There comes the point in time for owners of smallholdings where they realise that it's probably a good idea to invest in a compact tractor for sale. The next question is, "how much is a compact tractor?" This depends on what you want to use the tractor for, so in this blog, we will look at common uses of compact tractors around smallholdings, followed by pricing up some suitable compact tractors and considering the additional costs of tractor attachments. Therefore, it's more a blog about stimulating thoughts about this area that you might not have thought to help you gather the correct information to make the best decision.
Running a smallholding takes time and plenty of energy. If you consider how much time it takes to maintain it, then you'll want to take as much of the manual work out of it as possible. It doesn't matter whether you're young and physically strong or not; the physical nature of the labour adds up over time, and this is where a compact tractor for sale can help immensely.
The benefit of purchasing becomes apparent when you get an idea of the array of compact tractor attachments for sale. There's a tractor implement for every possible task.
Work out what jobs you want to simplify
Compact tractor attachments rely on the tractor PTO for power, so it's an excellent first step to develop a short list of what jobs you want to mechanise and simplify, work out the corresponding attachments, and then look at the type of horsepower you'll need from a tractor.
Popular jobs to do around the smallholding include:
Carrying things
Splitting logs
Mowing
Harrowing
Rotovating
Digging holes
Hedge Trimming
And more.
Research corresponding tractor attachments
Using a tractor loader to carry things
A tractor loader seems to be one of the classic pieces of kit that everyone ends up getting, as there are apparent advantages of turning a tractor into a front loader tractor. Furthermore, various compact tractor loaders come with 4-in-1 buckets fitted as standard. These are useful for loading, landscaping and clearing, all in one bucket. Front-loaders, such as those by MX, come in various sizes for compact tractors from 15-65HP. For example, the MX C1 tractor loader is suitable for 15 to 25HP small tractors and has a maximum payload lift capacity of 420kg, or 350 kilograms lifted at the full height of 1.92m. In contrast, their MX C30 tractor loaders require a larger tractor, from 30-65HP, yet they can handle 990kg, or 770kg at their full height, which is 2.6 metres. As you can see from this example, it is worth taking a good look around your premises and working out what you will need to do the jobs at hand.
Using a tractor log splitter
There are many sorts of log splitter for sale, but if you have a tractor, then you might as well run one from your PTO. Plus, a tractor mounted log splitter is easily towed by the tractor for convenience. One example is the Rock Machinery 14-ton Venom Log Splitter, which splits logs up to 23 inches and any size of rings. There are larger models, including a 25-ton tractor mounted log splitter for sale, a more heavy-duty log splitter, with a splitting force of 25-tonnes, as opposed to the smaller 14-tonnes with the smaller model. Both log splitters work by attaching to the tractor via CAT1 & CAT2 linkage. Fortunately, most log splitters can be run from any horsepower compact tractor, so it's more a matter of deciding the weight and volume of logs that you want to process instead of having to worry about machining it with a suitable tractor. Soon we will be unveiling our new GOLIATH log splitters for sale, which should be in within the next month or so.
Mowing
A trendy sort of tractor implement is a compact tractor flail mower, which tends to come in various variants. In terms of quality and range, we recommend FARMMASTER. Their entry-level flail mower for sale only requires a compact tractor with 18-30HP and cuts at a width of 0.95 metres so that it would fit well with something like the 1905H Branson Tractors; a genuinely excellent small tractor for sale that retails at £7995 exclusive of VAT brand new, which is a superb deal for a new tractor for sale. In contrast, the HFL-180 is a heavy-duty flail mower that has a cutting width of 1.8 metres and needs a more robust 40-55 horsepower tractor to work effectively. The Branson compact tractors that can handle this sort of heavier duty flail are the powerful 25 series that start at a more costly £17,995 for the Branson 5025R 47 horsepower.
Harrowing
One thing for sure, if you want to save time and effort when planting and seeding, a power harrow is an absolute must. FARMMASTER has three models of power harrows for sale. The PH-90 is their entry-level tractor harrow, it is capable of harrowing 0.90-metre strips at a time and needs a small tractor with a minimum of 20HP. In contrast, the PH-130 power harrow, which has a 1.3-metre harrowing width, requires a suitable 25 tractor horsepower. A brand new CS2510 Kioti compact tractor would do the job effectively. This Kioti compact tractor retails at £10,495 plus VAT.
