Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you

[Ridgetop]

We have 2 tractors. A small Kubota 2WD that is really not strong enough for our hard soil, but good for moving stuff, and cleaning stalls. We have a large 4WH tractor which we gave our son which he has used for everything on his new place. He has 5 fairly flat acres and only had the house on it. He dug all his fence post holes, put in the water lines from the well to the horses and eventual barn site, pulled out a dead tree, plowed up his garden, etc. etc. He has picked up a ton of attachments for it used and cheap. DH keeps mentioning bringing it back here, but we are on such steep ground that I don't think it would work here in spite of the 4WH. That is why DS borrowed it in the first place. Also DH has a very bad knee and can't really bend it enough to fit comfortably when driving the tractor. If the tractor turned over he could not jump free in time.

I like the idea people have put out of renting a couple different tractor makes and models since you can see how comfortable they are for you and how you like driving them. Renting equipment first is a good way to see if using it is something you want to do before investing beaucoup $$$ in equipment. Or even if you are going to use it enough to warrant purchase. With 162 acres you will probably need a tractor and some attachments too. Also, definitely pursue the lease with the hay farmer for the field. Then, check into renting a small tractor with brush hog to cut the pasture. If you can't find anywhere to rent a tractor and brush hog, ask the hay farmer and he probably knows someone who sould cut the pasture for a price. It might be cheaper in time and rental for you, especially if you are worried about driving the tractor and brush hog. Also see if you can lease out the pasture for grazing. If you can't find anyone to lease the pasture, look into getting feeder goats, lambs, and pigs into it. Goats will clear the brush, sheep will graze off the ground weeds, and the hogs will eventually turn up the soil. If you time it right, you can put them in at different times, then take them to the butcher and have home grown meat in your freezer. Also check out Premier Supplies. They sell portable electric net fencing that you can set up to fence in smaller pastures within the large one. By confining the animals to smaller spaces you make sure that they clear everything inside the fence line. Then move the fence and have them clear another section.

Sadly, you can't just expect the land to stay beautiful without maintenance. Cutting or grazing pastures is necessary for pasture health to let the new growth come up, and control brush. Once you have it under control, you can decide how many animals you will need to keep it healthy.

Either way, you are going to enjoy living on your farm. Let's hear no more talk of senile! You, like the rest of us retired folks, are in your prime! 70 is the new 40!

 

[greybeard]

and when my dad was able to leave and started working at the Red River Army Depot (RRAD, then called the Red River Arsenal) in Northeast Texas, he vowed he would never live on a farm again. So we lived in small towns (De Kalb and New Boston). When growing up, my wife also lived in a small town (New Boston), and her dad also worked at RRAD.

How could I have missed this part of your intro... I never lived there but spent lots of time there in the 50s and 60s visiting, and at least twice, spent a month at a time during the summer and the name forever holds a special place in memory for me and my family. (I, my twin brother and a cousin got caught stealing watermelons from a neighbor's field one summer....didn't end well for us)
Our (wife and I and brother) most recent visit to New Boston was Feb 2017.
My father's place of birth was Maud Tx, but PawPaw moved the family to just south of New Boston soon thereafter to a little community called Moss Springs which is now on county road 2149. The springs the community is named for is on my grandfather's place, which a cousin of mine now owns.
My grandparents and most of my father's siblings are buried in Ringwood cemetery on Highway 8 just West of New Boston.
New Boston holds firsts for me.
First real movie I ever saw was in the old Joy Theater in downtown New Boston and the 1st train I rode was from Houston and got off at the New Boston Depot that is now a museum, called Thee Bostons Museum.
The first fish I ever remember catching was at my grandfather's place and the first chain grocery store I ever went in was the old Piggly Wiggly in New Boston...to me, it seemed huge at the time, which was probably around 1956.
I swore I would never again get into a boat after running trotlines on the Red River one cold stormy night in the late 50s with my father and uncle. A thunderstom blew up, and it poured rain on us while we were way up the river from our launch site, and I shivered the whole way back in a 16' open john boat with several inches of water in the bottom of it.
3 cousins and an uncle of mine still live in or near New Boston, one raising registered Hereford cattle off Hwy 8 just South of New Boston. The uncle, for a couple of decades had a govt contract to trap coyotes, bobcats, fox and raccoons off RRA. They were setting off alarms and tunneling into the ammunition bunkers. I've been on RRA several times as a guest of his as he was running his traps.
Both my parents, most of my uncles and aunts at one time or another, worked at RRA and/or the now closed Lone Star Army Ammunition plant.

