What is the right size tractor?

Bigger, yeah I know. My 30hp 4wd Ford was beat when I bought it but has done everything I have asked of it and owes me nothing. Super wheelbarrow, garden tiller, 8' rake, 6" box blade, skidding logs it has done everything. It also hops on a trailer and rides behind my 3/4 ton 12,000 towing rated truck like an ATV on an aluminum trailer. So, is there a reason to go any bigger? My only other real data point is my buddy's 12K tractor and yep that makes mine look silly.

So what do you have and why do you like it?

 

I have. 2wd 24hp yanmar so your makes mine look like a toy!! But a 40hp tractor is a good all round one an really is a small farm beast! Able to run a 7ft hog and pull a 8 foot disk.

 

I am the wrong one to ask...... mine looks like a child's play toy next to yours.

 

I have a 70 hp Oliver 1655. (Go figure!) I have fluid filled tires which make dirt/loader work much easier. I have a boom attachment for the loader which will reach 29' in the air. Great for lifting trusses, setting steel panels on roofs, with the winch attached can service my well/replace the pump. The pallet forks with grapple & the skidding boom on the back make wood collecting so much easier. I can just pick up trees with trunks up to 18-20" with forks/grapple and carry them out to an open area to make cutting/processing more convenient. It will move/load logs 3'dia by 14' long. The winch allow me to retrieve trees/log from ravines, hillsides, places I can't drive into, ... I can cut & move trees all weekend on 1 tank of fuel. This is to me a great size to have. However front wheel assist would be nice. Do I want a cab? While it would be nice in winter, it would get in the way & be torn up working around the woods.

 

I have fluid filled tires on the yannie all 9.5 gallons on the rears a piece. But it really helps it sit down and dig when pulling the disk. I also have about 175lb hanging on the front in steel and lead to help hold it down when I pick up that ballested disk.

I love it I can run maybe close to 10-12 hours on 5+ gallons of diesel when dialing or hogging.The 6dt finish mower in deep grass really loads it up and it drinks close to 3/4 gallon an hour.

 

That is kind of what I am thinking. Get the biggest machine I can fit on my 3K trailer and not look back. The funny thing is those machines seem to be no more expensive than the little ones used.

 

I highly recommend a left hand reverse if you're using it primarily as a loader tractor if its not above your price point.

 

4wd, shuttle shift and a heavy loader more like you would find on a skid steer or commercial loader are on the wish list for the next one. As much as I would love a cab, I don't think glass would work with what I do with my machine. Maybe a steel canopy with soft sides for winter.

 

I have owned two Oliver 1650's, both with loaders. My diesel had Over/Under and the gas the 2 speed auxiliary transmission. Combined with a 6/2 main transmission it gave multiple speed pulling options.

I have owned 60+ tractors including more than 20 crawlers and having a large enough machine for the job is key. That being said, the larger the machine the more expensive the parts and repairs. In today's world I would look for a shuttle transmission, 4WD, a loader and a good dealer. Big tractors take a lot of fuel and can't be moved unless you have adequate equipment.

Still have 5 Oliver's, a 440, Super 55, 551 forklift and 2 OC-46 crawler loaders.

 

Besides towing, maintenance and fuel consumption are big considerations. The Ford is simple to work on and that little 3 cylinder diesel is a fuel miser. It is also small enough that it could be torn apart in a garage bay.

 

This is kinda what I am thinking:

45-55 hp vs 30
6-7K lbs vs 3-4K lbs

Should do things that make mine look silly and still ride on a trailer behind my truck the couple times a year I might choose to do so. Or does this bump me into a class where its too big to clear snow, rototill the garden, move wood, etc?

 

The tractor in the photo, JD 2355 would make a nice choice. Add a loader & you will never regret it.

 

U say ur trek has a 12k limit but does ur trailer? If that tractor is 7k# plus if it is ballasted and you want to tow an implement with it your quickly approaching overload. Assuming you have a 10k# All trailer I bet it still weighs 2k# whick is figured into your load as well. At least I hope its not a 7k# trailer u plan to put a 6500# tractor on.

And parts will probably be double that ofthe ford.

 

I have an old lowboy equipment trailer that weighs just under 3K lbs, one of the ones with the super low deck, big brakes and big heavy tires. So, the package with any implement(s) needed for the job needs to be under 9K. That is the max tractor that would work for me weight wise. I see 2155s and Ford 3930s go by from time to time that would give me another 1000 lbs of room on the trailer.

 

Well 9k is a lot of tractor and implement when were talking modern tractors and not old iron. That's a pretty big tractor. ESP if loader work garden tilling and food plot or mowing are priorities. Those heavy tractors are gonna compact your garden pretty good under the top 9"s of fluffy dirt the tiller makes. It will be a beast on fuel and like I said your getting closer to Ag tractor parts and there gonna cost a small fortune for even simple small repairs like say brakes or bearings or just simple things like pumps weather that's power steering, water, hydro.

But u will get the work done 2x as fast!!

That's the one downside to the yanmar I have. It takes way longer to bush hog than a 35hp tractor with a 6fter.

 

I think 45-55 HP is going to be a little big on the tiller. I had a 2355 good tractor.... my biggest problem with that series is if equipped with a reverser it only operates in low range. It is also a little hungry compared to some of the others in its class.

 

I get around the compaction issue in the garden by maintaining established beds/walkways. Beds get another 20-25 yards of compost every year and the walkways get mulched after I prep the beds. Its been working pretty well and the garden gets better every year. The thing is the garden is only 10,000 sq ft and is terraced on three levels...not exactly discing material.

My rototiller actually sits between the wheels of the tractor.

 

Nice wood pile

 

Hope to get back there soon