NEED HELP ON FIRST TRACTOR

[meledward23]

1) I second find a Dealer, then the Tractor comment. That is how I picked mine. My dealer has (2) full time Mechanics with Trucks that have welders, crane/lifts, and everything else. They can do almost anything to my tractor at my location. That was huge since my tractors are farm/business and I dont touch them for service, repairs, etc and dont feel like hauling them around for those things. But being a first time tractor owner, you will want a dealer that is going to be helpful, usefull, etc, otherwise what is the point of new? (IMHO)


2) After saying that Give the NH 55 a look. Only because it is compact in length and hence manuvering. I found this to be a great advantage when working with fallen trees in the woods. The down side is no HST. Which is a small pain with fel work. Upside, compare it's FEL lifting to the 45's. From my recollection, it is significantly more. I wouldnt recommend the 55 if you dont think either of these is useful to you.

3) Definetly consider how willing you are to spend time Brushhogging. Take the amount of time you think you are willing to spend, find out what size deck (mower deck) you need to achieve that, then figure what size machine you need to pull that deck.


4) Defeinetly Get all the Extra Remotes you can. Period. Remotes, are cheaper when you order the tractor, and you always find uses for them down the road. At least that is my experience.

5) Remember this, The Bigger the TRACTOR the more EXPENSIVE the implements. Usually better if you are doing large scale tasks. But everything costs more on the Bigger tractor not just the price tag!!!

Good Luck!!!, find a dealer first, My dealer even let me demo the machines on my property. I dont know how common or rare that is, but a day with the machine is great for buying considerations. My dealer even rents tractors, you could consider renting an HST, and Non HST for a day to get the feel for the differences.....

 

[Z-Michigan]

3) Definetly consider how willing you are to spend time Brushhogging. Take the amount of time you think you are willing to spend, find out what size deck (mower deck) you need to achieve that, then figure what size machine you need to pull that deck.

5) Remember this, The Bigger the TRACTOR the more EXPENSIVE the implements. Usually better if you are doing large scale tasks. But everything costs more on the Bigger tractor not just the price tag!!!

I definitely second #5. Implements have to be strong enough for your hp and wide enough to cover your tracks (most types of work) and prices go up very quickly.

On #3, it really depends on the type of mowing. If it's one big field, a wider mower is always better. However, if there are obstacles, if you have to mow inside fenced pastures, or anything else that prevents you from just going in a straight line, the larger cutter may be so awkward to maneuver that it doesn't save any time. I have 1-1.5 acre pastures and I just couldn't mow inside them with anything over 7' or so wide; my 6' cutter is the widest that's really practical for them. OTOH, the 6' cutter was a bit slow when I had to mow a rectangular 5 acre field. For me 6' is good because the 5 acre field will only be mowed about two more times and from then on will be a hayfield (mowed and raked and baled by a nearby farmer) while the pastures will be mowed a couple times a year forever. It all depends on your uses.