pbeamtn
New member
This thread may not be novel as countless others have gone through the pains of selecting the "perfect" tractor. For weeks now, I have been scouring Craigslist in the southeast, and visited/emailed several dealers. I'm shopping for "cash price" since there is no such thing as free financing, and I feel the best way to see all the costs involved is to shop for the best cash price.
I started with the Kubota BX series, and I really liked what I saw. I could find a number of used BX's, but the price was too close to that of a new one or was not equipped the way I wanted. I drove almost 2 hours to look at a Mahindra Max 25, and I really liked it. It is probably my favorite, but the best price I got was $14,800 + tax, which pushes it closer to $16K. I went to another dealer to compare the Max with the MF GC2400, but this dealer refused to sell a Max with a MMM because of some problems they have had in the past with MMMs from Mahindra -- something I have heard nowhere else. The price on the GC2400 was $13,900 + 9.25% tax. This was not enough to put the GC2400 ahead of the Max in my mind.
So, I called a closer Kubota/Massey dealer, and received a price of $13,300 for the GC2400, and he had a few used ones. So I visited. None of the used ones had MMM's, and pricing was going to be in the $11K - $13K range for a used tractor with no warranty. So, we started to get serious about pricing a new GC2400 and see really how it compares. For reasons I cannot explain, I was quoted $11,700 for a new GC2400 + 60" MMM + FEL including delivery + 7% tax. Suddenly, used tractors became much less attracting, and even though I like the Max 25 better, I don't think it is $3,000 better. Then, to enter the dream arena, the GC2410 TLB was quoted at $17,200 with 60" MMM.
I visited 2 Cub Cadat/Yanmar dealers, and received wildly different prices. One gave me a price of $14,700 ($15,800 with tax), and the other gave me a price of $12,500 -- he might even have some more he could go. It is a fine machine, and I like the position control, but I really like the GC2400 a little better and the dealer seems better.
For grins, I decided to check out JD when I was getting some parts for my old 316. He had a 2007 2305 with 200 hours on it for $11,800. A new 1026R prices out ~ $17,900 with tax, and I just don't see enough difference to give it serious consideration. I was very interested in the 2305 until I found a new GC2400 for essentially the same price -- new is better, right?
So now this is all coming to a head. From the reviews I have read, all of these are good machines and owners have been happy with them. All would be more than I probably "need" for my 3 acres, but I expect this machine to last me 20 years. In the past 8 hours, I have both been certain the thing to do is get the GC2400, and certain the thing to do is splurge on the 2410 since any hole I dig in the future will cause me to resent the fact that I did not go ahead and get a machine that would make digging more enjoyable. I wish I had a business or a large farm that would justify the added expense, but I just want to occasionally dig out stumps and clear out the trash left my generations past who thought the woods were a good place to dump their waste. Does that really justify $5,900?
Not sure there is much to ask here. My story is probably not that atypical. The MF dealer told me it usually takes 6 visits to buy I tractor -- I'm only on 3! I hope to report ownership soon. These incentives are only good until July 31, but it seems to me likely they will be in August as well. One piece of wisdom, perhaps, to others who are shopping: make sure your dealer checks all the latest incentives, which appear to come out at the beginning of each month. The worst prices I received were from dealers that just look the prices up in a book and write them down. The best price came from the dealer who got on the computer and checked every current deal. YMMV.
I started with the Kubota BX series, and I really liked what I saw. I could find a number of used BX's, but the price was too close to that of a new one or was not equipped the way I wanted. I drove almost 2 hours to look at a Mahindra Max 25, and I really liked it. It is probably my favorite, but the best price I got was $14,800 + tax, which pushes it closer to $16K. I went to another dealer to compare the Max with the MF GC2400, but this dealer refused to sell a Max with a MMM because of some problems they have had in the past with MMMs from Mahindra -- something I have heard nowhere else. The price on the GC2400 was $13,900 + 9.25% tax. This was not enough to put the GC2400 ahead of the Max in my mind.
So, I called a closer Kubota/Massey dealer, and received a price of $13,300 for the GC2400, and he had a few used ones. So I visited. None of the used ones had MMM's, and pricing was going to be in the $11K - $13K range for a used tractor with no warranty. So, we started to get serious about pricing a new GC2400 and see really how it compares. For reasons I cannot explain, I was quoted $11,700 for a new GC2400 + 60" MMM + FEL including delivery + 7% tax. Suddenly, used tractors became much less attracting, and even though I like the Max 25 better, I don't think it is $3,000 better. Then, to enter the dream arena, the GC2410 TLB was quoted at $17,200 with 60" MMM.
I visited 2 Cub Cadat/Yanmar dealers, and received wildly different prices. One gave me a price of $14,700 ($15,800 with tax), and the other gave me a price of $12,500 -- he might even have some more he could go. It is a fine machine, and I like the position control, but I really like the GC2400 a little better and the dealer seems better.
For grins, I decided to check out JD when I was getting some parts for my old 316. He had a 2007 2305 with 200 hours on it for $11,800. A new 1026R prices out ~ $17,900 with tax, and I just don't see enough difference to give it serious consideration. I was very interested in the 2305 until I found a new GC2400 for essentially the same price -- new is better, right?
So now this is all coming to a head. From the reviews I have read, all of these are good machines and owners have been happy with them. All would be more than I probably "need" for my 3 acres, but I expect this machine to last me 20 years. In the past 8 hours, I have both been certain the thing to do is get the GC2400, and certain the thing to do is splurge on the 2410 since any hole I dig in the future will cause me to resent the fact that I did not go ahead and get a machine that would make digging more enjoyable. I wish I had a business or a large farm that would justify the added expense, but I just want to occasionally dig out stumps and clear out the trash left my generations past who thought the woods were a good place to dump their waste. Does that really justify $5,900?
Not sure there is much to ask here. My story is probably not that atypical. The MF dealer told me it usually takes 6 visits to buy I tractor -- I'm only on 3! I hope to report ownership soon. These incentives are only good until July 31, but it seems to me likely they will be in August as well. One piece of wisdom, perhaps, to others who are shopping: make sure your dealer checks all the latest incentives, which appear to come out at the beginning of each month. The worst prices I received were from dealers that just look the prices up in a book and write them down. The best price came from the dealer who got on the computer and checked every current deal. YMMV.