you can get away with a utility size 40-50hp... if its wooded and messing around alot of trees cabs can be costly... id plan on getting a 20x83 14kgw trailer with it you will be to limited on the tractor size with your current trailer imo.


if you go up into the 60hp+ range you will need a gooseneck in most situations.

so models in the brands id say Mx series or M60 series Kubota, 5055-5065E Deere, 4540 to 5155 mahindra, Workmaster 55 or higher Utility... imo i wouldnt stray from those 4 brands but still its going to be a matter of what dealer is near you

I have several different sized tractors on 160 acres with lots of trees. I mostly use the old Ford 2610 2wd with front loader, for the bush hog I use an old old International B414 diesel 2wd. If I use the 108" mower or 7' blade I grab the Massey 265 2wd diesel. All old school diesel with no emission crap. My place gets bad muddy and slick but my 2wd tractors do fine, occasionally using the positrac.but I don't normally do any heavy work in the bad mud.

Personally do not care for Deere, too many plastic $$$$ parts on the ones I have been around plus I had a big Deere track loader burn to the ground so I am not at all happy with them....

PS If you are ever going to bail hay, especially round bales, you will need to go bigger and get a gooseneck trailer and large pickup to move it....

I'm half the acreage, and I won't ever go below 100 HP.

Friend of mine has 100 acres north of me. He bought a 75 HP and then swapped it in for 100 or 110 HP. He's mostly open ground, though.

Bush Hog says 65 HP minimum for a 15' batwing shredder.

Depending on the land, if wooded like mine no way a bat wing is any good. I have a 80hp, 65hp, 2 40hp and a 20hp. Rarely use the 2 bigger ones but no round bales or bat wings
Never have needed 4wd on a tractor either but always on my truck. But again I don't have to do heavy work when it is bad muddy. Black and sandy clay dries out pretty fast...

I love my kubota MX-5100. Had it since 2010. If getting a front end loader get a 4WD. I got rid of my last tractor because it was only 2wd.

Lots of good advice in here. Spend money on larger tractor and then get trailer to accomodate the tractor. I think you got it backwards trying to plan your tractor around a 16' trailer especially is 3500 axles and how far and how open going to pull it.

Get 4 wheel drive; till you see what it can do, you don’t have a good metric.

Bought my place in 2012. 160 acres. the mortgage stretched us at that time so used was my option. Found a 2003 New Holland TC 30 4x4 with front loader with 200 hours. 30 HP with bush hog. Now has 500 hours.

This little machine is amazing and has lifted and moved my 12 foot high 4x8 box blinds, Plowed 3 10 acre food plots, pulled my trucks out of the mud. and mows all my roads and trails. Starts all the time no matter the weather 10 degrees or 100 degrees

Get what you can!!!!! not sure why a 50hp is the minimum. Haven't had a need for all that power but sure it doesn't hurt

Please never put DEF in the fuel as mentioned above. That requires replacing every piece of the fuel system in most cases.

You step up in implement size. And front end loader gains more capability. For a one and only tractor, 50 HP is when you get into real tractor size.

I have one job for a tractor of very little horse power, and that is operating a wheel rake. I'm in the mode of the least horse power I can get, with one rear hydraulic remote. Otherwise, 100 HP or more, is what over 100 acres needs. Almost literally, cut the horse power in half and you will double your time in the tractor seat. For some of us, time is money, and diesel is still cheaper than time.

I have a 48 hp 4320 John Deere and it’s perfect for my place.

Then again, I’ve never hooked up the shredder, it has a box blade on it 98% of the time.

If I had a more open place or was cutting hayfields I would recommend a bigger tractor but mine does everything I need it to do, which aside from blading the roads is work with the bucket and forks. It’s size and maneuverability is a big asset in tight rocky country.

You do NOT add DEF to the diesel fuel. You will only do that once and you will learn that lesson.

