To buy a tractor or not ?

[JG1594]

Running 600 ewes on 550ac all over the place without a tractor. Is it time to take the plunge and invest in a tractor? Hay/ haylage taken out in the pick up and trailer handball into feeders. Fodder beet fed by hand about a ton a day at the moment. Mucking out of lambing shed by hand. Able to borrow a tractor for topping in the summer. Hay making and other field work done by contractors spending about 4-8k a year on contractors. Should i hold onto my money or take the plunge and invest?

 

[David.]

If you can afford a tractor and would get the benefit of it, why not?

 

[JG1594]

Because I’m a tight git ! Unsure if it’s completely necessary as at time in the year it won’t get any use

 

[David.]

Okay, don't buy a tractor then.

 

[Farmeraduk]

How about hire from local contractor? Labour charge probably half the cost. If you have enough work then fine, but they are a bottomless pit of expense. I have just paid 2k for big service, and another bill coming for adblue faults. And it needs Tyres soon.

 

[spin cycle]

there's 'tight ' and there's 'masochism'

it doesn't need to be fancy.....80's/90's before they became 'spaceships'

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

there's 'tight ' and there's 'masochism'

Which camp are you??

 

[spin cycle]

Which camp are you??

.
that's a fekkin good question

 

[JP1]

Which camp are you??

He's tight until he gets that coloured pony in harness and a putt then he qualifies as a masochist

 

[yoki]

it doesn't need to be fancy.....80's/90's before they became 'spaceships'

And if you look after it anyway decently, it'll go up in value as well.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

The tractors only the start, it does nothing by itself.
4-8k contractors bill won't buy a tractor and much kit

 

[yoki]

The tractors only the start, it does nothing by itself.
4-8k contractors bill won't buy a tractor and much kit

Wouldn't need much dear or fancy hay kit to save a fair bit in tedding and rowing.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Wouldn't need much dear or fancy hay kit to save a fair bit in tedding and rowing.

I'd say 4k just to do some rowing up and tedding, and probably not going to knock 4k of his bill, plus if he's a stockman who maybe isn't machinery minded the stress of old kit and breakdowns is even worse

 

[serf]

Don't get no new electronic thing , find ( )a well cared for 390 with a loader on , prob keep going up in value

 

[yoki]

I'd say 4k just to do some rowing up and tedding, and probably not going to knock 4k of his bill, plus if he's a stockman who maybe isn't machinery minded the stress of old kit and breakdowns is even worse

If he's making a quantity of hay/haylage that can be feed by hand and a pick-up I don't think he'll need £4k in machinery.

I bought a Kuhn 360 haybob brand new in 2015, sold it again in 2020 when I gave up making hay to sell.

Now have a Fahr centipede which cost me £220 and actually does a better job than the haybob and comfortably turns all the grass required to house 100+ sheep (plus lambs) for anything up to three months if required.

 

[Flatlander]

Buy a loader tractor and get your work done quicker with less strain on your body and soul. You’ve proved to yourself you can manage doing it by hand. Before you do your back in and can’t do the work start making it possible that a spouse or friend can feed up with ease should you be sick. It’s not an investment as it will undoubtably take upkeep and you’ll never get all your money back that you put into it but contractors will only get more expensive over time. Other pieces of equipment can picked up over time should you want them. I’d still get your contractor to mow and bale rather than buy a used and abused cheap mower and baler.

 

[Fendtbro]

You want something older, high quality, not relying on electronics, quite easily fixed with good backup, stable with the loader on and with a zf front axle. jd 3050 or similar?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

If I was mucking out by hand after 600 sheep, I would be buying a machine to do that job above anything else.

If that machine can be used for other stuff then it’s all good.

 

[lloyd]

JG 1594 I take it you are still young?

 

[Limcrazy]

If there's plenty of good stuff available to hire locally you could hire in the right machine for each job without buying a jack of all trades older tractor.