# Can you make do with a 4wheeler?



## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

some places allow you to rent tractors. you could just rent one for when you need to do fencing and etc. and everything else pretty much can be done with 4 wheelers


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

We use our four wheeler ALOT. Hauling supplies - smaller quantities of shavings, fencing - moving small squares, dragging the riding areas, pushing cattle (our non riding relatives use the wheeler).

However for pushing snow we use a skid loader, for mowing we have a lawn mower, putting out hay and hauling manure, we use a tractor.

We also have 10 times the number of horses you plan to have!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

We moved 5 horses out to our place, November 1, 1999. I've owned horses since 1985. I spent 12 years looking for the right place, and I waited until I could have the following, *minimum:*
1) A REAL house--not a trailer
2) A REAL barn--mine has a loft that holds up to 500 bales, and a 16' x 19' shelter attached to the West of the barn, and I've built 3 stalls inside
3) ENOUGH acreage--we own 5 acres--if my ship comes in I can build a good-sized indoor arena
4) Fencing, in separate, gated areas--4 of the 5 acres
5) Correct zoning for horses, and *NOWHERE, let me repeat, NOWHERE adjacent to a housing development OR near enough that a developer will want to build adjacent to YOUR horse property*
If people in houses with little property complain about your horse smells, they can and will petition to get _your_ zoning changed. Then, any and all improvements to your property will be a total loss. The only alternative would be to get a plant nursery to buy it, then.
MY property is zoned AG2. This means I can keep all of the animals that I can, as one person, take care of, BUT, I have to maintain odors. The only other requirement in my little town is to keep up with the mowing.
*The Pluses we got:*
1) a 4-car garage--the previous owners repaired Cadillacs, so they put a heater in the garage, too
2) 2 outbuildings, one large enough for a car
3) The Barn has the original garage on one side, with a mechanical door
4) West side of tiny town, so the low traffic helps to prevent dogs and cats from being run over
5) Fenced in area in front of the barn--can't tell you how many times it's prevented a breakout!
6) 100 year old house with 6 bedrooms and lots of storage property wide
7) Total price for the property was $89,900
The average price of a home in Champaign/Urbana was $130,000 in October, 1999, when we bought this place. (We live 22 miles from town.)
My new, replacement fencing (2008) which replaced aged cattle fencing _(which I felt blessed to have when I moved there, btw)_ cost $27,000, with 5 separate gated areas, and I improved on some of the fence lines which jogged unnecessarily.
I suggest that you don't jump at this until you research the price of everything the property doesn't have. Tack on another 20% on top of your totals, since you don't know what's going to break that needs immediate fixing, too. 
Sometimes, it's better to board, so do your homework. Please don't think I'm trying to pour cold water on your plans. I sincerely wish you good luck finding your own place. I used to take vacations with my horses prior to my move, and I'd sit in camp chair, drink my coffee and just look at my horses. Now, I can do the same thing from my kitchen, or from my screened in front porch, sitting on one of my wooden Adirondack chairs. =D
It's funny, but some horse people were making fun of my purchase bc many were buying undeveloped 20 acre "horse-zoned" properties east of town. Now, many of those are foreclosed, but I still own mine.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Is financing a small tractor not an option? Trust me you're going to want that tractor when you're building.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't have a tractor, yet, but I've started researching. I window-shopped with my local John Deere dealer. The basic small tractor would run ~$9,000.00
I also want the diesel plug in heater, the shovel and a mower. If you add these plus a trailer to transport for maintenance, the total jumps to ~20,000.00
I believe that the trailer's plate and future stickers would run about $90.00/year--just an FYI for anybody buying these.
Right now, we buy yearly stickers for plates for:
--2001 Ford Explorer
--Saturn L200
--1993 Dodge Cummins 3/4 ton truck
--2007 Dodge Full Ton Cummins 4 x 4 doolie
--2000 Horse Trailer
--small trailer (for riding mower)--too little to transport a tractor
ALL justify themselves and I didn't need them before I moved to the country.
If anybody has found a better deal with Case IH, or Kioti or another tractor company, please let me know.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

You could put a snow plow on the 3/4 ton. Not the dually though - no snow traction.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Okay, you do not NEED a tractor. Would one be nice? Yes... but you don't need it.

