- Location
- Aberdeenshire
First off let me say that the idiot in the topic title is me, this is just my information which I have gathered over the course of a couple of months in my search for a tractor for my upcoming smallholding. During these months of what in the Archers would be called research but in my opinion was just a lot of Google searches and trawling this forum and others, I gathered quite a few nuggets of information which I thought I would share with the world in a single location. As a someone once mentioned to me in a forum when I asked something Do A F'ing Search (DAFS). Hopefully this topic will help others as it might show up in a search somewhere.
Disclaimer, when I quote technical data I will be basing that on www.tractordata.com or the manufacturers data sheets and prices come either from the manufacturers list price, what came up on farm.autotrader.co.uk or dealer websites. Also prices are ex-VAT.
The reason for my search was that I am looking for a tractor which will help me maintain about 7 acres of Scottish ground. Most of it is grassland but there is a small patch of woodland and quite a bit of gorse on sloping ground which isn't useful at the moment and I would like to reclaim for either grazing or orchard. There will be a couple of heads of livestock kept and the occasional trip to nearby woodland for firewood.
Lets start with defining the three sub categories that I have run into:
01-24hp Sub compact tractor
25-49hp Compact tractor (we'll split this one even further at a later stage, or not)
50-99hp Utility tractor
The numbers can vary but seem to fit most tractor brands separation of their product ranges.
Again, don't take this as gospel as this is just what I encountered so anything expressed in here is just my opinion and I have already called myself an idiot so no need to repeat that. Open to corrections so please let me know what is wrong, or what you see differently.
Sub-compact tractor (01-24hp)
Most uses that I have seen for these tractors revolve around landscape management/gardening. They can usually be fitted with a mid-mount mower deck which essentially turns them into a large lawnmower.
Compact tractor (25-49hp)
Lets park this one for a moment.
Utility tractor (50-99hp)
This lets you park where the proper farmers park and you will get away with it. 30 years ago when I grew up the range for utility tractor was the normal range for a clay farmer to own a tractor in, things change and most farmers have moved onto larger machines which can deliver better efficiency. There is however still a gap for this range as a lot of jobs don't require the big machines and that is where the utility tractor excels. Yard scraping is one that is often mentioned but moving bales around or hooked on a fertilizer spreader they can excel.
Compact tractor (25-49hp)
While the sub-compact and utility tractors do have their fans, none have caused a division as wide as the enthousiast in the compact tractor range. On the one hand are the vintage tractor fanatics, supporting the Massey Ferguson 30s or Fordson Dextas, and on the other hand the plastic brigade, supporting the Kubotas or Kiotis. The divide seems to be able to put the grand canyon to shame and never the twain shall meet seems to be just about where they stand. For me they are two sides of the same coin, if we adjust the historical price for a Massey Ferguson 135 from 1964 (£885) to today value (£15,494) we get almost exactly the price of a Kioti CK4010 and a Tafe 35DI OIB is 18% less at £11,700. Will the modern ones hold their value to the same level as the vintage tractors, who knows but a five year old second hand Kioti CK4010 is being marketed for £13,750 which is roughly a 2% annual depreciation rate. Full disclosure, the one marketed included a front end loader (FEL) which I also added to the new price for the calculations but I think the statement stands that although there is depreciation it isn't too bad. I know past performance is no guarantee of future results but it is a tractor not a financial investment for my retirement.
Tyres
One other thing to bring up here is tyres. There are three different types of tread commonly used on these tractors:
- R1 which are the familiar lug agricultural tyres, there is also R2 with double size lugs compared to R1.
- R3 which are turf tyres
- R4 which are referred to as industrial tyres.
R1 and R3 tyres form the outsides of the spectrum, with R4 being the jack of all trades but master of none. R1 tyres are great for transferring power from the tractor to the ground so arrable work is very well suited for these. If you are working on pastures, grassland, and landscaping the R3 tyres will treat the surface well with limited damage because of the tractor. The R4 sits in between these two, less damage to the surface as the R1 and more power transferred compared to the R3. For me R4 seems to make sense, our current paddocks are no-go for most of winter for local farmer and serious tracks with a bit of rain. But getting a set of R4s seems to be a bit of a quest so if I find a tractor with R1s that will be fine for me as I do require some traction in mud etc.
