Tractor HP

morning delight

Hi Folks

I have a MF165 with no power steering or front loader and am thinking of upgrading to a 4wd (alot of heavy peat ground) with front loader for general farm work on a 70ac suckler farm. The front loader is to allow stacking of round bales.

So what HP should I be thinking of?

All feedback welcome

GERMAN ROCKS

whats your budget. if you want to stick with massey theres
88-95 3080 110hp
95-99 6180 120hp
99-03 6270 120hp
04-present 6465 125hp.
depends on your budget

reilig

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

whats your budget. if you want to stick with massey theres
88-95 3080 110hp
95-99 6180 120hp
99-03 6270 120hp
04-present 6465 125hp.
depends on your budget

I think that those are a little too high powered for loader work on a 70 acre farm. Personally I would look for a 90 to 100hp tractor - 4 cylinder, easy to manouver, especially with a loader, big enough for most jobs, small enough for most jobs. Unless you have heavy work like baling or mowing with a conditioner mower, you deon't need to go much bigger.

Another thing is that tractors below 100hp will depreciate less than those above. Think its a psycholgical thing - people think that bigger tractors have done heavier work.

Unless I needed it, I wouldn't go above 100hp. Even an 80 Hp 4wd would be grand with the loader. They're cheap to pick up.

As for brands - well I was always a Massey man, but got the NH this year and its a dream to drive and work with. But I have nothing against the Massey either.

fig mclough

i agree with reilig to be honest. your not going to be doing that much work just tipping about, why would you want a 6 pot engine??

new holland tl 80, 90, 100 would suit you down to the ground. quite a neat machine.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Hi Ya, If you want a 4 cylinder tractor can I suggest a Zetor 114 41 (120Hp) 4WD, Have one myself on a suckler farm. Great for stacking bales and the size is really handy for the sheds. Also good value for money against other tractors.

GERMAN ROCKS

ZETOR_IS_BETTER wrote: »

Hi Ya, If you want a 4 cylinder tractor can I suggest a Zetor 114 41 (120Hp) 4WD, Have one myself on a suckler farm. Great for stacking bales and the size is really handy for the sheds. Also good value for money against other tractors.

you would be better off with not tractor then a zetor lol

irish_bob

morning delight wrote: »

Hi Folks

I have a MF165 with no power steering or front loader and am thinking of upgrading to a 4wd (alot of heavy peat ground) with front loader for general farm work on a 70ac suckler farm. The front loader is to allow stacking of round bales.

So what HP should I be thinking of?

All feedback welcome

i think a massey ferguson 390 T would be right up your alley , fantastic tractor although they hold thier money like almost no other tractor so you will hardly get one for under 14 k

morning delight

Thanks for the replies.

I'm looking at a budget of 7-8k. Main workload is feeding, mucking out with the transport box, topping, fertilising, rolling etc. A handy size tractor really.

Heavier work will be contracted out so from what I gather around the 80-100hp should do the trick.

Massey 390T is right up there, but a bit pricey. Any other suggestions?

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

you would be better off with not tractor then a zetor lol

No need to knock the Zetor now! Im telling you the new ones are a really good tractor now. They would give tractors that cost more (for similar HP) a good run for their money.

GERMAN ROCKS

you wont get a 390 for that money (one that reliable anyway) realistically you wont get a hole pile for that amount of money that is new and fresh you will be looking at something in the 1980s. id recommend a fiat 90-90 or 110-90. they were probably the best tractor around then with the hp you are looking for

irish_bob

if your budget is only 7k , you might get an old john deere 2850 or if you cant you could look for a deere from the previous series like a 3130

locky76

what about the case 4230 or 4240, you can pick up a mid nineties one in the north for €10k

Bitten & Hisses

My suggestion is a Renault 75, 85 or 90-34, either a TX or preferably an MX which would have the lower cab. These are bulletproof tractors with a mechanical synchro shuttle and a seriously reliable German MWM engine. We traded a 1993 85-34 MX 3 years ago and to be honest it's something I really regret now. The MX is very nimble and has great traction too.

emaherx

morning delight wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

I'm looking at a budget of 7-8k. Main workload is feeding, mucking out with the transport box, topping, fertilising, rolling etc. A handy size tractor really.

Heavier work will be contracted out so from what I gather around the 80-100hp should do the trick.

Massey 390T is right up there, but a bit pricey. Any other suggestions?

If you ask me the 390T is overpowerd for those jobs. I have a 390T and a 365 both 4WD with loaders. I use th 365 for the jobs you describe and the 390T for the heavier jobs. Its the same tractor but lower horse power.