Maud btw, is not a real safe place to live or work.
A total of 117 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Maud, TX

 

[Ridgetop]

You know what they say - everyone is only 3 people removed from someone who knows you or your family! I bet Aggie's and Greybeard's parents must have known each other or had the same friends!

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

All,

I feel so grateful to all of the helpful advice I have received, especially @Bruce , @Latestarter , Miss @Ridgetop , Miss @farmerjan , and @greybeard . You guys know so much about the farming life, including tractors and other farming equipment. I am so in awe of what you folks know.

I took you folks' advice to rent a tractor and went to the small community of Magazine, which has a dealer for Branson, Kioti, McCormick, and Duetz Fahr. They did not have any tractors or equipment for rent, nor did they know of anyone who did. Since Greybeard liked McCormick so well, I priced a McCormick. The smallest HP tractor they had was over 100 HP with both a front and rear PTO and was $55,000. I looked at the smallest Kioti they had on the lot that had a cab (I admit it -- I am a wimp and like getting out of the dust if I can). It was a bit more reasonably priced, since it was a 73 HP, and with a FEL, a mid-grade brush hog/shredder, and a grapple, it was $50,000. (See here for the description: https://www.hallermotorworx.com/new-models/2018-kioti-rx7320-cab-26652976b ). I then drove over to Paris, AR, as I thought I remembered there being a farm equipment place there. But I couldn't find one. An internet search for a tractor rental place did not find any such place within 50 miles. I was just IM chatting with a rental place, as they seemed to have a great deal: $2500/mo for a 100 tractor. But when I asked them where they were, they said they had offices all over -- in Florida! Oops! So I will keep looking.

Greybeard, thanks for telling me about your familiarity with the New Boston area. About the only folks I meet who knows where that is are those folks who know it is a stop on I-30! So thanks very much for sharing. And, yes, Ridgetop, there is a very good chance Greybeard's family members and my and my wife's family member knew each other.

For what it is worth, I have been reading a number of posts by many of you members, as I often learn so much that way. Maybe before I die I will have read all of the posts on this web site!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[greybeard]

Since Greybeard liked McCormick so well, I priced a McCormick.

Greybeard did not like McCormick, nor dislike it. GB liked Massey Ferguson.

 

[Ridgetop]

I would put up some notices at the feed store, and other local places with ad boards, advertising that you want someone to brush cut a field. You might find an ad from someone wanting brush cutting work. Also check Craigslist for a used tractor, as well as anyone wanting brush cutting work. Since you have experience working on engines, you would be able to pull maintenance on the engine yourself if you get a used tractor. Especially good buy if it comes with attachments, and has been taken care of. Just check to see if you can get parts if it is an off brand.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Greybeard did not like McCormick, nor dislike it. GB liked Massey Ferguson.

See, I told you folks I was senile!

I will do as you suggested, Miss @Ridgetop.

And now, CALLING ALL BYH MEMEBRS! Please let me know what kind of tractor each of you has, along with the implements, what you like about them, and what you dislike about them. That way I can learn from the folks who already know what they are doing!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Baymule]

You already know how we cleared off our green briars! I'm not muck for poisons, so we whacked them down with machetes. We have sheep and they eat off any new growth.

My tractor is s 2320 Kubota. It is 23 horse power, 4 wheel drive, quick connect (I love that) for the implements.

Box blade. It is seldom used. If we lived on a dirt road or a long driveway, we could use it to keep the road/driveway in shape.

Bush hog. It is 4' and we have used it a LOT. We mow with it and it is an important piece of equipment.

Front end loader. Can't imagine NOT having it! We have moved a lot of dirt, mulch, horse manure, rocks, anything we could think of. I LOVE IT.

Disc. this has helped in breaking up the garden. It is also good for smoothing out and contouring.

Forks. These are clamp on type, they clamp on the FEL. Haven't used them much, but they are handy to have for moving various things. I would rather have the type that are an actual implement attached to the tractor, as they are sturdy and the clamp on are not so great.

My tractor is too small for what you would want. It is the perfect size for 8 acres, but sometimes I wish it were bigger.