While we are on the topic of tyres it also is good to discuss the choice between 4WD or 2WD. Both have their merrits but looking at it from a financial point of view the 4WD is more expensive but there seems to be a larger market for them so resale value seems to be better compared to 2WD. As my future property has a slope in it and I will have to cut a road in that slope to get to a flat bit at the bottom if I want to make use of it my preference is with a 4WD tractor.
3 point linkage
Another topic to discuss is 3 point linkage, there are different types. Almost all sub compact and some compact tractors will be equipped with category 1 linkages, other compact tractors and utility tractors will have category 2 linkages. Basically what it comes down to is a way to limit you in the size of implement you can hitch up to your tractor. A lot of manufacturers have jumped on this and are now making their normal size implements (cat 2) and also have a compact range (cat 1), Flemming and Kuhn make equipment for both categories just to name two. Lift capacity is important and refers again to what you are planning to use the tractor for, in my case I want to be able to put pallet forks on and transport jumbo bags of hardcore, bales of hay, IBC filled with water, pallets of building material, etc., so I put my requirements at 1000kg minimum lifting capacity.
Tractor uses
Looking at my requirements I came up with the following activities I would like to use the tractor for:
- Transporting hay bales (not sure what local farmers make but assuming the worst they are large heston bales)
- Harrowing fields, currently own a trailed harrow but want to move to a mounted one
- Topping fields with a flail mower
- Rolling fields
- Muck spreading
- Occasional spreading of fertilizer
- Shifting building materials from one location on site to another as there is a bit of renovation required.
So during my searches I immediately discounted the sub-compact tractors, as the ability to stack bales of hay requires an FEL with a bit of weight carrying/lifting capacity which I did not find in the sub-compact range. If that isn't a hard requirement for you then the sub-compact might be a good fit for your application.
Safety
This brings me to an important topic with regards to FELs, without a bit of common sense these are dangerous to use and do not forget that. Why would you try to lift 500kg of hay bale with a tractor weighing less than 1500kg without actually adding balance weights. A filled barrel with concrete can add 400kg when it is attached to the 3 point hitch to balance out the weight the FEL is picking up. The same goes the other way around where I have seen tractors with their front wheels reaching for the sky as the implement or load at the back was too heavy. In all honesty I spent quite a bit of time on our tractors front carry-all when my dad had filled the hopper of the Amazone too much as it allowed a full circle of the field instead of going back and forth to our trailer.
Tractors can be death traps if used incorrectly. For every action ask yourself if it is safe and smart to do. Think about what you are attempting and if your tractor is actually the right thing for the job. Think about the implement you need and the accesories for it, ie the FEL and the counterweight. Do this when you are thinking of buying a tractor already, not just when you've got it. Think about the jobs you will be doing and size the tractor according to the tools you need for the jobs. There are many stupid things that I have been able to get away with so far, but that is going to catch up to me and I am trying to use common sense a lot more these days.
HP death spiral
When you are sizing up your tractor be careful not to fall into a death spiral of horse power. At one stage I was looking at flail mowers and the manufacturers kindly placed the working width of the mower on the specifications and also the PTO power required. So the width of the prospective tractor I thought should be the minimum width the mower mowed in my simple thinking but that meant the tractor did not have the PTO power required which meant moving to the next higher model which was wider which meant moving to the next higher up model mower which required more power, well I think you get where I am going with this. In the end do shop around for tractor but also implements and find combinations that work for you.
So what now
Having it narrowed down to two categories, compact and utility tractor, the next big decision needed to be made: buy new or second-hand. Buying new would be seriously more expensive than second-hand but would allow me to purchase exactly what I wanted, whereas second hand I would need to find that unicorn tractor or compromise on something.
New I had narrowed down my choices to either a Kioti CK4010 (£19k) or a Tafe 35 DI OIB (£20k). Both prices include about £5k for a FEL. Second hand you can find quite a few utility tractors and even compact tractors, I had put my search budget at £10k or about half a new one would set me back. As I do not have a urgent requirement but will be purchasing in the next 6 months I have left it here and will be contributing as and when others bits of info bubble to the surface. Hopefully in 6 months time (or sooner) I will have put a comment in the 'New toy day' thread showing of my tractor.
