How does anyone EVER finally decide which tractor to buy?

[Elkins45]

If I don't buy a second tractor soon, or trade my little Kubota, I'm going to go insane! Part of me wants to trade for a bigger CUT with a loader and just have one newer tractor. Another part of me wants to keep my 25HP Kubota for mowing around the house and buy an older, higher HP farm tractor to leave at the farm.

Just when I make up my mind one way I find another tractor that looks like 'the one'. I found a good looking Ford 4000 with a loader for $4500 delivered but it's gas. For $2000 more I can get a low hours Massey 245 diesel with a bush hog loader. Or I can buy a Kubota L3400 w very low hours and a loader, then sell my L2350.

On the one hand I would have a newer 4wd CUT to do everything but on the other I would have an older tractor just for the farm, but no single tractor with higher HP, 4wd and a loader. Total cost is about the same. Decisions, decisions!

 

[johnrex62]

When confronted with such an impossible decision, do BOTH!



You know it will make you feel better. Just get the High HP, 4wd with FEL for the farm and keep the L2350 for around the house. Just don't let the wife see the new tractor and tell her you are spending so much time at the farm because that "Old" tractor you bought is just too small for efficient work. That will win you enough sympathy to another attachment or permission to upgrade to what you have. Win-win! :thumbsup:




If your wife finds out, I was never here and I have never given any advice!! That is my story and I am sticking to it.

 

[jonyyuma]

If you buy any older tractor with a loader, Please choose one with rops or install it your self. Hardly a day goes by that we will read of tractor accidents, many of them in the use of loaders? I have survived many years with my 8n, now that I have the Kubota, I think about not getting hurt on the Ford, if I use it. Good luck on shopping, I looked for years...

 

[scoutcub]

Having a few different machines is very handy. I have 1 SCUT and 2 CUT's, and they perform different functions. I personally like that system better than doing everything with 1 machine.
Just consider the downsides as well......

good luck!

 

[bp fick]

You can always ask the wife, if you have one available to ask.

I've always found they have less ambiguous thoughts on such matters. :laughing::laughing:

 

[TripleR]

I have postede this before but:

If you can pick a tractor with:

1. Just the right horsepower, no more no less.
2. Just the right weight, no more no less.
3. Just the right loader/backhoe performance, no more no less.
4. Just the right tires.
5. Just the right transmission for ALL of your needs.
6. Just the right price, no more; don't worry about the "less" part, won't
happen.
7. Just the right size; not too big and not too small, just right.

If you can do all this and more that you aspire to in your tractor selection, you can retire from your present job and become a very successful tractor consultant.

I tried for years to find just the right one tractor and finally gave up and bought another.

If you don't you will just probably spend the money on food and rent anyway.

 

[ultrarunner]

As with any similar decision...

You must begin with what can you afford and then narrow the field from there.

 

[JerryK]

In a way, it's kind of like dating...then finally settling down with 'the one'... I rebuilt an old '46 JD B and put a three point on it. But it was too fast in low gear to do a lot of stuff, and not real handy in close quarters. Finally bought an old used JD 2240, and fixed it up. Even at two and a half ton, it seemed 'little' doing some stuff...but had lots of power, POWER STEERING, and a reverser transmission that I liked. But, the JD setup runs about 10% faster in reverse than forward...and this was too fast for snowblowing somedays. Drueled over New Hollands for years, was looking at the DA33 HST when I bought the 2240. Spent several years looking at the DA45 HST, then finally started looking at the Kabota 5740... Then I started looking at the bigger New Hollands with 16by16 reverser trans... And finally...got to see a Mahindra 5035 HST...with all that heft and big 14 X 17.5's on the front....and now I am a poor person, making payments, modifying things, planning my future, settled down....even tossed out all my New Holland brochures I had picked up thru the years, and my Kabota's....deleted all my pictures and PDF files I had slobbered over for many years.... Someday, you will see your blond, brunette, or redhead.... and while she may not be perfect in every way..... to you she will be, and bring her home....... Good luck....Jerry

 

[budlite]

Is your farm close enough to drive the tractor? If not, do you already have the means to transport it back and forth? If the answer to both is "no", a second tractor is probably the right answer.

 

[Elkins45]

Is your farm close enough to drive the tractor? If not, do you already have the means to transport it back and forth? If the answer to both is "no", a second tractor is probably the right answer.

I have a 16ft car hauler, so I can haul a compact but not a heavy farm tractor with ballast and loaded tires. The farm is 5 miles from the house.

The more I think about that the more it leans me away from the big Ford because it's probably above the capability of my trailer/truck. Tractordata gives the minimum weight of the Ford at just about 5000 pounds, and that's not counting the weight of the loader. My trailer is a 7000 gvwr and the trailer itself weighs 1600 pounds, so if not at max it would be darned close. Once it was hauled to the farm I could never haul it off for service, etc. I would have to pay someone to come get it.