Rotovating
Pushing a rotavator along, even if it's a super-powered one that seems to pull you forwards, is a thing of the past once you get your hands on a tractor rotavator. Stress on your back and the rest of your torso is taken away; no more aches and pains. A FARMMASTER RT-115 compact tractor rotavator costs only £750 plus VAT, and sports a 1.15-metre rotovating width. These can work well, even using a sub-compact tractor or micro-tractor of between 12 and 30 horsepower. For the 1.5 metre alternative, you'll need 30-40 horsepower, so something like the 25 Series Branson Tractors, mentioned or the CK4010 Kioti tractor, which retails at £15,496 plus VAT brand new, would suffice.
Hedge Trimming
Maintaining the look of the property is a priority for most people. You want the gardens, meadows and surrounding hedgerow to look beautiful. While some opt to hire someone to come over and cut their hedges, it's enjoyable to trim your hedges, and this process has been significantly simplified in recent years with the developments in compact tractor hedge cutters. FARMMASTER have produced various tractor hedge trimmer designs, from their classic HFSC1600 compact tractor hedge cutter for sale to their novel HFL-800 flail hedge cutter. The HFL-800 hedge flail requires a compact tractor with 20-50 horsepower to work appropriately so that you could consider either of the suitable Kioti or Branson tractors mentioned above, or perhaps it's worth considering a second-hand compact tractor. You can pick up a decent 21HP B2100 Kubota compact tractor for only £6495 plus VAT (https://www.becksidemachinery.co.uk/product-page/kubota-compact-tractor-b2100). A hedge flail has the benefit of doubling as a flail mower, and it has a vertical reach of 3.3 metres. This hedge flail for sale retails at £3,495 plus VAT. An alternative option is the FarmMaster HFSC-1600 compact tractor hedge cutter for sale at £2995 plus VAT. Its design provides a more precise trim for really shaping the head aesthetically. It has a maximum height of 4.9m, which is something to consider depending upon the height and extent of the hedgerow around your smallholding. A 20-40 horsepower tractor is required to run an HFSC0-1600, and a used compact tractor for sale, such as a 4300 John Deere compact tractor would work well. We have recently sold a similar John Deere for £9995 No VAT. Check out our used tractors for sale page, as we have a regular stock of John Deere tractors for sale.
Digging Holes
Perhaps we've saved the best until last, or to put it another way, maybe this is our favourite thing to do with a compact tractor, and that's digging holes with decent compact tractor backhoe attachments. There are many reasons you would want to use a tractor digger, and one of them is security. Unfortunately, theft of farming and agricultural machinery is becoming more common in this day and age. In addition to storing your equipment securely, digging a trench around your land parameter, especially if you have adjacent woodland, means that thieves can't steal and drive tractors or other machinery away through your woods, etc. When fitted with a tractor backhoe attachment, the compact tractor is quickly turned into a powerful mini-digger; digging trenches, uprooting trees, and all types of excavation are possible when you have turned your machine into a backhoe tractor. LANDLUGGER is an excellent brand for compact tractor backhoe attachments. A BH-10 costs £3495 plus VAT, has a maximum fork digging depth of 1.3 metres and is suitable for a 15-35 horsepower tractor. In contrast, their BH30 model requires a 25-30HP compact tractor and a maximum fork digging depth of 3 metres, with the added benefit of a hydraulic side-shift feature on this model. This compact tractor attachment retails at £4995 plus VAT. In stock, we currently have a second hand Iseki tractor, model TL2301, fitted with both a front loader and a BH-15 compact tractor backhoe attachments for £10495 plus VAT (https://www.becksidemachinery.co.uk/product-page/tl2300-iseki-tractor-front-loader-tractor-tractor-backhoe).
Tractor package deals
To finish up, we should mention that you can save yourself a lot of money if you purchase the compact tractor and compact tractor attachments together. For example, we are tractor dealers for both Kioti and Branson, offer Branson Tractor package deals, and the Kioti tractor package deals with any combination of the above tractor implements. We can also do a similar thing if you decide to go for a second-hand tractor.
We hope that this article gives you some thoughts about the cost involved when looking to purchase a compact tractor, from the implements, the size and horsepower required and whether or not to opt for a new or used compact tractor. If you have any questions regarding what type, size and brand of tractor would be best for your smallholding or what attachments would get the job done around your place, please call us on 01673828965, and we'd be happy to help.