[ShaunP]

It really is down to what different needs and requirements you have. If I had to have only one vehicle then I think the Discovery 300Tdi would win. Cheap parts and easy to fix. Tows 3500kgs, low range and All Terrain tyres make it unbeatable around the farm and can be used as an everyday car.
I have a very special Sunday and high day car that is a Range Rover P38 2.5. Again very capable around the farm but it is too good for a bale of hay in the boot, although you could probably get 2 in there!! It is again on All Terrain as that is the key to dealing with dodgy conditions.
The other vehicles in the collection are for different purposes, a Mercedes Estate for work, family use and any trips that do not involve towing, that is a Land Rover job!!!
An old VW Transporter is also on the fleet for building jobs so not really a small holding or farm vehicle but I can see why some people go for small vans if they dont need 4 wheel drive or more passenger space. But if push came to shove and I could only have one.......then the disco wins!!!

[Sweatyfarmer]

Thanks everyone, interesting views and experiences - time for some head scratching before I take the plunge - head or heart ?

[hughesy]

Have a good think about all the things you might need to do. We run three vehicles and couldn't manage with just one. The Land Rover for all the dirty stuff, towing, fetching and carrying etc, a refrigerated Transit for the markets and for collecting from the abattoir etc, and a nice old Volvo estate for best and for the wife to get to work and as general family transport. She's a nurse so can't go to work in a mud filled Landy. Likewise can't use it for carrying meat or the market stuff. Can't use the tranny for towing stuff in or out of fields or for muddy stuff in general. And don't even think of getting in the Landy if you want to keep your clothes clean. I spose it depends on what you get up to but we couldn't manage with a compromise.

[Fowgill Farm]

Agree with Hughsey, we run a transit van and on our 2nd ford ranger, OH uses the transit for work (builder) and I run the ranger which does everything it says on the tin, pulls like a train, goes anywhere (pulled a stupid bloke and his sports car out of our front field on Friday nite, he stopped to have a pee in our hedge and thought he could turn round in the field or should I say pond! ) plenty of room and now I have parking sensors I can reverse it anywhere . + as the ranger carries a tonne OH got the VAT back and a big chunk of his tax back so quids in too!
mandy

[tizaala]

Have to go with the Forester, total all rounder, I just put a couple of Matador tyres on the front this week just in time to test them in the snow , brilliant. it pulls my tatty old chopped down rice box trailer with 2 and sometimes 3 Hestons on board, 30ish to the gallon on a run , can fit a rangemaster cooker in the boot no problem. Well pleased with it.

[Fowlman]

We have an old SWB Suzuki grand vitara, excellent off road and even better now i have put some all terrain tyres on.

[Anke]

You really have to think hard to make sure you can justify a 4 x 4, diesel is not going to get any cheaper....

We have managed fine with a family estate for a while, a 1.9Tdi does tow ok, although not big trailer. However once I drowned it we decided to go for something bigger.

I now run a Renault van, the long one and it takes 30 bales of hay, as many feed sacks as I can buy in one go, transports my goats and if I have too many lambs for one run to the mart a couple can go into the back of the van (and lifted out once there). I put hurdle divisions into it, and OH has built a semi-permanent wall in back so I can take goat stuff to shows and they can't get at it. I also sleep in it when at shows and if we can get our act together we will go "caravanning"/wild-camping with it this summer. It can pull a larg(ish) trailer, and OH is now getting better at reversing it too.  White van also gives you a different kind of "street cred" on the school run...Only drawback - just three seats.

For field work we have a 30hp tractor, and OH drives an (economical) estate for daily commute/family outings.

On the few days per year when a 4 x 4 would be handy we just stay home!

[benkt]

I've got an L200 and rely on it hugely. I needed a double cab as I have to do school runs with three kids and the back is still plenty big enough to take a pallet of pig food. I've found the pick-up style so helpful over the last few years as pretty much anything can by shoved in there and tied down. I can't imagine going back to trying to fit things into a boot!

