What Used Tractor would you Get?

[rwittliff]

I am in the market for a used tractor / shredder. Never had one before. I need to do some shredding, discing and maybe use a bucket to move brush around and pile it for burning. This is for a place in the Hill Country. What should I look for and how much should I expect to spend?

Thanks for any tips

[stickerpatch59]

kubota

[bwssr]

Yanmmar or Kabota...

[Dejashoot]

What size place? Makes a difference I think. We have Kubota and Deere.

[canny]

Mahindra would be my choice

[rwittliff]

The place is 500 acres; Rolling rangeland in the Hill Country with cleared cedar but some parts of the ranch have cut/dried cedar just laying on the ground and I would like to push it into piles and burn it. Also want to be able to disc for food plots and shred some areas where I have a ton of thistles. I have a mule and have considered getting a UTV disc, but they just don't seem substantial enough -- Any ideas on the size tractor I should target and how old / how expensive? Again, thinking used, but chime in if it is better to buy new. Hoping not to spend more than $4000. Thanks

[Anahuac]

I have a Kubota with a disc,loader,box blade,shredder and spreader...great tractor..Actually been thinking about selling because we are selling our place...(thanks Obama ! ) Anyway if interested PM me and I will come up with a price and all the info

[unclefish]

For 500 acres I would go as big as you can.

With a budget of $4K you likely wont be able to get a front end loader. There are lots of tractor auctions in the state with good deals.

Kubota, Deere, Mahindra, Kioti, New Holland, MF are all good brands. I would actually stay away from the old rebuilt Yanmar stuff. Seems like the folks on the tractor forums say they are junk.

Just to give you an idea on cost. I bought a 2001 40hp Kioti for $11K two years ago. Its extremely heavy duty and has been great with zero issues.





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[Txdeerhunter243]

Kubota

[Randy]

John Deere 4020 best tractor ever built.

[haztech3]

Sounds like for what your wanting to do I wouldn't go over a60hp tractor.JD's are real nice but anything painted green will cost you some green.That being said sometimes theres no skimping on quality especially when your making an investment in equipment.I like Kubota tractors and if you look hard enough sometimes you can find good deals.4x4 and bucket loader sounds like a must for what you have in mind but might take a while to find at that price point.Good luck with your search bro.

[Dejashoot]

30Hp minimum for that amount of property. Unfortunately, $4k isn't going to get you much.

[bwssr]

is this lease land your your land?

[rubydog]

[QUOTE=unclefish;5173771]For 500 acres I would go as big as you can.

With a budget of $4K you likely wont be able to get a front end loader. There are lots of tractor auctions in the state with good deals.

Kubota, Deere, Mahindra, Kioti, New Holland, MF are all good brands. I would actually stay away from the old rebuilt Yanmar stuff. Seems like the folks on the tractor forums say they are junk.

Just to give you an idea on cost. I bought a 2001 40hp Kioti for $11K two years ago. Its extremely heavy duty and has been great with zero issues.






Interestigly enough, Yanmar and John Deere are the same thing in the power range mentioned. You just pay a whole lot more for the green paint. Myself and all of my neighbors have Mahindra's which is no more than an International and all have had exceptional luck wih them.

[12 point]

I'm afraid that $4k won't be enough to buy a large enough tractor to use for the size of property you have or one with a decent loader.

If you have mechanical skills or know someone that does and will cut you some slack, you might could buy one that needs some TLC and $$ to fix it up.

I've been buying old tractors and fixing them up. Found one large tractor for only $300, but that is a very rare opportunity. It needed work, but since I used to be employed as a mechanic, repairing it is not that big of a deal. But then again, there are certain tractors that need fixing and would be too expensive to be worth fixing, unless there is sentimental value or a person just wants to spend the $$$$$$.

Sounds like you're going to have to do your homework to find one that meets your needs and costs less than usual. There are good deals to be found, but are sometimes hard to locate.

Do you already have implements to disc, shred, and plant with?

For your needs, I wouldn't go with a tractor less than 65 or 70 diesel horsepower. Your needs may change and you might need additional power for other purposes. Another member mentioned the JD 4020, which was and still is a popular machine. Parts are still readily available. If you choose to look at older tractors, be sure and stay with a diesel, because some might be tempted to buy a cheaper liqid propane or gas model, but they burn a substantial amount more of fuel when high work loads are applied to the engine. Get a second and third professional opinion on older machines. Have them checked out by a knowledgable mechanic, if possible, that knows what to look for.