Hey Gents,

I have a JD 2020 tractor that I do a lot of work with around the farm. Love it but at times it is too big for working in the garden, especially with the loader and a 3pt implement. I am looking for something smaller that is easy to maneuver inside a fenced in garden. What do y'all use in your gardens? Our garden is 100' long raised rows that are 18-20" wide and 36'' apart. Obviously, I'm not needing something as heavy nor as much horsepower to work the garden. Would like to use a garden bedder for building rows and cultivator to help maintain everything. As always, pictures are welcome!

I've had an old Allis- Chalmers 12 horse for years, with a 36 inch tiller, It's easy to back up close to the fence & till from end to end.

8n or 9n ford tractor they are reasonably priced about anywhere of course they are old but they are really nice in a garden no power steering but are super easy to steer and maneuver that’s what I’ve always used

the interesting thing is if it is the right size for a garden it is premium $$$

all the truck farms and vegetable growers want them as well as hobby farms

the farmall cub and A both command a higher price than an M

John deere 750 or 850

My first tilling with the tractor in spring (a few times diff days) opens everything up. Then I come in with the hand tiller. The trick is to have 1.5 hand tiller widths between your rows. All rows and gaps between barn and beds and etc... The hand tiller isn't much work busting up the dirt the tractor already busted up. You just have to do it every couple weeks or so.

Add lights and you can garden at night.

i have a 1025r john deere with a 48 inch tiller, loader and 60 inch auto connect deck. Handiest thing i have ever bought. Big troy built horse tiller for getting down the rows once the garden is up

For a tiller on steroids look at the Italian hand tractors or whatever they're called, till, plow, bed formers, hay making, a pile of implements. They're expensive but cheaper than a new compact tractor.

I'd look toward the older JD 300 or 400 series with hydraulics front and rear. Big enough to run light implements, but small enough to get into tighter places and do ground keeping work.

Our JD 850 got burned up in our garage fire years ago and I miss it.

Those conditions a BCS or Grillo two wheeled tractor would be ideal. As said expensive, particularly when you tally up all the possible implements, but they are small enough to work in smaller areas and with the PTO they are like a swiss army knife.

www.earthtools.com

Another option would be one of the Allis Chalmer G copies like the tuffbilt or oggun.

https://ronnietractors.com/oggun-tractor

But beig bigger and four wheeled they have a bigger turning radius.

Bcs is the most popular brand around here. They are expensive and each implements is as well but they definitely have a niche in her handy. I have yet to spend the money on one but I think it would be nice for inside of my high tunnel.

Warrior bear me to it.

Don't discount man powered tools. The Hoss Tools copy of the Planet Jr wheel hoe is a very useful labor saver in the garden. Though I would advise cruising fleabay and similar to acquire the original implements as modern stamping can't match the quality of the original castings.

I have an original small moldboard turning plow and one piece furrower aka bull plow that makes laying out furrows or hilling a breeze. Throw on some sweeps and it's a quick pass to weed if you do it when everything is still small and easily moved. Got the seeder as well.

Only thing it doesn't do is break and till.

Don't overlook the jd 650