Learn me on the used tractors. I'm looking for a 30-40HP 4wd tractor with a loader on the front.

Well my wife and I finally closed on our 33 acres we have been trying to purchase for half a year now. Our plan is to build our forever house here on about 1 acre, and just keep the rest as woodlands. Being as it's all currently woodlands and also fairly hilly. I am wanting to get a tractor to start building a driveway and clearing out some of the hill top to get the land ready for the builders in a couple years when we have it paid down.

I know nothing of tractors. so I need some schooling on what to look for, what brands to avoid, all the usual pitfalls. Looking at Craigslist they seem to hold their value pretty decently, trying to find one for under $7000 with a loader is proving difficult, unless it's 2wd and 50 years old.

So help me out dorks, whats the most important things to check on something like this, when looking at an older unit? Also if any one knows of one for sale in the southeast that fits my budget shoot me the info, it would be most appreciated.

My in-laws have a little 4WD Yanmar diesel with a bucket on the front and a blade on the back. I spent much of yesterday on the little thing. They are ridiculously useful.

I can't help with the shopping advice as my shopping consisted of "hey, can I borrow the little tractor?". So consider this moral support in your decision to get one.

I just sold a 2WD one with a loader. 

I wouldn’t be scared of 2WD. With a locker, they are pretty good at staying out of trouble. 

In your price range, there are some really good bargains in 2WD.  Because everyone thinks they need 4WD. 

They don't. 

Alternately, look at the off-name brands, like Mahindra. Pretty decent little tractor, without the name-brand premium. 

SVreX said:

I just sold a 2WD one with a loader. 

I wouldn’t be scared of 2WD. With a locker, they are pretty good at staying out of trouble. 

In your price range, there are some really good bargains in 2WD.  Because everyone thinks they need 4WD. 

They don't. 

That's something else I was curious of. I just was thinking the hills might be too much but I suppose 2wd and a granny gear with enough weight on the tires would probably get up anything.

I've seen the Mahindra's pop up, nice to hear they are decent tractors. I'll keep them in my searches. Thanks for the info!

The 4WD does seem to come in handy on the Yanmar, such as when you're trying to get a good amount of dirt in the bucket. I've got some more material to move in the next few days, I'll try it both with and without. I have no idea what sort of diff (if any) is in it.

Tractors are better than a swiss army knife, but they're still trying to do lots of different things instead of being good at a few.

I'd rent a trackhoe/excavator over a tractor for every job outside of actual farming tractor work. With a blade and a thumb, you can do all the road and clearing work you said you want to do, plus get a good start on foundation work etc. Weekly rental rates are dirt cheap...you should be able to get much of the work you describe done in a few days with the right machine.

So find a tractor, sure. But rent the right tool for the job.

7k is going to be a tight budget to find 4x4 with loader.  It can be done but you may need a little help being in the right place at the right time, and you might need to do a little work to it.  At your price point I would expect to find something in need of some maintenance and maybe some minor repairs. 

Ive spent a lot of time on 4x4 and 2wd tractors.  Both can work fine.   I am sure there are hundreds of threads on tractor forums debating the 2, along with gas vs diesel, but when I spent my money I bought 4wd.  In my experiences 2WD tractors (especially older ones) tend to have super aggressive Ag tires which can really wreck the ground.  Not a big deal until you are going through the same gate 4 times a day during mud season.   A 4wd with Industrial tires will also destroy the ground but the damage doesn't tend to be as deep due to the less aggressive tires and reduced spinning with 4wd.  YMMV but that was the biggest thing I noticed while using a tractor daily, no matter what the weather was.    You can buy a 2wd cheaper but you also get less selling it (the same argument that comes up with diesel).  

