Suggestions on my first tractor purchase...

[SonnieP]

I'm looking to buy a tractor for two main purposes... bushhogging and boxblading.

We own 63 acres... I cut about 10 acres near and around the house with our 61" Grasshopper Z-mower. There is another 20-25 acres or so that needs to be bushhogged a few times a year. All of this is fairly rough terrain with about 5 acres being hilly land that grows mostly bahia grass, while the rest is pasture land that grows a combo of coastal bermuda, bahia, and weeds. The cows keep some of it eat down but it still needs cutting a few times a year because the cows don't eat some of the tall weeds. I could cut this with my Grasshopper but it takes absolutely too long, stresses the heck out of my mower, and wears the blades out too quick. It's just not made for bushhogging. I could cut it weekly but it takes all I can do to keep up 10 acres each week, along with weedeating, other yard work, etc. The rest is wooded land that we do nothing with at all... it's just there. Who knows... I might cut a trail down to the creek one day.

We have an old hand-me-down Farm-all... but it is about shot. The last time I used it was several years ago. I borrowed a bushhog and even in grass only a foot high it would not cut... the PTO just wouldn't turn the blades... it would choke down the bushhog. I suppose the engine is probably about out of horses.

Our driveway is 1250 feet long with slag rock and dirt mixed. Within the next few weeks we plan on having about 100 tons of crusher run brought in to spread over the driveway to keep it from washing quite as bad. I can use the tractor to help spread the crusher run initially and I figure I'll have to smooth out the ruts a few times a year. I also have some other areas of the land I wouldn't mind smoothing out a little... mostly red clay areas. I'm not wanting to do major earthmoving... just mild ground smoothing.

So... what I believe I need is a tractor that can tow a 5-6' boxblade and efficiently run a 6' bushhog... merely what I'm thinkin' for now. I see no need for a FEL or any other attachments at this time.

While I need all this I have one very concerning factor... MONEY. I cannot pay cash and I cannot afford a big payment right now. Ever seen that commercial about the guy who has debt up to his eyeballs... well that commercial was made especially for me. Truthfully... I just don't want any big payments. I have excellent credit with a high beacon score, so financing shouldn't be any problem whatsoever. (Yeah... I know... that's part of my problem with having too much debt.)

Anyway... I don't think I'm gonna be able to afford no $20K tractor and attachments. I'm hoping I can find something (NEW) for less than $15K (I hope I'm not just dreaming here...).

I was looking John Deere and noticed they have this Low Intro payment plan where the first 36 months are low payments and then the payments go to 2% of the balance on a revolving plan with very reasonable rates. I have no idea what they mean by low but I was hoping that at less than $15K it should fit our budget okay.

The tractor does not have to be a John Deere, but I have to consider my financing options in with what I buy so I may be limited to buying from someone who can offer a low payment option such as above.

Your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, etc... are all very much appreciated. If I've left anything out... just let me know.


Btw... great site! I never thought I'd find a site with this much information on tractors... truly amazing!

 

[Bird]

Welcome to Tractorbynet, Sonnie. I'd suggest visting as many dealers in your area as possible. John Deere, Kubota, and New Holland are often referred to as the "big 3" because they sell more tractors than any of the other brands, but you'll soon see that many of our members are happy with their Kiotis, Mahindras, Jinmas, and other brands. I think there's a concensus that the dealer is more important than the brand. And I think personal preferences are usually the deciding factor, whether a brand name preference, feature preference, or simply the "feel" of the machine (comfort). I certainly don't want to encourage you to go deeper in debt and understand that situation, but I think you'll find that most people find the front end loader to be the most used and most important implement they have. You can certainly add one later, but it may cost more than getting it initially. A common "rule of thumb" is 5 PTO horsepower per foot of brush hog, so I'd say you're looking for about 30 PTO horsepower, which will probably mean approximately 35 engine horsepower to pull a 6' brush hog. Naturally, you can go plus or minus a bit on that, and if your brush hog is a little bit too large, you can always overlap passes more; i.e., only cut half the width of the implement at a time.

Good luck with your shopping.

 

[RedRocker]

I got a lot of bang for the buck with my Kioti, it'll run a 5 or 6 foot bush hog with no problem. It's also one of the heaviest tractors for it's HP which is helpfull when using the Box Blade.
If you have a "good" dealer within range I'd take a look at them. A good dealer is an important piece of the puzzle no matter what brand you buy.

 

[frank_f15]

WELCOME ABOARD!!! With the size tractor you are going to need, and the brush hog and the BB i don't think you are going to find one for 15K. also with the amt of hogging u intend to do ight i suggest you go with a heavy duty Good name brand, other wise you will just destory a cheap unit , that is a lot of hogging you want to do.

