BAGTIC
Silver Member
I don't have a tractor yet as I curently live in California on a 1 acre lot.
In March we will be leaving California and our citrus and avocado trees and moving to southern Missouri. We have purchased 82 acres. Most is in leased out pasture but about 10 acres is in residential use, house , garden, ponds, shade trees, etc. I want to get started on planting a small orchard, 1-2 acres, as soon as I can.
Which size tractor would be best suited to my needs? Primarily it is going to be landscaping/gardening, residential mowing. I thought of a finish mower, rotor tiller, auger with one large and one small bit, and a rock bucket as a starter set-up. The rancher leasing the pasture will keep it mowed with his 10 ft mower. I will only need to pick up occassional dead branches, etc. for my own firewood use.
The wife wants a koi pond and we need to build a garage and add another room to the house. I might want to excavate for a walkout basement under the new room so I could have a heated shop directly accessible from the house.
I have considered the PT-425 and the PT-1430. Obviously the PT-425 has a big price edge. I imagine it would also be much handier for mowing and working in tight places.
I could afford the larger 1430 if it was necessary [My most understanding wife told me so. See! God does still make angels] but is there any significant need for it? I am retired so time and speed is not a necessity as long as the smaller tractor can do the work even though with more but smaller bites. Can the 425 excavate a walkout basement if one is not in too much of a hurry?
How much difference is there in the noise of the 425 and the 1430? Are ear plugs required for either? I'm already a little deaf and I want to keep on hearing for at least as long as I keep on eating.
Would appreciate any othe advice.
In March we will be leaving California and our citrus and avocado trees and moving to southern Missouri. We have purchased 82 acres. Most is in leased out pasture but about 10 acres is in residential use, house , garden, ponds, shade trees, etc. I want to get started on planting a small orchard, 1-2 acres, as soon as I can.
Which size tractor would be best suited to my needs? Primarily it is going to be landscaping/gardening, residential mowing. I thought of a finish mower, rotor tiller, auger with one large and one small bit, and a rock bucket as a starter set-up. The rancher leasing the pasture will keep it mowed with his 10 ft mower. I will only need to pick up occassional dead branches, etc. for my own firewood use.
The wife wants a koi pond and we need to build a garage and add another room to the house. I might want to excavate for a walkout basement under the new room so I could have a heated shop directly accessible from the house.
I have considered the PT-425 and the PT-1430. Obviously the PT-425 has a big price edge. I imagine it would also be much handier for mowing and working in tight places.
I could afford the larger 1430 if it was necessary [My most understanding wife told me so. See! God does still make angels] but is there any significant need for it? I am retired so time and speed is not a necessity as long as the smaller tractor can do the work even though with more but smaller bites. Can the 425 excavate a walkout basement if one is not in too much of a hurry?
How much difference is there in the noise of the 425 and the 1430? Are ear plugs required for either? I'm already a little deaf and I want to keep on hearing for at least as long as I keep on eating.
Would appreciate any othe advice.