Agree with you I think trees from the nurseries are expensive. I’m not saying those trees they sell are not worth it as sometimes I buy 50+ or more at a time. A person cannot start out spending a fortune on everything in life. If you have health on your side and if I were you I would get me a durable sharp shooter like this one https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Steel-D-handle-Transplanting-Spade/dp/B000F95D0I/ref=asc_df_B000F95D0I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198106292047&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12567526717053539685&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023967&hvtargid=pla-319287202760&psc=1 and some rootstocks like these callery for $1.24 each http://willamettenurseries.com/fruit-tree-seedlings/pears/callery-or-bradford-pear
Then I would plant out my first 100 trees by marking out the rows about every 10 feet between trees and 20 feet between rows. Then would rock that sharp shooter shovel back in forth in those spots you marked out 10 holes at a time. Then go back stick 10 trees in at a time. Have a wheelbarrow or bucket and give each a shovel of manure. Finally go back and stomp the hole shut around the tree and give the tree a gallon of water each. That’s why you want to start with small trees they are easier to plant. You can fight big nurseries trees but it takes to much time and it’s to much work. Would do it in the spring and slip the new tree in the wet ground and a shovelfull of aged cow manure or handful of fertilizer during the rainy season. You do that you can plant 100 trees in a day you just need to pay the $124 + shipping on 100 callery pears. You might decide on a different rootstock but pears are forgiving to grow , easy to graft, and get tall enough deer cannot take all your fruit. Everyone has their own ideas I’m just saying if I wanted a pear orchard and I were you that’s what I would do. By next year if you take care of those trees it will be time to graft them. If you graft some to Harrow sweet or Harrow delight you might be eating pears in 2 or 3 years if the soil is good and you take care of the trees. Then you have pears to eat while you wait on the others to start producing. Pears don’t need spray like your other choices typically. Something to think over. Tell you a trick go to the oldest abandoned homestead you know of what’s still growing there? If it’s a pear that’s what you want to grow. Pears out live the people who plant them, I’m sure mine will out live me. If your still living there in 70 years and your retired some of those pears will still be there for you to eat. Maybe more than half if they like it there. Pears in Kansas have no problem living to 50 - 100 years or more. When your an old man you can smile 100 pear trees for less than $200 will pay out far better than any other investment you can make. Pears produce hundreds of pounds of pears off each heavy producing tree and 20 -40 pounds off the lightest producer. Good luck on whatever you decide I’m biased on pears so keep that in mind.
These threads are examples on what I do with pears