JD 6330

[Agri Historian]

Hey

To save a lot of backstory, I have recently taken on a 60acre holding (in addition to the 15acre hobby farm I have been working with for the past 5+ years).

This is a step up and the tractors I have aren't cutting it (Ford 7610 and Ford 4000). I'm looking at a JD 6330 on the recommendation of a neighbour. Its a big investment, but it will be the main tractor on the farm for the next 10+ years (hopefully!). It will be doing almost every job bar silage and will preferably have a loader.

Are they any good? Any other recommendations for a 100hp all round stockman tractor? I've been a Ford man for my life to date, but its been mostly vintage type tractors for sentimental reasons.

 

[Wellytrack]

Buy a bigger tractor than you think you need. If I was in your position and being inclined towards Ford/NH I’d be looking at a T6030/6050.

 

[Phil P]

What sort of farm work are you doing?
Is this just a hobby and you’ve got money to burn and you want a nice tractor to ride round on or are you thinking this 60ac + your 15 ac is going to be paying for the machine as a business?
Because been realistic, making back around 30k plus and a wage from 75ac will take some doing!
Unless the tractors you already have are becoming very unreliable they should be more than up to farming 75ac pretty comfortably. We use to farm a lot more with a lot less than the tractors you have now.

Ps, a 6330 would be more than enough tractor for 75ac

 

[Timbo]

Standard or Prem ?

 

[Sid]

Dad used to farm 75 acres with an IH 434

 

[Wellytrack]

I don't think it matters how little tractors/budget it takes to farm a given area, or just what was managed/tolerated with in the dim and distant past. We all have been there.

I don't begrudge the OP for having the opportunity to now buy something a little bit better than he actually needs right now, he has the chance to buy and it may as well be future proofed for later too.

 

[Flat 10]

Agreed but I need to know what job all these hobby farmers had to then pay for their 60/100 acre small holdings and smart tractors so I can see where I went wrong. I’m genuinely surprised that a Ford 4000 and a 7810 aren’t enough on 75 ac.

 

[Wellytrack]

A 76 and 4000 are plenty capable of doing the work that's for sure but what about more modern demands and potential to take on work outside of the small farm?

I'm not taking about front axle suspension and 50k, what about 150+ HP and CCLS. Fit front links and PTO run front and backs, Drive a quadrant baler, a combination round baler, maybe take on 360 digger work, shifting 15 ton diggers, pulling 16 ton dumpers. For that your better with the 6930 rather than 63.

 

[Agri Historian]

What sort of farm work are you doing?
Is this just a hobby and you’ve got money to burn and you want a nice tractor to ride round on or are you thinking this 60ac + your 15 ac is going to be paying for the machine as a business?
Because been realistic, making back around 30k plus and a wage from 75ac will take some doing!
Unless the tractors you already have are becoming very unreliable they should be more than up to farming 75ac pretty comfortably. We use to farm a lot more with a lot less than the tractors you have now.

Ps, a 6330 would be more than enough tractor for 75ac

I'm awkwardly in the middle of hobby / full time income. When it was 15 acres, it was purely a hobby. As long as it paid for itself I willingly give my time, and embellished myself with the 7610, which was total overkill on 15 acres. (It did allow me to draw silage for a neighbour on occasion)

When I took on the 60 acres, I've went part time at my main job. So it needs to make money, but not a full time wage.

The 4000 was my grandfathers tractor. He farmed (it was sold when he passed, I didn't inherit). I've had it since I was a teenager and treat it like a vintage heirloom as opposed to a working tractor.

The desire to change it to upgrade. I'm nervous about trying to build a farm up primarily on the back of a 30+ year old tractor.

 

[Flat 10]

I'm awkwardly in the middle of hobby / full time income. When it was 15 acres, it was purely a hobby. As long as it paid for itself I willingly give my time, and embellished myself with the 7610, which was total overkill on 15 acres. (It did allow me to draw silage for a neighbour on occasion)

When I took on the 60 acres, I've went part time at my main job. So it needs to make money, but not a full time wage.

The 4000 was my grandfathers tractor. He farmed (it was sold when he passed, I didn't inherit). I've had it since I was a teenager and treat it like a vintage heirloom as opposed to a working tractor.

The desire to change it to upgrade. I'm nervous about trying to build a farm up primarily on the back of a 30+ year old tractor.

Nice. If you are at all handy with the spanners don’t be nervous about building a business on 30yo machinery. Plenty here including myself will have done. TBH wasn’t really a choice as couldn’t afford newer so have no idea how others manage to justify on limited acres but if you can crack on.

 

[Devon mxu]

If you want a nice tractor and can afford it just go and get it bought its not going to get cheaper it doesn't matter the size you farm making life easier if you work off farm as well makes the job enjoyable

 

[Phil P]

If you want a nice tractor and can afford it just go and get it bought its not going to get cheaper it doesn't matter the size you farm making life easier if you work off farm as well makes the job enjoyable

You have to remember newer machines not only come with a newer price tag but repairs cost more as well! A premium 6330 turbo will set you back best part of £1.6k and just an egr valve will be £600 and a dealer job to replace it. If the business can handle those sort of potential costs in the middle of your busy season then that’s fine crack on with a newer machine but I bet the op could virtually rebuild his 7610 for 2k and man in van could do the work.

I’m not trying to put the op off but these are all things to consider when looking at machinery costs to your business. I did some work for a chap locally who has stables and grass probably about 60ac, he bought a 6420 that had come from a rough home and it almost broke him as the business couldn’t stand the costs!