Buying Advice advice sought

   / advice sought #1  

kbk

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Jun 15, 2003
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4
Newbie/1st post here so please bear with me - Purchased an 85 acre farm last year in NE TN with every type of slope and flat, clear/heavily wooded that one can imagine. I bought a Dresser 175 C crawler loader to do the mega work of clearing etc. but would like to sell it after I'm done. I am interested in the M ot L series Kubota's or ??. The NH tractors seem a little pricey by comparison and the JD's are alot higher it seems for like vs like. I am not a professional farmer by trade but I intend to get fairly serious with the farm as a business( I'm looking at several different niche/ag products as one can grow just about anything in east TN...thornless blackberries, asian pears, kiwi, 4 legged critters (angus or boers)etc.
I currently have a man that does clearing, fence repair, etc running several head of cattle on the farm. His job for the last 30+ years has been tractor repair and he is quite respected. His advice is as follows:
- Kubota's are expensive to repair and need repair more than average
- Don't buy a backhoe attachment, they don't fit well and are inefficient compared to just renting a pure backhoe when you need it
- He claims I would never wear out a Long tractor and would save many $$$'s
- He also likes the comparable Massey Ferg
- dealer location and support is not a problem with just about any brand

any and all advice would be appreciated

farmer wannabe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
   / advice sought #2  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( His advice is as follows )</font>

In other words, you're talking about one person's opinion, but it sounds as if you have confidence in him, so you can take our opinions for what they're worth.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Kubota's are expensive to repair and need repair more than average )</font>

I would strongly disagree; what repairs has he done to what model Kubotas to back up that opinion? If you read very much on this forum, you'll find that any brand may need repairs, but as to which brand needs more repairs and/or costs more, I think you'll have a hard time proving one is worse than another, at least as long as you're talking about the major brands.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Don't buy a backhoe attachment, they don't fit well and are inefficient compared to just renting a pure backhoe when you need it )</font>

Maybe so; no doubt a dedicated tractor/loader/backhoe is best (for backhoe use), but my guess is that his opinion on this is based on 3-point hoes and I wonder if he'd still feel the same about a backhoe with a subframe.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( He claims I would never wear out a Long tractor and would save many $$$'s )</font>

May be, although I have my doubts; I see Longs occasionally, but there aren't too many of them around compared to the big three in my area.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( He also likes the comparable Massey Ferg )</font>

Nearly everything I've heard about them has been good except the price.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( dealer location and support is not a problem with just about any brand )</font>

Then I think you should buy the one you like best. Which one feels the most comfortable, has the features you want, and is priced best?

I'll admit to a personal preference for Kubota (even an unprovable feeling that they're the most dependable and likely to require the fewest repairs), but I certainly don't think you'd go wrong with Deere, New Holland, White, or Massey Ferguson; don't know enough about the others to have any strong feelings or a valid opinion.
 
   / advice sought #3  
Long tractors have a nice steering system and they are trying to be a big player,but they are not,at least not yet.The price of the NH TC30 and JD790 are more than competitive with a 30 hp Long.If support is an issue,then buy Kabota,JohnDeere and New Holland and make it a non issue.In the end buy what you want and find out if it was right for you later.........And you will.........
 
   / advice sought #4  
As far as Kubota's go, I would go with the M-series over the L for the size of property you have. I think the M8200 would be perfect for you. Enough PTO HP for any attachment you would need.

Just my 2 cents.
 
   / advice sought #5  
85 acres is a pretty good chunk of land, think u might want to consider something in the m series if u go kubota. as far as kubota's needing more and more expensive repair, i will disagree. i am sure u would find others that will tell u NH OR JD ARE MORE PRONE TO REPAIR, but the truth is i don't think one is worse than the other. pick the tractor that fits u and u like best.
 
   / advice sought #6  
Obviously you are looking for a machine as part of a working farm vs most of us here who have smaller pieces of land and are using the CUT as maintainance tool if you will.

When examining the tractor types probably the best advice you are going to get is going to be from farmers in your area who have worked the soil and ran their machines for a few years.

The cost of repair is a major concern I am sure but I would imagine raising cattle, with some hay work and brush clearing is very different that raising crop with plowing, seeding, fertilizing and harvesting. You should contact local ag office to see what crops would be best suited for your area and then decide on the best tractor to do the work.

Best of Luck,,,,,
 
   / advice sought #7  
Choose a tractor that a local dealer supports. Make sure you like the dealer too. Kubota tractors are the best in my book. I like metal and comfort. My second choice is John Deer.

In my opinion the Kubota ages well. I never liked all the plastic fenders with the switch gear mounted on top of them. I have looked at most other brands and still, I like the mid size Kubotas the best, very comfortable, lots of durable metal and great support.

Its really a personal thing and a dealer support thing. If your comfortable operating the tractor and you can get parts/support then you'll be happy. You may like the idea of plastic hoods, fenders, floor boards etc.. They don't rust /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Consider resale value too, you never know when you'll want to sell or trade up /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / advice sought #8  
I agree with Sagebrush,resale can be a major consideration and shouldn't be overlooked.
 
   / advice sought
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thanks all for the advice - keep it coming. I may keep the Dresser (a beast... that 4 way bucket with teeth, grrrr, not to mention my fondness for "tonka toys" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) but do intend to include a FEL on the tractor also. I like the M series - smooth and solid. I probably will purchase some time this month. Any advice/pros and cons of options (both tractor and associated attachments)?

thanks all
kbk
 
 
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