Buying the first Test Tractor

[bigbull338]

my down fall is i think like a cattlemen an farmer wich i am.im sorry that i dont think like the small land owner that uses a tractor to mow 2 or 3 acs.

 

[bp fick]

my down fall is i think like a cattlemen an farmer wich i am.im sorry that i dont think like the small land owner that uses a tractor to mow 2 or 3 acs.

And there isn't a thing wrong with your point of view.

There is just more than one kind of tractor owner/buyer and there are greatly divergent views. About as many as there are Kubota models! :laughing::laughing:

Your big ol' MX couldn't even turn around in my organic truck gardens.
And what in the world would my little B do at your Texas ranch?

 

[bigbull338]

And there isn't a thing wrong with your point of view.

There is just more than one kind of tractor owner/buyer and there are greatly divergent views. About as many as there are Kubota models! :laughing::laughing:

Your big ol' MX couldn't even turn around in my organic truck gardens.
And what in the world would my little B do at your Texas ranch?

about all your B would do is mow the yard.i know its hard to buy a sub or compact or farm tractor that fits every1.

 

[Ductape]

My spin on it ...............


I bought used. First tractor, ran it a couple years then sold it for a $1,000.00 profit. That tractor moved dirt, hauled firewood, chipped brush, removed snow and then payed me $41.00 / month.

Second tractor, ran it just under a year and sold it for a $3,000.00 profit. That tractor chipped brush, removed snow, etc. and then payed me $250.00 / month.

I've also done the same with most of my implements. I've bought and sold several as my projects have changed..... a backhoe, two brush chippers, a complete set of turf tires / wheels, complete set or R4s / wheels, PTO sweeper, tiller, york rake, etc. At the very least, I've used my implements to complete a project....... and sold them to break even. Some I've made a bit of money on. Some quite a bit of money. Racking my brain...... the only attachment I can think of that I bought brand new is a rear grader blade, and I still have it.

I think I'd say that in my case........ its 50% learning that I needed a bigger / smaller / different tractor / attachment as JT stated, and 50% that my needs evolved as BP stated. But either way, my tractors and related equipment have been some of the best investments i've ever made. If I decide tomorrow that i need a different tractor or attachment, I know I would get 100% support on the decision from my wife.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I posted this in another thread but I think it needs it's own thread.
Being a ponderer I think I have come up with a new theory concerning tractor buying for a first time buyer that will make the decision easier and with less self doubt and self punishment when you realize you bought the wrong tractor.
Right up front tell yourself you are buying a test/evaluation tractor. It's prpbably not going to be the end decision/final tractor. Pick a tractor for the best possible price that will retain the most resale value. If you get cheaper out of town, buy out of town and buy your real final tractor in town if that makes you feel better.
Buy new so there won't be any costs other than the monthly payment and count that as the cost of determining the right tractor. Buy the tractor that best suits your current needs because if things change it won't cause distress because it's only a temporary tractor anyway. If things don't change then it could possibly move in to the actual life time tractor slot and could become a lucky unexpected break.
OK a pmnt of $200 a month for the test tractor with no money down. You work it for 12 months and get some benefit out of using it. That's a cost of $2400 for using a tractor for 12 months. If you can keep the hours down to below 200 hours for that time, service the tractor properly at the 50 hours and keep the tractor clean. Remember, your not keeping it and are going to resale it. That's actually only a cost of about $12 per hour used. That's actually fairly cheap, less than renting one I would imagine.
Now while your using it determine which jobs would be done much easier or faster with a larger, more HP or smaller tractor or if your test tractor does the job well enough to suit you. Also find out if your tractor always stays at one location or if you maybe need/want to move it around and then determine how easy/difficult it is to move with the trailer/truck/vehicle you have. Will it be as easy/easier/more difficult to move a bigger/smaller tractor (the final tractor).
Now after 12 months I believe you could maybe sell/trade the tractor in on the final tractor and only be out the monthly pmnt, maybe a little more or a little less. Keep it clean and serviced these suckers retain their value very well. Look at prices for used tractors.
Now if you ended up with a lucky guess and the first test tractor ends up "The One" you've been lucky and done well. If it doesn't, just like you planned from the beginning that it wouldn't, then you've been really smart and exactly what you planned has happened and you now can choose the right final tractor based on your actual needs and personal experience on your property.
Now, If this looks like a good plan, then try it. If you disagree then do it your own way and forget my plan.:laughing:
This plan is also flexible enough that the test period can be different than just one year. Maybe two or three years until one is absolutley sure which tractor is the right permanent final tractor.
Course circumstances can change and even the permanent tractor can become a test tractor with no feelings of guilt or self condemnation..