 

[Noodlearm]

I use a CK30 HST to do my brushhogging. I use a 6' cutter and it usually handles it just fine. A week ago I had to cut some thick stuff that was between 5-7 feet tall in most places and I definately had to slow down a bit in many areas. As long as the brush doesn't to far out of hand, it should be fine. I have tried a few of the other tractors in this same hp range and have had similar results so I think any would suffice. I paid 15k for mine new and that included the loader. The cutter and box blade added about another $1200. I think if you are really intent on not getting a loader, you could squeeze it in under your budget, that being said, I would still suggest getting the loader /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Good luck in your search and I am sure most any brand would do you well. It would seem that based on your primary task of brushhogging and box blading, I would tend to look for something on the heavier side, especially since you already have the ZT for around the house. All that being said, with the amount of land you plan to cut, I would agree with Bird that you may want to step up to around 35-45hp if its feasable so that you don't have to slow down like you might have to with something a little smaller. You don't want to be taking all of your free time cutting the grass (well, some here might like to do that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ).Good luck in your search and have fun.

 

[Spiffy]

You need a greater variety of livestock to eat your variety of weeds! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, I know it's not what you had in mind, but it looks like you're after HP and weight more so than "compact". So just to twist things a little, why not a 20, 30, even 40 year old farm tractor? Maybe 50, 60HP; too small for many farmers, too big for a CUT; you might find some very good machines under 5K [considering good credit, even if you need to get a bank loan, it would take a real nice financing plan to make 15K look as attractive as 5K].

Any idea on the year or model of that Farmall? It might be due for a engine rebuild (may cost a grand or two depending how much work you do yourself and just what it is [gas, diesel, 4 or 6 cylinder, popularity of required parts]), but many of those older machines were truely tough.

Have Fun!

 

[Keith_B]

For the jobs you mention you would be best served with a heavy 4wd CUT in the 35-40 hp range. Given your budget I would suggest looking at the Kioti DK35 and DK40; as well as the Mahindra 3510 and 4110. You'll want to have the rear tires loaded, to aid in stability of the tractor and traction.

 

[SonnieP]

I cruised on over to the three local tractor dealers we have nearby and this is what I've found so far...

John Deere dealer was very friendly and helpful. He offered this suggestion:

5103 2WD 50HP/42HP PTO $13800
500lbs front weights $365
Brush guard $135 (Not sure I need this but he thought I would for some reason)
Brown 472 90HP 6' 1020lb Cutter $1800
Tufline 7' 805lb Heavy Duty Box Blade $800
Rear tires filled with water/antifreeze

Delivered for $17238


Then I cruised on over to the Kubota/New Holland dealer... no salesman available to speak with... no one to offer any advice, just a parts man who couldn't tell me anything. One of the owners is at another lot a few miles away and I'll call him later.


Then I went to the Massey Ferguson dealer and he offered this:

MF 431 2WD 52HP/44HP PTO $12700
500lbs front weights $507.35
MF 2006 80HP 825lb 6' Cutter with slip clutch $1648
MF 570 583lb 7' Box Blade $769
Rear wheels filled with water/antifreeze

Out the door for $16014

OR swap the cutter and box blade for:

Big Bee 80HP 6' 710lb Cutter $1224
Big Bee 7' 592lb Box Blade $450

Out the door for $15253


These are merely some options for me to consider and compare.

 

[ford15005]

A suggestion that many tractor dealers don't want to discuss for some reason (I suspect many don't understand how it works /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif) - LEASE !
Earlier this year I was looking at a 3 year, 300 hours per year lease on a 30HP 4x4 hydrostat trans CAT Challenger with brush hog and box blade for $250 to $300 per month...with the option to buy at the end of the lease. Outright purchase price was $17,000.
NH was out-of-line (blame the jerk salesman), Branson dealers don't have the financing resources so they were too high too, Massey's rookie salesperson had attractive numbers until you saw he used 300 hours total vs 900 and believe it or not, John Deere was only a bit higher.
Now why lease? First you get to test out the machine for 3 years to insure you made the right choice. Secondly, you're not committed to 5 or more years as in a purchase and your payment would be higher! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Also, consider you're gonna work this puppy hard the first few years to get everything in order. That 3 year old tractor might be a bit tired looking & you still don't own it...Yes, on a lease you don't own anything...but you don't owe anything either at the end of 3 years. Haven't even touched on possible tax benefits.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( cruised on over to the three local tractor dealers we have nearby and this is what I've found so far...

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I'm not sure if you have a specific brand loyalty.. but so far you are off to a good start on tractor comparison.. both the JD and MF tractors you spec'ed.. are very close. Your hard earned money buys just a tad more red tractor than it does green tractor.. that's where I'd spend it.. MF is in what is commonly refered to as the 'big 3'.. ( NH KUB JD.. but usually includes MF as well ).

I'd then loose the 6' mower they are trying to sell you.. and get a bigger one. 7' or 8' Howse makes a decent HD line.. I have one of their 10'HD mowers.. love it. Probably get an 8' HD howse or kodiak for similar money as the 6' mowers the dealers are offering you...

good luck.. you are onthe right track... Hit NH dealer and compair prices just for the heck of it before you sign a check.

soundguy