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

Keith Tanner said:

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

 

This is my conclusion also.  While they may not depreciate much...I'm always worried about catastrophic failures ;)

Trans_Maro said:

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.

 

That’s a good summary, but a 2WD tractor with a loader is very hard to get stuck. 

I had mine for 20 years and never had to be pulled out of something. I was always able to push myself out with the loader. 

oldopelguy said:

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

Yea, but that is way under-priced for the hours.  Be aware. 

I also thought of skid loaders, but I figured those would be even harder to come by in good enough shape to be in my price range.

I did see this Kubota on CL the other day that looks like a decent deal.

4WD, diesel, great at moving stuff, front hydraulics, various implements, etc sounds a lot more like a skid steer to me than a tractor. It'll be much more maneuverable too if you're dealing with tight spaces in the woods.

In reply to t25torx :

That does look like a solid deal if it is as advertised.

And yeah...in my experience, skid loaders start at DOUBLE your price range and go up from there (granted...I haven't done exhaustive research on this).  Plus they're generally HEAVY.  You can probably haul that kubota with a car hauling trailer.  Skid steers...not so much.  That may or may not be a consideration for you.

For the site clearing, I would rent a skid steer or mini excavator or both depending on what you want to do. Then buy the equipment you need for the property long term. 

I know someone who decided to buy an old skid steer and a new zero turn mower instead of a tractor. The combination did everything he needed better than a tractor and it cost less. 

I ended up buying a cheap early 80’s 2wd Yanmar without a loader to see how much I would use a tractor. And although it would be more useful to have a loader, I can do most anything I need with a rear blade and a dirt scoop. It is slow, but I couldn’t do it by hand. And I can’t justify spending $5-8k more to get a newer tractor with a loader.