I have 44 acres and a Polaris 700 4wheeler. I have a snowplow that attaches to the front and a trailer that I can pull behind. My driveway is a half mile and I HAVE to plow it or the school bus will not pick up my kids as my driveway is the turnaround. Takes 20mins with the 4wheeler as long as I don't let the snow pile up for days on end. So during a horrific storm when it hits the 12" deep point, I go out and plow, even though it's still snowing and then again when it stops. 

Hay - small bales, I toss one on the front of the 4wheeler and move it that way. I can toss two in the trailer behind the 4wheeler (trailer has 125lb weight limit).

Water - I have a 35 gallon tank strapped to the back of the 4wheeler, just zoom around filling water buckets as needed. 

Feed - I routinely throw three 50lb bags of feed on the front of the 4wheeler to haul to the feed shed. If I go crazy and buy 400lbs of feed all at once, I just drive the truck down to the feed shed to unload.

Dragging - hook up the drag to the back of the 4wheeler and off I go. Personally, unless you have an enormous arena, a tractor is a PIA to drag with, the 4wheeler makes tighter turns and is far easier to operate. I use my trainer's 4wheeler to drag with, not her tractor. I drag my 10acre cow pasture with the ATV to break up the cow patties.

Mowing - I have a 56" John Deere ride-on. I mowed 20acres with it last summer, took me 4 days but I was also getting on/off constantly to fix meals for kids and deal with work crisis. I wouldn't buy a ride-on again though, Swisher makes pull-behind mowers for ATV's. Much cheaper if you already have the ATV and just as easy to use.

Fencing? What type of fencing do you want? T-posts? Just get a pounder and you'll have some nice arm muscles when done. Wooden posts? Rent a portable posthole digger, they're easy to operate, just as fast as a tractor as they have an engine to do all the work and WAY cheaper than spending thousands on a tractor.

Now all that said, my hubby did buy a tractor recently. Why? because there is no way I can mow/drag/disk our 30 acre pasture in addition to the 10 acre one I already maintain. So far the tractor has done a whole lotta sitting. I ended up buying 1600lb 4x4x8 bales of hay because I bought hay way too late in the year and small bales were gone. I had the hay delivered and the delivery guy unloaded and stacked my hay with my tractor. Haven't touched the tractor since then, I drive my 4wheeler/trailer over to the hay stack, fill up the trailer and drive the trailer around feeding. 

6 acres and 3 horses? You are going to have one very expensive tractor that's going to do not much more than occupy space. I'd get a good 4wheeler, chains for the 4wheeler, a trailer for the 4wheeler (to pull behind it), a snow plow for the front, a drag to pull behind, a Swisher pull-behind mower and a small disk to pull behind.


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Delfina said:


> 6 acres and 3 horses? You are going to have one very expensive tractor that's going to do not much more than occupy space. I'd get a good 4wheeler, chains for the 4wheeler, a trailer for the 4wheeler (to pull behind it), a snow plow for the front, a drag to pull behind, a Swisher pull-behind mower and a small disk to pull behind.


Thank you so much! Your post was very helpful, especially the last part as that's what I've been thinking about. I can totally see where a tractor would be useful and needed, but I can't justify buying one I'll use for a month or two and then let sit. Also having to build extra space to store it. I was checking out the Swisher products the other night when I realized maybe I CAN get by with just a 4wheeler.

Now I have to learn about 4wheelers and what kind I'd need...oh boy!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

We do not have a 4-wheeler, we have a tractor (and a tractor payment). There are lots of things that we could not do with a 4-wheeler that we can do with the tractor. 
A 4-wheeler is on our wish list of future things to buy but when it came down to it we decided a tractor would be more useful.

Moving and flipping the manure pile would not really be feasible with a 4-wheeler. (Even moving the hay wagons dropped off by the guy we bought hay from before we cut our own was not really doable with out the tractor.)
Cutting and baling our hay would not be feasible with a 4-wheeler.
The tractor allows us to more easily move around large loads (fence pots, fallen trees/branches, etc).


