Buying Advice Looking for a tractor

[RDonovan]

Hello, I am new at doing this. I have never posted on a forum before. I am in Barnstead, NH and I am looking to purchase a compact tractor. I have looked at MF GC2410TLB and BobcatCT122 so far. My next quest is to look at Kioti and John deere. I have 14 acres and am going to be using it for gardening, composting, but not really heavy farming jobs. Can someone give me some advice or direction? Even for price comparisons, reviews, etc. Not finding much online on my own. Thanks for your time. Robin

[mguitas]

massey is a nice tractor, along with the others.

[Fossil Farm]

Welcome !!

There are lots of posts in the Buying/Pricing/Comparison section that will
probably just overwhelm you. Everyone has their favorites. Some websites include tractordata.com, tractorhouse.com and there are each individual brand websites.

Whether you are buying new or used, talk to neighbors and friends to see which local dealership has a great service department and is willing to help. Just depends how far you wish to travel for service and advice. There are not very many independent tractor mechanics in some parts of the country as in others, so usually a good dealership is more important than the color of the tractor. If you can, sit on and drive around a few tractors to see what fits you the best. You are the one that has to use it every day, not us. Get as much horsepower that you can afford, because you will soon find many other uses for the tractor that you had not planned on right now. Happy hunting, and be sure to post pictures when you make your purchase. Just don't be in a huge hurry to purchase if you can wait a bit and make decisions with a clear mind.

[Kal130]

Your doing better than I did if you already have picked up on the GC. I looked for months for the right tractor without knowing Massey even made them. Bought a GC about two weeks after I learned of them. Still happy I did.

[flusher]

Hello, I am new at doing this. I have never posted on a forum before. I am in Barnstead, NH and I am looking to purchase a compact tractor. I have looked at MF GC2410TLB and BobcatCT122 so far. My next quest is to look at Kioti and John deere. I have 14 acres and am going to be using it for gardening, composting, but not really heavy farming jobs. Can someone give me some advice or direction? Even for price comparisons, reviews, etc. Not finding much online on my own. Thanks for your time. Robin

I'd concentrate on 30-40 hp (pto) tractors with hydrostatic tranny, 4WD, power steering, dual rear hydraulic remotes, front end loader (FEL) with 6-ft wide bucket, three chain hooks on the top of the bucket, ag tires (R1) on the rear unless you plan to use it for landscaping (then get R3 turf tires). The hydrostatic tranny is very useful for running rototillers which need low ground speed (0.5 mph or less). For field mowing, get a 6-ft wide brush hog (aka bush hog, shredder, slasher).

I have 10 acres of flat pasture (6 acre hayfield, 2 acres orchard, the rest buildings and landscaping). My tractor is a 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny, power steering) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 height). Total weight is around 6200 lb. Cost: ~$19K new.

Good luck.

[RDonovan]

Wow! Great responses and so quickly. I looked at the Kioti KL120 today. I agree about the tires, I would not use the turf tires. Lots to think about and I need to do some comparisons. I am so glad I found this forum. I appreciate the input and recommendations.
Robin

[Mark Page]

What flusher said. 35 pto horsepower will work quite nicely.

[flatpik6]

Welcome !!

Get as much horsepower that you can afford, because you will soon find many other uses for the tractor that you had not planned on right now.

Fossil Farm stole my thunder. I have about the same amount of acreage and made my first tractor a Kubota BX24. I used it effectively for 3 years but then realized that it was seriously under-sized for the many other projects I found myself involved in. Many people advised me that this would happen and I ignored them. 3 years later I have sold the BX and just purchased a much more adequate 50 hp Mahindra 5035. I don't expect to outgrow this one. Perhaps you can convince yourself to go a bit larger than you think you need and then avoid having to upsize. Good luck.

[Kal130]

Size matters too. I would have loved to have bought a MF 1643, but I just couldn't justify the size...depending on what you want to do, there could be such a thing as "too" big.

[Mark Page]

You can buy too much tractor and not horsepower but actual size. I have a 48 and a 45 hp Massey. The 48 is a much larger machine and is less manuverable especially when mowing wood lines.