Buying my first new tractor

[8nownerinky]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forums here, but have been lurking for quite some time. I'm looking for my first new tractor, as my current lineup are older than my father (8n with a 3 digit serial number and a Farmall H that was dad's dads tractor), and while they are good at what they do, I could use something with a little bit more power and more safety features, but in general, something a little bit more reliable. I've looked at Kubota, Massey Ferguson and New Holland's lineup, however, the dealers for the equipment around here do not have that great of a selection. Essentially, I'm looking for 30-40hp in a small package. I do quite a bit of landscape/driveway work around the house and for friends/family members, and some of the spaces I have to work in are barely enough to get my 8n in, so I would rather trade HP for size when it comes down to it.Also, I do quite a bit of road travel/work around roads where trailering would take more time and effort than just driving ~5 minutes down the road to get from point a to point b. Occasionally I may till up a garden, but with this purchase, I am guessing my ability to purchase a tiller is going to be quite a ways down the road so I will resort to borrowing my cousin's five footer when it's needed. Anyways, sorry for being longwinded, so here is what I want to know - I really like the Kubota B series (B2920 to be exact) and L series (L2800), however I also like the New Holland T1520. Since I have never drove a tractor that was younger than myself, I'm like a kid in a candy store when I hit the lot and don't remember to ask half the questions I should of asked, and I have no idea how well these machines would hold up to my "playing". I want a tractor that I can give to my son and he give to his son, etc., like the 8n's. Also, seeing how most of my work is in a "residential" area, what kind of tire would you recommend, bearing in mind my road travel? My yard looks like we had a tractor derby out there, and while I don't mind one bit (I hate mowing anyway and the yard has more hills than the state of tennessee, lol), the little lady isn't too horribly pleased, but she's not complaining because she makes just as much of a mess as I when she goes out and "plays" on the N with ag tires. As for getting replacement parts - which are easier to buy for, the kubota or the new holland? Both dealers have excellent parts departments, however, a lot of the time, they don't have the parts in stock, so which take longer to get in? I know that if I go to the new holland dealer for parts for my ford and they do not have the part(s) in stock, I can go back a few days later and it's sitting there waiting for me. Also, hydrostatic or gear driven transmission? I have read hundreds of posts for and against both, however, with what I do, I really don't know. I have a hydrostatic tranny on my mower, and I can't say it's my favorite thing to use, or perhaps it's just where I'm used to my clutch, lol. Also, comfort is a bit thing for me, as some days I get 8-10 hours of seat time continuously and I have fibromyalgia and degenerative joints, so the most comfortable ride would be preferable. Or, perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree. Anyways, what are your opinions? I have done quite a bit of research, however, most reviews I have found are lacking in one area or another, and I am looking for something that will steer me to the right machine for what I want to use it for.


Thanks guys, and if I have done anything wrong, please let me know. I have tried to look around as much as I can, however, with my eyes and the fact that the I have been toned out to structure fires since I started this thread, there is no telling how bad I have messed up. Just wanted to apologize up front.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[xlr82v2]

I replaced my 8N with a Mahindra 3525... extremely pleased with my decision. But, the 3525 is just a little bigger than the 8N size wise, but seems like it has double the power. Burns less fuel also.

As far as ag tires on turf, I believe that it's just as much or more operator technique as anything else in how much damage the ags cause... I mow my yard with my 3525 and a 6' KK finish mower (and before that, with the 8N) and I have very little to no turf damage with the ag tires. It's all about how you drive. If you drive fast and turn tight, you're going to have damage from the front tires...

 

[8nownerinky]

Brian,

Thanks for the quick reply. I never considered Mahindra before because I did not think there was a dealer in my area, only to find one just down the road from me. The 3525 looks like a heck of a tractor for the price, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention. How's the customer support with the tractor? As for the ag vs turf - I forgot to mention that whenever it drizzles here, my yard is like a pond. Not too long ago after a big storm, we had a vehicle get stuck in the field across from the house, so I (attempted) to bring out the 8n and help the poor feller out. I ended up getting stuck in water that covered the clutch/brake pedals on the 8n - and the national weather service only reported our area getting an inch of rain. So, even with my yard being (relatively) flat, it still holds water like a sunofagun until the city decieds to fix our ditch, until which time I live in a swamp. And, I have even offered to fix it myself at my own expense only to be threatened with a fine, which would probably be cheaper in the long run than having to level the yard twice a year, but the little lady won't allow it. I hired a "professional crew" (translation - my great uncle and drunk of a cousin) to slope the yard away from me, however it's in a worse mess than before and I can't see myself doing much better. So, for now, I'm just looking for something that's going to do minimal damage to my already soggy lawn.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Where abouts in KY? I'm just southeast of Louisville, in Mt Washington. (Eastern Bullitt County, right on the Spencer County line) I'm a little more than familiar with most of the dealers in this part of the state. Might be able to steer you towards a better dealer, who knows.

 

[8nownerinky]

Farmwithjunk,

I live in Powell County in Stanton (close to Natural Bridge State Resort Park), or about ~40 miles east of lexington. I write software which I sell software to the Bullitt and Jefferson County School Districts, so I am out your way occasionally, so it may be worthwile to look into dealers in you area. We have ~3 dealers within 20 miles of me, with one major one in Winchester and two in Mt. Sterling, and they pretty much have a manopoly in our area as they all carry different brands. Plus, my day job doesn't exactly rolling in the dough .

