[AT] Misc tractor recommendations?

[John Slavin]

Dean:

I have a quarter mile drive to get to the blacktop, so I spent a fair amount of time clearing our road myself.  If you really want to stay red and older iron, I'd at least suggest getting something with live pto and live hydraulics.  My old 450 works really well. It has wide front, which I think is important for snow. I added a 3pt aftermarket hitch and 3 pt blade. It already had my dad's international 2001 loader.  My dad had taken off the bucket and fashioned a front blade that's about 2 feet wider than the tractor.  I run the front blade about a foot off the ground and the 3pt blade takes the snow down to gravel.  You're gonna want a set of chains and a heat houser.  Now having said all that, my neighbor bought a little 50 hp Deere with cab and front assist.  The last 3-4 years, we've used that for winter road.  It's mighty nice to be inside a cab.  However, I keep thinking that he would have been better off buying something a little bit bigger, even if a little older.   It's not big enough to pull a bat wing mower in the summer and it doesn't have the weight to really roll that snow.

Keep your eyes open for an estate sale.  I've always thought that was a good source because there was nothing distressed about the equipment, the farmer just died.  And like somebody else mentioned, perhaps buy something a bit bigger than can be regularly trailered, and you'll be surprised how much tractor you can buy.

If is was starting from scratch, the first thing I'd look at what dealer you have available to you.  For me, the nearest red dealer is a hour drive away, whereas Deere is 5 minutes.  That's a no brainer for me.  

As for mowing, I have a Sears mower with a 20 horse onan engine, with a 50 inch deck.  It's a beast and has been reasonably reliable for a number of years.  But the transmission is junk.  It has lots of slow gears, one fast gear and no gears where you need them.  So I'd certainly get something with hydrostatic drive, if you're going that direction.  My mower did break down this summer and I borrowed my neighbor's Deere, zero turn machine.  It's very, very handy and maneuverable.  I'd seriously look at those if what you're mowing is reasonably flat.

John Slavin