 

[greybeard]

Own or have owned Fords x3, 2 different Case tractors, and a Leyland..Ford and Leyland are not available any more. (Ford Ag products was bought out by and merged into New Holland, which itself is or was owned by Fiat and British Leyland stopped selling in this country in the early 90s and has since been bought out by Nuffield Marshall which are also not available here)

Case has merged with International and they make very good tractors..probably my 2nd favorite due to so many service locations and huge parts availability.

Implements? Most of my stuff is old but still serviceable..kinda like me. I do not cut hay so won't be listing any.
8' Modern bush hog.*
6' Modern brand bush hog.*
6' Rhino brand bush hog.*
Howse bushog..I no longer use this 4' mower because the deck finally rusted out.
Double bottom plow.
Single bottom plow.
Several different sets of disc harrows.
Dirt scoop--don't remember the brand.
2 grader blades. a 5' & 6'.
2 Box blades both 6 foot.
Hay forks for 3 pt.
Hay spear for my Case backhoe loader combo.
6' PTO driven power tiller.
Double plow meadow/middle buster plows x 2.
A Dearborn brand 6 row cultivator.
A 5 bushel cone type seed/fertilize spreader Landpride brand.
330 gal home built herbicide/fertilize sprayer..it will cover a 30' swath.
3 pt post hole auger with a 6" and a 9" auger..I don't remember the brand.
Landpride landscape rake.

If you buy used, worry not about age but about hours.

* been a few years since I needed to use any of the 3pt mowers. Lots cheaper, faster and more effecient to hook onto the sprayer and let the cows do the rest.

 

[Ridgetop]

This is Ridgetop's DH offering his advice on tractors, since Ridgetop only knows how to run the tractor into the fence. She was moving dirt downhill in the skip loader (FEL) and the tractor - the smallest Kubota made - only has brakes on the rear wheels. The tractor wouldn't stop when she tried to brake and instead of dropping the FEL she abandoned ship - or rather tractor. When I got home she limped out to tell me my tractor was stuck in the fence.

Our second tractor is a Farmall - 60 or 70 HP - with 4WD and PTO (power take off) and came with a FEL on the front and a back hoe attachment and a gannon with teeth. It does not have an enclosed cab.I paid $17,000 used with about 100 hours on it. My son has it on his 5 acres and has bought a post hole attachment, forks, brush hog and a couple other attachments. He has gotten a lot of use out of it because of the terrain on his property.

I like both my tractors for different things. When I bought the Kubota I didn't know much about tractors but wanted something for hauling hay, and mainly clean up, moving manure, etc. I paid $5,000 for the Kubota which had only a FEL, but has a hookup in back for a gannon. The person I bought it from used it for dragging his arena with chain link fencing. The main problem with my little tractor is NO 4WD, and NO PTO. It is limited in where it can safely go on my steep acres - see paragraph above about DW and fence. I do not recommend this small size for you, especially since there is no PTO or 4WD. But mainly because it is too small for what you want to do.

The large tractor is really good but you need to get parts from the east coast. The 4WD and PTO and larger size was my reason for buying it. That tractor would do everything you want if you can get a used one, especially with some attachments. Instead of an enclosed cab you can buy a lot of good safety goggles for the extra $35,000!

I think you need look at different tractors, used and new. Go to auction yards and shop around. Sit in various brands and models to judge comfort and ease of use. Check prices both new and used so you will know a good deal when you see it. Make sure that the tractor you want or decide to get has 4WD, PTO, easy connect accessories, and low engine hours. Also make sure that it looks like it has been maintained. The accessory you need now is a brush hog, if you want to do fencing later get a post hole digger attachment, a gannon for flattening ground, and FEL for moving dirt or loading brush into a dump trailer.

I bought and returned 2 Troy Bilt weed whackers with brush blades last August when I tried to cut the high grass on my aunt's field in Yelm. Bought in Lacey at the Lowes and got all the attachments because they were on sale and some came free with purchase. All I wanted to mow was a path to turn my 5th wheel around. The first one clogged after about 2 hours or 1 tank of fuel. Then it would not start again so I returned it and got another. The second one ran fine through 5 tanks of fuel but the next morning it refused to start too. I took it to a guy who specialized in repairs and he couldn't start it either so I returned it, along with all the attachments - tree trimmer, blower, etc. He said that the equipment sold at Lowes is lower grade than at Troy dealer. It is made for weekend gardeners in tract homes, not farm use. I got a Stihl this year and am using the special canned gas and have had no trouble. Hope this helps.

Consider rabbits for one of your first meat producing animals. Are you willing to butcher?