made a big misake when I bought my first new tractor and didn't put fluid in the tires.  Years later I added the fluid and that tractor can move twice as much.  I probably would have saved that tractor a lot of excess stress by adding that weight when i bought it, but instead it worked a lot harder to do jobs that now seem easy.  Frame weight is important when you consider size, in my opinion. 

 

That is definitely something the OP should consider, and the frame weight of those smaller models he mentioned in the beginning may come up lacking.  A 3032e Deere, or similar sized Kubota, with R1 tires and weighted rears would do a lot better.   I agree on the importance of added weight to the rear tires  on any tractor with a front loader.   Fluid is the least expensive way to do it initially, but there are a few long-term advantages to bolt-on rear wheel weights.  There is going to be a bit more risk of a puncture with R1 tires (well worth taking compared to the horrible soft-ground traction of R4 tires), and those punctures will be easier to repair if there is not fluid in the tires.       

[thphtm]

I have a JD around 20 Hp. , 4 wheel drive ,filled tires , weight box, chains and front loader. it will push down and up root up to a 5" dia trunk tree. any thing over that I have to dig all around the root ball. Where I live it is 3/4 rock and stone so digging with it is not that easy. Should have gotten a bigger tractor. Or something along the lines of a bobcat type, with tracks. I just hired a fellow with a dozed and an excavetor  for two days , he pulled out trees from 6" to 1-1/2 feet and buried the root balls then graded the area. What he did in the 2 days would have taken me more then a month to do.

[dbHunterNY]

I'm going to throw out one more thing. Everybody loves more HP and bigger to man handle the task at hand. When doing recreational stuff like skidding logs and clearing food plots I know a lot of people that get in trouble using a tractor like a dozer. Some came out with bumps and bruises and others aren't around anymore to talk about it. As a farmer's first born son who grew up using tractors from compact way up past 120+ HP I'm saying a 30 hp tractor is small but its still big enough to toss you or crush you like a bug on a windshield. Whatever you get you use it for what it is and you will get a lot done with it.

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