Got a question about how to match tractor horsepower with the amount of acreage it's going to be maintaining. Sounds like an easy question, right? There are so many factors involved with tractor selection that basing it solely on the amount of ground that you own is very dangerous.

I'm going to first state the obvious, the bigger the tractor you get, the wider the implements you'll be able to pull, the faster you'll get your work done. So, if you don't get any therapeutic value from tractor driving and want to get the work done ASAP, get the biggest tractor you can afford.

However, if you're like a lot of us, and on a budget, or you need a smaller tractor to get in tight places, haul around with a small pickup, or fit in a garage, here's my rule of thumb. If your place is smaller than 5 acres, you can buy a subcompact tractor with a 4' cutter and get your work done in a reasonable amount of time. If you own 515 acres, a 2535 horsepower small compact will work with a 5' brush hog. If it's over 15 acres, better opt for a 35+ horsepower larger compact and at least a 6' cutter to maintain your property. Any smaller tractor on these larger acreages and you'll be taking forever to get the job done.

Also, factor in any projects that you think you might want to do later on with the tractor, such as running a disc mower, moving logs, or tillage work, and you may need to bump the horsepower up even more.

The bottom line is, there are tons of factors that go into selecting a tractor size, acreage is just one of them. Your goal needs to be to get a tractor that you can use for a long time and be happy with. If you have to trade it's not the end of the world, but the longer you can put that off, the less money it'll take to do that. Hopefully you get the right size the first time and you can own one tractor for the rest of your life. That's what I plan to do. You'll always dream of having the next size tractor with bigger implements, that seems to never end.

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