Mid ar large Frame? Blue or Green?

[rockyridgefarm]

OK so now the threads title should read: Large frame CUT or Utility, Blue, Green, or Orange

If I change the basc parameters, I'd better recheck the Kubota offerings, too

And, don't worry, I keep an eye on Long, Valtra, Kioti and a few others. I keep coming back to the big three because iI plan on having this a long time, and realize how easy it is for a smaller player to back out of a market for countless reasons. Not that those three wouldn't either.

 

[rf33]

Mike,

It sounds like you have a real nice place there. I think you are on the right track in terms of pasture management. If you can keep it mowed every two or three months, you will be amazed at the difference in the relative amount of grass to weeds. Just grazing animals helps, but they generally just eat the grass to the ground first, and leave the weeds to flourish. If you do not have too much snowcover during the year, and with a good pasture management program, you might just reduce the number of bales you are feeding to darn near zero.

As to the issue of tractor size, I really do think that Robert is on the right track, the TN65 from NH is a very solid product, and is most likely what I would consider to be the right size for your needs based on what you have described. The Kubota M6800 is another one to consider in this size range, as is the Deere 5420. Any one of these three would likely be wonderful for what you have described, and the decision between them might be a tough one (it was for me).

The final decision is generally best made on the merits of the local dealerships and the one which makes you feel more comfortable both with your purchase, and with any further needs you might have (service after the sale).

As to any of the big three backing out of the market, I would be pretty surprised to see this, as they have countless millions invested in tooling, equipment, etc. in order to make the great machines they do, and I would be shocked to see any of them backing out now. (Especially since Deere just beat their earnings estimates).

Good luck, and happy tractor hunting.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Thank you for such a great response. I am really moving in that direction. Their stabiliity is esactly why I am concentrating on them. I want to be as sure as I can that it will have continued service. My biggest point was that I wasn't going to chase after every machine that was in itself a good unit, but rather get a long term relationship with a well established dealer...

I had expected more of a price jump to move up....

 

[rf33]

Mike,

It is often pretty surprising how small the price difference is between the larger compact tractors, and the smaller utility tractors. Sometimes (especially in the used market), the larger tractors will actually be cheaper than the smaller ones. Sort of depends on the market in the area I guess.

The one big price difference I have found seems to be in the backhoe pricing. There is a pretty large jump from the backhoe which fits the JD4000 series to the one for the 5000 series. If a backhoe attachment is a necessity for you, you might check around for some pricing info before you decide for sure.

If a backhoe is however only needed once in a great while, you might also consider renting a full sized backhoe or excavator to do these jobs, and save your $$ for attachments you will use more frequently.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

A 5 day rental for a Bobcat 331 is $675 here. You can get a lot more done with this machine in 5 days then you will with a tractor mounted backhoe in 2 weeks and that is if you take your time on the Bobcat. Figure out how much you have to do with the backhoe and look at the cost of the backhoe compared to renting a Bobcat or similar mini excavator for a week or two. As for pricing I have found that the TN 65 is cheaper then most TC 45's depending on how many options you go with. My 65 cost $25k and is FWA, shuttle shift, loader, 11.2-24 fronts 16.9-30's rear R1's and has the 8x8 transmission. I added a third remote for $500. The cab will add around $5k more if you want one. Take care.

 

[BKColeman]

Mike, I think you've gotten good advice here on looking at the small utility tractors for the size land you've got. But I wouldn't rule out the upper end of the compacts.

When we bought our land we paid the guy we bought it from to keep it bushhogged for the first year. He used 5000 series JD (not sure of the exact model). About 6 acres is wooded pasture, meaning open enough to drive on, but has several hundred trees on it. The trees are clumped together in islands and the JD wouldn't fit in between them. It wasn't that he didn't try. He was getting paid by the hour to brush cut so he did a very nice job. Now that I've got my TC 40D w/ SuperSteer, I can go in between all of those trees very easily. I plan to thin the trees out some, but not this year probably. I just point this out since you said you were interested in a TC 33D because of size and you have a lot of trees.

My neighbor just bought a TN tractor with a cab. It's very nice and I'm envious when I see him mowing his fields so fast, but he couldn't go in to the trees very easily.

Also, a compact utility with HST is very nice for landscaping jobs around the house. My wife uses my tractor quite a bit when we're doing small jobs around the house and feels very comfortable on it.

When searching for tractors, I narrowed it down to the TC 35D and JD 4410. The NH seemed to fit my needs better and I just felt more comfortable with it. I moved up to the 40D for the 4 cyl engine. Having the option of getting SuperSteer just sealed the deal for me.

HTH,
Brad

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I caught from your pictures that your wife used yours. I was going to ask what you've already answered. My wife grew up in a tractor dealership, and is a very avid tractor user. I want her to be comfortable using it. She gets more seat time than I do...

I was considering keeping my Yanmar; I would have used it for close quarter requirements; getting around trees, etc. But we are inclined to sell it, and that brings maneuverability back to play.

I plan on keeping the trees, so the tractor will need to work between them

It is a close call as to whether TC or TN

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I have gained a lot of insight from your posts, thanks!

I am pretty sure that the backhoe will work out that way, for me...

I am pretty squarely set between the TC40D and the TN.

How about the TN with Supersteer?
Is there a reason no one talks about the TN55?
Which loader do you have?
My dealer is not recommending the 32LA...

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Supersteer is nice but was not a needed for my use so I never ordered it. The TN 55 was $300 less then a TN 65 when I bought mine so you do the math. As for the loader, unless you have Supersteer the 32LA is a great loader and I do not know why your dealer would not want you to have it. If you have Supersteer you get the 33LA. I have the 32LA and have had the tractor for 2 years now with around 140 hours of loader use and not a single problem. The loader is built strong and is easy to remove and reinstall just by pulling two pins. I wonder if your dealer is just trying to sell you an aftermarket loader he got stuck with as it doesn't make any sense to discourage against the 32LA. As for what ever you want to pull in the future the TN 65 will be strong enough and heavy enough to pull it where as weight might become a problem with the TC. Take care.

 

[Phred]

Mike,

Robert is absolutely correct about the miniexcavator. It will dig circles around anything else and can cover terrain that no tractor will. Unless you have a lot of backhoe work to do I would rent the excavator. This is what I do.

Fred