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

For now stick with a 4wheeler and rent a tractor when you really need one. Tractors can be real handy but no reason to not wait for a time when you can better afford one.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

We have 40 acres & 11 head. I have a tractor, skid loader & 4-wheeler and they all get used. Tractor for spreading manure, mowing pastures, working up the arena after spring thaw, hauling hay wagons, auger for building fence. Skid loader is a glorified wheel barrow, makes quick work of hauling manure, great for grabbing a few bales of hay from the hay barn to move to the stall barn, moving sand/stone. 4-wheeler gets used to spray fence rows, run the finish drag on arenas and playing with (just got our first snow, so I'm sure the sleds will be out soon!) 

If I had to give up one of them it would be the 4-wheeler hands down.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

We have just under 8 acres with three horses, a round pen, two pastures and no barn and have made do with a 4 wheeler (quad). Fortunately, we didn't need to level any land or clear any trees and when we do need to do some landscaping for a barn, we will hire it out or rent a tractor. We rented a post pounder that pulls behind the truck to build the fence. 

Like you, we went through the pain of realizing how expensive a small tractor was, and although able to multi-task, a small tractor wasn't versatile enough for us. It couldn't give the kind of finish we wanted on our grass and still plow snow well despite the expensive attachments. A small tractor also cannot handle a round bale. We settled on feeding squares, a 4 wheel drive quad and a separate riding mower. We bought the quad two years old but new out of the box with full warranty for under $7000 and purchased a 48" riding mower from friends for $100.00. It works great!

For the quad, we also use:

- a dump cart for hauling manure, weeds, etc. (less than $200)
- a blade and winch for plowing snow ($400 for blade and winch)
- chain link harrows for spreading manure (around $100)
- an 8' piece of heavy eyebeam for levelling out loose dirt and small hills (free from the metal scrap yard)

So far, we haven't missed having a tractor and have managed well with the equipment we have. If I ever need a tractor, it will be much less expensive to either rent one or hire the job out than to purchase one. We also use the quad for fun and running errands around the acreage.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

John deere is almost always the most expensive. Case/New Holland almost always has the better deals. I wouldn't get a tractor with out a loader though. ) We bought a 50horse for 20k brand new.. no sales tax either. We use the tractor for lifting beams, drilling holes, move square bales and round bales, box blading the arena, dirt work, dumping large amounts of manure.. we also use it as a latter and occasionally snow plow. That is when we only had 10 acres and just started building our facility 4 years ago. Since then we've grown to 62 acres and upgraded to an 80hp new holland (with a cab for all the mowing we do... it takes 36 hours) a Gator (Diesel 4x4), a skid steer, mowers, augers, dump trailer and 32ft flat bed trailer... My husband has lots of toys but then again we are still building our facility. I wouldn't mind adding an ATV.. they are super handy.. I just don't think it could replace a tractor.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

Have you looked at used tractors? They're out there and I've seen a lot of them in beautiful working order.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

starlinestables said:


> John deere is almost always the most expensive. Case/New Holland almost always has the better deals.


I totally agree. New Holland makes a very nice tractor for less money. They frequently offer 0% financing too.


I do not agree that a tractor can not mow a lawn or move a round bale. You can buy finish mower decks for any size tractor. My friend around the corner mows her very large lawn that way. 
We have never bought round bale spikes for our tractor and we move round bales just fine with it. Nothing a little bit of chain can handle easily.


I have nothing against four wheelers (as I said before, some day I would like to get one) I just think in the big picture if you can only have one or the other, a tractor will serve you better. Yes a four wheeler with a small dump cart can move manure, it is a slow and painful process (been there, done that, that is how the last place I boarded did things). Yes, a four wheeler can move snow, if it can push it. When the piles start getting big and pushing is not an option anymore you are not going to have much luck with your four wheeler. The tractor allows you to lift the snow so piles can be moved and made taller.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

goneriding said:


> Have you looked at used tractors? They're out there and I've seen a lot of them in beautiful working order.


