Tractor for hilly land

[jenniferashley]

Hi Lee,

I read on your blog that you have lots of hills on your farm. So do we!

Here's our issue: we can borrow my Uncle's tractor (big, two-wheel drive John Deere), but it's a kind of a hassle to get it back and forth, and I don't know how patient he would be with us if we keep borrowing it all the time. If we have to buy a tractor, how important would 4-wheel drive be? What are you using now?

By the way, my husband and I LOVE your podcast! Y'all are so cool to share everything you're doing the way you do! Sorry you had a fight, but it sounds like your okay now.

[H0$$]

I wouldn't own a tractor that wasn't four wheel drive. I would rather step down in size and keep the four wheel drive.

[Lee Borden]

Hi Jennifer,

Let's explore your options. First, be sure you need a tractor. We're grateful for ours, and we use it all the time, but I strongly suspect we will use it less and less as diesel fuel slowly gets more expensive and less available. We're looking into biodiesel, but we're nowhere near production yet.

Second, you can continue to borrow your uncle's tractor when you need it. Speaking for myself, I'm uncomfortable letting other people drive or borrow Tractor, but I would probably soften up considerably if, when they borrowed it, they brought it back sparkling clean, with the oil and filters changed, all the joints greased, and the tank full.

Third, Hoss is right that a four-wheel drive tractor is a tremendous help on hilly land. We have a 2-wheel drive JD 5310 (55 hp on the PTO), and I've gotten it hopelessly stuck about three times now. That happens a lot less now, though, because I've learned better what Tractor can and can't do. For example, when I'm heading into unfamiliar territory, I NEVER enter driving forward and downhill. Always backward. Then if I get in trouble it's much easier to drive out (Tractor's weight shifts to the rear wheels when he's heading uphill, and his traction is much better). When he's driving downhill, it's the reverse and he can get in big trouble so fast it will make you sick.

Four-wheel drive tractors are always considerably more expensive for the same hp, and I have heard that the maintenance issues are more frequent and harder to repair with them. I don't know that this is true, but it stands to reason that it would be. Lots more moving parts and more complex powertrain.

Where's your farm?

[H0$$]

Actually, from a performance standpoint, there's little difference in the cost when you consider that you can do with a 30hp four wheel drive what it takes 40 or 50hp in a two wheel drive. Most people go for the wrong things in a tractor and tend to oversize for their needs. Assesscories are more important than size. A four wheel drive with a front end loader is about the handiest piece of equipment you can have on a farm. You will be surprised at its uses. Tell me what you'll be using it for and I'll give you some suggestions.

[jenniferashley]

Thanks guys, for all the good advice. Lee, we're in NW Arkansas, a little north of the Ozark National Forest. Hoss, we're not sure what we'll use the tractor for. We know we'll use it for toting firewood and other stuff, and we know we will have a little bush hogging to do. We'll probably also get some kind of box blade for maintaining trails and roads. We don't expect to be doing much plowing, because we're trying to leave the soil alone as much as we can. Does that help?

[Lee Borden]

Hi Jennifer,

I think Hoss's advice is spot on. We probably have more tractor than we need for our land, and if I had it to do over again, I would buy a smaller 4-wheel drive tractor. I will say, though, that it's nice to have that big bucket when it's time to haul stuff. I think our bucket holds about 1/3 yard, which seems pretty big on the human scale where Amanda and I live and work.

[H0$$]

That is true. Having grown up on a farm I have used about every size of tractor out there. This past summer I got a new tractor...new to me, I never buy "new". I wanted something smaller, easier to handle and get in tight places. It had to be four wheel drive and it had to have a frontend loader. I got a BX series Kubota and I love it. It will do anything I need. I bushhog and disk about three acres with it. The frontend loader is great and plenty big. It's fourwheel drive so it will go anywhere but it's small enough I can use it around the house without getting it into things. It's a 23hp 3 cylinder diesel and has plenty of power pulling a four foot bushhog or four foot disk. It's hydrostatic drive and even has a hydraulic three point hitch. Here's a picture of one. Click on the photo gallery.

http://www.kubota.com/f/products/bx60/index.cfm

I'm not saying "this is the tractor" for you but just giving you some ideas. Most people tend to go too big when buying a tractor and in the long run they limit themselves to what they can do. If you're not a farmer that makes a living farming there is no need for anything larger than 28 to 30hp.

And another thing....I can run forever on a tank of diesel. The fuel mileage is unreal. I've had this tractor since back in the summer and have used it alot. I just put my third tank of diesel in it this past weekend. A 55 gallon barrel of diesel would literally last me two years or more.

[Meeksworth]

Jennifer it sounds to me like you only need a very small tractor. One just big enough to have a front end loader and pull  a bushhog and boxblade should satisfy  your needs well.