Tractor Buying Time

[EEKA8N]

Hello all,

I currently have an 8n I am getting up and running after sitting for two years. Now, I intend, if it doesn't cost too much to get running, to use it with a box blade and rake. But, I need to purchase a tractor with a FEL. I am new to all this and with so many choices I am hoping for guidance. I am not looking to spend a lot of money nor looking at financing a new rig. I am hoping to buy a tractor for grading and moving dirt. I see many models without attachments. So, I am not learned on buying these separately. Especially an FEL. I am not looking for new as I certainly will be using it heavily. It is not my intent to keep it for a long duration. I want to get what I need done and then resell to recoup my expense.

I've been reading that 4wd and power steering is a must. I am concerned with needing the power to load heavy black dirt and move it. I am reading live pto is essential as well. My ground is level as I am on the Carolina coast and at times we can get large amounts of rain. So for that reason I probably need 4wd. Will MFWD do the same? I have an acre of land to maintain. I am looking at some point to redo my drain field. When the soil is wet it easy to scoop. I am thinking a backhoe may not be necessary. But, like I said I am here for advice.

It makes no difference if the tractor is 50 years old as long as it is dependable and gets the job done. Newest tractors are out of my price range as I would like to put that expense to work on my home.

Thanks friends for your time.

 

[tomturkey]

Hire a local dirt contractor to do it. Write up a scope(what all is to be done) and seeks bids for doing the work. An older tractor with a fel may be easy to find and buy, but hard to resell or it could be a maintenance nightmare. Delaying your completion and sucking more money out of your wallet. just a suggestion gobble

 

[SodBuster87]

As already suggested fiqure out what all needs to be done then get bids. It might be cheaper in the long run. Power steering and mfwd puts a tractor well into the 1970s. To add a backhoe adds alot to the price. You didn't say how much you wanted to spend other then "not alot" A good running tractor with a Fel, backhoe mfwd and power steering will set you back $7k on the low side. And its not hard to spend double that. One more thought that cheap tractor might not be so cheap when you start working it.

Sod Buster

 

[Bob]

The other guys are "spot on".

Hire help for the difficult and short-term stuff you need done, then buy a tractor that is within your budget to do ongoing maintence stuff and give you some "guy" time.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Sod Buster,
I know a man who showed me a pic of his Case NH Split in half.
He said this was my $3k lesson why I shouldn't have added a
backhoe. He had a small landscaping business.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

If you are set on doing it yourself, I would look at a 165MF farm tractor with an industrial loader. These tractor/loader combinations come with a front mounted, crankshaft driven high volume hydraulic pump, making this a strong loader. A similar variation of this tractor was built for industrial application, and could be just a loader or loader/ back hoe. While only 2wd, I don?t think that on a kid the size you describe that if conditions were too wet, you could just wait till they were right. Tire chains also make a huge difference to the traction of a 2wd tractor

 

[showcrop]

You should get your own due simply to Florence. Dirt movers will be too busy for you for the next three years. Get a 20 year old Case 580, New holland 555 or Caterpillar 416. They will come with a hoe on the back but just ignore it as you inspect the tractor. Find someone local who knows equipment to advise you. You want MFWD not FWD, but FWD is extremely rare in this size anyway.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

MFWD or MFWA are the more correct terms for a conventional tractor (i.e. big wheels in back, little wheels in front) with "4x4." Stands for Mechanical Front Wheel Drive (or Assist).

Pretty much any smaller tractor with MFWA is going to come with live PTO, but if you are not going to use it, it is not a "must."

One piece of advice I have is, do not pay too much for the tractor, thinking, "Oh I'll just sell it and get my money back." No, you just paid too much for the tractor. You're going to have a tough time finding someone else to pay too much for it too. Most likely you will end up selling at a substantial loss.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I'm in the hire it done camp.Doesn't sound like you really have much dirt work to do and hiring it done you'll get an experience operator that'll give you a much nicer job when finished.
If you are dead set on doing it yourself you can always rent the equipment you need but there again rental rates and hiring it done with an operator won't be much different.

 

[rustyfarmall]

A skid steer loader will run circles around any tractor with a frontend loader. Provided of course that you can find a used unit that is not all used up.

 

[MSS3020]

For one acre of land Id keep the 8N with bushhog maybe a blade and rent a skidloader for what you need done..

 

[ss55]

I agree with only buy equipment that you will use regularly every year. Rent or hire for the jobs that will only be needed a hand full of times.

Working ground that is wet enough to easily scoop up with a front end loader could leave a rutted mess. The bucket on most front end loaders are 5 feet wide or more, that is a very wide trench to bury a 6 inch tile.

Unless you have previous experience, I would leave redoing a septic drain field to someone who you can trust to do it right the first time and not be a red flag when it is time to pass inspections.