That would be my suggestion if you want a tractor. I'm still using the 50's Ford Powermaster that my grandfather bought new. It's a great little work horse and has required very little in the way of repair.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I do not agree that a tractor can not mow a lawn or move a round bale. You can buy finish mower decks for any size tractor. My friend around the corner mows her very large lawn that way.
> We have never bought round bale spikes for our tractor and we move round bales just fine with it. Nothing a little bit of chain can handle easily.
> 
> 
> I have nothing against four wheelers (as I said before, some day I would like to get one) I just think in the big picture if you can only have one or the other, a tractor will serve you better. Yes a four wheeler with a small dump cart can move manure, it is a slow and painful process (been there, done that, that is how the last place I boarded did things). Yes, a four wheeler can move snow, if it can push it. When the piles start getting big and pushing is not an option anymore you are not going to have much luck with your four wheeler. The tractor allows you to lift the snow so piles can be moved and made taller.


Property set-up is going to play a huge difference in if you'd use a tractor though.

I don't get very much snow... it's pretty big news if I get more than 18" in a single snowfall. So my 4wheeler has absolutely zero issues, especially since I go out and plow as soon as we hit 12" deep and then plow again after it stops. I work from home, so I *can* do that, not possible if you are at work.

I don't need to move very much manure. Manure spreaders are made for 4wheelers and if you only have a few animals and spread daily or near daily, you won't have a manure pile that needs to be moved. 

Moving round bales or large square bales depends on the size of your tractor. I have ten 1600lb 4x4x8 bales that were unloaded and then stacked with my tractor. It was only possible because I have extremely heavy wheel weights on my tractor. I'd love to give my BO a bale of hay but I can't because her tractor is too small to pick up one of my bales and I don't have a trailer capable of getting my tractor to her place. I suppose I could drive it there but I think I'd make a whole lotta enemies as I drove my tractor 5mph down the 10mile one-lane road which has a speed limit of 55mph!

My sister-in-law has 3 acres, one horse and neither a tractor or 4wheeler. Her property is immaculate, she picks the stall/run daily and spreads it using a wheelbarrow and manure fork. Her husband mows with a push mower (I think he's insane... but to each their own). 

I don't use my tractor.... I don't even have a clue how to start it. 98% of all the chores and property maintenance is done by myself due to hubby's work schedule. I set our property up so that I am perfectly fine with a 4wheeler.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I'll be honest, my family has had horses and land since before my Grandpa's time and we only got a tractor about 7 or 8 years ago, and only then because we started buying big bales of hay and there was simply no other way to move them. We would do all of our stuff with a team of mules...from dirt work to spreading manure to mowing to moving logs/trees. Is it easier now that we have a tractor? In some ways, yes, but if we didn't buy big bales of hay, I'm sure we still wouldn't have one. I'm quite certain that you can get buy with a 4-wheeler for now (or maybe something like a used John Deere Gator, they are exceptionally handy). It will take longer and be more work, but if you can't afford a tractor, you can't afford a tractor.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I live on a dairy farm, so naturally we have tractors (3 actually) but in the 3 years I have owned atleast two horses constantly (most of the time it was 3 horses) I have never used the tractor.. Ever. And the only time I even use the motorbike is to shift all my jumps from one paddock to another.

In saying that, I don't have any of the facilities you want to have.. I don't have a barn, I don't have a round pen, and I ride in my paddocks, I don't have an arena of any sort. To me, they're luxuries not necessities, but do keep in mind I live in NZ, a barn isn't necessary for me becuse it very rarely snows here. My lunge line is my round pen, my paddocks are my arenas.

Do you need all those facilities all at once?

I move my hay with my car or with my hands, I do everything with manpower except moving my jumps.

Personally I don't think buying a tractor is necessary, renting one maybe, but not buying one with the amount of horses you have


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank you for all the responses! 



HollyBubbles said:


> In saying that, I don't have any of the facilities you want to have.. I don't have a barn, I don't have a round pen, and I ride in my paddocks, I don't have an arena of any sort. To me, they're luxuries not necessities, but do keep in mind I live in NZ, a barn isn't necessary for me becuse it very rarely snows here. My lunge line is my round pen, my paddocks are my arenas.
> 
> Do you need all those facilities all at once?


