Resurrecting this thread because I'm in the same boat looking at some used machines.
I can get a L45 with a thumb for about $4000 less than than an M59 with no thumb. I could put that $4000 into adding front and rear remotes and a top and tilt. For a homeowner needing to clear snow, maintain a gravel drive, clear brush, and do landscape work including some regrading of the lawn for drainage and some stump removal, would I be better off with the upgraded L45 or the more spartan M59?
I am only using it for personal use or for helping out the neighbors, and I don't intend to ever sell it, so I'm trying to make a BIFL decision.
That IS an old thread you've revived...From way back in 2011 ! My old dog wasn't even a puppy back then.
First, a snow update because it does impact this thread. I've lived here in the Rocky Mountains at 7000 feet+ for over half a century now, and snow removal used to be the big thing we thought about first when buying a tractor - but no longer. Since this thread was started we are in a warm cycle here. Instead of feet of snow that stayed all winter, we now tend to get inches every few weeks that melts off. Late and early season rains with flooding seem to have replaced the snow; flooding was severe in 2013. Maybe that will change someday, Maybe not.
The point I'm trying to make with the snow is that you should get a tractor that meets your needs right now. The future may be different.
I remember that your land was somewhere in the SouthEast? and was one rough-cleared but with stumps and such, plus another 5 acres or so that you want to clear. That pretty much excludes skid steers. Good as they are, they are best on hard even surface, not reshaping raw land. In a big concrete barn with stalls they are great. Also good if your farmyard is the style with lots of pens and corrals. Keep in mind that skid steers tend to stir up the dirt while tractors tend to compact it.
A tractor is a more universal tool than a skid steer, and travels better on uneven ground.
On the L45 with thumb vs the M59 without? That's a neat question. Both are big enough without being outsize. I do think you are looking at the proper type machine, and think that either would fit your BIFL requirement. Yes, I would stay with mainstream brands for your first tractor.
Here are some some things to think about for the first time tractor buyer:
Rear remotes for top and tilt. Very nice to have, but certainly not necessary. I'd put it on the bottom of the list. T&T is an an expensive option and still not common. That is because in in use, rear implements are traditionally adjusted for tilt manually and then the 3pt hitch control is worked to raise and lower them as needed for depth of soil engagement. That is sufficient, and manual adjustment works just fine. Put that money elsewhere. Into a grapple and thumb perhaps.
A front end loader should have a SSQA adapter for the bucket and front remotes. Then you can hook up anything that a Skid Steer can operate - which opens up a world of rental and borrowed equipment that you can try before or instead of buying. Front remotes are more useful than rear remotes and you are more likely to find them already installed on a used machine. Keep in mind that with hoses you can pipe pressure anywhere. Get a clip-on root rake for the front of the bucket for clearing brush. Inexpensive and handy. Keep your eyes open for a basic grapple that fits your existing bucket & plan to get it someday.... sooner if you have poison ivy.
Horsepower & transmission : For your land, go larger than 35 HP and get HST with as many speeds as possible. Both the L45 and M59 have plenty of power and weight. With the low gearing and 4wd, you will rarely use the full power of either one, but the weight is nice to have. I don't know what tranny the L45 has, but the HST+ on the M59 is fantastic. As you follow threads on TBN you may notice that experienced owners who are replacing tractors tend to go larger, rarely smaller. To me it seems that more are looking for features, comfort, stability and clearance than are needing more horsepower.
Tire size, ground, mud & snow clearance, & sidehill stability. You don't know how important these are yet, but you certainly are going to find out.
For clearing new land, these are the things that are going to limit the tractor more than any other one thing. The L45 is good in that department; but the M59 is better simply because it is larger and higher. More comfortable, too.
Cab - I wouldn't recommend it for a first time buyer doing the type of work you are looking at. You can always add it. Most owners do not.
Backhoe - a lot of people don't do much backhoe work recommend avoiding it, or getting a 3pt style, or subframe mount, or suggest renting rather than a dedicated backhoe.
Fine, but for what you are describing, you will be using the backhoe as a primary too. It will be used as much as the tractor will & possibly more. That's why I like the idea of the L45 and M59 for your use. Be SURE to get the 3pt kit. If the machine you buy doesn't have it, then order the specific 3pt kit for that model the day you get the tractor. Those kinds of specific kits aren't always available in later years.
The thumb? Well, if you have a use for a backhoe then you probably have a use for a thumb as well. I'll always have one. But you can get by without it by squeezing big loads of brush, or big rocks, or tree trunks between the bucket and the inside of the outer backhoe arm. In fact, that is exactly what everyone without a thumb does. You'll see that many backhoes have a wear plate on that arm and some even have teeth there. That technique works great for picking up things to move on the ground, but is quite limiting when it comes to deliberately putting the load somewhere. Especially when trying to place the load up and out at any distance - like building a rock wall or loading a truck.
Once you try a thumb it sure is handy. Mother Nature definitely got that one right.
Implements: start with a good back blade. It cannot be too heavy, they never wear out, so used is fine. Mine is heavily built - an old "Land Pride Rhino" with adjustable offset, tilt, and angle which came with end plates. It cost 3x what a lightweight blade does and worth it. The end plates turn it into a box blade. Your next tool after the back blade will be either a box blade with scarifier teeth for moving dirt or a 3pt rotary mower - the type that is PTO driven with a trailing wheel. Sometimes called a "slasher", it is used for for weeds & brush - not for the lawn. Your choice between the box blade or mower?but you'll probably end up with both someday.
Used machines: You often end up choosing between an ex-rental and a homeowner machine. I'd lean toward the homeowner myself, dealer second, rental last.
I am particularly impressed when there is at least an attempt at keeping maintenance records. I like to see OEM filters and oils used at a minimum. My feeling is that a tractor for a lifetime ought to come with some history and manuals. Unless you are a mechanic yourself, get a second opinion. Maybe even if you are.
And lastly, when you find the right machine, don't mess around. By now you have put in enough study to know a good deal when you see it. So when you do, make a deal and buy it. That's when the fun really begins.
Good Luck, rScotty