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Well, if you know where Bullitt East High School is at, look northeast and throw a rock. You'll hit my house!

Check with Cottrell Farm Equipment (Massey Ferguson) in Simpsonville. (Just north of Shelbyville) Good ol' family run dealership. Very helpful. Ask about the 533 Massey. (Modern day version of the classic 135) They have 'em at a good price. It's roughly the same size as your N Ford but packs a punch compared to the Ford.

Louisville Tractor (NH/JD) has an outlet in Lexington. Call the LOUISVILLE store and ask for John Day. I think he can work through their Lex store. John knows how to cut prices to make a sale. (He sells to me and I'm a tightwad!)

 

[8nownerinky]

Farmwithjunk,

I have probably passed your house umpteen-thousand times since 2003, lol. And, thanks for the suggestions. I will be calling first thing in the morning. Seeing how I have never actually owned any "new" vehicle, I am very excited and can't wait. I've worked my tractors way too hard for way too long - they deserve a break. The picture below is what I have to work with now and what I have to manuever around until we finally get around to getting a farm large enough to store my "treasures". As for the 533, the last Massey Ferguson I used was a MF-35. The new ones I looked at were seriously underpowered and overpriced for my purposes, so I pretty much dropped them from the possibility list. Now I will have to seriously reconsider them.

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[BizDoc]

I have owned both New Holland and Kubota. Both were great tractors. Both had good parts availability. I traded my New Holland to get a B3030 with a Cab. I really wanted a cab for the hot summers and blistering cold winters. Now with A/C and Heat weather doesn't stop me. I really liked the smoothness of the hydrolics of the New Holland, they seemed to be a bit smoother than the Kubota. The hydrostat tranny seems to scream louder than the NH, but others tell me that's normal. Other than that I wouldn't have a preference over either one. It would come down to the dealer and price of the comparable machines, which in the end is what it came down with for me. The New Holland Cab Unit was just too expensive. At the time the smallest cab unit was a TC35, and the cab was, in my opinion a nicer cab, but the price comparrison between the B3030 and the TC35 was just too far apart. I have been very happy with the Kubota and have had no issues at all.

You mentioned hills, be sure to have your tires loaded for stabilization.

 

[8nownerinky]

BizDoc,

Thanks for your input. The cab is an optional thing for me. If it gets too cold - I always have my turnout gear , and if it gets a little warm, that's fine too. I worked a 150'x12' driveway today on the N and it got right around 95 degrees with a heat index of about 110 (which is about the average around here for this time of year) without a bead of sweat. However it would be nice to have a cd player that I can actually hear over the engine and a place to mount a 2-way radio out of the weather (I have been known to use my tractor at brush fires skidding logs and such, hince my avitar). Also, as for the hydrostatic tranny, do you feel you have more control with it than a standard? Occasionally I need to go extremely slow, and 1st gear on either of my tractors are too fast for my purposes, even throttled back to the minimum while on my mower, I can go as slow as my lead foot will allow. Does this hold true with the larger units as well? Also, what do you think about the hydraulic pump on your B3030? The pump on my cousin's older kubota (I cannot remember the model number, but it's a B-something) is a little weak. And his 3-pt has trouble lifting that 5' box blade on my tractor in the pic. I'm pretty sure it's a problem with his particular machine, however don't tell him that, lol. Every manufacturer has problemed products, however, I just want to make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck when I purchase something that costs more than what I paid for my house, land and vehicles combined.

As for filling tires, do you think having them foam filled will be enough? Like I said earlier, my yard is a swamp and I can swim in my front yard when it rains. The hills around here are what most people from elsewhere call speed bumps. The ones around my place, well, let me put it this way - short of picking up one side of the tractor and rolling it, or putting some kind of springboard under the front tires and flipping it, as long as you are a careful operator, you have a better chance of getting hit by a snowmobille in july around here. And, while I do not like taking unnecessary risks while working with farm machinery, I feel that loaded tires will only contribute to my shovel fund for digging out stuck tractors. Please correct me if i'm wrong, however, the H and the 8N neither have fluid, however, even with my daredevil neighbor driving, they tend to hug the ground. Is there enough of a weight difference between what I have now and what I'm looking at? If so, isn't it possible to use front weights/wheel weights that are removable without having something that permanent?

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[JoeinTX]

8nownerinky, sort of with you in that boat of looking to buy a new (or "near" new) tractor after years of the ol' Ford.

One of the posters above mentioned a Mahindra 3525 and that is exactly what I'm getting an itch for too......that or the 3325. Good reviews....very solid and weighty....looks good too. I'm also thinking about an E-350 (previous incarnation of these same models) on the used market with low hours. Long Farmtracs are still an option but the company's situation right now is tenuous at best even though you could get one and run it pretty cheap.


As for tranny, after all the time spent trying to jockey the throttle and just 4 gears in order to get something done, today's gear tractors are like a God-send to me. 8 gears forward....2 reverse........what am I gonna do with all those options??? My dad has a hydro Kubota and he uses it a lot for loader work and for that it excels but I'm not wild about operating it and he doesn't use it for anything other than that and occasion light mowing. I am perfectly happy with the geared options and besides I'm use to the clutch and like working that way.


I don't know if loaded tires are all that necessary especially if you go with a heavier tractor like Long or Mahindra...they'll both be meatier than the Ford you've got now and using the same implements they'll have no problem.