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 | Ken Tajchman
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2001-08-21 31152
I will be purchasing 10-15 acres of land in East central Kansas. It will be put into alternate crop production (8-13 acres). I will be purchasing a tractor soon after the purchase of this land. Does anyone have any general recomendations for the brand/size/attachments that would be best? I have extensive experience with heavy industry equipment, but none with AG equipment. I would like to one as cheaply as possible without sacrificing features or relibility, and comfort. I have no brand loyalties, but I like U.S. made. I will be using the tractor for preparing seed beds, harvesting, pulling carts/wagons/logs, occasional snow clearing and road grading, mowing grass, occasional filed and pasture mowing. It needs to be able to stand up to many years of heavy use under heavy loads.
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| Rob Munach
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2001-08-21 31153
If you want a tractor to last a long time and withstand abuse, you should look for tractor models that have been in production for a long time. Also find a tractor that doesn't have a bunch of electronic gimmicks. I would probably be leaning towards Kubota. ....
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| Ken Tajchman
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2001-08-22 31174
We live in NE Johnson county (oooh, suburnaites, yuck)Douglas and Northern Miami counties. Someone suggested I get a cheap riding mower to handle the mowing chores, and look around for a utility tractor.
That is a good idea, I will probably pursue that avenue. However, I am still a little (read a lot)unclear on tractor sizing and HP requiremments. Also, is it easier to blade or is the snowblower worth the cost and hassle for our location?
What attachments are best?
Would getting a 3PH/PTO tiller, or getting a disk and field cultivator be better? The quality of the seed bed is pretty important for alternate crop production.
What age, cost, size/hp, and brand of utility tractor do I need to look at?
I do not want a Hydro, I would prefer a synchro gear tranny? Do I need 4WD on a utility if I am planning on doing loader work? ....
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| Ken Tajchman
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2001-08-22 31175
That word was supposed to be suburbanites. We live in Prairie Village, a suburb of Kansas City. My mother and father sent me to spend the the summers on my Dad's ancestral home on a farm near Pilsen Kansas in Marion County (Central Kansas, 1.5 hr N of Wichita, 1hr W-NW of Emporia). ....
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| Paul Finn (Bass and
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2001-08-22 31191
Hi Ken, it sounds like you need a Kubota. I have a B2910 that I am very happy with if I were you I would go look at a 3010 or larger size tractor. The 3010 if I remember right is a gear tractor not HST. After test driving a gear tractor and a HST I would go for the HST. I live in the Olathe area and would let you take a test drive if you want. I do alot of field mowing and landscape work with mine. I have a front end loader, a brush hog, finish mower, and a rear dump bucket for my tractor. I can even recommend a good Kubota dealer if you are interested. ....
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| Ken Tajchman
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2001-08-22 31192
Thanks I may take you up on that offer. I am most concerned with buying as big a unit as I possibly can for the amount that I am budgeting. will a cheaper higher power used unit be a better situation than a new more expensive lower power unit.
How come nobody is saying anything about the 4000 series from JD, or the Boomer? Do these units have some reliability issues, or are they priced too high? ....
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| Paul Finn (Bass and
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2001-08-22 31193
I drove a used 855 JD that was hydrostat and thats what sold me on the
hydro. I did not drive a 4000 series but have seen a lot of negative posts
on this board about reliability issues on that model. The used 855 was more
than I paid for a new B2910. I have run the B2910 for 10-12 hours at a time
with no problems what so ever. I bent a piece of the 3 point arm backing
into a house and my dealer took one off another tractor on the lot and had
me up and going in just a few minutes. I was going to buy a JD 790 when I
started my side business and drove the used 855. Than I drove the B2910 at
the Kubota dealer and that was enough to convince me. For the price a JD
790 or a 990 is a heckuva deal. They are both good tractors. The 990 would
be a good tractor for your size acreage. I mow around 15 acres in sections
commercially and wish I had the power to run a 6 or 7 foot brush hog. I
dont know what a Kubota L3010 goes for but I guess it would be a little
less or the same price as a 990. I paid $14k for my B2910. I think I paid a
few hundred dollars more than I would have in a more rural area but my
dealer is 5 minutes from my house and always takes care of me first. A used
bigger horsepower tractor would be better than lower hp tractor that was
new. I should be out mowing on the 28th in the evening if
you would like to take a test drive. ....
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| kay
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2001-08-22 31194
We don't need to convince you to buy what we have. You are the one who needs to make the decision based on what you want to spend, and what you like. I am perfectly happy with my JD 4300, and have had excellent performance (ZERO problems). I think Deere has made an excellent compact utility, that competes well with the Kubota and the NH. They all are good tractors. Sure you have heard about JD problems, but if you look carefully and read the messages over time, most of those that were voicing there problems ended up trading up for another JD. Why? Seems when they looked around for comparable features that they liked, they didn't find them in blue or orange, but only green. Here's wishing you happiness with the decision you make, whichever it is. I think the dealer is the key to making the tractor decision that will best for you. ....
