On Wed, Sep 11, 2002 at 04:17:06PM -0500, Jan Goethals wrote:
>
> i need to learn about tractors and know next to nothing about them.....
> is there a book or magazine that will provide basic information.... shop
> manual, 'tractors for dummies', or something? i have searched amazon
> and find a lot about selling, refurbishing, maintaining antique
> tractors, but nothing to use as a learning/reference tool. thank you.
> jan.
>
> in the event there is a tractor expert in the group: we have recently
> purchased and moved in on a 20 acre property in Texas (gradual sloping
> hills w/ mesquite & oak trees) and need to purchase a tractor and mower.
> for every person i ask, there is a different answer as to horsepower,
> size/type of mower deck, need for a front end loader, pto, convienence
> of controls, yadda yadda. the neighbors with similar acreage have
> everything from 100hp with industrial grade mower to 40hp with a much
> smaller mower. we have a couple of horses on the property and plan to
> add 4 to 5 cows, so will need to be able to move round bales in the
> winter. i don't want to spend the next year learning by word of mouth. i
> hope to find something to read, reread and continue as a reference. we
> prefer buying used and getting what is needed in power (maybe a little
> more). thanks again. jan.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/
The Small Tractor FAQ (google for it).
I've got 20 acres in California. It's hilly and has brush and mixed forest.
I have a small lawn tractor for mowin the lawn, and a Kubota B7100
diesel 4x4 tractor for the rest of the land.
The Kubota is pretty small for a compact tractor, and has 15hp.
I'd recommend getting a front end loader. It is very useful.
All compact tractors come with PTOs, althogh some older foreign ones
have rear PTOs which are not the standard 540 rpm ones. my Kubota has a 2
speed PTO, one 540 and one 1000 which is evidently some japanese standard.
It comes in handy since I have a brush chipper that wants 800 rpm.
The mower you get depeneds on what you want to mow, a lawn needs
a finish mower while the pasture or weeds require a more robust
mower that doesn't give as good a finish. I have a rotary brish
mower for the back of mine, they are commonly called brush hogs.
A compact diesel tractor isn't good for finish mowing, it is
too heavy. Even my little one leaves tracks on the lawn.
Removing the mid mounted finish mower is usually a pain and leaving it
on in rough country means that it'll get damaged.
If you have lawn to mow buy two tractors. Lawn tractors are cheap.
I recommend getting a hydrostatic transmission instead of manual if
you plan on using the loader much, or doing anything except going back
and forth plowing or mowing flat land. Also power steering. My Kubota
doens't have it, and my wife won't drive it as a result... just too much
effort for her. And it's a little tractor.
I like the kubota's build quality. I bought it used and other than
changing fluids and a PTO seal when I bought it (easy), its been dead
reliable. Other major tractors like Deere and New Holland are also good,
its probably more about dealer service quality.
Eric
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