I don't NEED an arena or round pen, but I want them and plan to have them. A barn is necessary because New York weather is...crazy unpredictable LOL. Between freezing rain, snow, flooding...I want a barn for my horses. It's not optional for me (even though they will stay out most of the time) I've found when you need shelter for the horses...you REALLY need it. An arena, while not necessary, is one of my higher priorties. If I'm not going to have trails to ride whenever I want, I'm going to need a nice arena for days I can't trailer out to some trails. I've got a riding horse to keep in shape and a weanling to train so I need a good area where I can work them. Barn is first priorty though


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

To support what kmdstar said about conditions in NY. 

If you can not afford an indoor (which most of us can not) you at least need a good all weather footing if you plan to do any work in the winter. 

Riding in the paddocks is fine except when it is not. Which would be most of the winter. With the funky weather and crazy amounts of snow paddocks get difficult to walk carefully across, let along ride on.

NY does not require shelter for horses but it is crazy to not have shelter here.


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank you Alwaysbehind! I was going to mention that I _thought _it was a law in NY that horses need shelter. Can't believe it's not! But oh well, I just know that I personally won't have horses and no barn. My horses stay out pretty much 24/7 but there have been times when I couldn't imagine not having had them in during floods mainly. Our old girl doesn't take kindly to the floods and mud, she will fall down so a stall is the best place for her when it gets like that.

Riding throughout the winter doesn't concern me much because I am not much of a winter rider. My muscles get tense in the cold and when my horse feels that, she gets tense...lose lose! LOL we just go for bareback strolls in winter  That said, I am checking out HoofGrid for the pasture/paddock entrances/feeding areas (our old girl will REALLY benefit from this!! main reason for looking at it, she struggles through the mud) and depending on the cost of it and size of our arena, I'd consider it for the arena. Still looking for the right footing, trying to find sand/rubber mix footing. Getting a little ahead of myself here, but I'd rather be overprepared if that means the sooner my ponies can come home


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Your situation dictates how useful a tractor is. My dad had not had a tractor for years ('85) and bought one again a few years ago. Why? He now has a bad back and I'm constantly amazed by the new things he's dreamed up to do with the tractor. There's hardly a day that goes by that he's not using it in a way to save his back.

Also second the whole used tractor thing. He spent 6mos looking but found a deal on Craigslist, bought a JD for 10k and a dealer would of asked 20k for it and the attachments that came with it.


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## Patricia Lloyd (Feb 14, 2012)

Yup I have a wheeler to do all that stuff. I am trying to figure out how I can put a loader on it. I have seen them on little lawn tractors but not for a wheeler yet. www.countryatv.com You can go to this site to buy all the things you need for your 4 wheeler.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I remember the day I brought the tractor home, a used 1970 Massey Ferguson 135. It wasn't real pretty then, and my wife sure looked at me with only the look she can give.

10 years later, she'll tell you that the tractor was the best thing I ever brought home, and it's paid for itself time and time again. New fences, brushhoging, putting out round rolls, mowing, lifting stuff with the boom pole, drag harrowing the pasture, over seeding, manure spreading etc. etc.

She's on it most every day, well maybe not so much in the winter, but still she'd give me up before the tractor.

Around here you can buy a pretty decent older tractor for around 3 grand, and some can be had for less.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

We've lived without one for 25+ years. Grass is cut with a riding lawn mower, I cart grain to the barn with a wagon, and shavings are transported in a wheelbarrow. We are considering buying a JD Gator to haul manure, hay and grain with.


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

We have 20 acres, with about 2.5 acres of open grass land (rest is brush/timber). We have a really old tractor and a really old ATV (4-wheeler). We lucked out when our friend was selling the tractor for $3,000 with two post whole diggers, scraper, bucket, mower, etc., and so we got it about 12 years ago right when we bought the place, and we used it a LOT (we had 2 acres to clear of brush and trees, as well as build a house). Now, we use it for picking up manure and dumping it in wooden bins where it stays composting, for mowing pastures in spring, clearing brush (yes, still..) but thats about it. For the wooden bins, we could have built them so we could dump them with a wheelbarrow, we could use our hand mower for the pastures (I guess..) and with elbow grease we could make do with a machete and ATV for brush. We don't use the ATV for nearly as much. We back our truck to our "barn" for unloading hay and carry it 30 feet into the barn. So yes you could make do with just a 4-wheeler..