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| steve arnold
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2001-08-22 31196
Ken, first of all what do you mean by alternate crops?
If you want truly American made, you will be looking at a ford 8n, IH, Farmall, pre-1980's jd some later fords and these might have foreign diesel engines. I believe once an import is bought as new the damage is done after that, it's a matter of you not wanting other people to think you bought it new.
mfwd is better for loader work because with a full bucket there is still weight on the drive wheels, 2wd works but takes ALOT more ballast on the back end.
Also, when you mention harvesting, I think pto driven equipment on the back, I believe alot of those require a lot of hp (35-40 and up) or do you mean pulling a wagon to put bushels of hand picked veggies on?
moldboard plowing 13 acres takes two long days with a two bottom plow which requires at least 30 draw bar hp in, if you went with a 3pt rototiller I'd recommend at least 5' wide (min. 25pto hp)
Just push the snow. and get a beater riding lawn mower/tractor for grass
Paul mentioned a jd 990 (very Japanese), If I wanted a new tractor to replace my 970 that is what I would get, they run around 20,000 w/loader and hurry I think they just stopped making them. hth ....
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| Ken Tajchman
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2001-08-23 31205
Thanks for all of the responses. I am much less concerned with the brand. That will be decided by whichever local dealer is the best. The biggest obstacle now is price. It's like Johnny Cash said, "I'll get it one day at a time... baby that's how I got mine..." Alternate crops... Sweet corn, veggies, sunflowers, herbs, etc. Harvesting would be me on the tractor, he he, pulling a cart with my mother in law... er... relatives hand picking them. I don't foresee any forage type harvesting, although you never know. I am developing a business and marketing plan, but suggestions would be nice... How long does it take to hand pick or plant or..., an acre of this or 1/2 acre of that? The sales and maketing end is definitely a strong suit for me. I am very familiar with plants, and getting them to produce abundantly, just not on a large scale. My cousin will give me an old IH 300, that 'MAY have last run in 1985'. I know my way around an engine, and I have the time. Would rebuilding that be more of a headache or worth the time. He just bought a new JD combine, REALLY BIG with a buddy seat so he can show off. I was impressed. I'm kind of all over the map, but thanks again for the responses. Keep 'em coming I am trying to learn as much as I can from those who know. ....
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| Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2001-08-23 31207
For the work you are looking at doing my recommendation would be an older mid size to small American made utility tractor instead of the Compact 4wd Japanese diesels. They will be gas burners and date from the mid 50s throught the late 1970s. Look for one with a good 3 point hitch. Just about any Ford, JD, or Massey or IH from that period would be fine. Yes, the IH300 is a fine tractor and about the right size. It is exactly what you need to get started. Parts are readily available for that tractor. It was a good honest - but not great -tractor and well worth the rebuilding. Unlike cars, tractors are designed to be rebuilt indefinitely. If the 300 has been stored under cover it may need nothing more than fluids and a battery. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2001-08-23 31212
4WD compacts seem to be in high demand, and there often aren't many on the used market. As a result, the prices of used 4wd compacts often are higher than utility tractors. Many people seem to be acquiring properties that are smaller than those typical for commercial agriculture, and there's also interest in work other than cultivation. Compacts generally do well in such environments. Demand for them is high and there is a definite price premium to be paid. If cultivation is the main interest, a utility tractor may be better and cheaper. Compacts do field work OK, but their traction is limited, and they use smaller implements. The same work gets done, but it takes longer with a compact. On the other hand, compacts excel at maneuvering. A compact might get the work in small irregular fields done faster than a utility, and there are some places a bigger tractor just can't go such as lawns and dense wood lots. Basically it's a trade off between power/traction and maneuverability and what's best depends on your particular needs.
I'd sure take a look at the IH. A little prep work and it may fire up and be fine. There seem to be quite a few Ford 3000 & 4000's on the market that also might be candidates. Like many older Fords, I believe these tractors have 3ph’s, but not today’s standard CAT I, II or III 3ph’s. These tractors were first made in 1965, and I believe manufacturer parts support is provided. I heard that New Holland stopped providing parts support for pre-62 of ’63 Fords, so getting parts for even older Fords may not be as simple as calling up a dealer. Parts and the hitch are issues with many older tractors. Most problems have solutions, but it good to know what game it is before getting an older utility.
....
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| jb85302
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2001-08-23 31222
How come no one has mentioned grey market Yanmar tractors?? They are a good value and can come equipped with or have loaders put on them. Yanmar has a parts supply house here in the states and the tractors are easy to work on. Yanmar has been building JD's compact diesel tractors since around 77. Same high quality and alot easier on the wallet. You can get good deals on used grey Yanmar tillers also. ....
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