# Tractor Purchase



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Helping my daughter shop for tractor. Has a contract on house with 6-7 ac of grassland to maintain.

40-50 hp, less than 3500 hrs, good parts availability, rops with canopy, diesel, wfe, 2wd, one remote, loader a plus.

Looking at JD2040, 2240, 2150, 2155. These I know. What others should I consider? When I did not want any of these, I tripped over them. Now, especially the 50 and 55 series the ones I see have 1000s of hours.

They prefer to be able to go get it, not ship it in.

My assumption is the Massey F 135, 150, and the 240-245 series are all candidates. Not sure how far it is from here to a massey dealer but they aren't close. Even the NH/ford dealer gave it uptheir dealership to keep Kubota. I assume that the 3910, 4610 fords are candidates.

Thanks. rick


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

I'm a blue guy so I would be looking for a Ford 4000,5000,4610,5610, etc. A loader is nicer on a 10 series because of the better hydraulics. But I got along just fine with a loader on my 5000 running off the internal pump for a lot of years. That era fords are pretty basic so I wouldn't think you would need a dealer for much.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Maybe it's just me, but I would bump it up to the 2440, 23/25 in the 50&55 series. Depending what the future may hold these would be about the smallest I would go. The ones you mention could easily reduce your ability to upgrade equipment.

Personally known tractors

2350 w/ 25,000+ hrs. Loader first half of life

2350 w/ 9000 hrs Loader

2355 w/6700 hrs Loader

2555 best guess 10,000 + hrs Loader

2440 8,000 + hrs Slow hour meter

would be more concerned how it was taken care of then hrs.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Rick - I have a JD 5055d that is in the hp range, it is basic, 2wd, non emission, one remote, excellent power steering and tight turning radius. I use it for everything on our farm. Nebraska Test has it at a tick over 50hp. 8 speed with synchro rev to fwd in low range and it's a straight line shift - good for shuttling a loader. There are plenty of these tractors out there with low hours and reasonably priced as who these days wants a basic, no frills tractor.

My other favorite is Massey Ferguson. A 165 would make (IMHO) a nice tractor and they are plentiful. If you can get into the 255, 265, even better. Another MF worth considering is the 245. From there, a MF 240, 250 - look for tractors either made in Detroit or Coventry England.

Good luck!
Bill


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Hard to beat those JD's you listed,but i run a tn75 New Holland and was very impressed too.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Would they be solely square baling Ric or just mowing/clipping pasture or both?

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

The would potentially bale it but that would be a separate decision process. Right now probably just pulling a clipper and pushing snow with a blade. Really surprised at the lack oh hits within 4 hrs on 4610s and 3910s. Not many masseys either


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## Wrenchhead1968 (Feb 7, 2020)

What's your budget sir? What brand do you see yourself owning? And of course most importantly parts availability what do you have for dealers in your area? I've been a mechanic my whole life , With that being said I've been making apple out of horse shit my whole life. Most people spend more money on a tractor than I have in all of my haying equipment. With that said I would like to know what your future plans are with that tractor? Your whole operation? And what her future plans are? Does she want to venture out into the road ditches and the neighbors mow, Raking, baling?what kind of Itch arewe trying to scratch? I personally always go a minimum of 25 hp more than what I need and throttle back. Them low horsepower tractors pulling a Baler even a small square Baler and a rack load of hay and if you're trying to go up and incline, go over a field driveway, or climb out of a ditch you're going to struggle. You need a tractor that weighs five 6000 pounds minimum in my opinion. it's a buyers market and there's a Lotta nice tractors out there in that 75-100hp range that you can buy very economically and will give you lots of good service that would leave you more money to buy the rest of your equipment. My philosophy is if a magnet won't stick to it and I can't stand on the hood I Can't afford to own it.I love the new tractors especially with the IVt, power reverses,and all of the technology comforts that I guy can get.almost every make out there color don't matter,has a classic that is 



 friendly,economical,and will hold its resale better than a plastic tractor. Buy bigger than what you think. I highly doubt you will use more than 2.5-3 Gal fuel per hour.dont bring a knife to a gun fight. I've got five different colors in my machine shed I think I'm up to a dozen tractors now and they're all classics. I'm a mechanic so I always pick out the ones that won't eat a whole in your back pocket and are very fuel efficient.Buy bigger than what you need when you're buying old tractors and throttle back and they'll last forever


