Advice: upgrading from compact to larger tractor

rionzion · 03-02-2016 08:03PM #1

Hi all, would appreciate a bit of general advice from those with more experience.

I have a smallholding and have been using a john deere 855 compact tractor for about 4 years now. It's grand for a bit of mowing, rotovating, but very limited on traction/power when it comes to pulling anything heavy, plus it tends to dig itself into the ground on wet ground, and with the wheels being so small gets stuck and makes a mess!

the final straw was last year when i got myself a small single-leg subsoiler ( i was told a 24hp tractor would be fine for it!!) - well i soon figured out there was no chance of pulling anything like that with my tractor! So am now looking at getting something bigger... i'm considering something like a massey 165.... i'd be looking at older models due to cost considerations, basically i've been told my JD is worth around 4.5k so am looking in a similar ball-park... would be nice to get one with front loader too, but i can always buy that separately.

So looking around at various models and just wondered if anyone can give me some pointers as to which might be the best to look at in terms of availability/price in ireland, also which ones to avoid?

guess i'm thinking around 50-60HP, masseys would be my ideal as they have perkins engines often and i know how reliable they are... obviously John Deere good too (in my limited experience at least) but they dont seem as common as the masseys... but to be honest i'm fairly clueless regarding other makes such as Leyland, Ford, David Brown (always seems very rusty?!), zetor, klass... etc

also if anyone has any experience using subsoilers?? mine is about 18" depth, single leg, i have very wet soggy land (hence the need for the subsoiler!)... we're talking lime subsoil which i need to penetrate and pull through... is 50-60HP going to be enough?

Thanks for any help

Bullocks · 03-02-2016 09:08PM

I see an international 955 with loader , bucket and bale spike in Tipp for €3250 . Do you need 4wd ?

Miname · 03-02-2016 09:11PM

Flick through some of the older threads there's plenty on budget reliable tractors. An older Massey won't fall into that category, the vintage lads go cracked for them. An international 885 could be got for 4.5 and well suitable and easy on juice.

X6.430macman · 03-02-2016 09:16PM

mf 565. 65 hp and a grand little tractor, with cab and all. Don't know how much they making though.

tractorporn · 03-02-2016 09:23PM

Massey 575 on donedeal with a loader in Westmeath for 4k probably won't be cosmetically as good as your Deere but the perkins engine won't let you down.

rionzion · 04-02-2016 12:27AM

cheers fellers, sound advice, will go looking

rionzion · 04-02-2016 12:29AM

Bullocks wrote: »

I see an international 955 with loader , bucket and bale spike in Tipp for €3250 . Do you need 4wd ?

honestly never found the 4wd on the JD 855 to be much use.. front wheels are tiny anyway. 2wd will do me fine i'd say

mythos110 · 04-02-2016 08:47AM

If possible I'd try and get a loan of a similar sized tractor to what you are looking at and see if its capable of pulling the subsoiler. The last thing you need is to invest and still find its not suitable. If you are looking to pull a subsoiler in wet land I would have said that 4wd is a must but your budget will limit you in that regard.

djmc · 04-02-2016 06:02PM

A subsoiler is not easy to pull I would go with a 4wd for peace of mind .
A twin leg subsoiler would probably want at least 120 hp to pull I'd imagine even with a single leg if you hit a rock would put a small tractor under pressure.
The Deere 855 isn't much more than a lawn tractor in fairness I have a 455 for the garden and it fine in its place.

greenpetrol · 04-02-2016 06:12PM

rionzion wrote: »

Hi all, would appreciate a bit of general advice from those with more experience.

I have a smallholding and have been using a john deere 855 compact tractor for about 4 years now. It's grand for a bit of mowing, rotovating, but very limited on traction/power when it comes to pulling anything heavy, plus it tends to dig itself into the ground on wet ground, and with the wheels being so small gets stuck and makes a mess!

the final straw was last year when i got myself a small single-leg subsoiler ( i was told a 24hp tractor would be fine for it!!) - well i soon figured out there was no chance of pulling anything like that with my tractor! So am now looking at getting something bigger... i'm considering something like a massey 165.... i'd be looking at older models due to cost considerations, basically i've been told my JD is worth around 4.5k so am looking in a similar ball-park... would be nice to get one with front loader too, but i can always buy that separately.

So looking around at various models and just wondered if anyone can give me some pointers as to which might be the best to look at in terms of availability/price in ireland, also which ones to avoid?

guess i'm thinking around 50-60HP, masseys would be my ideal as they have perkins engines often and i know how reliable they are... obviously John Deere good too (in my limited experience at least) but they dont seem as common as the masseys... but to be honest i'm fairly clueless regarding other makes such as Leyland, Ford, David Brown (always seems very rusty?!), zetor, klass... etc

also if anyone has any experience using subsoilers?? mine is about 18" depth, single leg, i have very wet soggy land (hence the need for the subsoiler!)... we're talking lime subsoil which i need to penetrate and pull through... is 50-60HP going to be enough?

Thanks for any help

Pay a neighbour to sub soil ! Apart from this one job it sounds like your jd is doing fine ! Machinery ties up a lot of money for no real return

Advice: upgrading from compact to larger tractor

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