Thread: Small farms?

Why don't you have a look at the second hand market, I bought a 175 Massey Ferguson a few years back for under $3000, new slasher cost me about $1000 (not sure exactly now) and seller threw in a few assorted ploughs and blades.

Originally Posted by ellard

Hi there all

We have a strange request for the forum - but if you dont ask you dont know.

Apart from my real job in the mining industry we have a small rural property (wife and kids have horses). We have been looking into the purchase of a tractor - with the usual three point linkages, ploughs etc.... for putting in fire breaks etc.

We have amazed at the the costs and really cannot justify owning a tractor with impliments.

Has anyone seen any home made ploughs/seeders etc which could be used behind a 4x4. This is where the humble series I Land Rover initally broke into the market (plough the feilds and drive to the market on the weekends).

With the amount of small hobby farms around these days there has to be something available around - is anyone able to help.

Thanks in advance

Wayne

As you say, there are a lot of small farms about - hence even second hand small tractors and equipment are hard to find in good condition, but they are about if you look long enough. And as you have found new equipment is ridiculously expensive for how often you will use it - the market is supported by hobby farmers with relatively unlimited money, and the few commercial farmers who can pay the high prices (although I can think of few around my way who have anything less than fifteen years old).

As far as I know there is nothing on the market that could be reasonably be used behind a four whel drive. Alhough any small trailing implement could be pulled behind one, almost all demand either remote hydraulics, rear PTO or three point linkage or all of the above. While there is nothing to stop you from fitting these to your 4x4 (although unless it is a Landrover the PTO could be a problem), the cost, even if you do the design and installation yourself, will make the second hand tractor and implement market look very attractive. And remember that to use the Series 1 as a tractor, they had to fit an engine governor, oil cooler and tractor type tyres.

In fact, although designed for use as a part time tractor, very few of the original Landrover were ever used as such. his was aminly because even in 1948 in the UK very few people were using tractors that small (around 25 effective horsepower), and even though current power is much higher, the effective drawbar power is not all that much higher for current four wheel drives due to the lack of weight compared to even small tractors.

I agree with Rob - look at the second hand market.

John

exactly what John said.
Even when I was working the FIL's cattle property, most all the neighbours around here swapped and borrowed implements.
We have a 55hp tractor (one of our payoffs when leaving the farm) and I want to seed our new little 8.5 acres soon and I'll be borrowing the spreader from a neighbour with some sort of contra
We have a blade and a tipping/scoop carryall and still need a slasher (mulcher's are just wildly expensive) and I've been offered the lend of a post hole auger and ripper.
When the dressage arena is built (a couple of years away) I'll make the harrows.

G'day Ellard

I would gather that you have something in the 10-25 acre range, and would be looking at, Slasher, Discs,and a Set of Tynes, with a Posthole Borer attachment, all 3 pt linkage, In that case I would recomend that you look around for a Ferguson TE20,petrol, or TD20 Diesel the little grey Fergie has been around since the 50's and is simple to use, repair, and are very long lived, THAT is why even a 40 year old one is still worth 1000/1500 in reasonable nick,$5-6000 in good nick, NOT Good Paintwork the larger is the 35,and 65 then comes the Massey-Ferguson all good long life machines, the Fergie is the Agricultural Landrover, simple hard working easy to fix. all do-able by the home farmer,and spares are still available.

If you look in papers like "The Land" or magazines like "GrassRoots" you should be able to find one,another place is clearing sales in the major newspapers,or people on the Land like JDNSW, as they would know where to look, tell them what you want,the size of the land and what you use it for, and what you plan to do, and the type of land, IE, Sandy Loam, Volcanic,Brigalow,Wallum, or ex sheep land (hard compacted) as they would have years of experience, the place that I live in is wallum-sandy coastal,and the farm has been in the same ownership since 1880,now only 400 acres was 1800, with dairy/and beef yearlings now, the main tractors are, TE20,TD20x2,35,65, and a D6/8DU Cat, all dating from 1950 onwards, get in/on startup and work,service and maintain when required,no problems,rollbars were all hand made, and cab's glazed for aircon on the 65 for dust seal (ex Falcon), best slasher would be a Sunshine, once again hard wearing and fixable, the Cat even runs Extractors now that gave a good increase on HP bellows like a bull but has it got grunt


hope that will be of help

cheers

a not insignificant market for old tractors is for boat launching,, up the coast from here its quite normal
to see a tricked up John Brown launching a huge boat. I stopped counting at 40 at one seaside town.

G'day Pedro

You wouldn't mean a John Deere by any chance

Nothing a series and a PTO couldn't handle. I have actually seen one with a hydraulic ram and a blade attached to the front of it. It was home assembled and probably would fail any OH&S scrutineering, but it worked.

I may know of an old Fergison with a rooted engine (in NSW), will get back to you

G'day All, Dobbo you could proabaly swap the U/S engine for a vangaurd one I'm led to believe that thye were interchangeable, cheers Dennis