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## Wrenchhead1968 (Feb 7, 2020)

John Deere,new holland,ford,Massey,IH,white, I'm a mechanic and I'm not color blind.they make good ones and bad ones.pick something you like and ask everyone can help you.allota good people on this site.go classic,less computer control and electronics to fail.difinitely. Diesel,mechanical pump,something with a shuttle shift possibly.like under,direct,over shift on fly for lots of gear selection.massy,white,ford.i was born green and came out of the womb with wrenches in hand them newer tractors are expensive to fix.how about a ole 4020 diesel with synchro shift.we have 4 of them Trany is bullet proof.dry clutch but hold up well. You'll always get your money back out of it. Buy something that has a good resale value. My dad bought a brand new 4020 the day I was born it's worth more now than what he paid for it new. You buy one of those newer tractors like what you're talking and it breaks down it's gonna eat you a new asshole. Buy something you can hand down in the family got resale value and you could actually drive it in a parade. for what them new ones cost you could buy a nice Massey, or white, and a 4020 will hcost you twice as what the white and Massey together would cost you. I just picked up a nice white 2-105 for $5k two hydraulic outlets a cab with air-conditioning 540 and 1000 PTO. Don't ever buy a tractor with only one hydraulic outlet and one PTO shaft. Nobody's ever looking for a tractor with one hydraulic outlet and one PTO shaft. Massey Ferguson is a good one to look at as well basically the same tractor, new Holland's good as well I have two that are too small like I said make sure you get 75 hp minimum small square Baylor's are very happy by the time you add a rack and even a small load of hayyou'll be feeling it with that 75 hp tractor get about a 90 to 100 hp tractor something that weighs about 9000 pounds minimum you'll be very glad you did


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

He was asking about >50hp tractors that weight ~5000lbs to do odd chores on 6 acres and some of you guys are recommending expensive 100hp+ hp 10k lbs tractors that guys could farm 100s of acres on. Lol.

As for resale any main stream brand kept in good condition dont change in value much. A single speed PTO single hydraulic outlet tractor sells just fine even UP here in my "no man's land". Lots of people out there are looking for a nice utility tractor go use on their property for mowing, lifting, hauling, etc.


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## Wrenchhead1968 (Feb 7, 2020)

Fine and dandy if he isn't pulling a square baler with a rack of hay a combination of atleast 7-8 k lbs.75-100 tractor will do those jobs under a lite load.not burn that much more fuel,and are a dime a dozen for 5-10k dollars.your plastic tractors cost 15-20k used and aren't as forgiving $$ wise to repair as mechanic for 35 yrs just saying electronics can be expensive to repair if your not a mechanic like me. can buy a bigger older horse,put in light duty use,diagnose it and get parts for it off the internet ,have the Reliability of an older tractor,if your fairly handy you can fix it yourself.If you can afford the newer stuff with all the electronics great!I have a few myself....I can also fix them myself as I'm a mechanic.As a mechanic I strongly recommend Finding a mechanic to service,maintain,repair,and have parts and service for your area.a lot of awesome tractors recommended by all contributing to this thread,try researching common problems for the one you want to purchase,Google electrical prob's etc.Buy a tractor that you can get parts for...We have a big Kabota dealer and tractor salvage....Their good tractors ran a few but no used or new electrical,solenoids,modules,etc available on some models it's a crap shoot...Just like some of the agco tractors,massey's,etc?..Not trying to piss in anyone's wheaties but rather saying tractors are like anything on earth including humans.....Some good models some bad and color don't matter...if you got the money for a plastic tractor I would go with the color with the closest dealers and best parts and support mechanic included.I see the crap people buy and cringe...They have a champagne taste and a beer budget.Owning an 50-100hp older classic or 2 for a spare sitting in the shed is like money in the bank.1hydraulic outlet are you serious? Buying something a little bigger,multiple outlets and dual pto opens up your options for the future.I thought this was "hay talk" baling hay,talking custom work rates,putting up some forage.I have a tc45d new holland I baled with for 10 yrs it was awesome but dangerous as well as of ballast situation.It sits on the finishing mower for the campground and the farm mowing lawn.I definitely wouldn't want it any smaller.All them John deeres mentioned are real nice we own a hand full of them can't beat reliability you get what you pay for.Buy what you can afford to fix!If you don't have a lot of money take along a magnet..If the magnet don't stick to the hood its out of your price range....hehe goodluck


