John Deere had a very good leasing deal going on some of their smaller tractors a few years ago. These were your basic tractor.......2 wheel drive, 40-60 HP, no frills whatsoever, pretty much just a tractor to pull something with. I think they were leasing in the $2000 a year range or maybe less, and allowing 300 hours of use. I even thought about getting one myself. You could upgrade to front wheel assist and a loader, but that was quite a bit higher. They leased a bunch of them around here, and had a long waiting list. Most farmers were getting them to pull tobacco wagons around.
Keep one thing in mind when using a tractor and loader......the more weight your tractor has, the better it handles a loader and a load. I have 3 tractors with loaders.......a sub-compact JD, a compact 45 HP NH, and a 80 HP NH. As to how they handle a load is not even close, as the bigger the better. I'm not sure a 40 HP will handle what you think it will. Large round bales can weigh a lot, depending on the kind of hay, and how dry the bales are. I feed the large round bales, and use my biggest tractor to haul them. I wouldn't even attempt it with the 45 HP, and it's 4-WD with fluid in the rear tires. It's the weight of the tractor, rather than the power.
