Need advice for a first tractor purchase

[alligatorob]

I posted a few weeks back on my need for a tractor and got some really good guidance, see http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...s/375504-need-lots-tractor-buying-advice.html Now I am hoping to get more specific.

The only dealer in my town is a Case dealer, he has a good reputation and a good shop, he has been in business 70+ years. All things being equal I would like to buy from him but I need some advice before I go in. I am new at this, have not driven a tractor in over 40 years, and don稚 know much. I have a couple of acres of peaches and need to do a lot of landscaping. I also have a 250 gravel drive that needs snow removal in winter and gravel maintained in summer. And my son has a couple of acres down the road and has similar needs. My original post has a lot more about my needs, did not want to repeat too much here.

I have been looking online and have a question about the difference between the small Utility Farmall A and a larger Compact Farmall C. It seems to me you get more tractor for the money with the Utility tractor, what am I missing?

Any other advice would be appreciated.

The one down side to my local dealer is that he doesn稚 have a lot of stock on the lot, he mostly orders the tractors, and he has none of the smaller Farmalls. I am trying to figure out where I can test drive one. Is it odd that he does not stock them? He tells me that he sells a lot of the small ones, but all ordered, not off the lot. It appears most of his customers are long time repeat folks, not newbies like me.

 

[Wagtail]

See my post in your other 'purchase' thread... my same advice applies, it's not colour specific.

Stock on the lot means very little. Any dealership worth its salt can call up a previous customer who has the tractor you're interested in and ask if you can 'check it out'. That's what my JD salesman did, then he drove me out to the tractor. ath: About a year later, the salesman called me up and asked if a prospective customer could have a go on my 4105 = I said,"Sure!"

As to "It appears most of his customers are long time repeat folks, not newbies like me." Mate, all of us were newbies at one point or another... including those 'long time repeat folks'.

They're selling tractors, not used cars.

 

[jeff9366]

What is your altitude in Perry, Utah? If you are over 5,000 feet discuss turbo-charged engines with your Case dealer.

I'll bet your Case dealer will be happy to introduce you to owners of both A and C models who have purchased from him, who would be glad to let you try them out. My Kubota dealer has sent customers to me to test drive my L3560, which he does not routinely stock, three times.

If the owners have slopes and mud I'll wager all have 4-WD tractors.

You have pre-purchase angst, which is normal, but not something we can help you with.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR. I cycled through two tractors, both too small, before buying ENOUGH.

 

[DJGTWO]

I agree. Your dealer should be able to refer you to a previous customer to see and try out different models. I, also, agree to not buy too small. I had a Kubota L3130 for years, and it was a great small tractor, but I found it under powered for many of the tasks I typically did. I then went to a CaseIH 75C, and I have learned to appreciate the extra power and larger tires all the way around. After using the open platform Kubota for almost ten years, I am now glad to have a cabbed model, especially when plowing snow for several hours on a cold day.

My Case dealer let me use several different tractors for a week to help me make the best decision for both performance and costs.

Good luck on your search.