[marka]

We use a S3 Land Rover for anything that involves driving in a field or on snow etc and an A4 quattro estate as our family car which also doubles up as the towcar.

Works for us, especially as the Landy costs buttons to fix.

Regards

[Foobar]

Have to go with the Forester, total all rounder, I just put a couple of Matador tyres on the front this week just in time to test them in the snow , brilliant. it pulls my tatty old chopped down rice box trailer with 2 and sometimes 3 Hestons on board, 30ish to the gallon on a run , can fit a rangemaster cooker in the boot no problem. Well pleased with it.

I've harrowed the fields with my Forester a number of times .  And it'll fit at least 6 bales of hay in the back, and is still as comfy as any ordinary car.  Has a higher ground clearance than you would expect, i've waded through flood water in mine with no problem.
If you do get one, get the model with the hi-lo range gearbox.


When this one gives up the ghost I'll be getting a pickup truck - L200, Hilux or Ranger.

[Badger Nadgers]

Have a good think about all the things you might need to do.

Agreed, depends on proportion of time you spend doing small holding compared to that earning money or family things away from it.

The other issue is what's available out there - around there there's the school run type and the trampled by herd of cows version.  The former vehicles seem to be owned by the wives of wealth business folk and are low mileage and in good nick but pricey and only available in April if their accountant has told them to upgrade to the latest model.

The latter are never anything like they are advertised as, battered to the back of beyond, high mileage and poorly maintained - usually only when they fail.

The task is to get hold of the former for as little money as possible and turn it into the latter as slowly as
possible.

Have used vans and large MPVs with seats out for carrying/towing farm stuff on road, but they're pointelss once you need to get into a field around here.   On the plus side everything fits inside so there's no hassle with trailers.  Wouldn't want to put livestock in them myself (cleaning them out, loading/unloading, what happens if there's an accident, AH/TS/VOSA people etc, but know folk who do).

Depends whether you are living on the land or not.  I don't and need to make sure I can get to my stock in most weather.

Run a Ranger myself, getting 30 to 32 mp out of it (fuelly.com is good for tracking).  Common farming pickup around here is the L200 but most on the market were hammered.  Seals seem to go too.  If you're using one in town they have a poor turning circle.  Biggst issue with Ranger is town is parking due to the length.  There are Navaras amd Isuzu pickups around as well but most don't go off road.  Lots of old discos/defenders but suspect they are run by folk with the time/facilities/inclination to fix them themselves and alternative vehicles available.  Quite a few old Troopers, popular with those who do combined farm/horse but get engine checked by mechanic.  People here don't even try to use the "soft roaders" for anything agricultural, or thankfully for horses.

Finally it's also where your interests lie.  Some folk are into their agricultural mechnical stuff, others prefer the stock and land.  if I need something doing with a tractor, I'd lack not just the kit but the skills to use it so I'd buy them in.

[Simon O]

Mazda BT50 pickup with a cab on it; got it cos a friend was selling it off - had never really heard of it before - it is like the ford ranger - optional 2/4 wheel drive with hi/lo 4wd. Pulls 3500. Very good so far and quite good fuel consumption as mostly it's in 2wd. Parking is a problem though as noted above, and it seems quite easy to drive into trees accidentally. It is good having 4 seats but it might be better having a longer cab on back

[Big Benny Shep]

Ive got a 2001 TD5 defender 90. wouldnt be without it! got decent all terrain tyres on it. they are expensive but they do hold their money well. and you can get everything for them and its all just nuts and bolts. simple
andthey look good blathered in mud

[mad house]

I've had landys, discos, hilux surf, land cruiser Amazon and now have a Mitsubishi challenger. The Mitsubishi is by far the best out of all of them! I harrow my fields twice a year with it, level my ménage monthly, tow trailers full of sheep and drive it day to day for work! Loved my Landy my Mitsubishi is fab!

[Spiller]

Totally agree with Hughsey. Fuel costs restrict mileage a bit, but savings are huge if you do your own mechanics. Insurance from a specialist Land Rover insurer is cheap too. Classic vehicle, fully comp, 9000 mile limit under £200