Only in my dreams!!!

 

[bp fick]

My spin on it ...............


I bought used. First tractor, ran it a couple years then sold it for a $1,000.00 profit. That tractor moved dirt, hauled firewood, chipped brush, removed snow and then payed me $41.00 / month.

Second tractor, ran it just under a year and sold it for a $3,000.00 profit. That tractor chipped brush, removed snow, etc. and then payed me $250.00 / month.

I've also done the same with most of my implements. I've bought and sold several as my projects have changed..... a backhoe, two brush chippers, a complete set of turf tires / wheels, complete set or R4s / wheels, PTO sweeper, tiller, york rake, etc. At the very least, I've used my implements to complete a project....... and sold them to break even. Some I've made a bit of money on. Some quite a bit of money. Racking my brain...... the only attachment I can think of that I bought brand new is a rear grader blade, and I still have it.

I think I'd say that in my case........ its 50% learning that I needed a bigger / smaller / different tractor / attachment as JT stated, and 50% that my needs evolved as BP stated. But either way, my tractors and related equipment have been some of the best investments i've ever made. If I decide tomorrow that i need a different tractor or attachment, I know I would get 100% support on the decision from my wife.

I concur. I've bought, used, cleaned-up, enjoyed, then sold many campers, boats, motor bikes, implements, household appliances, etc, etc and then very, very often made a buck or three in the sale of them. Life changes. First you get kids. Then you have little kids, followed by big kids, and then no kids. Then grand kids start showing up. Gosh, life is wonderful. I go with the flow.

Buy right. Take care of it. Horse trading is fun and has been very, very good to me. I sell outright because I am a old horse trader and unlike others perhaps, I never "trade in" anything.

There are folks, sad to say, that will mess up, screw up, trade at a loss, rollover debt, and so forth. God bless 'em. Not much you can say.

 

[bp fick]

Some of the old timers here have heard this story before, but I'll tell it again because it is on point.

When we bought our retirement property three years ago, all I needed/wanted was to push snow, (previous snow plowing bills shown by realtor were $900 a season, easy math there eh?) and perhaps do some lawn/field mowing, grade the gravel drive, pull a firewood cart, etc. The BX was phenomenal at these tasks and was the right tractor.

Suddenly, I got shoved, pushed and pulled, by a friend, back into organic gardening through some contracts. I suddenly went from a little household garden, shown below behind chicken wire, to a full blown operation. Could have said no, but didn't. I agreed to do it, but it meant an eventual change in tractors. I got through that first year, but change was in the air. By being patient, I sold my BX and did very well. I then got a lower price on the B than I was quoted a year and a half earlier. It'd been silly for me, with finite barn/shop/garage space (although my wife wouldn't agree to it being limited) to try to have kept the BX, even though one day? Who is say I wouldn't give up the operation and want to return to a BX sized tractor? It isn't far fetched to imagine.

Life is rarely static. Life is short. Stuff happens. You go with the flow and enjoy it.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Read this if your about to buy your FIRST tractor.

 

[wolftree]

By itself, a tractor is no more than a mobile power unit capable of moving, pulling, pushing, turning a shaft or lifting a load. It is easy to get caught up in all the glossy paint and images of moving mountains in three motions. Instead of looking at the power unit, perhaps we should look at the tools(implements) that we need(want) first, decide how many trips/hours around the yard/field are we willing to put in and decide on the implement, then buy the power unit to operate it.

 

[2Bad4u]

By itself, a tractor is no more than a mobile power unit capable of moving, pulling, pushing, turning a shaft or lifting a load. It is easy to get caught up in all the glossy paint and images of moving mountains in three motions. Instead of looking at the power unit, perhaps we should look at the tools(implements) that we need(want) first, decide how many trips/hours around the yard/field are we willing to put in and decide on the implement, then buy the power unit to operate it.

Totally agree with this post. I didn't wake up one day and say to myself I need a tractor.

We are planning to build our retirement home on a large lot (large to us) in PEI that annually receives 11' of snow. Once we made that decision, my first thought was about all of the work involved cutting the grass and removing all that snow. What tools do we need to handle these two tasks? Being a city boy my first thoughts were that we needed a good walk behind snow blower (which I have) and a ride-on mower. After giving it more thought I quickly realized that getting a tractor would a much better solution. What size of tractor was the last part of my decision making process.

Having absolutely no experience with tractors answering the size/power question has been the most difficult one to figure out. I came to this site to educate myself to better understand tractors. I quickly discovered that even experienced tractor users were also struggling with sizing the tractor correctly.

-- Bill --