I don't think you require a bigger tractor than you have, you just need something similar with 4WD power steering and a loader.

marlyman

why not put an origional power steering kit into you 165 and recondition the engine?

marlyman

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

My suggestion is a Renault 75, 85 or 90-34, either a TX or preferably an MX which would have the lower cab. These are bulletproof tractors with a mechanical synchro shuttle and a seriously reliable German MWM engine. We traded a 1993 85-34 MX 3 years ago and to be honest it's something I really regret now. The MX is very nimble and has great traction too.

mx and tx renaults are bitches on clutches, you can throw them out in as alittle as 300 hours.

marlyman

actually on reflection berhaps an offbeat massey like a 362 4wd might do nicely. theyre not to disimiliar to a 365 or 390 and are cheaper to buy as people dont like the 2 in the model. this is for no reason only people dont recoginse the model number.

Bitten & Hisses

marlyman wrote: »

mx and tx renaults are bitches on clutches, you can throw them out in as alittle as 300 hours.

A lot depends on the workload and type of driver. We had the MX for 7 years and the clutch was as good as the day it arrived. I'm not 100% sure, but I thought the TX was worse for clutch wear than an MX?

tvo

for the money might be worth checking out a massey 290 4wd or ursus 475

marlyman

tvo wrote: »

for the money might be worth checking out a massey 290 4wd or ursus 475

these are making too much money to consider i think. i saw one that was wrecked and the lad wanted 6000 euro - as a favour to me!!! they were nototrious for leaking arount the front and rear drop box where the large bushing sits

adne

whats yer take on the 290... they dont seem to be over popular

marlyman

adne wrote: »

whats yer take on the 290... they dont seem to be over popular

i have a lovely 290 2wd with a sankey cab and a massey pick up hitch. shes able to run a claas 46 baler with the choppers down no probs. and i pack the bales tight.

ill try to dig up a pic. i gave 8000 for her 14 years ago and i got an offer from the guy i bought it off to take it back for the same money. :-)

west boy

The best thing to consider when buying a second hand tractor is
1.what have you used before?
2. what experience you have when it comes to repairing and fault finding on them?
3 What garages or dealers are local to you or who have you local who can give you a hand if there is a problem?
4 do you need any unusual oils for the tractors, Fiat, case, and nh are all touting there own oils for the transmissons, which also runs the hydraulics?
5 the money you want to spend,and what kind of reliability you want?
6

marlyman

west boy wrote: »

The best thing to consider when buying a second hand tractor is
1.what have you used before?
2. what experience you have when it comes to repairing and fault finding on them?
3 What garages or dealers are local to you or who have you local who can give you a hand if there is a problem?
4 do you need any unusual oils for the tractors, Fiat, case, and nh are all touting there own oils for the transmissons, which also runs the hydraulics?
5 the money you want to spend,and what kind of reliability you want?
6

re no 4 castrol agri trans plus will do all of these machines.

morning delight

Thanks folks for all the feedback.

As MF are all the rage where I am I will probably go for one. No Fiats, Renaults or NH around so for repairs and parts probably better to stick with MF.

By the sounds of it I probably need to spend ~€10,000 to have any hope of getting one in decent order.

HP From the feedback some of the tractors mentioned have horse power as low as 55 or 65. I reckon for the work I do this will suffice. As I work full-time as well I will always have to look at using contractors for the heavier work. It's really only for handling silage bales, topping, rolling, fertilising etc I need it for.

masse5455

i bought a a 290 2 years ago as a 3rd tractor i also have a5455 and a 4335 . its a savage tractor at bales and spreading fertilizer and as a run about i put my f55o mchale baler on her at hay ta c would she handle it and she flew with it it an 87 with a shanky cab glad i bought her

MfMan

masse5455 wrote: »

i bought a a 290 2 years ago as a 3rd tractor i also have a5455 and a 4335 . its a savage tractor at bales and spreading fertilizer and as a run about i put my f55o mchale baler on her at hay ta c would she handle it and she flew with it it an 87 with a shanky cab glad i bought her

How do you like the 5455? Is it Tier III? Dyna 4? Thinking of upgrading sometime....

Sam Kade

marlyman wrote: »

i have a lovely 290 2wd with a sankey cab and a massey pick up hitch. shes able to run a claas 46 baler with the choppers down no probs. and i pack the bales tight.

ill try to dig up a pic. i gave 8000 for her 14 years ago and i got an offer from the guy i bought it off to take it back for the same money. :-)

8000 what? 14 years ago it was punts now it's euro.

