fabo farmers, what kind of tractor?

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plumcrazy704406

plumcrazy704406

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well, it looks like we will be in the market for a farm tractor shortly!
Never having farmed, we could use some suggestions for a tractor.
95 acres, rolling, aprox.20acres farmable for something and with a 5 acre pond. We have an idea that we will need a bucket and pto capabilities, but how does one tell just how much tractor you need?
There is an older mf 135 (non running) with the deal.
 
What are your plans? If you are going to run cows or goats and only need to put up a little hay that would be one tractor. If you plan to do some land clearing and a lot of tillage work you might want something bigger. Sort of like asking what engine you need to put in the ole Plymouth...

Do you know what is wrong with the 135? Is it gas or diesel?
C
 
I know from experience that if you are going to do much work with a front end loader then you will probably want to find a tractor that has a shuttle on it. If you buy a used tractor keep in mind what the local dealerships are just in case you need parts.
 
we won't be having animals. my wife would like to do hobby type farming. she has become addicted to gardening! We will probably just pull hay of most of it, but she is talking lavender, fruit trees and other small funky stuff. :cheers:
Since we are not farmers by any means, this will be a totally new experience for us. The fields are presently overgrown and need to be bush hogged badly.
My biggest concern is to buy too small a tractor and have regrets after the fact. It seems, used is the way to go, but how much actual horsepower is needed at the pto to run attachements with ease? I am not sure if the mf is gas / diesel. It does have a small bush hog, snow blade and snow auger for it. it looks to be in decent shape. good rubber etc.
 

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Sounds like something in the 25-35 Hp range would do what you are looking to do. If you want new you might concider a Kabota, my brother has one, they are an excelent value for your money. They offer just about every attachment you would ever need.
My 2 cents worth!:cheers:
 
found a kubota l3240hst with low hours for $4000.00. Is this a fair price for a used tractor? Looks like dealers want big $$$ for used. besides the pto, it looks like we can put a 3pt back hoe on it with a frame brace kit.
Haven't found a tractor with a pto and backhoe. No such thing?
went to see a dealer yesterday and they closed at noon. We will need to rely on info gathering for now.
 
That MF 135 is well worth the effort to get it running. Gas or diesel is easy, look for spark plug wires! I think they are in the 25-30 hp range, just the ticket for your brush hog.

I had an MF industrial based off the same tractor. Great for small chores, but not enough weight to handle heavy loads in the bucket and limited in tractive power.

If you want farmer snob appeal, check out John Deere.
 
You can get a 3 point hitch back hoe that will go on that tractor. Had one on the farm whree I grew up. Can't remember the make, but it worked good. Only limitations is the size of the tractor and the hydraulic output. Just be aware of the weight of it and how much the tractor weighs to hold it.
 
I would just look into what it would take to get the Massey running first. Could be something simple that you could do. Get you one of these:
http://www.repairmanual.com/online/massey-ferguson-mf135-mf150-mf165-tractor-manual-mf-27/
For the use you want to get from a tractor so far, the 135 would suit your immediate needs. As you settle in and actually find your (or your wife's) niche, you can reassess your needs and get something better. It looks like the 135 has been maintained pretty well, judging by the paint on it.

Regarding the backhoe attachment, I think you can get kits that might fit on most any kind of tractor, they probably use the PTO to power an auxillary hydraulic pump. Your backhoe attachment would be in the way of using the PTO for anything anyhow if it is attached to the back of the tractor.

Since you have no experience with farm tractors, a couple things to look for/think about:
1. Most all of your smaller farm tractors are not really built for heavy duty front end loader use. Check attachment points and front end over real good for evidence of excessive wear and previous welds where cracks have been repaired.
2. Before buying any used tractor, find out where the supporting dealership is and what reputation the service department has. Wouldn't do much good to save $1,000 on the purchase if you have to drive 100 miles anytime you need a part for it, or have to mail order them.
3. Here is another source of info for tractor specs for use in comparing models: http://www.tractordata.com/
4. Read, and heed, the safety info in your owners manual. There is no room for mistakes, especially around the PTO.

