Buying Advice Another first time buyer

[daugen]

i still would like to mow a lawn with it.
If your property is wet, mowing with R4 tires can be an issue.
But even with 4wd, you'll find that unless you just use the machine mostly for mowing,
which is not what I think you want, you really want R4's. And if you get a lot of snow there,
not sure of my geography here, maybe even siping your tires. Your tires have a lot to do with
how your tractor will operate in certain conditions, and not just whether you get stuck or not.

boy I'm glad I googled your address You are NOT in Nebraska...
Ok, lots of snow. And boy what a pretty area. I took a cruise ship into Halifax, and
I can say without reservation that some of the nicest people I have met on the East Coast
were met in Halifax.
Now I haven't been to Nebraska yet so I have to give them equal opportunity...
Drew

[Tompet]

I think Carl NH gave you some good info to consider.

Unless you want a rear finish mower, flail mower, or mmm for your yard, what may be a big help in your decision process is maybe dropping the mowing requirement. You have a pretty large property, don't compromise the size of the tractor you need because you need a lawnmower. You will be using the tractor for years for many things with 38 acres of land. Your prperty sounds nice.

Many others, myself included, started out with the same thought of an all in one tractor. The first setup I had was with a mmm, And when delivered I took it off once put it in storage called the dealer following spring and traded it in for a different larger set-up. Expensive lesson. This is just my opinion as others do use mmm and one machine. I'm just saying it did not work for me and the older I get it seems I go for making work faster and easier. Having said that my neighbor bought the same scut I originally had and his mmm gives a beautiful cut but he doesn't have the property to work as you and didn't want a TLB like me. I love a zero turn for mowing. There are still a lot of working farms around here within 30 miles and one thing I notice is the big farms mow around the homes with lawnmowers. Anyway, enjoy your tractor and property!

[woodman506]

you guys are right, i was thinking an all-in-one..... but that would be a compromise on all levels, a little bigger would be a lot better.....hmmmm how am i going to break this to my financial adviser AKA wife.....

[daugen]

you guys are right, i was thinking an all-in-one..... but that would be a compromise on all levels, a little bigger would be a lot better.....hmmmm how am i going to break this to my financial adviser AKA wife.....

considering your location, I think a cab utility tractor, whatever size, makes sense for you, particularly if you are doing more snow than your own driveway.
And if you can buy a good used unit that comes with a number of implements you actually need, if you have to go older to get the performance level you want,
then you simply have slightly less time on the ultimate clock and perhaps some infrequent abnormal maintenance costs, but otherwise, most brand name 10-20 year tractors will
outlast you, not the other way around, if maintained.

Now if your neighbor has exactly the kind of tractor you are looking for, compliment him on it, assuming you've seen him drive and he's not a crazy person...,
and ask about maintenance. If you like his attitude and he keeps the tractor spotless, it's likely he also changes his oil regularly, but that of course has exceptions.
Then tell him you'd love to pay slightly over trade-in for the tractor, meaning you are buying "wholesale", and therefore if in the first couple of years you have to dump 5 grand or
something in a big repair, your day will still not be ruined. If you buy right/low, theoretically you should have some money set aside for repairs. Your tractor piggy bank.
That little piggy can be hungry if you want lots of implements...
Have fun.

If you figure out the performance level of tractor you really need, and your financial advisor, who has been plied with flowers the day before,
sets a reasonable budget, well, off to tractorhouse.com you go and see what's out there in your hp and price range.
You can accomplish perhaps all your needs with a 50 year old Farmall, something with a FEL on a big frame with gobs of capacity,
or for the same price, something newer and likely smaller. And much more comfortable. I froze my behind off as a kid plowing snow so my father could get out our lane
to get to work, in an old open JD B, and now that I have a cab tractor, I believe I've gotten a lot closer to Heaven...

I'd make a list of all the things you want your tractor to do, and try to prioritize them. If you have a favorite down parka and like the outdoors, well consider an open tractor,
but unless you have clearance issues in a shed, I'd prioritize a cab in the colder North.

[daugen]

.hmmmm how am i going to break this to my financial adviser AKA wife.....
ask and ye shall receive.
I'm a retired Certified Financial Planner.
You can say you consulted a planner, with a really straight face, and were told
of the importance of not undersizing your tractor.
We'll charge this consultation to the dust and let the rain settle it.

[Carl_NH]

Generally speaking for lawn mowing 30-35 HP is about the biggest, and typcially 20-28 HP and weight around 3000 lbs.

Tires, R4 (farm tires) will rut more, R4 industrials are fine, and then turf tires for lawn mowing are great. If you do a mix of trail and woods work I would go R4.

Also I saw a JD 855 23 HP diesel with Loader, Blower, Mower and soft cab for $14500 in your area too. Thats not a bad combo package.

Check your dealers too for slightly used and the compare to new. Seems like your prices in NB and NS are about 20-30% higher than NE usa area.

If you go across to Maine there are some great deals on Kubotas.. Kubota tractor and attachments - $15400 (Poland)

Search Craigslist in Maine and you will see a lot of low hour machines at decent prices. Its a 5-6 hour ride but you can save a lot.

[woodman506]

Thanks daugen, it just so happens that my wife is actually a certified investment adviser as well :-), I almost have her convinced I "need" a tractor of substantial size.......

[daugen]

Thanks daugen, it just so happens that my wife is actually a certified investment adviser as well :-), I almost have her convinced I "need" a tractor of substantial size.......

Oh boy. Your results may vary...
You will always get a "good return" with flowers.

[daugen]

Tires, R4 (farm tires) will rut more, R4 industrials are fine, and then turf tires for lawn mowing are great

Carl, did you mean R1 farm tires, or are there really two kinds of R4's? Just asking. Drew

[jenkinsph]

I recommend you go with a utility tractor with R1 tires for your acreage with a cab if you can swing it. Get a dedicated mower for the lawn that fits your needs. I would not go for an all in one that isn't right for anything. I can relate to the cost of buying a new property and all the cost that come with it. You might consider buying the mower that is ideal first and then add the tractor afterwards. Just a thought.

From my postition having had lots of tractors in the past I think you would be better off with a larger compact tractor or utility tractor about 50 pto hp. There are lots of good brands out there today, I have deere because I like them and it is the only brand with a decent dealership within 100 miles of me. That said I use an x749 for mowing and a 4520 cab for my tractor work, larger acreage jobs can shrink a tractor so don't go too small.

About the budget, if you wan't to get something long term without trading up later your budget is too small to buy a tractor. It is enough to get a great mower setup that will last you for 20 years if taken care of I would do this first. Take your time to get a new tractor with cab and properly sized and equipped as needed, this might be closer to $50k.