Buying/Pricing

   / Buying/Pricing #1  

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Help - I just bought 9.25 acres, 5 of which will be lawn (overgrown field - swap birch, poplar, ~20' high). We will be building a house in the next year or so, and I have been looking at Compact tractors from a distance for about a year. I know next to nothing about tractors, but am very mechanically inclined (employed by General Motors for several years as a field specialist). In the process of building, I will need to do some trenching, lots of landscaping and a lot of mowing. I have been told to avoid a MMM or "Belly Mower" as they provide no clearance with loader work. I was told to use a rear finish mower. I was also told not to invest in a backhoe ($5-$9K) unless I use it weekly. I have looked at the NH TC33/35D and the Kubota L3410/3710. Deere seems to be awfully expensive for what you get, and smaller makes I want to avoid as they may not have dealer representation locally. I think I need about 30 HP, but don't know what I'll need for implements. I've heard too many stories of people not buying enough tractor up front.....
 
   / Buying/Pricing #2  
If you've been looking at NH, did you take a look at the TC30? That seems to be a pretty popular and nice "economy" model. A lot of people have picked up one of these lately.
 
   / Buying/Pricing
  • Thread Starter
#3  
They (NH Dealer) told me for the additional money the 33 was the way to go. They also mentioned the 35 is the larger frame of the TC40/45D as well as axles, etc. The NH seem to be down on power compared to the Kubotas.
 
   / Buying/Pricing #4  
Dazed -- Like so many others, it sounds like you're in that grey area where the tractor you need for the heavy construction work is not the same as the tractor you'll need for the upkeep later. Could you describe your short and long term uses a little more? It might help us provide better input.

Not sure I agree with the advice you got on the backhoe; they have to be the most fun of any implement out there! Sometimes I find myself transplanting trees just for the sake of digging a new hole! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Pete
 
   / Buying/Pricing
  • Thread Starter
#5  
The house will be about 800 feet from the road. I will need a backhoe to trench for utilities, put in a culvert, and I'm sure other things will come up. I could rent/lease a backhoe for a week/month - and that's what others have suggested. Ultimately my main use will be mowing the 5 acres of lawn. I used to do a lot of landscaping and will around this house, so a loader is a must. I may have fences - so a post hole digger might be nice. I guess what I'm trying to say, is I know once you have one of these, you will use it constantly.
 
   / Buying/Pricing #6  
I have some small excavation work to do around my house. I just priced the rental of a JD 4400 with loader and back hoe - 210$ CDN (130 US) for 24 hours! To me that's darned reasonable. I'll have a hard time justifying a back hoe for my tractor at that price.
 
   / Buying/Pricing #7  
<font color=blue>"the backhoe; they have to be the most fun of any implement out there"</font color=blue>

I have to agree. I had to drive a couple 8' long 5/8" copper rods to 6" below grade 6' apart for electrical grounds recently. The area was all hard packed clay (as is most of my county). I tiried working them in with water, sledge hammering them and a fence post driver all to no avail. I'd get to about 4' and they just bound up on that sticky clay.

I got out the backhoe and dug a 7' long trench about 6' deep and then used the fence post driver to set the rods down a couple feet in the bottom of it. Then I just backfilled to about a foot of grade and used the sledge hammer for the last few inches and ran my ground wire. I'll backfill the last half foot after the inspection later this week.

In this case I don't know how else I'd have done the job but I'm sure no other way would have been as much fun, regardless. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
 
   / Buying/Pricing
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I am looking at the 3 best represented manufacturers in my area. (Albany, NY) I think 30 HP is the right number....if so, the Kubota 3410/3710, the NH TC33D/35D, or the JD 4400??

The Kubota seems to be the most powerful all around???
 
   / Buying/Pricing #9  
Sounds like you're looking in the right area.

I started out looking at the Kubota 3410, JD 4300, and NH TC 33D. I quickly moved up to looking at the JD 4400 (then later the 4410) as it seemed to me to make sense to get the most power in the same physical size. Then the features of the Class III Boomers made me start looking at the 35D instead of the 33D. So then I started looking at the 3710 too.

I ended up deciding I was more comfortable with the twin pedal HST instead of the treadle so I ruled out the Class II Boomers and Kubotas. That probably isn't a big deal but I was more comfortable with the other style. So it came down to the JD 4410 and the TC 35D/40D.

I ended up choosing NH and went with the 40D over the 35D because of the 4cyl engine.

That was how my buying process went. It sounds like you're leaning toward the Kubota, which I think is a fine choice. I don't think the specs are much different on any of them so it boils down to which tractor and which dealer you are most comfortable with.
 
   / Buying/Pricing
  • Thread Starter
#10  
look at the Mahindra line either the 3510 or 4110, nice tracor, heaver than most, higher lifting capcities than most, priced right, the have factory installed Bradco backhoes sub frame mount now availible, i don't think youll be disapionted.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.newenglandtractor.com/>http://www.newenglandtractor.com/</A>
 
 
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