What size of tractor

[Tony Addy]

My wife and I have recently become land owners about 40 ac rough pasture hills Lot of wild rose and we want to clean it up. Plant food plots, native grasses and trees. So I need a tractor, brush mower, blade, and maybe a loader I have owned 8n ford but I think this might be to small for this property. with the hills and rough ground I want wide front and some HP and live PTO. take any answers Thank you.
 

[paul]

What color do you like?

Do you like the safety and features of a newer compact diesel, or like tinkering with an older gas tractor?

Live pto started in the mid 1950s, depends on the model.

Dad ran 200 acres of crop ground with 50 hp, neighbor ran 80 with an 8n, what do you want to accomplish with your tractor on 40 acres? Hay, or pasture, or landscaping, or firewood processing, something profitable, or just basic trimming and play?

Paul
 

[old]

I tried to answer this this morning but the site went down as I posted so could not do so.
Any how back in the day when the 8N was built it handled many many more acres of land then you have all by it self. Ya now days it is opsolite (sp) as in way past it prime for today's standards but still a good old tractor and would do what you need but yes I understand. I have 44 acres of land and could never get by with out at least 5 tractors but then I do hay and many many other things. So you probably need 2 or 3 in not more since no one tractor can do it all and do it all well
 

[dboll]

75-100hp small enough to be handy and big enough to do something, a decent one can be found for $4500 to $12,000 for something made in the 70's depending on brand and model
 

[NHTRAC]

We used a Ford 4600 on our 100 acre hay farm as the primary tractor for many years. It is big enough to run a haybine and a baler. The loader is good size. We upgraded to a 80 HP tractor but still use the 4600 to rake and tedd.
 

[MFPoor]

IMHO, you'd probably be best served with something in the 40 to 50HP range. That should keep you in the CAT I 3-point hitch class, where implements are reasonably priced, more readily available, and still sized to handle that sort of acreage.

Stay "modern enough" to get Live power/live hydraulics. Personally I like 'em diesel. And I prefer (for daily users) tractors with wet brakes. Power Steering is a given. More modern tractors (say, 1970 on) will USUALLY handle a loader better than older tractors, but that can vary. If I only had ONE tractor, it would have a loader. Handiest thing since the invention of the shirt pocket.

Every brand has it's stars. Every brand has it's lemons. And buying used, you aren't buying the legend of an old tractor from back in the day, you're buying something that just might have loads of torturous hours in the hands of an abusive owner. So with that in mind, keep options open as far as what's the best buy.

Some people tend to see tractors with blinders on. They only see brands/colors they're familiar with. I've got Red, green, blue, red and grey, orange, and a yellow one....Can't honestly say any one brand stands out as the best in every instance. Keep that in mind and you'll prevent putting yourself in a box.
 

[rrlund]

Oliver 550.
 

[hoosierhog]

well i have to say a ford 4000 series is afordable and powerful it can do all you have listed and more. but you may find that 2 or three tractors is handy. i raise livestock and have a hay buisness and grow a few crops. my ford 4000 was my only tractor in the beginning and it has run 6 and 7 foot brush mowers and 6 and 7 ft box scrapers, 8 ft rear blade. as to your food plots i pull a 3 bottom plow and a 9 ft wheel disc, its baled hay its done it all and parts a inexpensive and sold everywhere. as time went on i grew into bigger and bigger stuff now i have a oliver 1850 94hp with a cab and it can handle 12-15ft brush mowers and big discs and plows. but i use it for tillage and bailing round bails. if your not really planning on farming the property then i think a ford 4000-5000 series tractor or a IH 574 or 584, MF 165 or 265 a john deere 3020 or a 2030 or 2440 any late 60s and 70s 50-60hp utility will handle your needs and run 4k-8k you will never regret a loader, its also cheaper to buy a tractor with loader than to add one later. but if you do need a big tractor you can get allis 190xt, oliver 1850, IH 806 all for 5k-7k and all are 90+ hp tractors. let us know what you get and post pics.
 

[1206SWMO]

60 years ago Dad farmed as much as 200 acres with an 8N Ford as his only tractor...The tractor was used almost every day of the year..Finally in 1960 he got a B JD to split the load out some..
 

[GordoSD]

Old tractor JD 3020 with 48 loader, about 7K. Newer tractor IH 686. New tractor, Kubota M6-8 series about 40K. You don't need more than one tractor, just one GOOD one.
I use one new 2010 tractor for mowing, raking, baling, spraying, discing, backblading, snow removal, planting, and loading stuff, plus rolling round bales with a spear.
I have a couple old Farmalls I play with.
 

[donjr]

Forty acres? Look for a mid sized utility tractor, 35-50 HP is plenty. Older but goodie tractors are a 165 Massey Ferguson, a 4000 or so Ford, a 2030 JD, or a 574 IH. These are all fairly new, 3 pt hitch tractors that should go the distance and do the job you need.
 

[BDT in Minnesota]

If you enjoyed the 8N, take a close look at a 3600 Ford.. Problem with the 3600 will be when your wife drives it for the first time...well... you might have to buy a second tractor for yourself...