New member here so please bear with me. Have seen lots of good info on all the discussion pages over the last two weeks. Need some help from the good guys. We have 100 acres, about 50 are hilly pasture in eastern OH which we need to mow. Started my search for a machine over the last few weeks. Stopped to look at a MF 1240 and 1250 in a dealer's lot and called. Told him about the type of property and he suggested a MF 243. He even invited me down to his house to test drive it this Saturday - sounds like a good start on his part. I'm leaning towards a 5 or 6 foot Woods brush hog and possibly a front loader. Also am considering the JD 990 and 4700 compacts, NH Boomer TC 45 and TN65. Also considering Kubota but not sure to go with L or M size. Need some guidance from you whether based on my short description of usage, mowing and moving some stuff around, if I'm looking at the right size and HP. Other bells and whistle suggestions will be appreciated. Want to pin down a machine then deal with price, but don't want to go to the poor house either. Your info has been helpful already on price ranges. Excuse the long winded message.
MF 243
- Thread starter BigErn
- Start date
Woodbeef
Veteran Member
Re: Also check out Valtra
For what you are looking to do I'd stay away from the compacts and get a real tractor. You just have too much acreage,and challenging terrain for the little guys. I'd also definately go with MFD on your hills,and a loader tractor is just not a real loader tractor with out it. Somewhere in the 50-60 pto hp range is where you should be looking. It's always better to have too much power and not need it then to be caught the other way around.
Do yourself a favor and look into the 100 series from Valtra (Valmet). I think you will be pleasently suprised by the tractors,and the price! They are an overbuilt dependable tractor from Finland. The option list is staggering and you have a choice of 10 colors,four of them being metallic. Valtra was the first tractor manufacturer to gain ISO certification. Check them out at http://www.valtra.com also check out this site http://www.kolumbus.fi/juha.metsapelto
What ever brands you check out,have the dealer send you a tractor to your property for a week or so demo. When it gets there do everything possible with it,that way you can really tell if you like the feel of it or not,and if it is comfortable for you(alot of times things do not come out till you've been in the seat for a couple of hours or more straight). Even if all you can do is drive the tractor around for hours on end do it,it will be time well spent down the road!! If you plan on keeping this tractor for awhile make sure you can live with it (do not get caught in color wars or Shinny-Metal-Syndrome)
Good Luck
For what you are looking to do I'd stay away from the compacts and get a real tractor. You just have too much acreage,and challenging terrain for the little guys. I'd also definately go with MFD on your hills,and a loader tractor is just not a real loader tractor with out it. Somewhere in the 50-60 pto hp range is where you should be looking. It's always better to have too much power and not need it then to be caught the other way around.
Do yourself a favor and look into the 100 series from Valtra (Valmet). I think you will be pleasently suprised by the tractors,and the price! They are an overbuilt dependable tractor from Finland. The option list is staggering and you have a choice of 10 colors,four of them being metallic. Valtra was the first tractor manufacturer to gain ISO certification. Check them out at http://www.valtra.com also check out this site http://www.kolumbus.fi/juha.metsapelto
What ever brands you check out,have the dealer send you a tractor to your property for a week or so demo. When it gets there do everything possible with it,that way you can really tell if you like the feel of it or not,and if it is comfortable for you(alot of times things do not come out till you've been in the seat for a couple of hours or more straight). Even if all you can do is drive the tractor around for hours on end do it,it will be time well spent down the road!! If you plan on keeping this tractor for awhile make sure you can live with it (do not get caught in color wars or Shinny-Metal-Syndrome)
Good Luck
TBone
Platinum Member
BigErn, I have a MF 231S. It has the same engine as the 243 but does not have the extras and options that the 243 has such as 4wd, hydrostatic power steering and others. I have 126 acres of land that I do a lot of brush hogging, disking etc on and the Massey does a good job. I have very little use for a fel so consequently do not have one. I agree that you would probably be better off with mfd if you get a fel. My land is level and high so I really didn't need four wheel drive either.
My advice is to take advantage of the dealer's offer to use his tractor and anybody else that offers. There is no substitue for seat time to determine which tractor suits you best.
In my part of the country Massey dealers are close by and their tractors are very easy to resell so I went with Massey. Kubotas are the next most popular around here. Fords used to be but the New Holland name has not caught on as well. It's just like automobiles - I don't drive anything but GM products but not everybody agrees.
I do think, however, when you compare horsepower, features, weight, price and resale that the Agco tractors are hard to beat. They are after all the best selling tractors in the world.