I would also advise figuring out what attachments you want to use.  You said loader, but what about a grapple?  If you are going to be clearing land, a grapple would be extremely useful.   If you want one of those you will need a tractor that either has a hydraulic front remote or you need to plan on adding one.  That would factor into what you buy.  What about a backhoe?  Also extremely useful when clearing land and best purchased with the tractor rather than sourcing one later.  Do you want a quick attach?  They are AWESOME if you will be switching between a bucket, some forks, a grapple, or a hydraulic powered margherita machine.  Plus it opens up the market for used attachments.  

The more you know how you will use the tractor before you buy, the better off you will be.  I made a mistake several years ago when buying a general purpose use compact.  I bought more off price instead of the jobs and found it was dangerous to unload 2k loaded pallets off a flat bed.  I sold it and got a bigger tractor to replace it.  Luckily, after using it a year I was able to sell it for within a few hundred bucks of what I paid, and I had bought it new.  Yes, tractors really do hold their value!  

Many of the off brands can require more work in finding parts. You cant typically walk into your local Case store and get any part you may need for your Shibaura, although they may have some.  So repairs and maintenance may require a little lead time and digging on the internet.  Not a big deal unless you need parts immediately because you busted something in the middle of a field.  

Plus there is the whole gear drive vs hydro drive debate 

While its mostly dealers, https://www.tractorhouse.com/ is a good place to poke around and get a feel for the market.

I also wouldn't get hung up on having four wheel drive. If the hill is too steep for 2wd then it isn't safe to be on with a tractor. If the loader makes it too light in the rear hang some weight back there. They all have individual brake pedals so if you get one wheel slipping it's easy to send power to the other one.

Off brand tractors can be a lot cheaper to buy, but do your research. Parts availability can be a real issue. They also don't have the online following to help when you have problems, which can make big difference.

Look for power steering, three point hitch, live power take off, and rear hydraulic outlets.

Just like with cars, buy the best condition you can afford.

logdog said:  Not a big deal unless you need parts immediately because you busted something in the middle of a field. 

Isn't that the only time you fix a tractor?

Keith Tanner said:

logdog said:  Not a big deal unless you need parts immediately because you busted something in the middle of a field. 

Isn't that the only time you fix a tractor?

LOL.  According to my uncle, "Mr. Preventative Maintenance is a waste of money" that is true!

I'd find out what dealers are in your area, and then go for the brand or brands they sell.  If you need a part it's nice to be able to just pick it up locally rather than having to wait for it to be delivered in the mail.

One data point from me, my inlaws have a Kubota diesel, backhoe/loader. Backhoe can detach as well, but rarely does it ever get taken off. Get the accessory hydro for the front if you can, REALLY handy for post hole digger, tongue for the bucket etc. Its always works, its 4x4, and it will still sink in mud....

logdog said:

7k is going to be a tight budget to find 4x4 with loader.  It can be done but you may need a little help being in the right place at the right time, and you might need to do a little work to it.  At your price point I would expect to find something in need of some maintenance and maybe some minor repairs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is exactly what I was looking for. I don't always have the foresight I think I have when buying things, so hearing others experience like this really helps in figuring out what I need to plan for. I may up the ante on my budget to get what I want the first time.

In reply to t25torx :

Since this website is full of enablers , I must say that many times there is 0% financing on new tractors.  Usually in the 60-72 month range. 

My 2 cents based on coming from a farming family and having a neglected 154 acre farm I'm slowly rehabbing, which includes road building and building site prep.

I definitely wouldn't buy a Mahindra or a Rural King etc tractor.  They are the Daewoo of tractors.  They may be great.  I don't see anyone farming with them and I wouldn't gamble with my own money to find out how they hold up.

I wouldn't recommend a 2WD tractor.  On hilly ground 4WD makes a huge difference in performance and safety.  The front ends are also built heavier, which is ideal for a bucket.  For the work you described, a 2WD tractor will be frustrating.

I'd spend the money and buy a grapple if you're going to be clearing brush.

Get a diesel

Power steering is nice.

