Great Value
Model Year: 2007
This is the first and only new tractor that we've ever owned. We bought it new in 2007 for $16,500. It is honestly still the best deal I've ever seen on a tractor. The tractor has spent nearly its entire life lashed to either a round baler or a disc mower. We also use it to feed hay in the winter, but it doesn't get a lot of hours doing that. I am extremely pleased with the unit. the only breakage was one of the lift arm pins, but I'm willing to say that was my fault: We all get a little carried away with things on the farm. We don't have the best land in the state as some of the terrain gets pretty hilly, but the engine barely breaks a sweat pulling our 4 by 5 baler. It is hard to give an exact number, but it seems pretty easy on the fuel too. I can bale or mow all day without needing to re-fuel. My only real complaint about the tractor is the lack of synchronized forward to reverse shifting. It has never been a big problem, but can be tricky to get in to reverse sometimes. Double-clutching or shifting in to "4" first always alleviates the bind, but it is still a little frustrating. The engine is pretty loud. My only points of comparison are a Ford 6610 and a David Brown 885, but the engine on this tractor is noticeably louder, often to the point of discomfort. The upside is that all it takes is a little ear protection to fix that. I keep a pair of sound-deadening headphones draped around the steering column. To be honest, that's probably something we should all wear all of the time, regardless. It is an all around great tractor for the price. It is missing some nice features - like a shuttle shift or fully synchronized gear box - but I can't really even begin to complain given the price point. My only regret is that I didn't buy 2 of them.
Pros: Power; comfort; ease of use; fuel consumption; value
Cons: Lack of synchronized forward-reverse; a little on the loud side