I am a first-time tractor owner, although somewhat experienced with tractors in general. I've had the 790 since April, and have to date put about 50 hours on it. I have a little under 7 acres.

There is not much to complain about thus far, for what I've used it. It's a gutsy little tractor, and I've been able to very easily clear brush, maintain my long gravel drive, regrade + disc + and seed my backyard, skid downed trees and logs, pull old stumps, and of course bush hog about 1 acre of pasture. I am often surprised by just how much it can do.

I was eager to stay with a gear drive machine, as much for aesthetics as that old-time feeling, and given the price hikes the hydros force on you, I am glad I did. Unless you are doing some serious loader work back and forth and care about how much time you are spending in the seat, then I don't see why its worth spending the extra money on the hydro and other bells and whistles I considered on the 4000 series. If you are a homeowner like me, one of those 'gentleman farmer' types that doesn't earn a living on his tractor but rather needs it to modestly maintain his property, and price is a big factor, this is the perfect little tractor. I would definitely recommend either Pat's Easy Change or iMatch or similar though when linking attachments, especially on the mechanical gear-drive machines.

The only criticism I can muster, again for the purposes with which I have used my tractor so far, and this is not all that novel a comment, is the weight. When I first considered the 790, it was common to hear that it is a light tractor, and that I'd spin out before I 'd ever run out of horsepower. That is in part, true, and it has happened on occasion, mostly when I've tried to skid a couple of downed trees that were simply too heavy. But it is nothing I couldn't work around, and I have hilly, treed, and in some areas, damp/swampy property, and it really hasn't been a nuisance. For potential buyers, though, it is something to consider. Definitely have the tires filled, and just practice common sense. Others have complained about the hydraulic pressure and performance issues with a loader or the rear hydraulic, but I have never really had a serious issue with it, and I feel like I've been able to move any material I needed to so far. If this is a problem, several others have suggested solutions to alter the hydraulic pressure and get more out of the loader. This I have not done. I have purchased a wood chipper and am due to give it a go this fall, so we'll see how it does lifting and running it then.

Otherwise, no real complaints. I can't give the tractor a five star rating, though, because honestly I'm not sure I know enough comparison-wise to justify it. But like I said, I would recommend the machine to just about anybody in a similar situation as mine.

Date Purchased: 4/2005
Purchased: New
Price Paid: US$12000
Pros: strong, durable, bare bones CUT
Cons: weight, sometimes stability
Rating: