I have Deere, New Holland and Kubota Dealers in my area Northern NJ. I think maybe a Yanmar and Massey dealer too. just looking to dig for lines ect 4' deep I guess my budget is around 16K
Northern NJ….uh oh! Just kidding, I have to admit I was born there (lived in Hopatcong, and went to high school in Sparta), but don't claim it since it wasn't by choice.
Any of the brands you mentioned will have something that would work well for you, but I'd put a bit of a caveat on the New Holland. NH hasn't made their own SCUT/CUT tractors for a long time now, and in some cases, you can buy the exact same machine from the actual manufacturer, for thousands less. Some of them are made by Shibaura, and some are made by LS. I don't think there's an LS dealer near you, but those are the models you can buy direct for less.
The small to medium tractor world has gotten pretty complex as far as outsourcing, and who makes what, where they're made, etc.
In the SCUT size it's really hard to go wrong with Kubota, and I think you'd have no trouble finding one new, or nearly new, for $16K. There are also a ton of positive comments, reviews, and posts on the Deere 1025R here, so that would be a good one to at least look at. Similarly, Yanmar is a solid choice, and they've made tractors, and engines for Deere for ages (although I think it's only engines now). The new line of smaller Masseys have gotten really good reviews as well, so I wouldn't hesitate to look at them.
I guess that's a long way of saying you'll probably just have to look up some specs online, visit the dealers, and get a feel for the machines, and the dealer. Things that you find annoying in a machine might not bother me at all, and vice-versa, so seat time is really important. Good luck!