I would keep the 4whlr and get a small to mid size tractor. You can do so much more with a tractor that has a bucket on front. Make roads, lift heavy objects, even tear things down. Our tractor not only is a bushhog, or a backhoe, it does all our heavy lifting. Can't imagine not having it!
@Eddy Goss for the money a steel track is gonna cost you, you'd still never be able to touch a ventrac on slopes, or do as little damage to the ground as them.
You should look at a Kubota tractor. I’ve got one and it’s great. Plus it’s fairly narrow. And it has a bucket on the front for moving dirt. I’ve got a tilling attachment on the back for tilling our garden in the spring.
I got my poulan (made by husqvarna) for $200 and it was the best thing I've bought besides my 30gal air compressor. We just bought a house with 1.5 acres in the mountains of Pennsylvania (so also has some hills). I use it more to tow around my $20 utility trailer I got at a yard sale, than i use it to mow grass. I've also rented hydraulic scoops and other things like that if you want to have some of the uses of bigger, more expensive, tractors. If you can find a decent lawn tractor for cheap, you will find a lot of uses for it, trust me.
I live in south western PA. Similar land style. Close to WV. Id say we use our tractor more than the ATV. Its a diesel engine with 60 inch cutting deck. So not only does it keep the feilds low but tractors have PTO. And if u you know anything about PTO than you can do anything. We have a pto wood chipper and plows for digging up the earth, electronic 50 gallon sprayer for weed prevention or fertilizer. ATVs have their uses, but the power of a tractor is unmatched. You can drive steeper hills on a tractor too. Edit: last thing, it comes down to power versus speed in my opinion. Plowing snow is horrendous on a tractor, its slow and you have to drive in reverse. Atvs and trucks have front plows and are wayyy better. But if i needed to smooth out some land, i wouldn't wanna drag chains on an ATV. Id 100% use a tractor attachment because moving earth takes power.
Rode on mower, with ATV tires, Throw a belt powered water pump on it, an older model Chevy altinator, fer portable power, like 12v or 120 with a converter
You could do a lot with a 4wd compact tractor. they actually aren't much physically larger than an atv, but way heavier of course. Your atv cant mount a bucket, hoe, box blade, snowblower, pull loads and run auxiliary equipment with a PTO. If i could i would have both, a tractor isnt very good for getting somewhere fast or for cooling off when its too hot lol
i love forward to the video 10 years from now: "well, I finally got a tractor...y'all were right" not to replace your ATV's, to do all the sorts of stuff they cant do.
Man. Speaking of hills and tractors. My land is on a hill... and we have a tractor and I have a FEARLESS husband. And I also have a few new Grey hairs.... he's almost tipped over several times. Eeeeeeek
As someone who was born and raised in WV I agree. A tractor is going to be a death trap they are too top heavy. I've lost family members on em. Now that being said. Look into a ventrak they have numerous implements for it. 4x4. They are little tanks literally. And they are wide tracked so they have a hard time rolling or flipping. But you might like it buddy
Deere 1025r does hills like that about the same width but its longer wheel base so getting on and off the hills you can bottom out. However get stuck use the loader to curl your way backwards to get out of the mud
If you get a tractor it would give you a good reason to make some good trails (which is my favorite past time) which in the end will make it so you can use more of your property and drag trees from anywhere in the forest, giving you the ability to thin your woods in a healthy way
Plus a good tractor will set you back 30 thousand dollars. That's pretty expensive for a small ranch I think once you get more established and find more ways to utilize your property and build on it in the future you might find it necessary
A lot of people seem to recommend getting a honda atv. My best advice on that is go to a dealership or a store you trust, explain your situation and see what they say.
lot of people say honda because of the reliability. No belt to slip or get wet, 1st gear is always super low so you always have power even in my 350. They're just workhorses not some combination of play and work
They make orchard tractors that are narrower and a tractor is gonna do a better job of getting through mud at the same as a 4 wheeler if they’re going the same speed.
Oh man, what area of WV? (I dont mean specifics, just general area). I live in Indiana now, but Im from a place right at the mouth of Paint Creek called Holly Grove...close to Hansford.
Mowers there my go to I got tractors but I’d rather mess with a mower there cheaper easier to work on and parts are super available and they’ll work damn hard
I'd say for heavy hauling or something similar. Like if the 4 wheeler gets stuck. One tractor I'd recommend is the Farmall H. Big, easy enough to work on. They made 400,000 of em so the aftermarket is pretty decent. You can turbo them if you're into that. And hey if you need it you can out on a front loader. The Farmall H is legendary for being a really good tractor. With that terrain make sure you get a wide front for the added security. Might want to bring the tires out further with some wider tires aswell. Edit: for context on the older tractors you can bring the rear tires out because of the design of the axles.
I do no-dig farming, it completely negates the need for a tractor at least if you're only farming for sustenance like I am. Look up Charles Dowding, dude is the king and it is largely he alone that popularized the method and showed it to the masses.
A small little Ford tractor has a very low center of gravity, I have two of them, use to mow my lawn, 2500# I will own them until I die, yes they will last my lifetime and most likely my son's lives
four wheelers easier to right in the event it gets wronged but the weight and low geared torque is a huge benefit a man needs multiple tools though some tools just for rescuing other tools I'd say get a ripsaw tank mount a half dozen "potato cannons" and plant a few potatoes downrange 😂😂
Idk I would do a skid loader if anything just because they are pretty small and can do most things a tractor can. If what you got works why change. There is a damn good reason the old timers are driving their old trucks it friggin works why change 😂
I use a 2000 Honda 350, super reliable and light, I can pick up the back or front end pretty easily. I don't have any heavy work to do around my place though
Could probably do it with just a few acres. Depends on your plans. The grand dream is probably out of reach for beginners (am one, mean no offense.) but in time, could probably hop and trade and consolidate.
8n is a no go. just seeing your terrain in WV i cant fathom why an 8n would be suggested. i tried something similar, it looked exactly the same (8n, 9n, etc. idk) first gear was so fuqn fast it was almost unusable, we never got it to the guy that would re-gear it before it was sold when the place we where at closed down. it was too fast to cut the 2-3 foot grass for the cook out band nights we ran each weekend. regrettably no 4x4 meant it was useless on the hill with all the grapes when damp and even more so wet. so for you, at least what ive seen in your ytube shorts, i would def not recommend it. instead i would suggest a sub compact or compact tractor, that way depending on your chosen model you still have good maneuverability in tight spaces but you also have access to many pto attachments and perhaps even a front bucket and the ever so useful 4x4.
I would buy an old jcb 4 in one bucket and back hoe, I used one for years and that thing could go anywhere 4 x 4 and they can climb 😂 wont fit trough the narrow gaps but it can make the gaps wider no problem. But obviously you would keep your quad anyway 🤷♂️..
So what are your plans for the property? I assume since you keep referring to it as your homestead that you are going to grow food. Are you interested in permaculture design or other regenerative land management practices?
