Tractor Buying Simplified For Your Horse Ranch

The right utility tractor can lighten your load, tackle multiple tasks on your small horse ranch, and quickly become the hardest worker in your barn. With the capability to mow, tow, lift, spread, scrape, drag and drill, the possibilities of what you and your tractor can get done on your horse ranch are endless. Think of any project around the barn or horse ranch, and a tractor is probably the right tool for the job.

But a tractor is also a serious purchase and big investment for your farm or ranch. Buying a car or truck is one thing, but stepping into a tractor dealership is probably a completely new experience. Here are some questions you should ask before you buy.

Who needs a tractor?
Just about any horse owner could find uses for a compact utility tractor. Of course, the more horses you have on your property, the more often a tractor would come in handy. From daily chores to monthly maintenance and one-time big projects, a tractor adds mechanical muscle and cuts down on your manual hours. The helping brute of a tractor can also save your own body, including a sore back and bad knees, from physical stress.

How do you move hay now? If it involves bribing the neighbor kids to buck bales, it might be time for a tractor. Stall cleaning? Imagine, rather than multiple runs with the wheelbarrow, filling a big front-loader with manure and driving to the muck pile.

"I've sold tractors to veterinary clinics, horse owners with small properties, and ranchers with thousands of acres," says Dan Borchard, commercial parts manager at Central Oregon Workensport. "Anyone can find a use for a tractor."

"Maybe people are getting older, and they don't want to do all the manual labor," adds Sean Sundberg, commercial-customer planning manager for John Deere. "Or maybe their operation is getting bigger and a tractor could be great assistance, not only cleaning stalls."

Buying a tractor usually saves time and resources.

"The customer should look at what they need a tractor to do and ask if the machine is able to help," Sundberg says. "Basically, they usually find out that yes, a tractor really does save you a lot of work, which frees up time to spend with your horses, which is really what you want to be doing."

How much do I have to spend?
Good question, and the answer depends on what kind of tractor you need, what brand you prefer, and what extra implements you decide to purchase. However, plan on spending anywhere from $13,000 to $30,000 on a new tractor.

While tractors are a large purchase on par with horse trailers and pickups, Borchard says that you should view buying a tractor as an investment. "Our customers find their purchases are worth every penny," he says.

Prices for tractors range by brand, with domestics higher than imports. However, says Borchard, domestic tractors are usually easier to find parts for and less expensive to maintain.