Lotek
New member
Like many others, I'm new to tractors and have been lurking on TBN for several weeks. I'm learning a bunch while trying to determine the right tractor for me. I plan to make a purchase in the near future and hope the wise minds and experience on TBN will provide some guidance, because I want this purchase to be the right one the first time. Sorry for the length of this post - I tried to provide as much info as possible in order to receive accurate and applicable advice.
Relevant info -
Land: Recently purchased home on approx 3 acres in the Central CA foothills near Yosemite. Land is mostly flat but has some rolling slopes; one smallish area (approx 40' X 40') at the back & near the house has an upslope of about 30* that leads to further flat areas. There are several large (> 5' high) granite outcroppings, some smaller granite boulders & rocks scattered about, and some granite "slabs" peeking out of the dirt by 3-4 inches. Vegetation consists of native grasses & weeds, manzanita, numerous large oaks that are mostly in groves, and 4 dying willows (1 is huge). I will likely have a tree guy remove the willows. Some oaks have good clearance below the branches but others have branches hanging down to the ground. Little to no snow. Driveway is 3/4" - 1" rock, approx 230' long, with a gentle upslope. There is a swale about 2.5' deep X 2' or so wide and 150-200' long that also needs grasses/weeds cut, but I can probably do that with a weed-whacker.
Intended tractor use: Immediate & ongoing needs are fire protection via rough cutting/mowing native grasses and weeds on approx 2.5 acres (no wet areas during summer months), and creating & maintaining minimum 20' wide fire break around home; removing & hauling dead/cut scrub brush piles to burn pile area; maintenance of rock driveway. I don't intend to landscape or till any of these 2.5 acres. Foreseeable needs include moving fallen oak limbs and dead scrub trees/bushes, and leveling area(s) near the house for a couple of small Tuff-Shed type storage buildings. Possible future needs if I build a barn & kennel would include moving hay bales, oat sacks, and large sacks of dog food; mucking out stalls & corrals. Will use current lawn mower & garden tools for lawn and plant areas.
Tractor experience: Zip, zilch, nada.
Budget: Is $15K do-able for tractor, MMM, blade, & FEL?
I'm focusing on small chassis CUTs because they apparently have better ground clearance and stability on slopes than the SCUTs, but are still agile. I definitely want hydro, 4WD, folding ROPS, 12" or better axle-to-ground clearance, attachments that are easy to attach & remove [I'm a girl .... my hands & arms aren't as strong as a guy's !! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ], mid and rear full Cat 1 PTOs. I need a tractor that is easy to operate, has readily available service and repair parts, and is very reliable (I'm inexperienced, mechanically challenged, and the nearest tractor store of ANY kind is about 50 miles away).
At this point I'm leaning toward Deere 4010 or 4110, a 54" MMM for cutting the weeds/grasses, a blade for the fire break and driveway (front? rear? box blade?), and probably a FEL too. It seems that the 4010 will do what I need & then some, but I'm not sure. Is the additional strength of the 4110 worth the extra $$$ for my expected uses, or would it be "over-buying"? It doesn't appear that CUTs of the other colors meet my reqts like the Deere seems to, but I'm a newbie and don't fully understand all the technological differences between mftrs. Orange may be close, but their qtr inch valve seems like it would/could be a PITA compared to Deere's system.
Also, can anyone recommend good, professional dealers in the Central CA area? Yesterday I met with a JD and a NH dealer in Fresno. I was underwhelmed. I felt patronized by both and also sensed they thought I have "Sucker" written on my forehead. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif The NH guy tried to push the SCUTs on me, then a supposedly new TC30 that tilted to the left. The JD guy also tried to push his SCUTs. Both dealers had lots of SCUTs on hand. The JD guy said he couldn't find any 4010s or 4110s but could order from the factory. He said if he did that, I'd have to buy it whether I liked the tractor or not. If all/most dealers are like these 2 clowns, I will forget about buying a tractor and instead get some horses and goats.
Thanks in advance for all help given.
Relevant info -
Land: Recently purchased home on approx 3 acres in the Central CA foothills near Yosemite. Land is mostly flat but has some rolling slopes; one smallish area (approx 40' X 40') at the back & near the house has an upslope of about 30* that leads to further flat areas. There are several large (> 5' high) granite outcroppings, some smaller granite boulders & rocks scattered about, and some granite "slabs" peeking out of the dirt by 3-4 inches. Vegetation consists of native grasses & weeds, manzanita, numerous large oaks that are mostly in groves, and 4 dying willows (1 is huge). I will likely have a tree guy remove the willows. Some oaks have good clearance below the branches but others have branches hanging down to the ground. Little to no snow. Driveway is 3/4" - 1" rock, approx 230' long, with a gentle upslope. There is a swale about 2.5' deep X 2' or so wide and 150-200' long that also needs grasses/weeds cut, but I can probably do that with a weed-whacker.
Intended tractor use: Immediate & ongoing needs are fire protection via rough cutting/mowing native grasses and weeds on approx 2.5 acres (no wet areas during summer months), and creating & maintaining minimum 20' wide fire break around home; removing & hauling dead/cut scrub brush piles to burn pile area; maintenance of rock driveway. I don't intend to landscape or till any of these 2.5 acres. Foreseeable needs include moving fallen oak limbs and dead scrub trees/bushes, and leveling area(s) near the house for a couple of small Tuff-Shed type storage buildings. Possible future needs if I build a barn & kennel would include moving hay bales, oat sacks, and large sacks of dog food; mucking out stalls & corrals. Will use current lawn mower & garden tools for lawn and plant areas.
Tractor experience: Zip, zilch, nada.
Budget: Is $15K do-able for tractor, MMM, blade, & FEL?
I'm focusing on small chassis CUTs because they apparently have better ground clearance and stability on slopes than the SCUTs, but are still agile. I definitely want hydro, 4WD, folding ROPS, 12" or better axle-to-ground clearance, attachments that are easy to attach & remove [I'm a girl .... my hands & arms aren't as strong as a guy's !! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ], mid and rear full Cat 1 PTOs. I need a tractor that is easy to operate, has readily available service and repair parts, and is very reliable (I'm inexperienced, mechanically challenged, and the nearest tractor store of ANY kind is about 50 miles away).
At this point I'm leaning toward Deere 4010 or 4110, a 54" MMM for cutting the weeds/grasses, a blade for the fire break and driveway (front? rear? box blade?), and probably a FEL too. It seems that the 4010 will do what I need & then some, but I'm not sure. Is the additional strength of the 4110 worth the extra $$$ for my expected uses, or would it be "over-buying"? It doesn't appear that CUTs of the other colors meet my reqts like the Deere seems to, but I'm a newbie and don't fully understand all the technological differences between mftrs. Orange may be close, but their qtr inch valve seems like it would/could be a PITA compared to Deere's system.
Also, can anyone recommend good, professional dealers in the Central CA area? Yesterday I met with a JD and a NH dealer in Fresno. I was underwhelmed. I felt patronized by both and also sensed they thought I have "Sucker" written on my forehead. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif The NH guy tried to push the SCUTs on me, then a supposedly new TC30 that tilted to the left. The JD guy also tried to push his SCUTs. Both dealers had lots of SCUTs on hand. The JD guy said he couldn't find any 4010s or 4110s but could order from the factory. He said if he did that, I'd have to buy it whether I liked the tractor or not. If all/most dealers are like these 2 clowns, I will forget about buying a tractor and instead get some horses and goats.
Thanks in advance for all help given.