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

A ford 5000, 4000, 4610, 5610, Massey 135, JD 2155 are about as far from 15k dollar "plastic tractors" as you can get. I'm a mechanic myself and any of those tractors are easier to work on than a big ole horse like a 2-105. Purchased parts for a over/under in your white recently? Hold onto your wallet lol.

For instance a ford 5xxx series only needs 12v for the starter and it'll go all day. Or roll it down a hill and pop the clutch and you dont even need a battery in the tractor. I've baled 1000s and 1000s of bales with a ford 5000 pulling a wagon or two behind all day long, my 5000 with one remote and 540pto was my big tractor and I made 3000 squares and a few hundred round bales a year with it for a lot of years and supported a farm.

This is hay talk. But he asked about a little chore tractor for 6 acres not a 100hp tractor to bale 300 acres of hay with. Lol

If I owned 6acres I would be looking for the exact 40-50hp tractor. Light on the ground, easy to get on and off, manuveriable, easy to transport, attachments in that size range are plentiful. Etc.


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## KS John (Aug 6, 2018)

I have a JD 5103 which is a 50 HP rated, (46 HP tested) single remote, loader, 2 WD. It is made in India, bu it is a nice little tractor. I pull a 8 ft. JD bushhog and a NH 462 disc mower with it with 0 problems. Should be fairly cheap.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Wrenchhead1968 said:


> Fine and dandy if he isn't pulling a square baler with a rack of hay a combination of atleast 7-8 k lbs.75-100 tractor will do those jobs under a lite load.not burn that much more fuel,and are a dime a dozen for 5-10k dollars.your plastic tractors cost 15-20k used and aren't as forgiving $$ wise to repair as mechanic for 35 yrs just saying electronics can be expensive to repair if your not a mechanic like me. can buy a bigger older horse,put in light duty use,diagnose it and get parts for it off the internet ,have the Reliability of an older tractor,if your fairly handy you can fix it yourself.If you can afford the newer stuff with all the electronics great!I have a few myself....I can also fix them myself as I'm a mechanic.As a mechanic I strongly recommend Finding a mechanic to service,maintain,repair,and have parts and service for your area.a lot of awesome tractors recommended by all contributing to this thread,try researching common problems for the one you want to purchase,Google electrical prob's etc.Buy a tractor that you can get parts for...We have a big Kabota dealer and tractor salvage....Their good tractors ran a few but no used or new electrical,solenoids,modules,etc available on some models it's a crap shoot...Just like some of the agco tractors,massey's,etc?..Not trying to piss in anyone's wheaties but rather saying tractors are like anything on earth including humans.....Some good models some bad and color don't matter...if you got the money for a plastic tractor I would go with the color with the closest dealers and best parts and support mechanic included.Isee the shit people buy and cringe...They have a champagne taste and a beer budget.Owning an 50-100hp older classic or 2 for a spare sitting in the shed is like money in the bank.1hydraulic outlet are you serious? Buying something a little bigger,multiple outlets and dual pto opens up your options for the future.I thought this was "hay talk" baling hay,talking custom work rates,putting up some forage.I have a tc45d new holland I baled with for 10 yrs it was awesome but dangerous as well as of ballast situation.It sits on the finishing mower for the campground and the farm mowing lawn.I definitely wouldn't want it any smaller.All them John deeres mentioned are real nice we own a hand full of them can't beat reliability you get what you pay for.Buy what you can afford to fix!If you don't have a lot of money take along a magnet..If the magnet don't stick to the hood its out of your price range....hehe goodluck


Did you read the original question?


