mrlullabye
Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2009
- Messages
- 39
I am probably not the first guy to ask for first time tractor buying help, but I won't be the last either. I will try to be direct.
I am 6'2 and I have come to realize that the smallest of tractors (such as a Yanmar 1500) is too small for me because my size 12 boots don't fit down to the floor between the petals without some acrobatics, and the steering wheel is too low and will bind on my thighs. So I need a somewhat larger then the compactest of tractors.
I own 9 acres of rolling sandy clay with some jap grass, bermuda grass, bahaya grass, and countless sand spurs(most of the year it is bone dry.) It has all been bushhogged or painstakingly cut with a riding lawnmower that has about wore out my back end in the last month. I want to keep it cut and looking good sort of resembling a lawn. I think I need a finish mower for this, I think 6 or 7 foot. So I need the tractor to be big enough to handle a 6 foot finisher at least.
I am going to be building a barn and house over the next few years and would like a front end loader for raising walls, maintaining washouts, and moving heavy stuff. I have heard 4wd is real good for this.
So those are my needs big enough for me to comfortably operate and cut 9 acres of grass on without a chiropractor in tow. Front end loader preferably 4wd.
I have the money to afford any of the following, but like anyone else with any brains I know spending the least I can in the long run isn't a bad option. So if you would read over the following and let me know what sounds like a good idea and what sounds bad. I also want to eventually get a PTO generator for hurricane season in the gulf coast.
2 year old JD 3203 with 129 hours 4WD HST, 5 foot front end loader and 5 foot finisher $13000 (This tractor looks brand new, I drove it and it drives like brand new)
Massey 205-4 4wd 20HP w/loader the guy says it needs a flywheel, idler pulley, and he was unable to figure out how to operate the PTO and 2 point, but he also admitted he had never used a tractor and he got this tractor from some guys who used to work it. $1900
Massey 220-4 4wd 30hp w/loader guy says it runs and operates fine has a small leak in one of the loader cylinders but he still uses it around his place. $4700
Or Grey market, there is a guy in town who recons yanmars and shibauras locally and he does a real good job, he has quotes me stuff like a 35 HP shibaura for $10,800 w/loader. His work looks real good.
there is also used grey market like a 23hp Zennoh 2wd with 6foot finisher and loader for $6000.
I am torn, I know if the money was not an issue I would go with the JD. Money being an issue I dont know if it is better to go ahead and get a used Massey and be prepared to work on it myself, with the hope it has never been jacked up in a recon facility. Or get the local reconditioner to do it and take advantage of him being local and giving a 1 year warranty.
Part of me thinks if I am going to spend 10.8 on the refurb I might aswell spend $13k for the JD.
I don't know how hard it is to work on a tractor, but I rebuild the engines in my cars, change the clutch in my front wheel and rear wheel vehicles. I have even retrofitted a ford V8 into a Mazda RX7 so I am mechanically inclined enough to do just about anything IMO, I have never worked on a transmission manual or auto except for peerless out of a riding mower.
So for someone who can afford the JD, but might not mind working on the used stuff, whats the way to go? I am a little leary of buying the grey market whether used or freshly refurbished because I know from trying to make things work myself often you dont end up with all OEM parts, and I also dont want to be looking for a part 5, 10, or even more years down the road and not having any distribution network.
If you read all of that thanks, I appreciate it I really need some advice here.
I am 6'2 and I have come to realize that the smallest of tractors (such as a Yanmar 1500) is too small for me because my size 12 boots don't fit down to the floor between the petals without some acrobatics, and the steering wheel is too low and will bind on my thighs. So I need a somewhat larger then the compactest of tractors.
I own 9 acres of rolling sandy clay with some jap grass, bermuda grass, bahaya grass, and countless sand spurs(most of the year it is bone dry.) It has all been bushhogged or painstakingly cut with a riding lawnmower that has about wore out my back end in the last month. I want to keep it cut and looking good sort of resembling a lawn. I think I need a finish mower for this, I think 6 or 7 foot. So I need the tractor to be big enough to handle a 6 foot finisher at least.
I am going to be building a barn and house over the next few years and would like a front end loader for raising walls, maintaining washouts, and moving heavy stuff. I have heard 4wd is real good for this.
So those are my needs big enough for me to comfortably operate and cut 9 acres of grass on without a chiropractor in tow. Front end loader preferably 4wd.
I have the money to afford any of the following, but like anyone else with any brains I know spending the least I can in the long run isn't a bad option. So if you would read over the following and let me know what sounds like a good idea and what sounds bad. I also want to eventually get a PTO generator for hurricane season in the gulf coast.
2 year old JD 3203 with 129 hours 4WD HST, 5 foot front end loader and 5 foot finisher $13000 (This tractor looks brand new, I drove it and it drives like brand new)
Massey 205-4 4wd 20HP w/loader the guy says it needs a flywheel, idler pulley, and he was unable to figure out how to operate the PTO and 2 point, but he also admitted he had never used a tractor and he got this tractor from some guys who used to work it. $1900
Massey 220-4 4wd 30hp w/loader guy says it runs and operates fine has a small leak in one of the loader cylinders but he still uses it around his place. $4700
Or Grey market, there is a guy in town who recons yanmars and shibauras locally and he does a real good job, he has quotes me stuff like a 35 HP shibaura for $10,800 w/loader. His work looks real good.
there is also used grey market like a 23hp Zennoh 2wd with 6foot finisher and loader for $6000.
I am torn, I know if the money was not an issue I would go with the JD. Money being an issue I dont know if it is better to go ahead and get a used Massey and be prepared to work on it myself, with the hope it has never been jacked up in a recon facility. Or get the local reconditioner to do it and take advantage of him being local and giving a 1 year warranty.
Part of me thinks if I am going to spend 10.8 on the refurb I might aswell spend $13k for the JD.
I don't know how hard it is to work on a tractor, but I rebuild the engines in my cars, change the clutch in my front wheel and rear wheel vehicles. I have even retrofitted a ford V8 into a Mazda RX7 so I am mechanically inclined enough to do just about anything IMO, I have never worked on a transmission manual or auto except for peerless out of a riding mower.
So for someone who can afford the JD, but might not mind working on the used stuff, whats the way to go? I am a little leary of buying the grey market whether used or freshly refurbished because I know from trying to make things work myself often you dont end up with all OEM parts, and I also dont want to be looking for a part 5, 10, or even more years down the road and not having any distribution network.
If you read all of that thanks, I appreciate it I really need some advice here.