Dragous

irish_bob wrote: »

if your budget is only 7k , you might get an old john deere 2850 or if you cant you could look for a deere from the previous series like a 3130

Bought a JD2850 myself last year and they're a dream to drive. was going to buy a 390 but they're over priced. after driving the jd i wouldn't go back to the massey

masse5455

its a 07 dyna 4 and a massey loader grand tractor pulls da mchale f550 and a major 2050 and i do agitatate slurry with it not a bother to it not bad on diesal and quick on da road nearly 45k .dont like da new type 5455 da new bonnet i tink il buy a john deere when im changen again

vanderbadger

masse5455 wrote: »

i bought a a 290 2 years ago as a 3rd tractor i also have a5455 and a 4335 . its a savage tractor at bales and spreading fertilizer and as a run about i put my f55o mchale baler on her at hay ta c would she handle it and she flew with it it an 87 with a shanky cab glad i bought her

how do you find the dyna 4, my 5455 is just C and D range, I have to say i dont like the system much, I find if you take off in the yard in anything with a machine on the back anything other than 1st C coughs a bit just as you move off, in general though I find the tractor very good, never any trouble since I bought her in 06

masse5455

ya its sound handy for baling .ya does dat alrite sometimes pulling off with a load on but other than that it pulls like a train great tractor at loader work 2 . i dont like the new look massey but i wont be changing tractor till 2012 anyways if i havnt gone bust with the way the country and farming is going ha

vanderbadger

how come you dont like the new model, i thought they looked pretty tidy last time i was down at the dealer, was inside a john deere 6420 recently, my massey looked fairly basic when I hopped back into her, lovely cab in JD, whether they are as reliable I couldnt say

masse5455

vanderbadger wrote: »

how come you dont like the new model, i thought they looked pretty tidy last time i was down at the dealer, was inside a john deere 6420 recently, my massey looked fairly basic when I hopped back into her, lovely cab in JD, whether they are as reliable I couldnt say

just dont like the look of the front of it or the sound a da engine way different ta my 07 5455 neighbour has a 07 john deere 6220 tidy tractor as reliable as da massey and its quicker on the road 45k biteen heavier on diseal than the massey but i wont be changing tractor till 2012

Ó Bairéid 87

If your looking for something with a front loader I'd reckonmend a tractor with at least 100hp just for the size and weight of it. Seen a Fiat 80-90 with a front loader struggling to keep balance with a bale on the front of it the last night, granted they were heavey bales and there was no bale on the back

leitrim lad

i would say on 70 acres dont go over 100 hp ,but anything between 80 and 100 would be ideal, like a fiat 90/90, or a 390t, or a 6200 john deere, all great tractors for the land and ideal for a loader, and you would pick one up for well undert 10k with the current climate,

you could also buy a same 85/90/or100 but there a bit ignorant for farming ,i use them for pulling tankers and dump trailers

vanderbadger

calloverfortae wrote: »

If your looking for something with a front loader I'd reckonmend a tractor with at least 100hp just for the size and weight of it. Seen a Fiat 80-90 with a front loader struggling to keep balance with a bale on the front of it the last night, granted they were heavey bales and there was no bale on the back

think most tractors will struggle with a heavy bale on loader with nothing on back, especially in field, its a wonder there arent more serious accidents with loaders carrying bales, i know I have had a few scary moments over the years

T Corolla

IMO you should sell of the 165 so you could get between 3 to 4k for it and pick up a 275 or 290 massey ferguson 4wd. You will be buying something about fifteen to twenty years old but they are relaible more relaible the the 390 tractor and in years to come because of their construction you will be able to sell it on and loose quite little money on it. You should be able to pick one up for between 7 to 10k with a loader or if you can remove the loader from your current tractor and attach it to the new one. Do'nt buy a tractor with a loader already attached as you may run into trouble if it has been abused. happy motoring

jamie2000

hi iam looking for a four wheel drive tractor any make concidered around mid to late eightys price

fiatagri8090

Am hoping to change tractor in the new year. 2 years ago i bought a landini ghibli 100 with loader. Ok of a tractor but very mechanical and not a very nice machine to operate. Do my own round baling and it is not the best power wise for this.

Am thinking of looking at the MF 5455 or JD 6330 or perhaps New Holland t6010. Just wondering which offers the best power and value for money.