Good luck in your search and be safe.
My advice is to take advantage of the dealer's offer to use his tractor and anybody else that offers. There is no substitue for seat time to determine which tractor suits you best.
In my part of the country Massey dealers are close by and their tractors are very easy to resell so I went with Massey. Kubotas are the next most popular around here. Fords used to be but the New Holland name has not caught on as well. It's just like automobiles - I don't drive anything but GM products but not everybody agrees.
I do think, however, when you compare horsepower, features, weight, price and resale that the Agco tractors are hard to beat. They are after all the best selling tractors in the world.
Good luck in your search and be safe.
JerryG
Super Member
BigErn,
The 243 with 4 wheel drive would work fine. My pick would be a 263-4 with a turbo, more power in the same package.
The 243 with 4 wheel drive would work fine. My pick would be a 263-4 with a turbo, more power in the same package.
Re: Also check out Valtra
Woodbeef,
Thanks for the info on the Valtra. I did find the website and will look at it more closely after test drive #1 tomorrow with the MF. My concern is that in rural Coshocton County, service could be a problem with the Valtra. It's not a name I've heard in the area. Most of what you do see are JD and MF, but we do have the orange and the blue brand dealers in the area. The fun is just starting. We may have to negotiate over new furniture or a bigger tractor in our household. Since we are cutting some sections of pasture the good old fashioned way, with a DR Field Brush cutter I may have leverage with the wife. She gets out there with me using the DR so maybe she'll have sympathy. Heck we're getting our exercise at least. Stand by for news.
Thanks agaian
Woodbeef,
Thanks for the info on the Valtra. I did find the website and will look at it more closely after test drive #1 tomorrow with the MF. My concern is that in rural Coshocton County, service could be a problem with the Valtra. It's not a name I've heard in the area. Most of what you do see are JD and MF, but we do have the orange and the blue brand dealers in the area. The fun is just starting. We may have to negotiate over new furniture or a bigger tractor in our household. Since we are cutting some sections of pasture the good old fashioned way, with a DR Field Brush cutter I may have leverage with the wife. She gets out there with me using the DR so maybe she'll have sympathy. Heck we're getting our exercise at least. Stand by for news.
Thanks agaian
Anonymous Poster
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Look at the 263 as another poster said - if you're getting an fel, get 4wd. One suggestion - test drive a tractor with a mower and fel on it --- you're turning radius is increased markedly by the fel protruding out and if you're working around fences and lots of trees, you may want to hold off on the loader for a year until you get the brush whipped down.
Got the first test drive done. Spent about 20 minutes mostly on level ground then ventured into some pretty good ruts. Will try hills later. I was suprised how smooth it handled once I got over my initial nervousness. It had a mower on the back so I got a perspective of the length. Your point about the turning radius makes a lot of sense. The safe way is to get my tractor legs then move forward with the FEL. My biggest focus will be the mowing anyway in the first full year. Plus I can spread the $$$ out a little better. Back to the research.
Woodbeef
Veteran Member
BigErn,
Do not limit yourself and quickly dismiss the Valtra just because a dealer is not your next door neighbor. They are a very well engineered overbuilt tractor. Valtra was the 1st tractor manufacturer granted ISO certification. The same person builds an engine from start to finish,then puts their name on it!! Most of the Valtras sold in Scandinavia pull forestry duty during the winter,and they are more than tough enough for that. Once you drive one,you'll buy it!!
Do not limit yourself and quickly dismiss the Valtra just because a dealer is not your next door neighbor. They are a very well engineered overbuilt tractor. Valtra was the 1st tractor manufacturer granted ISO certification. The same person builds an engine from start to finish,then puts their name on it!! Most of the Valtras sold in Scandinavia pull forestry duty during the winter,and they are more than tough enough for that. Once you drive one,you'll buy it!!
Anonymous Poster
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Do you have a vested interest in Valtra tractors? If so, it should be disclosed.
Woodbeef,
I went back and looked a the website. Maybe I'm being dense here, but I only saw one guy in Tarboro NC as a contact in the US. That might make a test drive a little more difficult than originally planned. Can you shed some light on where there is a dealer in Ohio? If I missed the obvious, I welcome being corrected. Thanks
I went back and looked a the website. Maybe I'm being dense here, but I only saw one guy in Tarboro NC as a contact in the US. That might make a test drive a little more difficult than originally planned. Can you shed some light on where there is a dealer in Ohio? If I missed the obvious, I welcome being corrected. Thanks