Good luck with everything!
C
 
A farmer you say? I can help with some ideas. There are some great new tractors out there and that lends itself to also being some great used tractors that can be had for a good price. As mention in earlier post it will all depend on what you are using it for. I see the weeds in the field. It wont take a large tractor to maintain something like that. Just a 5' bushog or rotary cutter if you will. I also see your location. Do you plan on doing any work with it in the COLD weather? A heated cab will make you smile during this time of year. A front end loader is a must if you plan on making life easier. I have a bucket and forks with my 25 HP Kyote. Basically the same as a Kubota but a lot less money. You will pay dearly for a Green John Deere and an Orange Kubota. Row crops will take a larger tractor for plowing if you do it in a big way but it dont look like your in that region. With my 25 HP i have a whole bunch of different 3 point hitch accessories to work with. Buy used when you can. I have a plow, disc, field tiller as well as a 5' roto tiller, boom sprayer that i built, post auger, boom pole, corn planter, box blade, 6' straight blade and a set of forks for the rear. The front lifting capacity is about 700 lbs. It is a 4x4 and believe me i need it a lot. I work the nuts off of this thing and so does my help and they aren't kind to it. No issues with it and i bought it new. Go to farm auctions if you have em in your area for an idea on whats out there. A lot of times a man gan go into the big farming regions and do well as these guys dont need the small stuff in their operation. In your area i would really weigh the cost of that cab. Good luck and keep us posted. It's all fun so enjoy it and dont make a job out of it. Oh, Live power on the clutch is a must. Not sure if the Massey has it or not. If you go diesel you will have to keep it plugged in in the winter if you use it.
Small Block
 
Those are really great tractors.I would get it running,check it out,it may be all you need.Lots of options for those tractors.Parts are plentiful around here.
 
The old 1952 ford tractor we have in fresno does well for what it is, parts are easy to find too.
Old john deer's and farmall's are great too.

Side note...here in vista we have a antique tractor/steam engine show at the old tractor museum on santa fe road.
There great examples of small to big to really big steam tractors/engines/pumps etc....all farm equipment, and they will let you adopt a proect to fix [out of your own pocket] for and to run in they're parade every year.

They have a lot of units just sitting waiting to be running once again, even old dodge farm trucks/bailers/rippers etc...

http://www.agsem.com/
 

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thx everyone. keep the opinions / thoughts coming.

So is $4000.00 a good price for the Kubota I mentioned earlier? I do have a couple of auctions to hit that are coming up.

I have to say, as we get a little older, we are looking forward to getting out of the rat race here! Been hi-strung tooooo long! lol
 
So is $4000.00 a good price for the Kubota I mentioned earlier? I do have a couple of auctions to hit that are coming up.

Appraising farm m&e is like appraising our cars. What it's worth where you are at can differ quite a bit compared to where we are at... Don't be in a hurry. For $4,000 you can probably fix whatever is wrong with the Massey and have money left over for some attachments for it.
C
 
I think $4000 is fair for the Kubota.Do I like them? No,they are very light and with a front bucket even with 4 w drive the tires will spin when you try to plow into a pile of dirt.The tires will spin when you are also using a boxblade.Another thing to be REAL careful of is a 3 point backhoe.Sometimes the levers have been known to stick a lil and if that happens with a roll bar it could crush you to death.Industrial fords are good tractors.3400.4400,4500. I operated a ford TN75 with dual lasers on poles with a kimberlin 8 ft. boxblade on finish grade and it had plenty of power. The old ford 2810,3000,3600,3900.3910,3930,4000,4600,4610su,5600.6600 are all good,long lasting tractors. Yeah,I like ford.
 
My choice was a deer which has been absolutely 100% dependable, and extremely fuel efficent! I would suggest for larger operations getting a little higher HP model.
 