We use our ATV to just go around the property really. And for planting trees (in some opener areas) but other than that we dont use it much. *A-HA. We have a INGENIUS contraption for hauling the full wheelbarrow up the hill. We take a rope tied to the back of the ATV and tie it the wheelbarrow- one person sits at the back of the ATV holding the handles to help steady it while the other drives. We are bad. The safety rules say only on person. Oh well.* The hill is .. very steep. And impossible to lug up wheelbarrows. Or at least not fun at all.


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

View attachment 89605


I don't think you necessarily must have a tractor, but don't dismiss the idea of buying a used rig. I payed under 2000 dollars for this Kubota and it only had 800 hours on it. You can pay for it by doing bush hogging jobs or dirt-work. I cleared snow one day with this one and made 1200 dollars and used less than 3 gallons of fuel.

You can drag an arena with an ATV, but you can't grade with it or load. And these diesel tractors are made to last.


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## sierrams1123 (Jul 8, 2011)

A 4 wheeler is always nice but there are some things they just can not do as good/easy/fast as a tractor can.....I would def look into renting or bumming a friends for the things you need done now and saving up for future purchase....save the money you were going to spend on the 4 wheeler and put it towards the tractor fund.

Have you looked around for smaller used tractors?


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I get by just fine with a 4 wheeler. Spread manure with it, spread/push gravel with it, drag the pastures and "track" with it. I don't need no tractor! Heck, before I had the 4 wheeler I would use my SUV to pull the drag around and drag a wheel driven manure spreader.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> View attachment 89605
> 
> 
> I don't think you necessarily must have a tractor, but don't dismiss the idea of buying a used rig. I payed under 2000 dollars for this Kubota and it only had 800 hours on it. You can pay for it by doing bush hogging jobs or dirt-work. I cleared snow one day with this one and made 1200 dollars and used less than 3 gallons of fuel.
> ...


Agreed...a small, used tractor would be my choice.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Sorry I didn't see this thread before.

Lots of interesting posts made with differing experiences and opinions. 

I will tell you that our place would look very, very different without the tractor, because the place was in rough shape when we bought it, and lots of the rehab work we did was with the tractor. 

We pulled up every piece of fencing on the place using the front end loader. We cleared tons of brush and old cherry trees up from the old fences using the front end loader. Pulled swales and ditches and regraded the driveway using a road blade. Set posts for the new fencing using a post driver.

Used a bush hog on the back of the tractor to clear brush and clean up. Mowed the paddocks, with a bush hog, almost weekly when we were rehabbing the pasture. 

We feed round bales, and that would be impossible without the tractor. 

Drag and harrow the paddocks with the tractor. 

Pull the plow and disc for the garden with the tractor. 

Bed the chicken run with the front end loader. 

I could go on and on, but my point is, if the property is already decently set up for horses and in good repair, you can probably get by with the 4 wheeler. 

If it needs work/clearing/fences put up, my recommendation would be to find a small used tractor *with a bucket* on the front. Can't underestimate the value of the bucket.


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## InStyle (Nov 14, 2011)

I love our tractors  and they make life much easier. We have big 1600-2000pound round bales, that we bale ourselves. So tractor needed for that! We have a horse with heaves, and we use the bale processor to get all the dust out, so need a tractor for that. Our corral panels are VERY heavy so need a tractor to move them, so its easier to get the tractor in and move manure. 
We also have an atv and a JD gator (we are very much a John Deere farm). We have 3 tractors with bucket attachments, skid loaders, snow blower, grader/leveler, mower and other things too. 

I would second looking at second hand tractors.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## l8rgator (Apr 22, 2011)

We have one of those in between John Deere's (large riding lawn mower). We did buy it new, and I think it was around $8000 about 10 years ago but I can't remember if that included the bucket or not.

Looks like this:
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu211/Sergeant-64/IMG_0056.jpg

We couldn't live without it. Basically because of the bucket. We push/scoop/move poop, level ground, carry posts and many other things around, shovel snow, life things, push things down, break down thick prickly brush and push over small trees, move the chicken coup, and much more. And the stock mower does the yard in a fraction of the time of other mowers, plus mows over small trees and thick brush pretty effectively.

