Tractor Regrets! How Important Is Horsepower?

One of the top regrets I hear from customers is the first tractor they bought didn't have enough horsepower. How important IS horsepowers? Let's talk about it!

When you're looking at buying a tractor, there are a lot of sizes and HP ranges to look at - so, what's more important? Tractor Horsepower or Tractor Weight? I'll look at that and give you some examples of when tractor size or tractor HP will be the most useful. This is ESPECIALLY important when you're considering a 25 HP Tractor!

There a TON of choices when you're buying a compact tractor, so let's look at how to choose the best compact tractor.

Advice would apply to EVERY tractor brand: Kubota, John Deere, LS Tractor, Kioti, New Holland, Mahindra, Yanmar, Branson, TYM, and whoever else you can think-up!

We use a TON of tools and stuff on the homestead! Here's a link to some stuff that I really like to use. If you buy from our Amazon store, we get a couple bucks:

[KING-FU]

Power to weight ratio and needed lifting capacity is what I looked for. I was going to buy the highest HP “Sub-compact (46 HP) I could find, but wouldn’t do so without demonstrating one first. I used the FEL cutting soil grade behind the dealership for less than 5 minutes, including grass and pushing sand @ 1/2 bucket capacity. It started spinning all 4 tires and as a hydrostatic drive, I changed range, adjusted the throttle, same thing, just a different wheel speed. I then stepped up to a utility class tractor with 55HP. Lifting capacity went up over 35% and being a larger frame tractor (11-12” wider), is much more comfortable to stay on for big projects.

Without me demonstrating the bigger machine, my salesman convinced me to step up a Class-size when he said, “I’ve never had a customer come back and say, I wish you would’ve sold me a smaller tractor”. 😂 That’s one of the top 5 decisions I’ve ever made when purchasing new equipment.

[SpynCycle]

Going from a smaller frame tractor to a larger frame tractor, with the same horsepower, could be the solution for many people. In tractors, weight is your friend.
My experience is to do lots of research before buying the first tractor, then learn from using it, to determine what to buy for the second tractor.

[ProductiveRecreation]

Weight does work! My 1981 Ford 1700 Compact tractor is 25hp, and weighs about 4000lb with loader, wheel weights and loaded tires. With R1 tires, I run out of traction before I’m out of power. It’s gear drive though… my experience with hydros is that they don’t pull like that! Just consider the power and weight of the old N series Fords. By power they’re like modern compacts, but by weight like utility tractors.

[bandwidthpiggy]

Really wish someone told me this before I bought my first truck. Same logic, I have enough horsepower but not nearly enough weight.

[Vaul_The_Merchant]

This is exactly my thinking on my first piece of equipment purchase. I live in Rhode Island, land of the rocks. I purchased 5 acres with 3 acres of grass and I want to convert a lot of it into planting space, but I know I'm going to deal with a ton of good size rocks/boulders. I also want to clean up my woods, there is a ton of downed trees and good size rocks scattered around, which would be impossible to move with a subcompact. I had considered the Swiss army knife the BX23S, but after watching videos of them working, I think it will be drastically undersized to help me develop the land, but seems like the right choice for a machine to maintenance my property. This has me considering going with an older, but bigger backhoe and then when the property is developed, selling it and getting a compact tractor for maintenance.

[mikebolton]

I've got a Workmaster 40. Does everything I ask.

However... I can't pick up a full pallet of wood pellets, it'll pick up half, or 1000lbs.