Topic: looking for a Strong but small size tractor for a friend

[grcamna2]

I have a friend(Nathan) who's looking for a small size Very strong and durable little tractor.He doesn't want one made by the MTD company.He's 58 & lives in Western Mass. near Pittsfield,MA. He lost both his Dad and Mom within a 2 year period,he's disabled(Eyes,Diabetes,etc.)but still loves to work on his old Skidoo Olympic snowmobile & run his Simplicity Garden tractor,etc. He's the only one left in the family now except for a brother in TN. who visits rarely.
  I'd like to help him by using my computer to find him a Strong little Tractor that was meant to be called a TRACTOR and was modeled after the large farm tractors but small enough so he can get it into his little one car under house garage.He's never had a computer so I'll keep trying to search his local(Western Massachusetts)CL adds to find one that he can afford that'll hopefully be ready to use for the season.He likes older ones,w/o all that plastic and stuff.He wants to use it to mow lawn,hook up a brush hog and push a snow plow in Winter.I'd like it to have a strong and durable Engine(possibly a 18-24 HP) & drivetrain..and even though it might be an older one I hope it's been produced for a few years using a proven design where it won't be impossible to find parts for.He wants a sit-down model that he could have up to a 40" mower deck.
Do any of you sohc4 members have any ideas for me ?  I need an education on HD 'little' Tractors.   
                                Thanks,  Bill H.

[grcamna2]

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[trueblue]

Something that may fit the bill is a Massey TE20.  I don't know how common they are over there, they are fairly common here.  They are a small farm tractor, petrol powered, 1940's and parts still readily available.  Plenty of power for most hobby farms and will spin a 4' slasher easily.  Hopes that helps a little, I know the American market got a lot of little tractors we didn't get over here. 

[mattcb350f]

Hi There,

There are a couple of tractor models that fit the description you're after. One being the Farmall Cub (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmall_Cub). Fantastic little tractor which can often be found with the Woods mower attachment. They aren't cheap; most restored models run $2,500-4,500 but I've seen some deals around $1-2k.

Other similar models would be the Massey Harris Pony, John Deere LA or M, Case VA,..etc. Most companies had a small tractor in their line up. I like the Farmall since they have a great attachment system for "belly" mounted mowers.

Good luck, Matt

[mattcb350f]

...Like this one here:

http://m.tractorhouse.com/ListingDetail/Index?listingId=8447515&categoryId=1111

Matt

[grcamna2]

ThankYou trueblue and mattcb350f,
That's Exactly what I needed to hear so I can be a little more Savvy to know what to look for. 

[grcamna2]

bump

[grcamna2]

Hey,
I took a look at these Nice solid model 'Farmall Cub', Massey Harris Pony, and the other tractors you members mentioned to me on Google search and then spoke w/ Nathan over the phone.I described them to him and he Loves them...but he's not sure he'll be able to fit them into his garage/shop because it has such a low height and width to get in under.
Can you recommend any other ones as Heavy Duty(or almost)as these models but just a tiny bit smaller ??
 He also said he'd much rather keep looking for Strong ones like this and would rather not get one with 'Hydro Drive'.He would like to attach a 'Brush Hog' to the back and take care of his neighbors open field too,He wants it to be able to push a snow plow with it;an underneath mower deck of up to 50" would be good too.
                        Thank You 

[grcamna2]

bump

[mattcb350f]

Of all the older tractors the Farmall Cub "low boy" model would be better; its basically just a shorter version of the cub. That being said, the cub series tractors just about fit in the back of a pickup. Their foot print so to speak is roughly 6' x 8' and 6' high. The low boy is about 4-5'....going by memory though. As for a plow attachment, I've seen those too.

If you want a little more compact then perhaps a older model diesel Kubota. There were some solid models produced in the late 80's that had belly mowers and 3pt. Hitches good for attaching a bush hog but remember the bush hog needs a good amount of power to be effective, like at least 40hp which you won't find in a tiny tractor. I'll tell ya, the woods mower attachment on the cub is nearly the same as a bush hog, just dont use it for cleaning out small trees.

It looks like it might come down to price. If you want a good all around option go for a vintage small tractor $2-4k with attachments. A later model diesel Kubota or similar will run $3-6k or higher but you might find a deal.

[grcamna2]

Matt,
Thanks for that.Do you think that a Farmall 'cub' "Low boy" would have enough torque/power to pull a bush hog behind it w/ power take-off or do you just recommend the under deck? 'woods mower' alone for that ??

                                     Thanks,
                                                  Bill

[grcamna2]

Mark,
What do you think of the I.H. Cub 982 SGT ? They said it was made by I.H. just before they turned the works over to MTD.
 Do you think it has enough power to do any 'bush hogging' ? My friend Nathan has always had garden tractors and he recently bought(2 years ago) a Simplicity 22 HP SGT w/ Hydro drive..,I need to ask him if he needs more power than that,I hate to be chasing my own tail trying to match what he wants w/ what he already has... 

[mattcb350f]

The 982 is a great mower but lacks the power and size for a bush hog. The low boy cub can handle the woods mower just fine but again, doesn't have the provisions for a bush hog.

If he is set on a bush hog then you have to get a tractor with a three point hitch and at least 30 hp.

Good luck. Matt

[grcamna2]

Matt,
You've been a Real help on this,I didn't know a thing about mowers/tractors until starting this search and speaking to you here.I've spent a few days doing this for Nate and now I'm going to hold onto this information for when he gets around to deciding what he wants to do with the stuff I've told him about already.
I know once he gets back to me and tells me what His plan is that'll help  .
I appreciate the accurate and solid tips you shared with me,it was a good education.
                                               Bill