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plumcrazy704406 said:
thx everyone. keep the opinions / thoughts coming.

So is $4000.00 a good price for the Kubota I mentioned earlier? I do have a couple of auctions to hit that are coming up.

I have to say, as we get a little older, we are looking forward to getting out of the rat race here! Been hi-strung tooooo long! lol
Click to expand...

I dont have any experience with that particular model but I have used 90 and 70 hp Kubota's and I like them a lot. If you can post a pic of it people could more accurately judge the price, of at least the year of it. But be very careful when you get around a running pto they are very dangerous. A guy near us was using a bush hog with a cab tractor and the bush hog threw a rock through the back glass, right by his head, and through the front windshield. We have had a rock thrown through the back glass of one of ours by a round baler. And a guy about 15 minutes from the house was killed when the back gate of a round baler suddenly collapsed due to a hydraulic hose that busted. I guess all that I am saying is be careful and always know where your children and pets are when operating it.
 
If your going to buy a used Tractor, take a good look at the hydraulic fluid, a lot of the older tractors like my 1967 John Deere 1020 has the brakes that are tied in with the hydraulics and when one goes they both get screwed up.

Also keep in mind that used tractors are like used pick up trucks, they're worth a lot more in the country than they are closer to the cities. If you can shop around, it's well worth the drive.
 
do yourself a favor and look at the john deers the attachments are easy to take off and back on it is women friendly my wife can take the bucket off in 3min by her self or put the mower deck on YES they cost more BUT they hold there value my first one I had three years traded it on a bigger one and they gave me what I paid for it.and they stand behind you on it.my neighbor bought a kubota for allot less money and they didn't want to give him anything on trade.and try taking there attachments on&off that's a job in its self..And they have a very good payment plain.things got pretty bad around here for a while so I called them and told them the prob.and I didn't make payments for 4months.and wen I did they sent a letter telling me not to cut myself short. so I guess that's another resin ..just trying to help, Artie
 
clhyer said:
4. Read, and heed, the safety info in your owners manual. There is no room for mistakes, especially around the PTO.
Click to expand...

Big X2 on this. I think the MF135 you have has the PTO shield removed. Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like a PTO stub between the rear wheels. This was commonplace because it is a PITA to reach around the shield to disengage the PTO shaft. This tractor will have a live PTO, meaning it turns at all times. Many accidents have happened when the operator dismounts to the back of the running tractor and loose clothing catches in the PTO shaft, (It's turning 540 rpm with 30 hp behind it. You won't stop it manually). Nothing like the loss of life and limb to mess up your stress free retirement.
 
john deere ... you pay for the paint
kubota .... worn out junk from china
keep with popular names and the market, parts will be there

Case (international) or Massey Ferguson are the two we have around here, unless you have more money then brains then you go with a deere.

With the backhoe. Turn it into a quick hitch type http://www.gearmore.com/partsbooks/Quickhitch.pdf
Something of that nature. Then you can put the backhoe on ... switch to the blade... then follow along with a quick hitch mower .. all within an afternoon. Its the upper link that sucks to attach the equipment with. If you do get a different tractor. The backhoe you have now will likely still be able to work on the new tractor. Just may need some fabrication work.

Could rent the acres out to someone to make a bit of extra cash. Or help to pay down the mortgage.... $275 an acre in this neck of the woods.

If you want the loader to lift more. There is a fluid that can be put into the rear tires to counter balance the bucket. So the rear tires do not come off the ground when lifting something heavy.

If you plan to plow the field. Find a used 2 or 3 furrow plow and start learning about plowing. Plant a vegetable garden so you can save on your grocery bill :)

Find a calf and raise it up for beef for your freezer. Bales of hay can be had from the closest farmer with cattle. Corn is also available from the local farmers store. Its not a money making adventure in farming, but its a hobby that will help you save money for yourself (grocery bills) A cow is like raising a dog... just needs a different food type and eats a lot more :)
 
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