Which Tractor Should I Buy?

   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #1  

Vector330ix

New member
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
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3
Location
milford nh
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I know there is alot of talk on here but the truth is it is so hard to sort through it unless i happen to hit on an exact model.

Here is what i am doing: I need a tractor that will plow with a 10' pusher. Honestly that is all i NEED it for but i would like the option of having a BackHoe for the summer around the yard.

I was looking at the MF 1643 and 1655 Which are 43/55 HP respectively. Locally they are going for about $35500/42800 with $4000 discount if i dont take the 0 down.

I like this tractor but i cant get a back hoe with it. (unless i want a platform) I did see some other makes out there like LS and TYM however i dont know anyone that has one. I can get the same specs with a Backhoe for about the same price or less. But i dont know if i should trust those brands.

What are your experiences with LS and TYM verse MF.?? or do you suggest something different
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #2  
Take a look at ALL the makes that are within a comfortable driving distance for you. Take a look at all the different make forums here on TBN. Ask questions there, people in those forums know more about their particular brand than the guys that don't have the make or model that you may be asking about. Pretty much all the new tractors are pretty good, but service can vary A LOT from dealer to dealer.

Good luck and have some fun in your search. ;)
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #3  
I do not see why you cannot get a backhoe on the Massey. On my fathers 1652 with a cab he has the backhoe.
I can get the same specs with a Backhoe for about the same price or less. But i dont know if i should trust those brands.
If you do not feel comfortable and have a gut feeling that the other brands are inferior to Massey than follow your gut and go red.
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #4  
Ahhh, you've already discovered the dark secret that the ONLY tractor even worth considering is the one I own [grin]. Most of us are TE's (Tractor Evangelists). Some because we are so totally happy and want to see someone else as happy as we are / others because we are trying to convince ourselves our purchase wasn't a mistake.

That said, I don't have experience with a tractor the size you are looking for. I do have experience with a few different brands. When I was shopping for my last tractor, LS was not one of the four brands I considered because of my exposure to a Montana at work. It was bought new and it was chosen because of the low price.

We have had problems with the electrical and fuel systems on the Montana. We also had some damage done by an operator (instrument panel smashed by material rolling back off of loader). The dealer is good but is located almost 4 hours round trip away from the tractor's location. We use our rollback to take the tractor there to be worked on. Repairs have taken way too long because of parts availability. I don't believe the dealer was being untruthful about having trouble getting parts.

The Montana is more crudely made than some of the more common names and removing / replacing the loader is a real challenge.

I looked at several used tractors before making the last purchase and a couple were New Hollands that bore a striking resemblence to the Montana. Probably bescause they were made by LS? Here's a quote from Wiki on LS:

"Tractors have been sold under GoldStar, Fiat-GoldStar, LG, LG-Fiat, LG-New Holland, LS and LS-New Holland names in South Korea. In North America, they have been sold as LG Montana, Montana, Farmtrac LandTrac, LongAgri LandTrac, McCormick Tractors and Landini".
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #5  
Ahhh, you've already discovered the dark secret that the ONLY tractor even worth considering is the one I own [grin]. Most of us are TE's (Tractor Evangelists). Some because we are so totally happy and want to see someone else as happy as we are / others because we are trying to convince ourselves our purchase wasn't a mistake..

That's good right there and so true! I'm going to recommend Kubota because it's what I bought and I'm happy with the ones I've had... :D;):thumbsup:

We have a Massey dealer down the road and I see tractors there with backhoes all the time. My mom has a small Massey that really is a good rig, but I like my rigs better.

