John, about 2 months ago, I priced and studied the MF 1250. I ended up buying a used 1125 MF, since I could not justify the great expense for a 'first' tractor. Please be aware that is just my opinion based on my needs, wants, and reasoning The 1250 appears to be a very good tractor, but compared to the other brands, it was the most expensive. I obtained a quote of $16,700 for a 1250 with loader. A comparably equipped Kubota or New Holland would have been roughly $2000 cheaper. Basically, you can get a Kubota/New Holland WITH Hydro for the same price as the Massey 1250 with shuttle shift tranny. I priced the New Holland TC33D (hydro) with loader for $16,500, Kubota L3010HST for around $16,900, and John Deere 10 series for really big bucks.
I don't think you can go wrong with a Massey, but I don't feel it is the best of the kaboodle. The dealer told me you can get parts for Massey's 30 years after they are built. Sure, that might be true for the older machines, but not today's machines. That might be the case for all the brands. I don't honestly know.
Lastly, I think your decision should be affected by the quality of the dealer. I cannot count how many times I've called dealers, left messages, and never receive a return phone call. I realize this is probably a busy time of the year, but it still bothers me.
My advice is study all you can, and interview your dealers well. That will enable you to have the best chance for success.
Good luck in your search,
Mike