Tractor Needed But Where Do I Start?

[ScorpionHunter]

While you're waiting for the ground to dry, take Dawico's advice and ask around a bit. It might be cheaper to hire someone to do the work than rent a skid steer. If you've never driven one, there's a learning curve. It's not very steep, but it can get expensive if you're renting and you don't want the machine to sit idle while you're renting it. For perspective, a neighbor of mine is a builder who used to own a skid steer but rented one for a week to do some work on his property. He only needed it for a couple days so to recoup some of his cost he put a notice on the neighborhood facebook page for anyone who might need work done. I hired him to take out about 10 stumps and relocate some very large rocks. He charged $50 per hour, which he reminded me was a good deal. He knew how to run it and got the work done in 4 hours. Yes, I could have rented the skid steer and I've driven them, but wouldn't have had time during the week to use it and it would have taken me longer to do the same job.

For the record, I bought a 32 hp JD tractor for my 6 acres and use it a lot.

 

[Burke]

I'm in the same boat... but I think I am just going to borrow a skid loader from a friend with a farm out by Haskell.

 

[Younggun]

Keep in mind with renting, 2 days is often equal to 16 hours on the meter. Not however much you can run it between the time it's picked up and the time returned.

 

[Dawico]

Keep in mind with renting, 2 days is often equal to 16 hours on the meter. Not however much you can run it between the time it's picked up and the time returned.

Very true. Also keep in mind a four day rental is about the same cost as a week rental. YMMV of course but worth inquiring about.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Keep in mind with renting, 2 days is often equal to 16 hours on the meter. Not however much you can run it between the time it's picked up and the time returned.

Wait, so I could have it 4 days and run it 4 hours a day and pay two day rental?

 

[Dawico]

Wait, so I could have it 4 days and run it 4 hours a day and pay two day rental?

It doesn't work that way. You can't go over on hours but going under offers no discount.

2 days or 16 hours, which ever comes first.

The deals get better the longer you have it though.

 

[TheDan]

They are GREAT tractors. Get 4wd and a loader or you will regret it later.

Seconded. Having used only 2wd tractors growing up I thought I didn't want 4wd, but the salesman talked me into 4wd. I'm glad he did.

If you need to clear land and move dirt and rock, you can't beat a skidsteer.
If you need to maintain and groom, you cant beat a tractor.

So buy the tractor and rent the skidsteer

 

[outdare]

Also might consider the ease of getting spare parts and service when choosing a tractor. You don't want to have to drive by another brand/dealer to get your tractor serviced.

 

[Dash Riprock]

This might be a dumb question, but tractors qualify for the sales tax exemption as agricultural equipment, correct?

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

This might be a dumb question, but tractors qualify for the sales tax exemption as agricultural equipment, correct?

Only if you're using it for tax exempt applications like ag-exempt farms. Just like any other vehicle if you're using for personal.

 

[Mreed911]

This I can totally agree with.

We met with a banker today to talk about the process of "the dance," selling our house, buying land, spec'ing and building a barndominium, handling the financing, difference from a mortgage, etc.

The next steps are getting serious about a few tracts of land we want to look at, engaging a local agent that can compare those and other tracts they know, getting serious advice on actual value vs. list price, etc. on the land side of things; starting talks with a builder on the site/build side of things to rough-out costs in our given price range (we're aiming at the low end of our range to have 'cushion'); then talking with our local, city realtor about selling our house.

Looks like the least risky approach will be to sell our house to capture the equity now and using that for a combo land/building loan vs. buying land while renting something small to live in during construction, getting a building loan and waiting to sell until building is complete - there's too much risk of owning two places (values going down, economic downturn, etc.) and risk of rates rising before we made the larger construction loan.

Definitely watching this thread as I'll hopefully be making the same decision very soon (within the year).

