TRex
New member
Please forgive me for the lenght of this email. I am new to the tractor market. You guys seem to be a font of knowledge and I am quite lost in this maze.
I think I am in the market for a compact tractor to eventually work my entire 28 acre farm. Right now the majority of the land is being worked/maintained by a real farmer in exchange for grazing rights. The land consists of 6 acres of rolling pasture and farm land, 6 acres of woods (very steep) and 16 acres of bottom land with a large creek (25 foot wide 8" deep) cutting across it.
What I need the tractor to do now:
- Maintain a 2/10's of a mile driveway and about the same of farm access. (keep neat and plow snow)
- Move/pull felled trees
- Bush Hog about 3-5 acres
- Maybe some cultivation
- Move dirt and manure and do some landscaping
In the future - 5+ years I would like the option to take over maintenance/use of all of the land.
Here come the questions:
- Should I buy new or used?
- What size - should I buy what I need for today and repurchase when my needs change?
- It seems that after the first year or so tractors do not depreciate like cars - is this true?
- I have looked a Kubota and JD and spoken to a Kioti dealer. Are the Japanese brands that much better then the Korean?
- How important is the hydro transmission? Is the sliding gear transmission in the Kubota a good substitute?
- Am I crazy to think that with proper maintenance I can expect 20 plus years of service out of a new or nearly new tractor.
- Advice on a price: I have two tractors I am looking at right now - can anyone compare or contrast these units and tell me if the price is any good?
Kubota 3300, 1996 approximately 230 hours R4 tires and loader for about $12,800
JD 850, 1993 approximately 860 hours with a 72" bucket and a 6 foot bushhog for $10,200.
I think I am in the market for a compact tractor to eventually work my entire 28 acre farm. Right now the majority of the land is being worked/maintained by a real farmer in exchange for grazing rights. The land consists of 6 acres of rolling pasture and farm land, 6 acres of woods (very steep) and 16 acres of bottom land with a large creek (25 foot wide 8" deep) cutting across it.
What I need the tractor to do now:
- Maintain a 2/10's of a mile driveway and about the same of farm access. (keep neat and plow snow)
- Move/pull felled trees
- Bush Hog about 3-5 acres
- Maybe some cultivation
- Move dirt and manure and do some landscaping
In the future - 5+ years I would like the option to take over maintenance/use of all of the land.
Here come the questions:
- Should I buy new or used?
- What size - should I buy what I need for today and repurchase when my needs change?
- It seems that after the first year or so tractors do not depreciate like cars - is this true?
- I have looked a Kubota and JD and spoken to a Kioti dealer. Are the Japanese brands that much better then the Korean?
- How important is the hydro transmission? Is the sliding gear transmission in the Kubota a good substitute?
- Am I crazy to think that with proper maintenance I can expect 20 plus years of service out of a new or nearly new tractor.
- Advice on a price: I have two tractors I am looking at right now - can anyone compare or contrast these units and tell me if the price is any good?
Kubota 3300, 1996 approximately 230 hours R4 tires and loader for about $12,800
JD 850, 1993 approximately 860 hours with a 72" bucket and a 6 foot bushhog for $10,200.