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## Wrenchhead1968 (Feb 7, 2020)

Good choices on all the tractors you mentioned chevytaHoe5674.just an opinion as he was looking for.The tractors you mentioned speak volumes for your experience.Have a good weekend .


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> Did you read the original question?


Agree, not uncommon for the original question to get thrown to the wayside by opinion.

Regards, Mike


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

I thought the OP was asking for opinions on what tractors to consider for his daughter to start haying? And that Wrenchhead1968 was giving his opinion on which tractors might be best, at least from his point of view, which IS an opinion?

I'm confused here...

As for me, I'd always go for the older machines, mechanical injection engine is a plus, from the mid 60s on up to mid 90s or so. Simpler, easier to fix when they break (not IF they break, WHEN they break...anything that moves will break down eventually). I'm a red paint feller, but I've run em all just about and they're all pretty darn good when maintained properly.

The idea of getting a little bigger tractor isn't a bad one. It leaves room for possible future expansion and is likely cheaper too. Lots of people want the mid sized/powered tractors and so the price point is pretty high for what you're getting. Only drawbacks really for a bigger one are a bit of increased fuel consumption and a bit more soil compaction.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I did think about masseys. I remember as a kid doing hay in the neighborhood (We had a AC CA) and one of the neighbors had Oliver 77 and a 70. Then bought a brand new Massey 165 with a perkins diesel. Man I thought that thing was huge. It was one of the larger tractors in the neighborhood. Lots of WDs, WD45s, As and Bs, Jd420 and a 520 and this big bad Massey.

I did searches for masseys and get more hits in the UK on Tractorhouse than anywhere else. Did the 10 series fords and got the same. No ford dealers around here since the NH dealer gave up the dealership. I have used a 3000 and 4000 and was not impressed by the hydraulics. I am trying to get my daughter something that has modern type hydraulics. I have had a JD 5300 which is a similar tractor to the Ds and Es. Both the engine and pto clutches are too light. I put both in my 5300 and was on my way to another in less than 4000 hrs. Now it is possible with wet clutches that problem has been addressed. But the dry clutch 9 speeds were pretty substandard in my opinion..

Just to save everyone some time, there is no expansion in the offing so they are just doing maintenance mowing. Even so, with the tractors I mentioned, baling 5 ac and dropping on the ground would be no issue with a NH315 or so. Kind of hard to justify the rake, tedder, baler etc for 5 ac of hay.


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## Jimmy Bartlett (Aug 17, 2015)

the power-reverser transmission on JD 5x10 and 5x20 is wet clutch 12/12. 5320 with PR trans would be my pick to get the little turbo. Take a smaller 520 or 512 loader to keep 2wd front end lighter


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

There is a Massey 245 in the Lancaster Farming today with supposedly 1600 hours. Doesn’t say anything about a canopy. It also has new paint so who knows what’s really up. Price is right at $4500 though if it’s true hours and not a hack job “restoration”.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

8350HiTech said:


> There is a Massey 245 in the Lancaster Farming today with supposedly 1600 hours. Doesn't say anything about a canopy. It also has new paint so who knows what's really up. Price is right at $4500 though if it's true hours and not a hack job "restoration".


Thanks. Kinda laying low right now. Daughter has been given no word on what will happen with her job. Guess just like a lot of folks.


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

I agree with most a 40-50hp tractor would get you where you want to be. A ford 4600 or newer or a massey 240 or 253 if you could find one are about a bulletproof and easy to work on as they come. I'm sure there are some Deere's out there and some IH's that woudl fit the bill as well. my 2 cents.

The tractors above can be had for 7-12K and weight anywhere from 5-7000lbs depending on ballast.


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