Chuck,
I've owned a John Deere 4310 (bought used) in the past and sold it last year. I sold it because I just didn't use it as much as I thought I would. I would see it parked in the garage and thought about all the money just sitting there wasting away. I sold it for 15.5K which at the time was 4 years old with 780hrs. After a year of not having a tractor I thought of all the times I missed not having one. Especially this past winter. Needless to say, I went out and purchased the Bobcat. My criteria this time around was a low cost tractor for basic tractor use (FEL work, Bushhogging, snow removal). I started out looking for used and stumbled on the deals given from Bobcat. So far the tractor is EXACTLY what I was looking for. The overall quality is not as good as my 4310 but for the price it's well worth the investment. The 4310 and the CT230 is roughly the same size and horsepower and they both have similar specs. But I sold a USED tractor with 780hrs and purchased a NEW tractor and saved 6K in the process a year later. I do however believe the 3pt hitch area is better on the Bobcat than the John Deere. Before people bash me about the quality statement, this is my personal opinion based off of my experience owning both machines. There isn't a HUGE difference but a difference never the less.
Doug
I've owned a John Deere 4310 (bought used) in the past and sold it last year. I sold it because I just didn't use it as much as I thought I would. I would see it parked in the garage and thought about all the money just sitting there wasting away. I sold it for 15.5K which at the time was 4 years old with 780hrs. After a year of not having a tractor I thought of all the times I missed not having one. Especially this past winter. Needless to say, I went out and purchased the Bobcat. My criteria this time around was a low cost tractor for basic tractor use (FEL work, Bushhogging, snow removal). I started out looking for used and stumbled on the deals given from Bobcat. So far the tractor is EXACTLY what I was looking for. The overall quality is not as good as my 4310 but for the price it's well worth the investment. The 4310 and the CT230 is roughly the same size and horsepower and they both have similar specs. But I sold a USED tractor with 780hrs and purchased a NEW tractor and saved 6K in the process a year later. I do however believe the 3pt hitch area is better on the Bobcat than the John Deere. Before people bash me about the quality statement, this is my personal opinion based off of my experience owning both machines. There isn't a HUGE difference but a difference never the less.
Doug
