... but I also don't want to be in the situation where I bought too small and regret that I didn't get the bigger more capable tractor.
Of course none of us can tell you exactly what YOU will be more happy with, but we can give you our opinions backed up by experience. My experience is that the above quote, suits me to a tee! I was so dead set on buying an HST tractor, I wouldn't even entertain the thought of buying one without HST. I now regret that decision. I personally wish that I went with the larger tractor with a hydro shuttle transmission.
My uses for my tractor are mainly woods work, and FEL work. I do a lot of random things with my tractor, and about the ONLY thing I don't use it for, is field work. I don't plow, seed, or do any type of standard farm work, so I can't give any opinions on that. I so use the brush hog in the woods though, not so much a field. The HST is certainly an advantage here, and there are times when I say, "boy this HST really is nice" but it is nothing I couldn't do with a hydro shuttle tranny.
Almost all my use includes grapple work. There have been numerous occasions where I wish I had some more FEL capacity (one of my MAIN reasons for wanting a larger tractor at this point). And I don't mean I want an extra 100 or 200 lbs either, I'm referring to something with considerably more lift capacity and breakout force. An LA1153 would probably fit me very well. You seem to have a lot of similar uses that I do with mine. I will also use my tractor for long term, ongoing maintenance around the house/land, and I don't bat an eye and think twice about keeping my L tractor for general maintenance. I think I'll be just fine and be just as happy with my slightly larger tractor that I'll (someday) be buying.
One thing to remember here, is that your at a huge advantage here over many of us. Many of us already have the HST tranny, that is indeed a nice feature, and one that sucked me in. I can't deny that I do LOVE it, but I would never know that if I didn't have one
Since you've never owned one, and you would be getting a hydro shuttle anyways, I think you'll be tinkled pink at what the hydro shuttle could do. There is in fact, life outside HST
At this point, if they offered say, an M7040 with HST option, I'm not really sure I would go with it. IN the past I would have already bought one, but now, I think that even given the choice of the "best of both worlds" I would probably go with a hydro shuttle.
At the same time, don't want to be limited by buying too big either.
Nothing your looking at will be remotely "too big". I thought the same way, after getting some experience and having the opportunity to try out some larger tractors (I say large, but that's relative to what I have now) I now realize that what I used to think as "too big" would actually be just about right....and still not even close to "too big" Sometimes these 'larger' tractors really do appear larger, but they aren't actually THAT much bigger in the grand scheme of things, we're talking about maybe 2' longer and maybe 1' wider, if that. BUT, they are a whole lot more capable.
I am trying to determine how much more lift capacity I would get with the LA1153 FEL on the M compared to the MX and the LA844 FEL. Is the bucket center measurement directly comparable to the 500mm forward measurement? Can't seem to find a 500mm forward measure for the LA1153?
I'll try to look into this a little more for you, I might have some literature laying around if I can't find anything online.
Just remember what I said about the attachments though, don't use up your entire budget on the tractor. Save some money for attachments. Regarding land clearing, the grapple is the single most important attachment you can purchase. You will not find ANY need (and I say this with confidence) for a standard bucket when land clearing with a tractor/grapple/box blade combination.