Disclaimer, when I quote technical data I will be basing that on www.tractordata.com or the manufacturers data sheets and prices come either from the manufacturers list price, what came up on farm.autotrader.co.uk or dealer websites. Also prices are ex-VAT.
The reason for my search was that I am looking for a tractor which will help me maintain about 7 acres of Scottish ground. Most of it is grassland but there is a small patch of woodland and quite a bit of gorse on sloping ground which isn't useful at the moment and I would like to reclaim for either grazing or orchard. There will be a couple of heads of livestock kept and the occasional trip to nearby woodland for firewood.
Lets start with defining the three sub categories that I have run into:
01-24hp Sub compact tractor
25-49hp Compact tractor (we'll split this one even further at a later stage, or not)
50-99hp Utility tractor
The numbers can vary but seem to fit most tractor brands separation of their product ranges.
Again, don't take this as gospel as this is just what I encountered so anything expressed in here is just my opinion and I have already called myself an idiot so no need to repeat that. Open to corrections so please let me know what is wrong, or what you see differently.
Sub-compact tractor (01-24hp)
Most uses that I have seen for these tractors revolve around landscape management/gardening. They can usually be fitted with a mid-mount mower deck which essentially turns them into a large lawnmower.
Compact tractor (25-49hp)
Lets park this one for a moment.
Utility tractor (50-99hp)
This lets you park where the proper farmers park and you will get away with it. 30 years ago when I grew up the range for utility tractor was the normal range for a clay farmer to own a tractor in, things change and most farmers have moved onto larger machines which can deliver better efficiency. There is however still a gap for this range as a lot of jobs don't require the big machines and that is where the utility tractor excels. Yard scraping is one that is often mentioned but moving bales around or hooked on a fertilizer spreader they can excel.
Compact tractor (25-49hp)
While the sub-compact and utility tractors do have their fans, none have caused a division as wide as the enthousiast in the compact tractor range. On the one hand are the vintage tractor fanatics, supporting the Massey Ferguson 30s or Fordson Dextas, and on the other hand the plastic brigade, supporting the Kubotas or Kiotis. The divide seems to be able to put the grand canyon to shame and never the twain shall meet seems to be just about where they stand. For me they are two sides of the same coin, if we adjust the historical price for a Massey Ferguson 135 from 1964 (£885) to today value (£15,494) we get almost exactly the price of a Kioti CK4010 and a Tafe 35DI OIB is 18% less at £11,700. Will the modern ones hold their value to the same level as the vintage tractors, who knows but a five year old second hand Kioti CK4010 is being marketed for £13,750 which is roughly a 2% annual depreciation rate. Full disclosure, the one marketed included a front end loader (FEL) which I also added to the new price for the calculations but I think the statement stands that although there is depreciation it isn't too bad. I know past performance is no guarantee of future results but it is a tractor not a financial investment for my retirement.
Tyres
One other thing to bring up here is tyres. There are three different types of tread commonly used on these tractors:
- R1 which are the familiar lug agricultural tyres, there is also R2 with double size lugs compared to R1.
- R3 which are turf tyres
- R4 which are referred to as industrial tyres.
R1 and R3 tyres form the outsides of the spectrum, with R4 being the jack of all trades but master of none. R1 tyres are great for transferring power from the tractor to the ground so arrable work is very well suited for these. If you are working on pastures, grassland, and landscaping the R3 tyres will treat the surface well with limited damage because of the tractor. The R4 sits in between these two, less damage to the surface as the R1 and more power transferred compared to the R3. For me R4 seems to make sense, our current paddocks are no-go for most of winter for local farmer and serious tracks with a bit of rain. But getting a set of R4s seems to be a bit of a quest so if I find a tractor with R1s that will be fine for me as I do require some traction in mud etc.