We use it so much that this year we decided to keep it from wearing out so fast we'd buy a 2nd riding lawn mower and stop mowing with it.. We bought the biggest of the small john deere mowers. It sucks. It feels like a toy, takes forever to mow, and can only mow reasonable length grass. If I could go back, I'd save the money put it towards waiting until the original tractor died to buy a new one.

We went with a used Kuboda first, but it was a PITA to take change accessories and take the bucket off. So we traded it in a week later for the John Deere and couldn't be happier. Did need an upgrade to tires with more traction. Also bought a generic sprayer attachment for spraying mosquitos (had to get a special hookup welded). And we'd love to buy a blade when we get more money. 

We've never had a four wheeler, so I don't know how it would compare. I'd miss the bucket. But in winter the traction and maneuverability would be nice while moving snow I think.

For perspective, we don't have a barn, have a garage converted to a run in shed, about 2 acres fenced, move and store our hay in a 7' high enclosed trailer, and have 2 horses. And a very very small budget.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I wish I had a front end loader......:-(

I move my round bales with a spear on the three point hitch.

Again, my wife would get rid of me before getting rid of the tractor!


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## PeytonM (Jan 9, 2012)

You can get a nice farmall H for the same price you can get a ATV. I got a 1946 Farmall H with a loader, new rubber all the way around with half a$$ paint job for 1300. I tore it down to re do it and found out the rear end had some issues but even still I've spend 50 dollars on a bearing and 37 dollars on rear end oil.. 

so I've got around 1400 in to it so far with out repainting it and with paint I'll be at about 1650. 

You can also get other tractors cheap...


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My 550 quad4x4 hauls a box spring to break up and spread manure. It will haul a single set of harrows. That pretty much takes care of the pasture. If you have a riding mower with bagger attachment, use it to pick up the scattered manure after it's dried. Good compost material. Or just scratch the ground with the harrows after the manure has been scattered. Acutally, I could have bo't a nice little Ford farm tractor for a little less than the used price on my quad.


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## smokeslastspot (Jan 11, 2012)

I didn't read all the posts, but here is my situation.

My family didn't own a tractor until last year. I have had 4 wheeler, although for a long time I didn't even have that, I just had a tiny riding mower. People had a hard time believing that anyone could do much without a tractor, but it can be done. All you have to do is spend a bit more time, effort, and planning/thinking, plus you can count it as exercise  Yes the tractor is very convenient, but not necessary.

If you just need a bit of dirt work done it's not terribly expensive to rent a tractor for a weekend, or trade some sort of service with a neighbor that has one. I just needed a few spots worked on and my dad was able to do that in one weekend with the rented tractor w/backhoe attachment.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I could have bot a nice small farm tractor for less money that I paid for a used 500 Polaris 4x4 quad. Farms sales are where you get the deals, not the dealerships. Farmers take very good care of their equipment.


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

I don't have a tractor..okay we do...but it's my great grandpa's 1942 ford tractor, and my dad is restoring it so it's not like it really has a function right now

We also don't have a 4 wheeler. And we make do just fine.
We live on 5 acres with 4 horses. We have built perimeter fences and lots of things just fine without either, just good ole manual labor. And if we did have either, they would only get used once every so often, so having one would really do us no good.
Unless you want crazy awesome dirt like professional reining trainers have, I don't see whats the problem in a small (insert word here) that could be pulled with a 4 wheeler.


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## PeytonM (Jan 9, 2012)

I disagree with you saddle bag to a point. Private party sales you can get good deals how ever the atv market is really low right now you can get a can am ds 450 new for like 7800 and there was a dealer with a mint like new ds450 for 4500 OTD that there my friend is a steal... I tell every one to stay clear of polaris. Is it a atv yeah will it work ya... will it last like the rest? No. A friend of mine dad got a 91 honda forfortraxs 300 they have replaced the oil and one front drive shaft cause my friend hit a tree when we were younger... that thing is a ox just keeps going. Its like that will all hondas. I say look for a smaller older tractor with a loader


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