Go Bottom

What is Best

View my Photos
MsKid75
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 8 Mississippi
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2006-05-17          129492


I am in the market for a tractor. I will be tending to 20 acres for cattle and hay. I am currently looking at a JD5103. I don't need anything fancy. I just want something that is trouble free and will be for years to come. I would like some opinions on this tractor and other makes of tractors of equal size and features. Thanks





Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579 g
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-17          129495


what work do you expect to use this tractor for. Plowing,Mowing, moving dirt etc. what do you want to use it for. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-17          129496


Will you use the tractor to move hay bales? How heavy are the bales you need to move? ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
MsKid75
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 8 Mississippi
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2006-05-17          129497


I will be bushhogging and moving round bales as well as disking up dove fields and food plots. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-17          129500


Round bales vary from 500-2500 lbs or so which is quite a range. Most tractors can lift 500 lbs but it would take a bigger one to lift 2500 lbs. Do you know how much the ones you move weigh dry? ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-18          129509


I think Ken brings up an important point. If the round bales are full sized bales; the 5103 may be struggling to move them. This can be pretty hard on equipment and a real pain if it is wet and muddy. For larger bales, you might take a look at the Deere 6403 or the Kioti DK 65. Especially if you are going to be running a round baler. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-18          129511


Big brush hogs and big bales, more than almost anything else, dictate the size of the tractor.

You can buy a hydraulic bale hauling trailer that will give you some fudge factor but there is nothing you can do with a big brush hog except buy a big tractor that fits it. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-18          129521


With a 50HP tractor, I'd think you could pull a 3 bottom plow or 12 ft wide disk (get rear remote hydraulics to lift disk with wheels). The website says it has a Cat 2/1 three point hitch with 3,000+ lb. lift at 24". Don't know what a cat. 2/1 hitch is, possibly with 26" spacing instead of 32" - could be light duty!! Please note that the further you are away from the 3 point hitch the less you can lift. [Something like 1,500 lb. at 48"] A rear bale spear may lift the round bales or you may use a trailer type spear like DRankin has suggested. You will want the rear hydraulics to operate this as well. Don't know if it is standard equipment. I would think you could operate an 84"-96" brush hog. Again, I'd suggest having a lifting wheel at the rear for support and using the rear hydraulics.

Assuming someone else is doing the baling.

Depending upon on how fast you want to do each task, you could go with a smaller or larger tractor. I think you are about in the correct range. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
MsKid75
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 8 Mississippi
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2006-05-18          129534


The bales I would be moving would weigh in the 1000-1200lb range. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-19          129574


When wet those bales will weigh quite a bit more. The 512 loader on the 5103 might handle them dry but you'd be better off moving them with the 3-point. That's safer anyway. The 5103 is a 2WD machine which is not ideal for loader operations. When the bucket is full the rear driving wheels will tend to lift and lose traction. With proper ballast on flat land it will probably be OK. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
MsKid75
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 8 Mississippi
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2006-05-20          129629


I actually wasn't getting the loader anyway. In yalls opinoin, how does this tractor compare with other models of the same features and size? Most important to me is reliablity and longevity. Thanks ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-20          129631


If you don't have a loader you are going to have to scale way back on the size of the brush hog and the size of bales you can move, unless you plan on some really serious front suitcase weights. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-21          129669


Maybe nobody here owns that model. That's a fairly basic model which likely uses proven parts. Basic machines tend to be a bit more reliable than models with all the bells and whistles. I'm not sure about competing models. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-22          129677


The tractor you are looking at is basically a farm tractor. Most of the guys here have utility tractors. I would use a rear spear because of the heavier lift capacity. A loader on that size tractor is ok with only 2WD because of its size. Front suit case weights will be needed if you just use a rear bale spear. If you get the correct large bush hog, it will have a hydraulically operated rear wheel or pair of rear wheels swivel mounted. Having rear hydraulics will raise and lower it, keeping half the weight off of the back of the tractor. The brand Landpride makes such units.

A loader is always nice to have around. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



What is Best

View my Photos
kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-05-22          129679


MsKid,

I don't see where you said you would be baling hay only moving it. If so the rear 3 pt spear should work fine unless you will need to lift the bales of hay over a fence for feeding to keep the cows off of it.

The rough cutters in the widths being talked about here use some serious hp. I think you will find a 6 to 7 foot to be about all you would want to use with that size tractor. Do you need the true rough cutter which many call bush hog? If you are only cutting hay or grass you may find a disk mower to serve your needs and their hp and weight requirement is less. Then there is also the option of a flail mower which again requires less weight and somewhat less hp than the bush hog type. If you really need a rough cut mower due to brush or trees you will be cutting be sure you have a good bumper, know the low point of your tractor (see other post on torn off filters) and buy one that extends past at least one side of your tractor a foot or so for to help protect the tractor. If there is harder work on a tractor than the rough cut mower in trees I have not found it. No sheet metal will win a battle with a 2 or 3 inch piece of solid wood (neither will other areas than sheet metal).

As to capacity of disk size and plows a lot will depend on your land. In my part of the world 50 hp will not handle a 10 foot disk.

You will find the biggest reason a person doesn't like their tractor is the hp is not enough. It cost much less to buy big enough up front that to later.

Good success with the cattle.
....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo


   Go Top


Share This







Member Login