Re: How do the Kubota 7510 HSD and the Kioti CK 20 HST compare (both w/ backhoe & loader?
crbr said:
An often overlooked consideration. Good point of prespectiveness, as obvious as it may seem.
Well one thing that I see is that many people simply compare horsepower when they compare tractors. That to me, is a huge mistake.
The better way to shop for tractors, in my humble opinion, is to lay out the tasks you will be doing LONG TERM with the tractor. Then find the tractor that is most suitable for the life of the tractor. Many people also look at the first couple years of work, or the short term use. When you move to a new property you have to build your landscaping (SHORT TERM USE). After it is built, then you maintain your landscaping (LONG TERM USE).
Focusing on the SHORT TERM uses leads people to often buy bigger tractors than they need because a bigger capacity tractor is often the best choice for building landscaping. It does shorten the time it takes to dig a hole or move a lot of earth. But then you may end up with a tractor that doesn't fit your long term needs because it may not fit through your garden gates, between your wife's prized rose bush beds, or mow up close to your structures, birdbath, etc. It may also force you to alter your landscape plans to suit your tractor choice, adding bigger (more expensive) gates, wider mowing paths that and actually end up making your projects bigger than originally planned.
Focusing on LONG TERM use, you project out your needs to AFTER the landscaping is built. You realize that you may end up taking a bit longer to build your landscape, or maybe your best choice is to occasionally rent a larger piece of equipment for a major weekend project, but you end up with a tractor that will suit your needs for a decade or two. Your smaller tractor will turn tighter, fit into places that others might now, probably won't rut your lawn, and may actually save you time on your mowing tasks every weekend. What would you rather do, save 2 or 3 hours of labor moving rocks the first year, or save 15 minutes every summer weekend for 10 years?
Decide what your real tasks are, find the tractor designed for that task list, buy that tractor.