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

I am going to look into financing. I've been giving a lot of thought towards this and I think having something on the property full time will be very useful. Skid is out of the question to buy since its wayyy out of my price range. I'm going to look into financing a tractor. Any particular brand or model tractor anyone recommends? Kubota? Ford? Red? I'm looking for something that can grade a driveway twice a year, assist with drainage swale, tow some trees that I've felled, a trailer, level ground, move stuff (like a motorized wheel barrow), and random light to medium duty tasks. The biggest thing will it'll have to be able to dig a little and move some dirt around.

 

[Mreed911]

Since you brought it up, what's the "rental" market like, in terms of "I'll rent you my tractor" or "I'll rent you me and my tractor?" If I did work for others on the weekend, is there a typical going rate?

I've mostly been a city boy in terms of where I've lived, but my family all has land so it's not foreign to me, just something I haven't been responsible for.

 

[Vaquero]

I am going to look into financing. I've been giving a lot of thought towards this and I think having something on the property full time will be very useful. Skid is out of the question to buy since its wayyy out of my price range. I'm going to look into financing a tractor. Any particular brand or model tractor anyone recommends? Kubota? Ford? Red? I'm looking for something that can grade a driveway twice a year, assist with drainage swale, tow some trees that I've felled, a trailer, level ground, move stuff (like a motorized wheel barrow), and random light to medium duty tasks. The biggest thing will it'll have to be able to dig a little and move some dirt around.

Kioti is a decent brand.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Since you brought it up, what's the "rental" market like, in terms of "I'll rent you my tractor" or "I'll rent you me and my tractor?" If I did work for others on the weekend, is there a typical going rate?

I've mostly been a city boy in terms of where I've lived, but my family all has land so it's not foreign to me, just something I haven't been responsible for.

I've seen a big range from $45 to $100 an hour (on Craigslist and local ads and talking to some neighbors) depending on types of work needed.

Kioti is a decent brand.

Thanks.

 

[TeXJ]

ten years ago my father and I got a 35hp Ford New Holland tractor with the HST tranny and 4x4. We got the hydrostatic tranny for doing trenching, we had a septic business at the time and developing land. We also had a backhoe, TEREX with an extended boom. That tractor was awesome! We bought a trencher, $5k, box blade, and mower deck. The mower wasnt a finish mower it was just for fields. The 35hp motor did great for what we did with it. Granted we didnt have a bucket on the front because we had a backhoe.

Sadly the tractor was stolen and almost got the truck and trailer as well. Now we have to pay for somebody to come mow the property, about 5 acres. We dont live there so we do it about every quarter in the summer.

If I were to do it again, I'd get the same thing but with a bucket on the front, backhoe we dont really need now and if I do I'll just rent one.

For me, I think a skidsteer is just too much and if it was needed I would just rent it.

 

[TeXJ]

so has anybody seen the Chinese knock-off tractors? they look just like the New Holland tractors. I've seen these at Cabela's.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Buy one as a business. Put it on local Craigslist to rent by day/hr (Advertise). Ask same price or slightly above rental companies.

Use occasionally for personal but take appropriate relevant business/investment/depreciation losses off your taxes? ;-)

ETA: if doesn't rent much and you're not profitable you can sometimes carry business losses forward as much as 3 years to offset revenue.

 

[jpfabricator]

Consider your long term needs. A farm tractor with a bucket can do a lot of chores around the homestead. Is lower maintinance and more afordable. If you need some serious digging then rent a small trackhoe.
......just my 2¢......

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker

 

[Mreed911]

Buy one as a business. Put it on local Craigslist to rent by day/hr (Advertise). Ask same price or slightly above rental companies.

Use occasionally for personal but take appropriate relevant business/investment/depreciation losses off your taxes? ;-)

This. Put depreciating equipment in an LLC so you can track the ROI over time and depreciate it accordingly. All the fuel costs, maintenance, etc. offset any "profits" from use, plus you can put a simple umbrella policy on it in case it hurts someone when rented (or does damage), and count that as opex, too. Just be warned you can't run a business in the red (a small business like this) for too long before the IRS disallows it as not a business.