Need advice on buying a compact utility tractor

[James74]

We are in the process of acquiring a 60 acre farm. The farm has little level ground with fields and woods. The hills are the type that you would have to mow them going up and down as opposed to side to side. About a year ago the previous owner did a select cut on some of the timber, the woods are full of large tree tops and old skidder trails. The tasks I see for the new farm are as follows:

mowing the fields
dragging the tree tops out
grooming the old trails so that we can use an ATV/tractor/gator
leveling ground and installing culverts
digging holes for fence posts

I know I need a compact utility tractor but I am not sure which brand or what HP. We have looked at JD, MF, Kubota, and Case IH. We have talked to a few dealers, but I am trying to get the brands narrowed down before I start really getting serious with a dealer. This weekend we visited a Kubota, NH, Case IH dealer. He really was pushing a Case IH DX40. He let us test drive and we (my wife and I) did like it. We are still waiting for a quote. Last weekend we talked to a MF and JD dealer and he was pushing a MF 1533. I have talked to a few farmers I know and they are recommending a minimum of 40HP. Am I on the right track on researching a tractor? I was comfortable with the 33HP price range a little less comfortable in the 40HP, is the difference going to make that much of a difference. I will pay the extra if it is truly needed. We are leaning toward the 40HP but would like to know what others think...The one thing we really liked about the DX40 was the visibility around the FEL. I believe this would be quite useful in the hilly woods we will have. Correct??? I am looking for others experience with various brands and the HP range we should be looking. Are there brands I am missing that would be a great benefit to see if a dealer is close. I live in Dayton, Ohio and the farm is located in the Hocking Hills region by Creola, Ohio.

Then the other question I have is how much should a trailer cost to transport (the farm is a minimum of 40 minutes from any dealer, plus we live about 2 hours away). This leads me to another question, what type of vehicle should we be looking at regarding towing the trailer (truck, SUV)? What type of towing capacity should we be researching?

Any comments are welcome, we know we have a lot to learn.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

James, you may want to go over to the NEW HOLLAND forum and specifically ask about the Case DX40 over there. The Case DX40 is essentially the same tractor as the NH TC40, both are made by Case/New Holland Corp. Several TBN members have TC40s. The tractors are near clones of each other, NH has some exclusive optional features, but the basic machines are mechanically identical. You may also want to go to the Massey forum and specifically ask about the Massey over there.

I will tell you that I use New Holland (smaller than what you are looking at) and Kubota and I absolutely love the curved loader arms on the Case/New Holland products. The view is astoundingly better than on a traditional flat hooded tractor. At one time I posted a photo comparision and there was simply no contest. I believe I am more productive with my New Holland due to the loader design/curved hood.

As for a trailer, if you are not transporting all of your equipment, a 7000# trailer would move the tractors safely, prices run all over the place from about $1500 for a cheap angle iron unit to a probably $3500 for a very heavily built trailer of the same size. The lower priced units will have electric brakes on 1 axle, the higher priced units will have brakes on both axles, will have ramps that slide under the bed, waterproof lights and wiring, and will use square tube instead of angle.

My question is how often will you be transporting it? If it is just to/from the dealership then I would ask for free pick up/delivery of the tractor for any warranty work during the 2 year bumper to bumper warrenty period from whoever I bought the tractor from. If you are set on buying a truck/trailer, then I'd be looking for something with a 6500# to 7500# towing capacity. Gearing is the key to towing capacity it is more important than the horsepower or the number of cyliners or gas versus diesel.

I have a Chevy V8 pick up with just under 7000# towing capacity, a Mounaineer V8 SUV with someting like 5500#(?) towing capacity and a VW Touareg with only a V6 engine that has a 7700# towing capacity (and people tell me the 6 speed fuzzy logic adaptable transmission is amazing for towing). I'll admit that I have not towed with the Touareg yet, but I'm actually looking forward to trying it out. The Mountaineer is horrible to tow with, it struggles on even the smallest of hills, but it is not geared for towing. So I guess my point is, if you are not towing a lot, then consider having the dealer do it for you, even if he charges you a little it will be cheaper than a trailer. If you are going to do it, then talk to the dealers and get the truck/SUV set up with a towing package that includes proper gearing for the towing.

 

[JohnSinVA]

I would suggest going to the Power Trac website and pricing out a PT1430 trailer package. You'll get a machine that's better suited to traversing hills, has plenty of power and far more versatility than any CUT. There are plenty of implements available for the machine and the trailer package will get you the machine and a trailer specifically designed for hauling it and the implements you choose. The PTs grapple bucket will make clearing tree tops a breeze, the post hole digger is front mounted and can take advantage of the downforce the lift arms can apply. The articulated design makes it more maneuverable than a CUT, plus its low center of gravity may enable you to mow across the hills rather than up/down.

Visit the Power Trac forum down a bit on the main page and ask a few questions of the group over there. You're talking about a big task and a big chunk of change - you're doing a disservice to yourself if you don't investigate all your options.

 

[James74]

My question is how often will you be transporting it?

That is a good question, in the beginning it may have to be transported until I get a pole barn built. My parents live 2.3 miles away and they have a pole barn, I thought about driving it back and forth. I like your idea of having the dealer transport it. We are at least 45 minutes from the closest dealer, and they have not offered that as an option. We plan on asking if they will do that. I know the one that is 2 hours away would not do that.

Regarding your comment about the curved hood on the NH. The curve looked more pronounced in the Case compared to the NH. Was that my imagination? What HP is your NH?

 

[James74]

Thanks for the URL, we have contacted the sales department and are awaiting a call back.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I have a class 1 NH TC24D, which has been upgraded this year to the TC26DA and in the Case lineup is called the Farmall DX26. So my experience is with smaller tractors. However the hoods on the Case and the New Holland brands follow the same basic lines because the hoods cover indentical mechanicals underneath. The NH does have a wider look to the front of the hood due to the headlamp design, but I suspect if you put a ruler to both hoods you'd find they were dimentionally the same or very nearly the same.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

<font color="blue"> My parents live 2.3 miles away and they have a pole barn, I thought about driving it back and forth. </font>

It's going to be easier (and a whole lot cheaper) to drive your tractor over to your property from your parents' place. If you live 2 hours away, I'm assuming you won't be making that trip every day, and leaving your tractor nearby is a lot more convenient than dragging it back and forth every time you visit. And 2.3 miles shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes tops.