35 PTO horse is the minimum... with most of the tractors I'm looking at right at 35 horse due to $$$ and manueverability concerns. Right now the front runner is the JD 990. I've also looked at the 4x20 series, Kubota L4400 and Grand L series, New Holland TC40A, Montanas, and Farmtracs.
Money no object, I'd get a JD 4520 or Kubota GL5030 GST. I'm not really sold on the hydramatics. Due to price my main contenders are the JD 990 and Kubota L4400. They seem like they'll do everything I need to due, they just lack all the luxury items and fancy transmissions. I'm also impressed with the TC40A, and it's priced between the budget tractors and the full featured ones, so it may be a good compromise. The Montana and Farmtrac were not not any cheaper than the established brands, so I've pretty much eliminated them unless I can be convinced they really are better machines.
I'll be using the tractor to maintain my 29 acres of land on a "mountain" in eastern OK. Loader is a must, and am 99% sure I'll get a root grapple or 4 in 1 bucket as well. I'd like to pull a 6' rotary cutter (or maybe flail mower?) to mow grass on ~10 acres and knock down weeds, brush, and saplings on another 5 acres or so. I plan on doing a lot of moving of downed trees and brush, as well as grading to maintain ponds, digging up rocks, moving boulders (up to around 1000 lbs). Oh, and probably pulling my truck out of the mud or off the rocks once in a while /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I haven't gotten a quote on the JD 990 yet, but here are the quotes I have received:
Deere 4120 w/400CX $22,500
Kubota L4400 w/loader $19,500
NH TC40A w/16LA $20,500
Farmtrac 545DTC w/loader $19,000
Montana 4540 w/curved boom loader $19,900
Montana 4340 w/loader $22,300
Any feelings about one of these tractors having a design or features that make them particularily suited to the work I'm doing?
Money no object, I'd get a JD 4520 or Kubota GL5030 GST. I'm not really sold on the hydramatics. Due to price my main contenders are the JD 990 and Kubota L4400. They seem like they'll do everything I need to due, they just lack all the luxury items and fancy transmissions. I'm also impressed with the TC40A, and it's priced between the budget tractors and the full featured ones, so it may be a good compromise. The Montana and Farmtrac were not not any cheaper than the established brands, so I've pretty much eliminated them unless I can be convinced they really are better machines.
I'll be using the tractor to maintain my 29 acres of land on a "mountain" in eastern OK. Loader is a must, and am 99% sure I'll get a root grapple or 4 in 1 bucket as well. I'd like to pull a 6' rotary cutter (or maybe flail mower?) to mow grass on ~10 acres and knock down weeds, brush, and saplings on another 5 acres or so. I plan on doing a lot of moving of downed trees and brush, as well as grading to maintain ponds, digging up rocks, moving boulders (up to around 1000 lbs). Oh, and probably pulling my truck out of the mud or off the rocks once in a while /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I haven't gotten a quote on the JD 990 yet, but here are the quotes I have received:
Deere 4120 w/400CX $22,500
Kubota L4400 w/loader $19,500
NH TC40A w/16LA $20,500
Farmtrac 545DTC w/loader $19,000
Montana 4540 w/curved boom loader $19,900
Montana 4340 w/loader $22,300
Any feelings about one of these tractors having a design or features that make them particularily suited to the work I'm doing?