Frio

Stay away from the compact Mahindras. Mine has been disappointing. Broke the frontend trying to pop a stump the first week I had it. I guess the motor is stronger than the gearing. My old Jap made Massey Fergerson would have just stalled before it broke in that situation. I think mine is a 1526 and is like 25hp.

Yes, not fuel, but tractor will need Def.

I’d still stay at 75hp and under.., a few more laps while mowing or bites while doing loader work is way less headache than what you will get with a DEF tractor.. don’t care what brand at that point it’s all a pain

That 1526 is made in Japan by Mitsubishi and one of the strongest 25hp out there.. the simple issue here was you tried to pull a stump with a compact tractor lol it’s no wonder it broke

What ever you buy, look at the seat and make sure you get one that has the adjustable ride. We got a 3 series JD and it just has a plain old spring system that doesn't have much give. It is big enough for what we are doing, it just beats you to death. Like others have said, if you get a loader, 4 wheel drive is a must.

My Kubota 4400 DT did not come with an air ride seat. Like Old Rabbit said, it about beat me to death - my poor back. Finally it was sell the tractor or get a new seat. The new tractor would have been a New Holland, which had a great seat, but that Kubota is great, so I finally found a seat from Grammer, a German company. Great seat, and all is now well.

About 25 years ago I needed a bigger tractor. My Ford 8N was ok but I wanted a bigger tractor. I’m not a farmer but wanted something bigger for food plots and other stuff. BTW, was raised on a farm with almost enough stock to be called a ranch.

A friend told me that a tractor without a FEL is half a tractor and a FEL without 4WD is useless. I have found that to be true. He also told me to buy one bigger size than you think you need. That has also made sense.

My John Deere is generally used for road maintenance, food plots, hauling dead deer in, etc. but is still mostly a utility machine.

I have a 1980s JD 2240, about 50hp, with an FEL and 2wd. If I was buying new I would want 4wd but I’ve done quite a bit with this one, as have a bunch of people for the 100 years before MFWD became so prevalent.

Depends on what you need it to do. Our place is 320 acres and we make do with a 40 and 43 hp part time. All they do is mow and disk roads and food plots.

that tractor has some azs on it. most newer 30-50hp tractors dont. although that really isnt an old tractor. no help to the op on my part

Property size isn’t as critical as what you do with the acreage and how much of it needs the tractor. My house is on 30 acres and every inch of it was once farmland. For years I took care of it with a Deere 4440 which is a 130 hp full size farm tractor. Mine even had dual rear wheels on it and weighed around 15,000 lb with all the weights and loaded tires.

When I bought the 320 acre ranch 1.5 hours away I sold the 4440 and bought a 73HP Kioti. There were several reasons for this. One hauling it back and forth is much easier. I have a semi with a lowboy but the 4440 was overwidth and it was a pain to get the semi just to move it. The 4440 didn’t have a loader and was 2WD. It was too wide to go through all the trails at the ranch and couldn’t make it up some of the hills without 4WD. I also only have about 15 acres I cultivate at the ranch so the 73HP is plenty. At home I don’t plant anything anymore I just mow and it pulls 15 batwing but I have to go much slower than I did with the 4440. I guess my point is I would not want a bigger tractor at the 320 acre ranch but I liked the larger tractor at my 30 acre house. Acreage does matter but what you plan to do is a bigger factor in my mind.

I do also have a 111 hp tracked skid steer that I use at both places for loader work and smoothing roads and such.

I have owned a 19hp, a 47hp, a 49hp, a 65hp, a 73HP, a 95 hp, a 120hp, and a 130 hp tractor over the past 20 years. I wouldn’t buy anything less than 50 again for pretty much any purpose and closer to 75 is better.

a better question is what 25HP tractor wouldnt of broke. Ive had tractors all the way up to 600hp, even it has design limits

OP just call J5 tractors and ask for Gavin. When it comes to sub 100hp tractors, there isnt better resource.

http://www.j5tractors.com/