While we are on the topic of tyres it also is good to discuss the choice between 4WD or 2WD. Both have their merrits but looking at it from a financial point of view the 4WD is more expensive but there seems to be a larger market for them so resale value seems to be better compared to 2WD. As my future property has a slope in it and I will have to cut a road in that slope to get to a flat bit at the bottom if I want to make use of it my preference is with a 4WD tractor.
3 point linkage
Another topic to discuss is 3 point linkage, there are different types. Almost all sub compact and some compact tractors will be equipped with category 1 linkages, other compact tractors and utility tractors will have category 2 linkages. Basically what it comes down to is a way to limit you in the size of implement you can hitch up to your tractor. A lot of manufacturers have jumped on this and are now making their normal size implements (cat 2) and also have a compact range (cat 1), Flemming and Kuhn make equipment for both categories just to name two. Lift capacity is important and refers again to what you are planning to use the tractor for, in my case I want to be able to put pallet forks on and transport jumbo bags of hardcore, bales of hay, IBC filled with water, pallets of building material, etc., so I put my requirements at 1000kg minimum lifting capacity.
Tractor uses
Looking at my requirements I came up with the following activities I would like to use the tractor for:
- Transporting hay bales (not sure what local farmers make but assuming the worst they are large heston bales)
- Harrowing fields, currently own a trailed harrow but want to move to a mounted one
- Topping fields with a flail mower
- Rolling fields
- Muck spreading
- Occasional spreading of fertilizer
- Shifting building materials from one location on site to another as there is a bit of renovation required.
So during my searches I immediately discounted the sub-compact tractors, as the ability to stack bales of hay requires an FEL with a bit of weight carrying/lifting capacity which I did not find in the sub-compact range. If that isn't a hard requirement for you then the sub-compact might be a good fit for your application.
Safety
This brings me to an important topic with regards to FELs, without a bit of common sense these are dangerous to use and do not forget that. Why would you try to lift 500kg of hay bale with a tractor weighing less than 1500kg without actually adding balance weights. A filled barrel with concrete can add 400kg when it is attached to the 3 point hitch to balance out the weight the FEL is picking up. The same goes the other way around where I have seen tractors with their front wheels reaching for the sky as the implement or load at the back was too heavy. In all honesty I spent quite a bit of time on our tractors front carry-all when my dad had filled the hopper of the Amazone too much as it allowed a full circle of the field instead of going back and forth to our trailer.
Tractors can be death traps if used incorrectly. For every action ask yourself if it is safe and smart to do. Think about what you are attempting and if your tractor is actually the right thing for the job. Think about the implement you need and the accesories for it, ie the FEL and the counterweight. Do this when you are thinking of buying a tractor already, not just when you've got it. Think about the jobs you will be doing and size the tractor according to the tools you need for the jobs. There are many stupid things that I have been able to get away with so far, but that is going to catch up to me and I am trying to use common sense a lot more these days.
HP death spiral
When you are sizing up your tractor be careful not to fall into a death spiral of horse power. At one stage I was looking at flail mowers and the manufacturers kindly placed the working width of the mower on the specifications and also the PTO power required. So the width of the prospective tractor I thought should be the minimum width the mower mowed in my simple thinking but that meant the tractor did not have the PTO power required which meant moving to the next higher model which was wider which meant moving to the next higher up model mower which required more power, well I think you get where I am going with this. In the end do shop around for tractor but also implements and find combinations that work for you.
So what now
Having it narrowed down to two categories, compact and utility tractor, the next big decision needed to be made: buy new or second-hand. Buying new would be seriously more expensive than second-hand but would allow me to purchase exactly what I wanted, whereas second hand I would need to find that unicorn tractor or compromise on something.
New I had narrowed down my choices to either a Kioti CK4010 (£19k) or a Tafe 35 DI OIB (£20k). Both prices include about £5k for a FEL. Second hand you can find quite a few utility tractors and even compact tractors, I had put my search budget at £10k or about half a new one would set me back. As I do not have a urgent requirement but will be purchasing in the next 6 months I have left it here and will be contributing as and when others bits of info bubble to the surface. Hopefully in 6 months time (or sooner) I will have put a comment in the 'New toy day' thread showing of my tractor.