Take a look at Kubota.
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #6  
Compare either Bobcat 445 or 450 and Kioti DK45 or 50 with the MF models you listed. These are same size, HP, and weight range of the models listed. Both have Backhoe options are good dependable tractors.
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #7  
I will try to relate my tractor shopping experience 2 years ago. When I was tractor shopping, I looked at MF 1652 with cab and QPS transmission, internet checked all the specs against Kubota, JD, NH and Mahindra. I thought I wanted the MF till I got on it and discovered that ergonomically it just didnt fit me too well and lots of the levers were not positioned where I though they should be. So after months of searching the net and getting prices from dealers on models, I was dissappointed with the real life view. I started over from scratch and drove to every dealer within 100 miles of me. JD didnt have any stock in 50+ HP tractors with cabs and prices were just too high to even consider even though the cabs on the 100+ HP models were very nice. I next checked Kubota who also had no cab models in stock but could maybe get one according to the salesman at one dealer who then directed me to his main dealer 50 miles away(same guy owned two dealerships). I talked to the manager there who was busy trying to get a tractor ready for delivery and told him what I was looking for and he recommended a Grand L but none in stock with cabs but did get a MSRP that was even higher than the MF. I left my phone number with the guy and told him to call me when he wasnt so busy, He never called back even though I called him twice more so I blew off the Kubota dealer. Next I found a Mahindra dealer about 100 miles from me and decided to go check them out. Turned out the the Mahindra dealer also sold LS tractor. Comparison side by side with LS and Mahindra made the Mahindra look very cheap. I ended up with a much larger tractor from LS (70HP) with FEL, Cab and shuttle shift transmisson for about the same price as the 50HP Massey.
I would say that LS has very good quality tractors which is why so many "brand name" tractors are going to them to build many of their CUT models. I like the 5 year warranty on powertrain and bumper to bumper 2 year warranty. If you have a dealer near you it is worth checking them out for quality and value you cant beat them. I started with an old Yanmar (1984 model 4220D) which was a very good tractor and I abused the heck out of it. Then bought the LS for heavy work and when working in the heat and dust, the cab is outstanding. I now have sold the Yanmar and purchased a Kubota B 26 which I like for the compactness. It is a strong little tractor and will power right into hard soil with the FEL bucket without toothbar and just load it up even in midrange (has a 3 range hydrostatic). I can load up loose material in high range with it and not stall and it pulls up a pretty good hill in high without a problem, just back off the pedal a bit and it climbs right up.
This reminds me to mention to all the readers who complain that their tractors wont climb a hill in anything other than low, maybe they just keep the pedal to the metal thinking that more pedal means more power. That is just the opposite with a Hydrostatic. Less pedal gives slower speed but more torque to the wheels whereas more pedal gives less torque but more speed.

Good luck in your search. Try them all, sit on them check the operation, ergonomics especially as some people just dont fit well on some models and brands of tractors that other claim fits perfect. Price them all and unless the cheapest price has a sleazy dealer go for the value. Most all of the tractors are good these days although I would stay away from the chinese brands til they get better at production. Again check the LS out, nothing but good to say about them. As for parts, not many dealer keep a well stocked parts dept now, just order them in as needed so it reduces the amount of money tied up. So you have to wait a couple extra days for them to UPS or FEDEX the part you need from a central warehouse, you will find the same thing with all the dealers. Common parts like filters, you should keep a set of all for your tractor in your own warehouse ready for use and restock each time you use them. I order my parts via phone most of the time and have them shipped to my door so I dont waste gas on trips. So far with my tractor all I have bought and used from the dealer is hydraulic oil filter and engine oil filter. I got 2 of everything when I bought the tractor so I am still stocked.
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #8  
What dealers are within 50 miles of you? Start there.
 
   / Which Tractor Should I Buy? #9  
Ahhh, you've already discovered the dark secret that the ONLY tractor even worth considering is the one I own [grin]. Most of us are TE's (Tractor Evangelists). Some because we are so totally happy and want to see someone else as happy as we are / others because we are trying to convince ourselves our purchase wasn't a mistake.

Truer words never spoken. :laughing: If/when I finally make my tractor decision, I'm not telling anyone here...no need to elicit the cries of 'apostate!' "heretic!" "blasphemy!" :D
 
 
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