If you're going to be building roads and clearing a house site, I'd strongly recommend buying a small dozer, like a JD 450, using it, and selling it when done.  You'll get your money back.  That's what we've done in the past and are doing now, though I may keep the dozer.  You can get a decent dozer with a good undercarriage for $10K.  If that won't work, I'd rent one or hire it out.  A tractor just isn't good a ground clearing and road building.

If you don't think you'll be farming, Kubota makes a good small tractor with bucket/hoe.  $7K is a pretty tight budget.

logdog said:

In reply to t25torx :

Since this website is full of enablers , I must say that many times there is 0% financing on new tractors.  Usually in the 60-72 month range. 

We are enablers, but we mostly refuse to buy new and want someone else to take the depreciation. Unfortunately like wranglers, deals on new often beat used.  

Sell you my 20hp Nortrac (Jinma) for 6k and then I can finance something newer with a cab?

The used market is so horrible these days that if you want what is considered modern:  diesed, front assist, live pto, shuttle shift transmission,  mid and or front pto, ROPS, hydraulic raise and lower 3-point, power steering, etc... you are better off buying new.  Anything in your price range used is going to have fewer features or have something wrong. 

Tractor loaders are also terrible for moving dirt. The controls are never fine enough and they are universally bad at digging.  If moving stuff with the bucket is your general use then what you should be looking for is a skid loader. Aside from farm implements like the tiller and snow blower, and the rear blade, I could replace my tractor with a skid loader tomorrow and be better off.  

oldopelguy said:

Aside from farm implements like the tiller and snow blower, and the rear blade, I could replace my tractor with a skid loader tomorrow and be better off.  

Yeah...but if "we" think tractors with loaders are expensive (and "we" do)..."we're" REALLY going to go bug-eyed when "we" look at skid loader prices (and "we" have been).

This discussion is relevant to my interests.  I have a couple of old ford 8Ns which are acceptable for brush hogging and box-blading.  But we'd really like to have something with a loader in the long term.

Stuff you can make money with costs money - but also doesn't depreciate.

The dirt I'm moving these days with the tractor loader was put in the dump trailer by a skid loader. I agree that the latter is much better at that particular job, it went into the trailer a lot faster than I'm moving it now. But the tractor is a little more versatile with the box blade on the back, I think. Also more difficult to turn over. Still, there's a reason that construction companies have a selection of skid steers and very few tractors.

For home use something like this would be fine for years. 

In reply to Apis Mellifera :

Farming?  Farmers don’t farm with 30 hp tractors. 

But I do see farmers buying them. For gardening, etc. In fact, our local Ford tractor dealership (in rural farming South GA) stopped selling Fords, and only sell Mahindra. 

From having to rescue the groundskeeper multiple times on the 15 acres that our shop is on.

A 2wd tractor will get stuck in a place that a big 4x4 pickup can help to get it out of.

A 4wd tractor will get STUCK where it will be truly difficult to get it out without a bigger tractor.

SVreX said:

In reply to Apis Mellifera :

Farming?  Farmers don’t farm with 30 hp tractors. 

Sure they do, not that he said he would be farming.  A 30HP tractor will run everything necessary to put up hay with the exception of big round balers.  It'll run a seeder, cultivator, manure spreader, discs, plows, etc. etc.  While commercial farmers use bigger (expensive), often specialized tractors, they usually have a fleet of smaller (cheaper) tractors for support and non-specialized tasks.   Furthermore, someone on GRM asking about a tractor for 33 acres can definitely get by with 30HP, including farming on that scale.

Until I went to college, the biggest tractor my family had was a MF135, which is 2WD and has, as I recall, 35HP.  We farmed about 300 acres with it and an old Ferguson with less power.  Dad sold them and bought a big 4WD Ford and a round baler when I left.  I have a MF135 and a Cub (7HP) on my farm.  You absolutely can farm with a tractor having 30-40HP like the OP specified.

BTW t25torx, you should look into the various tax wranglings you can do with a small farm and related equipment purchases.