Buying Advice Need advice on first tractor

[trimpy]

First off, my property is all hill and clay. I am looking into getting my first tractor and am stuck.

Tractor A weighs 5000lbs, is 86-90" wide, 41hp, and is 2WD.
Tractor B weighs 2600lbs, is 56" wide, 36hp and is 4WD.

Both come with similar FELs, though A has a little more capacity.

A is $18,233
B is $18,700

My tasks would be moving the occasional round hay bale, field mowing, snow removal (not much), gravel road creation and maint, various digging and grading, and running a single bottom plow to break some new ground for various small scale gardening.

 

[jerrybob]

Both would work for you but I'd go for 4wd. That feature can really make a difference depending on ground conditions. You don't mention some other important issues....like condition, number of hours, make, options like weights....etc.... All things being equal......4wd is the option I'd go for. Good luck.

 

[trimpy]

Both are new. I guess I am really concerned about stability, and after watching my neighbor tow my f150 like it was nothing up a slippery muddy slope with his old 2wd, I am questioning whether weight and stability are more valuable. Tractor A has a 4WD version for 3500 more, but I really want to keep things under 20

 

[JerryK]

It is hard to beat weight for traction. You better find out how much those round bales are, and look at loader capacity, too. I am of the school that buying bigger/heavier is better than getting one that will just barely do what you want. But it is your money...

 

[trimpy]

Yea, the round bales I get are 4x4s and weigh around 700ea... not those crazy monster round bales.

I have no brand loyalty, but the tractors in question are A: Mahindra 4025 and B: Kubota L3800.

 

[jerrybob]

Yea, the round bales I get are 4x4s and weigh around 700ea... not those crazy monster round bales.

I have no brand loyalty, but the tractors in question are A: Mahindra 4025 and B: Kubota L3800.

Both are good tractors.....good quality.

 

[Relic]

go with the 4wd and I bet U'll never look back.

 

[Ed of all trades]

4x4 will give you more stability on hills, going down hill on a tractor is one time some people don't think about but with directional tires you can have a nice slide, if all goes well.

 

[GManBart]

Yea, the round bales I get are 4x4s and weigh around 700ea... not those crazy monster round bales.

I have no brand loyalty, but the tractors in question are A: Mahindra 4025 and B: Kubota L3800.

You can pretty much get "all of the above" (weight, 4WD, power, etc) + a loader with at least twice the capacity, and more standard features (remotes, work lights, etc), and stay under, or right at, $20K if you look at either Kioti or LS, and probably Bobcat (close outs, so deals can be found).

I thought it would take a while to max out my LS, but I was wrong....even if I went two steps bigger, I still would run into situations calling for more....time to borrow the neighbors backhoe, crawler or excavator!

 

[vtsnowedin]

Unless tractor B can be set out wider then 56" with wheel spacers or rim adjustments I would go with the 5000 lb - 90 " wide machine. You will have the mass to hold back loads going down your hills and the stability to work slopes much steeper then can with the very narrow 56" machine and as soon as you touch the brakes going down a hill with a load behind you it becomes a factor of machine weight times the width of the rear tires.