Buying Advice Old utility tractor vs. newer compact tractor?

[batwing]

if you find a good used tractor that fits your needs have someone check it out, if your going to till and blow snow with it make sure you have a low enough gear in reverse for blowing snow. my last tractor was a 165 Massey and it done a good job but I wanted a loader tractor that had 4 wheel drive.
Ron

 

[mo1]

I think you came to the right conclusion. I was in a VERY similar situation as you. The sub-compact and compact tractor market is heavily marketed at the demographic of folks just like you! Getting in to a new tractor that suits your needs can be more affordable than you might think.

Some things I learned along the way:

- I would stay away from the garden tractor variety machines for your needs.
- I wouldn't settle for less than a Cat-1 rated 3-point hitch. There are FAR fewer available Cat-0 implements. Even your dads 7 foot rototiller is going to be a stretch in both weight and PTO requirements for a Sub-compact or Compact.
- In my opinion 20HP at the PTO minimum rating.
- Consider a mid mount finish mower versus 3-point mower. Much more maneuverable and enjoyable. The "drive over" kinds are fantastic!
- Choosing the brand of tractor is important, but don't underestimate the value of having a good strong, knowledge, supportive dealer. Talk to other owners in your area of all the main brands and their experiences. That relationship is priceless long after you have signed papers!
- I have turf tires that came on my tractor, but I wish I had industrial tires. Now I run chains on my turf tires all the time.
- If in doubt, rent one or ask if your dealer has a demo. You will quickly get a good idea of what you like and works best for you.

my 2c waiting for change..

- I'll certainly stay away from the riding lawnmowers (er, "garden tractors") as that's what I had when I was growing up. I view them as slightly larger versions of pushmowers after spending hundreds of hours using them. They're fine for cutting maybe 1 acre of smooth lawn and that's about it. We had all sorts of attachments for them including a front mount blade for pushing snow from our paved driveway. There's a reason my Dad now uses an 83 hp utility tractor to do the tasks we used to do with a riding lawnmower or walk-behind equipment when we were growing up

- I'll most certainly stick to a tractor with a Category I 3-point. Somebody here posted "It's Category 0 for a reason" which is absolutely true.

- I looked at what I want to do and I'd need somewhere around 20 PTO HP to use the kinds of mowers I'd want to, so that's my minimum. I'd of course like to get more size and power if possible but a higher-powered small-frame compact like a JD 2032R or NH Boomer 25 aka LS 2030H would be sufficient. Those prices are much more reasonable compared to a higher-powered large-frame compact with ~40 PTO HP.

- As far as a mid-mount mower vs. a rear-mount one: mid-mount ones make for a shorter more nimble machine but they are usually series-specific and expensive. I'd rather have something I could mount to any tractor if I decide to move in the future and need a larger machine. I'll get a rear-mount mower.

- I asked my Dad his opinon. The smallest tractor he's owned was an early-1980s JD 2240 which was I believe a 53 engine HP unit. He took a drive past the place I bought and said to "spend the 15 grand to buy a new Kubota with a loader." The only compact tractors available when he was younger (in the late '70s and '80s) were Kubotas, so "Kubota" means "compact tractor" to him; he's never owned an actual Kubota. I take it he means to buy a new compact tractor. His father had a gas MF 135 which he was not fond of as the hydraulics leaked. We actually tried to get that tractor running about a half-dozen years ago and it hadn't been run in ~10 years so the engine was seized up. My Dad told me that this is why he always bought new stuff which was "a known quantity." I don't 100% agree but understand what he was saying.

- It would be much less expensive to buy a ~20 PTO HP tractor and a smaller tiller than to buy a ~40 PTO HP one to drive his so I might do that instead.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good deal on a 4wd 20-30 PTO HP small to medium frame compact tractor with a loader in the SW MO area after I move there in a couple of months.

 

[ovrszd]

Patience will save you a LOT of money. Search Craigslist using SearchTempest Online Classifieds Search - All the Classifieds. One Search. Saves having to research each town individually. You'll find gobs of used 20-40HP SCUTs and CUTs.

I mow 2.5 acres with my JD2210 and 62" deck in 90 minutes. I paid $9K for it with 100 hours. I'll never wear it out.

