Buying Advice First time tractor buyer needing advice

[jonmstark]

Hi tractor gurus,

I'm a homeowner with 4.5 acres in need of some landscaping I'd like to do myself ... moving dirt, stumps, rocks, grading ... long term could use for snowblowing and lawnmowing.
Checked local dealers and I can get a Kubota BX25 with Loader and backhoe for $18,000 over the border in NH (no tax) or a Mahindra max 22 with loader and backhoe for $18,500 plus 1300 in Mass tax.
Looked at used and not sure a first timer should tackle used equipment. Best I saw was a 10 year old kubota bx23 for 13k with 450 hours at the dealer or a Kubota bx22 with 275 hours for 13k on craigslist.

Any thoughts or advice are welcomed.

Jon from Massachusetts.

 

[BLUE ME]

Welcome to TBN.
Check out this thread.
Cheers.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/320725-im-sure-usual-question-what.html

 

[jeff9366]

Let the controversy begin:

I would get a Zero Turn mower for the yard.

I would move up from considering a BX to one of the 'L' series.

Longer wheelbase, wider stance, heavier 'L' tractors are safer to learn with due to greater stability. Thrice as safe on slopes.

Less shop time because you will not have to run an 'L' tractor as hard.

Are you sure you need a $7,000 Backhoe? Won't a $400 Bucket Spade clamped on optional Kubota Heavy Duty Round-Back bucket suffice?

LINK:

Bucket Solution's Tractor bucket spade/shovel

 

[DHD]

How much lawn mowing and how much snow removal are you looking at ?
Maybe you just need a GT for mowing and snow removal.
I agree about getting something bigger than a BX for stump and earth moving work.

 

[jonmstark]

I'm not in immediate need of a mower. I had about a half acre lawn and a working (but old) lawn tractor. The rest of the lot is hills and trees. My hope would be to clear some land and double the lawn area. And if the old lawn tractor died, I would add to the new one rather than replace the other.
As for snow, my is over 400 feet long ... and I have 2 working areins walk behinds that can do the job ... given enough time ... But it's not fast. Just thinking ahead.
Right now getting to landscaping at the cheapest price is the priority.

 

[jeff9366]

Right now, getting to landscaping at the cheapest price is the priority.

The most common refrain from first time buyers on T-B-N is: I wish I had purchased 1-2-3 sizes larger, the way responders to my thread urged.


(I am on my third tractor, same property, guilty as above.)



Check out the blue box, below; Similar Threads.

 

[Cherokee140]

You will find that many here will tell you to buy a big machine, I can only comment on my personal experience I have the 25D and found it to be perfect for what I need to do and even a little too big in some cases....in working in and around the trees at my property I find myself in some tight spots and I have actually ended up taking out trees I wanted to keep. I have found that there is nothing I have needed to do that the little BX could not do....I might have to work a little smarter then the others with larger tractors, and it might take more time, but the job has gotten done none the less.

You will also find I am just 180* from most others on here....I am not sure if it is because I researched and had a clear idea on what I needed to do or what, but you will find it very common for everyone on here to tell you to buy bigger. I don't know what you want to really do with it, only you do....have a clear understanding on what you want and need it to do....check out videos of people working on the machines....try to find them doing tasks like you are going to be doing....that is really the best advice one can give you.

 

[flusher]

Welcome to TBN. Join the fun.:laughing:

I've owned both--a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL and a new 2008 Mahindra 5525 with the ML250 FEL. No complaints on either tractor. Kubota tractors tend to be on the lightweight side. A big Mahindra like mine (55hp) is built like a tank.

If you can't decide on the basis of the tractors themselves, make your decision based on the better dealer (service, parts, time in business, rates for hauling tractors to/from his shop for service, etc).

Good luck and enjoy your new tractor whatever it turns out to be.

 

[check]

A BX25 works fine for me, and I have 25 acres. Your biggest challenge will be roots and stumps, so get a Piranha Tooth Bar from bxpanded.com for the FEL, and a Ripper Tooth for the BH from Bro-Tek.

The BX25 is designed for tough work, and yet it can work in amazingly tight spaces, and can fit on a smaller, lighter trailer as it is only 15' long with the BH curled in.

Another big issue is FEL capacity. You can get a bucket expander from bxpanded.com that will double the heaped capacity of the FEL. (I did, and it is great for lifting and moving lighter stuff like snow and dirt. In fact the only time it has been overpowered for me is when I was lifting wet sand.)

The other half of the FEL equation of course is the weight capacity of the FEL. However, before you fuss too much about that issue, line up all of the tractors' specs and compare their load lifting capacities, and you will find that you will have to pay quite a bit more to increase the lift capacity significantly. Sure, I would love to have a higher lift weight capacity, but I'm not willing to pay that large extra price to have it. I can just use more loads if that happens, and to be perfectly honest, with the bucket expander I rarely over load the front end loader to the point where it will not lift the material because it is too heavy. Even so, when lifting something very heavy like wet sand, It might take a bit longer because you will have more trips back-and-forth, but all of the other advantages of this compact and sturdy SCUT outweigh the advantages of a bigger FEL weight capacity, especially with regards to the price.

Glad to hear that you're using something else for mowing. The mowers for these things are ridiculously expensive, a big pain to put off and on, and they really restrict what you can do with the tractor. (and don't forget that, with the backhoe on the back of a BX 25, your "mower" will be extremely long and awkward to get into and around tight spaces. You can of tour course take it off when mowing, but, again, more work.) A simple riding mower is just so much cheaper and easier.

Good luck with your purchase, and enjoy your new "tractor life"! It will indeed be different! (Kind of like having a new baby, except for the diaper part. You will never be the same again.)

 

[GManBart]

Hi tractor gurus,

I'm a homeowner with 4.5 acres in need of some landscaping I'd like to do myself ... moving dirt, stumps, rocks, grading ... long term could use for snowblowing and lawnmowing.
Checked local dealers and I can get a Kubota BX25 with Loader and backhoe for $18,000 over the border in NH (no tax) or a Mahindra max 22 with loader and backhoe for $18,500 plus 1300 in Mass tax.
Looked at used and not sure a first timer should tackle used equipment. Best I saw was a 10 year old kubota bx23 for 13k with 450 hours at the dealer or a Kubota bx22 with 275 hours for 13k on craigslist.

Any thoughts or advice are welcomed.

Jon from Massachusetts.

Either of those machines should work well for what you're talking about.

Keep in mind that even if you buy a machine in NH, you are still liable for the Massachusetts "use tax" of 6.25%. If you finance any of the tractor there will be a UCC filing with the state, so they'll know about it. Some states are starting to get very aggressive in pursuing people who buy out of state to avoid sales tax, and don't pay the use tax...just FYI.