Also what sort of money one would be expecting to pay for either of these with a loader.

vanderbadger

fiatagri8090 wrote: »

Am hoping to change tractor in the new year. 2 years ago i bought a landini ghibli 100 with loader. Ok of a tractor but very mechanical and not a very nice machine to operate. Do my own round baling and it is not the best power wise for this.

Am thinking of looking at the MF 5455 or JD 6330 or perhaps New Holland t6010. Just wondering which offers the best power and value for money.

Also what sort of money one would be expecting to pay for either of these with a loader.

have a 5455, had a ghibli 90 before that, both with loaders, massey a nicer tractor but not a whole lot between them, massy has the shuttle and fancier transmission and nicer cab, never baled with landini now but baled with massey this year and it seemed to manage grand, not sure what they are going for price wise but there seems to be loads of clean ones on farm and plant etc, newer model 5455 has gone up from 100 hp to 110 or 115hp i think currently

fiatagri8090

Has your 5455 dyna 4 transmission and if so is it a good job.

vanderbadger

fiatagri8090 wrote: »

Has your 5455 dyna 4 transmission and if so is it a good job.

no, mine is just c and d range,newer dyna 4 is something like a b c d, not gone on my version, seems to be geared very high, if only moving tractor around yard you need to be in 1c or at most 1d or she coughs abit initially if you take off in higher gear

kevkeegan

to be honest the second hand market is crazy overpriced, with what fellas are asking for tractors it doesn't make since, i rang about pricing a tractor and was asked was it the 20 or 40 grand price bracket i was looking at! with the way things are i wouldn't even imagine spending 40(or 20k:D) on one! it was wit AIB tho!:D

cwlad

a kubota 90 hp.. yal only buy once... japanese engineering i dont have to say anymore!!!

irish_bob

cwlad wrote: »

a kubota 90 hp.. yal only buy once... japanese engineering i dont have to say anymore!!!

the kubota are very basic , no modern features like you get with jd , new holland , massey

personally speaking , if i was buying a tractor in the morning , i would go for a valtra

just do it

marlyman wrote: »

why not put an origional power steering kit into you 165 and recondition the engine?

Would putting a power steering kit into an old tractor like a MF165 be a hard job to do and cost much?

farmcracker

Zetor are the most underrated tractor on the market ,have a 5211 50hp and with 22 years and she does everything on the farm squrebaling, 1000 gallon slurry tanker and drawing bales and never seen a garage. would buy a 7245 and would be plenty big fr anythin u want.

reilig

just do it wrote: »

Would putting a power steering kit into an old tractor like a MF165 be a hard job to do and cost much?

Its 10 years ago since I put one onto a MF 168. It came to €800 labour inc. I had to put on new stubs and bearings onto the tractor included in the price because they were well worn on mine. The difference between a tractor with PS and without PS is incredible. If you're only putting 200 hours on the tractor a year, its may not be worth it, but at the time I was putting between 800 and 1000 hours a year on her. Used it for mowing, tedding, rowing, stacking bales, wrapping, hedgecutting etc.

I imagine that there are cheaper PS kits to be got now - (mine was a genuine MF) or perhaps it is possible to get a secondhand kit - but you'd need to know what you are buying.

reilig

farmcracker wrote: »

Zetor are the most underrated tractor on the market ,have a 5211 50hp and with 22 years and she does everything on the farm squrebaling, 1000 gallon slurry tanker and drawing bales and never seen a garage. would buy a 7245 and would be plenty big fr anythin u want.

They're also up there with Belarus and Farmer models for having the lowest resale value of all tractors. Not to mention the fact that 99% of them suffer from oil leakages in early life and they are renouned for having poor brakes.
However they are notoriously reliable for starting, have pretty good engines and most have good comfortable cabs.

BeeDI

reilig wrote: »

They're also up there with Belarus and Farmer models for having the lowest resale value of all tractors. Not to mention the fact that 99% of them suffer from oil leakages in early life and they are renouned for having poor brakes.
However they are notoriously reliable for starting, have pretty good engines and most have good comfortable cabs.

Agree with everything you say on the Zetor. Just a good, sound, simple, reliable workhorse, BUT the damn brakes are a nightmare. Dry discs in mine. Just cant keep them anywhere near fully functioning.

I can get a few bags of nuts, or 2 square bales of hay plus the dog in the cab, and still have plenty of elbow room:cool:

Resale value not too bad though. Purchased 6 years ago for €6k in from UK. Spotless and low hours. I can easily get €7.5k for it now due to the export market to Poland. If every other asset my pension included had performed as well, I'd be laughing:D