Sanity check on tractor size for me

[jay98014]

Hello,

Hopefully you all can stand another advice-for-newbie thread. Spring is here and I am researching tractors again. I have spent more time than I want to admit reading through TBN this last few weeks.

We own 20 lightly rolling acres, three of which are already cleared around our new house, the rest wooded with 30+ year old (overgrown) second growth timber (alder, fir, cedar). I plan to clear at least another couple of acres, still debating on whether to do it myself or hire it out. My requirements are:

* Help with land clearing (if not hired out)
* Clear\maintain trails (don't mind at all if they're on the wide side)
* Landscaping (we still have bare dirt all around, currently growing a bumper crop of weeds and baby alders)
* Mowing (once landscaping is all done - will have 1-2 acres in grass at most)
* Gravel driveway\road maintentance (300' driveway, ~1 mile road) - most pothole filling and occasional grading.
* Minimal snow removal (we don't get much snow, but because we live on a private road once we're snowed in we have to wait it out)

To support these duties I initially plan to get the following implements: tractor + FEL, flail mower, box blade, and a rear scraping blade (for snow - seems way cheaper than a blower or front blade). Future implements would include a posthole digger, wood chipper, and possibly a backhoe. I am conflicted over the backhoe since it is a very expensive add-on (and I've read in several threads the concerns around it becoming an expensive lawn ornament).

I have test-driven the BX25, B3300SU, L3800, and the L4240 - all very nice tractors. I did not test for the jerky 3PH on the L3800, but I definitely noticed the vibration issue on the B3300SU. I think I could live with that though. The HST on the L3800 seemed very "whiny" to me for some reason.

I initially focused on the B3300SU (no desire for a MMM, more ground clearance than the BX), and if I get one I can probably afford to get the "initial" plus "future" implements all in one go (small down + financing on the rest). I was nearly ready to pull the trigger on the B3300SU until I decided to drive the L4240 - wow, I was very impressed; what a nice, smooth machine! It definitely felt "bigger" than the others - but I think I could get used to that as long as it's fine in all other ways. My dealer did not have any other GL-tractors on the lot so that's my only GL-experience so far. I like the idea of the bigger tractor to support attachments such as the wood-chipper. Wood chippers (wallenstein) seem to like PTO-hp in the 30+ range.

So that made me focus more on the GL-series. Looking at the specs, the 3940/4240 seem to be the same frame\weight\size, followed by the 3240/3540. The 3940 has 31.5 PTO HP, but I figured why not get the 4240 for a few more $$ but the same weight and size? The increased price would mean having to defer some implement purchases into the future, but that might be an ok strategy anyway.

But what about when all of the big projects are done, will the 4240 will be too much tractor? On the other hand, lots of folks on this forum seem to warn about buying too small of a tractor which I am concerned about (ideally this will be my retirement "until death do us part" tractor, don't want to buy another).

Decisions, decisions. Welcome your advice - I know I rambled on a bit here, but sometimes writing down your thoughts helps to clarify things.

thx,
Jay

PS The wife has already given her ok on the purchase decision - so I am a "serious buyer" at this point.

 

[murphy1244]

Have you checked out any other machine besides Kubota??

 

[jay98014]

Have you checked out any other machine besides Kubota??

Not in any great detail - John Deere would be the most likely other alternative, due to distance-to-dealership factors. I looked at their 3-series tractors and visited a JD dealership but did not test-drive one. A short conversation with the JD salesman, plus their not-as-good financing, led me to believe that I could get more tractor with Kubota.

I briefly looked at the Kioti and Mahindra sites, but again, no local dealerships.

 

[Carl_NH]

The 4240 gets you a lot more FEL capacity than the 3940 or the B series and also with your trees and such to remove I would get a grapple as well. These can be very helpful in clearing land and trails. With your acreage I think 4240 is about right.

The BH is a nice to have, but can be added later or you could rent if needed. Also get the rear Hyd remotes and a HD back blade if you can afford with tilt will help you maintain trails etc.

The 4240 with a rear finish mower is a bit big for two acres, plus the hassle of changing out the implements every week is going to get tiring, so I would probably put those $ into a basic rider or used garden tractor. Then you have two machines instead of one!

A 6' Bush hog/rotary cutter could cut your grass/weeds/saplings and even a lawn for a while as well.

Your best bet is to get a bundled package and best price on everything together at one time and finance that way you get what you want now vs adding things later. Shop other dealers (on line too) at least for a sanity check on price.

Happy tractoring (soon),

Carl

 

[Bluegill2]

Get the 4240. I good friend of mine has one a loves it.

Never heard anyone say, I wish I'd bought a smaller tractor...

That said, I love our L3800! 3 PH not too jerky and trans is very quiet. I'm very impressed with it!

 

[Carl_NH]

By the way, your statement "ideally this will be my retirement "until death do us part" tractor, don't want to buy another"

Along with your wife's OK to get a tractor indicates you need to get everything you need now and the 4240 - going back in one or two years to get a new one only works for some TBN members (John Thomas is one of the more proliferous buyer/trader on TBN with 14 kubotas)

I know my wife said "get what you want" and more or less saying go ahead and buy it but make sure its the last one you want for a long time..

 

[herefromthere]

20 acres in Carnation with private roads...sounds like Tolt Highlands. I looked in that area, but the right place never came up at the right price at the right time. 20 acres makes for a nice playground, and I'm on something similarly sized now.

I just picked up an L3200 but don't have any seat time yet due to saturated ground that I don't want to tear up. I traded off capability and features against size in comparing the B3200/B3300SU against the L3200. For trails I definitely would have preferred the smaller chassis. For the backhoe and box scraping duties, I'll be happy with the L. In my limited time so far, I haven't noticed the HST to be excessively whiny.

Of course, if I'd won the lottery recently, I would have gone with the B26 with a hydraulic thumb.

 

[jay98014]

Yes indeed, we're in Tolt Highlands. Nice area, more marshy spots than I'd like (no plans to clear those areas of the property, not that the county would let me anyway), but there's plenty of room to play and I still have a decent commute to work.

Carl, thanks for the feedback. My wife hasn't quite said "get what you want", but I know she'd definitely prefer that, as opposed to me whining for a trade-in down the road. She understands me all too well.

 

[jonyyuma]

Yes indeed, we're in Tolt Highlands. Nice area, more marshy spots than I'd like (no plans to clear those areas of the property, not that the county would let me anyway), but there's plenty of room to play and I still have a decent commute to work.

Carl, thanks for the feedback. My wife hasn't quite said "get what you want", but I know she'd definitely prefer that, as opposed to me whining for a trade-in down the road. She understands me all too well.

I had the same pass from my wife, as to choice of tractor.. In the end I bought a used rig...It has served my uses well, it took over a year of researching and trying sizes??? But how about peace of mind?

 

[crazyal]

I've got a 4240 and I love it. Once I got a little seat time I really felt at home with the extra features the HST+ offers. I would say it's about as big of a tractor for your land that you'll want but it's not too big. The HST makes it very easy to control, even your wife will enjoy driving it (of course that may not be a good thing).

I have about a 3/4 mile drive/ ROW I maintain. I recently bought a BEFCO grading scraper and even with the ripping teeth all the way down the tractor handles it great. In a couple of hours I can grade the road removing the deepest of potholes. The GS also works well to level land before growing grass.

It could be used to mow but I think it would be over kill and you wouldn't want ag tires. Plus it really helps if you have rear weight. Most people fill the rear tires with liquid for weight, that's counter productive for mowing. I think the best option would be a dedicated rider/ mower for around the house and the 4240 for the rest of the grass.