 

[jenkinsph]

Sorry I wasted my time, I deleted my posts.

 

[ovrszd]

Sorry I wasted my time, I deleted my posts.

I must have missed something??? I didn't view your posts as a waste at all. I'm sure others viewed them the same.

 

[jenkinsph]

I must have missed something??? I didn't view your posts as a waste at all. I'm sure others viewed them the same.

Mo1 hasn't used a hydro, hasn't had a real garden tractor or one such as your 2210 which is very similar in capabilities. Mowing what amounts to about 1.5 acres and thinks he needs a compact tractor to do this. He appears to consider a big box store mower (lawn tractor) the same as a garden tractor (700 series). I guess I am tired of all this crap and tired of offering help to those who are uninformed yet know everything. You for example have been around the block and use a light tractor for mowing and a heavy tractor for the big jobs, experience makes a difference.

 

[arnoldziffel]

For what it is worth, I'll share my recent experience.

I've been looking for an affordable, used, diesel, light weight tractor to mow about 4 acres. I thought I found the perfect candidate until upon doing research I determined that the machine is an aged-out orphan. The manufacturer no longer provides parts support. When parts that are on shelves are gone, there are no more shy of the scrap yard. I concluded that I just wouldn't be able to deal with this fact. I'm not a mechanic and I don't have time to find parts. Therefore for me, I'm looking at affordable new machines and they are out there.

Good luck.

 

[mo1]

Mo1 hasn't used a hydro, hasn't had a real garden tractor or one such as your 2210 which is very similar in capabilities. Mowing what amounts to about 1.5 acres and thinks he needs a compact tractor to do this. He appears to consider a big box store mower (lawn tractor) the same as a garden tractor (700 series). I guess I am tired of all this crap and tired of offering help to those who are uninformed yet know everything. You for example have been around the block and use a light tractor for mowing and a heavy tractor for the big jobs, experience makes a difference.

Just because you mentioned it, I looked at the JD X700 series garden tractors on their website. Yes, they're built much differently than the riding lawnmowers I used as a kid. Yes, you can get a little Category 0 3 point hitch for one but you're very limited in being able to run implements like a rough-cut mower due to the hitch being Category 0 which is something I will need to do. Also with only somewhere in the mid teens for PTO horsepower with the optional rear PTO you'd be likewise limited in what you can run as well. The larger 4wd diesel X700 models appear to be a subcompact tractor like the 1 series stuffed in an even smaller body...and I wasn't looking at units that small in the first place for the reasons I stated above. Also, they cost upwards of $11-12,000 before you even throw in the 3-point hitch and optional PTO. Add in those things and you have the same kinds of prices you'd pay for a much larger compact tractor. I also don't have unlimited space to store several different machines either which is why I wanted one that could do everything I need to do.

 

[ovrszd]

Mo1 hasn't used a hydro, hasn't had a real garden tractor or one such as your 2210 which is very similar in capabilities. Mowing what amounts to about 1.5 acres and thinks he needs a compact tractor to do this. He appears to consider a big box store mower (lawn tractor) the same as a garden tractor (700 series). I guess I am tired of all this crap and tired of offering help to those who are uninformed yet know everything. You for example have been around the block and use a light tractor for mowing and a heavy tractor for the big jobs, experience makes a difference.

Oh yeah, I see what you are taking about now. I always take time to read your posts. I find them informative. Sometimes I think the hardest part about forum conversations is figuring out the experience level of each participant. Expecially when some will try to portray themselves as more experienced than they actually are. But then,,,, isn't that how humans are??

 

[ovrszd]

For what it is worth, I'll share my recent experience.

I've been looking for an affordable, used, diesel, light weight tractor to mow about 4 acres. I thought I found the perfect candidate until upon doing research I determined that the machine is an aged-out orphan. The manufacturer no longer provides parts support. When parts that are on shelves are gone, there are no more shy of the scrap yard. I concluded that I just wouldn't be able to deal with this fact. I'm not a mechanic and I don't have time to find parts. Therefore for me, I'm looking at affordable new machines and they are out there.

Good luck.

Very important information in your post. Information that newcomers to the tractor world sometimes ignore. I say this with no ill repute toward any brand, but I believe in sticking to brands that will endure.