More tractor buying advice.

[MikeFromVA]

I've been doing a lot of reading on the forum. I'm moving to a new home on 7 acres - 1.5 lawn / 2.5 pasture / 2 woods / 1 swampy area - most all of which is sloped (except the low area). I originally thought I'd be spending about $2500 on a "riding mower". After a lot of reading and research, I've decided that a JD 2210 is probably what I need.

Reading the TBN forums makes me wonder if I should be considering a Massey Ferguson / New Holland / Kubota or some other tractor that I hadn't looked at too closely. The Kubota and JD are very similar in price ($13200 w/ FEL and 62"MMM) and I could really go either way between Kubota and JD. I really don't want to go over $15K. Is there anything else that I should be looking at?

PS - anyone know if you can get a toothbar for the JD FEL?

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

The JD2210 should do what you need. You should look at other manufactures. Anytime you are spending that kind of money you need to research all your posibilities. Go into sign on the dotted line knowing you bought the correct tractor from the correct dealer.

You should also consider used. I origanially had a 8n. It was very useful for dirt work and mowing. It did lack in some areas but made up for it by being cheap and allowing the reuse of the $3000 or so I spent on attachments.

 

[Golfgar4]

Welcome to TBN! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It sounds like you're not locked into any one brand, which in my mind, is the best attitude to have at the beginning of your search. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif All of the brands are good. More often than not, the decision will be made on what YOU like the best. And that's as it should be! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You should consider ALL brands of tractors that are available within whatever area (driving distance to and from) you've determined that will fit your needs. Just make sure as you go through your comparisons, that you are truly comparing apples to apples.

If you know what your budget will allow, then determine which brand(s) meet your needs. Once you've narrowed down the list, the final decision might actually be made by which dealer you're most comfortable with, which tractor is the most comfortable for you to operate, or EVEN which tractor your wife likes the best (is she going to be driving it too?).

I would think that something in the 20hp - 30 hp would fit your needs nicely. If more than 1 person is going to be driving it, or you'll be doing a lot of loader work, then certainly consider an HST model. Although a straight gear or a shuttle shift type transmission are equally good depending on personal preference.

When talking with the dealers, see if you can get whatever attachments (FEL, rotary mower, finish mower, PHD, etc.) you'll want to get can be included at time of purchase. Frequently you'll get a much better deal when buy everything at one time.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...anyone know if you can get a toothbar for the JD FEL? )</font>

You can get a toohbar for ANY FEL.

Good luck with the search. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If it was me, I would step up one size and get a small frame tractor. 7 acres seems like a lot for a Sub Cut, especially since you have some woods and pasture. A 24hp small frame might fit your long term uses better if you plan to improve the land. Prices for the small frame units are only very slightly more than the sub-CUTs.

I agree with Garry, look at every brand. Test drive. Get a feel for the dealer, the service department, etc.

 

[MikeFromVA]

Bob -

I kind of feel like I've already stepped up several sizes to get here /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'm guessing that I won't be doing too much in the woods (just make a little clearing near the house) or the marshy area - so I look at it as maintaining about 4 - 5 acres. I think that I want to keep it in my garage until I can build a shed also. I here that the 3pt hitch is one thing that many of you don't like about the SCUTs - but it seems that there are a fair number of implements on the market for them.

It seem like the next step up would cost me about 25% more...

 

[ByronBob]

Welcome I'm a newbie myself but for what it's worth let me say. I have a Kubota BX2230 on 7.5 acres. No woods or swamp or anything. I also have the MMM and FEL. It takes me about a half a day to do my entire yard but half of my problem is the yard is torn apart from building new. I could see you spending about 4 hours keeping things looking reasonable each week during the mowing season.

I do agree with you that stepping up to a tractor is better than a Garden tractor. You'll be satisfied that you did.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Well if you are intent on a Sub-CUT, then you have 4 basic choices. The Kubota BX series, the New Holland TZ series, the JD 2210 and the Massey GC. The NH TZ is also sold as a Case Farmall DX, same tractor but red paint, both NH and Farmall are part of the Case/NH corporation.

The NH and the JD2210 are brand new so are unproven. Although both are probably excellent. JD may have a limited 3pt hitch. The NH does not seem limited. Neither the JD nor the NH can take a backhoe, so if you ever want one of those you want to consider a different tractor. I think the FEL on the New Holland/Farmalls is the best in the industry right now for visibility.

The Massey and the Kubota both have models that will take a backhoe, but the backhoe is obviously an option that can be added at a later date if you buy the correct base tractor. It is well documented here that some people do not like the Kubota 3pt arrangement and its capacity. I won't start that up again, but I am one of those who does not like it. The Massey does not seem to have the same limitation with regard to the 3pt.

All 4 are probably excellent machines (5 if you consider Farmall & New Holland as different machines). All will probably suit your needs now and perhaps into the future. I am a well documented fan of buying a smaller tractor as I think many tend to buy something that is bigger than they need. In your case, with 7 acres, I'd still think that you might want to consider going up one size; but you will probably find the Sub-CUTs will serve you.

 

[TBrown]

There are two other tractors you might want to consider, the Mahindra 2015 and the Kioti CK20. They're kind of in a class of their own, a little larger than the sub-CUTS, and a little smaller than most compacts. The Mahindra is manufactured in Japan by Mistubishi, and the Kioti is manufactured in Korea. If you search around TBN a little, you'll see that there are alot of satisfied owners, the quality is excellent. They both have a full cat 1 hitch, and are priced in your ballpark (or were when I priced them, anyway). Be advised that they're quite a bit heavier than the sub-CUTS, so if you're going to be mowing where its soft (you said you have some swampy area), you run the chance of sinking in worse. I personally mow with a Mahindra 2015 with R-4's, and have had no such trouble.

 

[Yankee]

"They're kind of in a class of their own ... and a little smaller than most compacts."

Huh? The Kioti, at least, is in lots of company for 18-24 HP tractors. 105.7" overall, 44.1" wide, 77.5" height, 57.9" WB. In what way is this smaller than "most compacts"? In fact, the one difference that people focus on when it comes to Kioti (positively or negatively) is weight - and here it's more, not less - the Kioti is heavier than comparably-sized compacts. Please don't interpret as an attack - I think the Kioti is a fine tractor - I just don't understand where you're coming from.

Bill

 

[PBinWA]

I went through a similar dilemna. I bought the Garden Tractor and toughed it out for a year on my 5 acres. It was eating up too much time that I didn't have. I just bought a Mahindra 2615 with a 5 Foot cutter. I can now cut an acre of pasture in 1/3 the time that I could with my Craftsman GT5000.

See what you neighbors have and how much time you want to spend in the seat. If you have the free time to spend mowing then you can save the money. In my case I didn't have the time and ended up spending the extra money. I wish I had bought a smaller lawn mower though and saved a $1000.

There's also nothing like having a FEL to move dirt with and know that when the next big snow storm hits I can dig myself out a lot faster than with a shovel.