Your input?

[gerard]

Valorum - can't speak to kioti vs mahindra etc since I've never had any of them BUT as far as size the 45 hp is not too big for what you have in mind. You'll just get more work done faster but keep in mind that the implements are going to be bigger too. You'll probably need a 6 or 7 foot bushog to cover the wheels and the same applies to the other implements you get. Backblades and such you're going to need med to heavy duty 'cause you'll bend anything light duty with 45 hp. My vote is for the 45 hp. I don't know many people here who regreted getting more power. I wouldn't mind something bigger myself but I drag a small indoor arena and wouldn't want to lose the maneuverability of a smaller tractor. If that wasn't an issue I'd have a bigger one myself! (The other upside to the 45 is that loader will be able to handle large round hay bales if you use those. At 1000 lbs a 25 hp can't lift them).

 

[Valorum]

Oh, I think that you may have your sizing messed up. The Massey 1533 & 1540 are the same size and the 1547 is a bit bigger and would match up better against the Kioti DK45S that you have looked at.

Thanks for the heads-up. I wasn't sure. I expect that the price of the 1547 (haven't gotten a quote, but i can make an educated estimate) makes it difficult for it to be competitive with the DK45S for our financial requirements. But it'll be interesting to compare. The Masseys certainly have some nicer features, but i think for our budget we'd have to give up some power compared to what we'd be able to get with Kioti.

Be sure to look at all the transmission options that Massey has, there has to be one there that your wife likes.

She likes shuttle shift it seems. I do too, but with just the synchro i have a hard time seeing the real advantage over just straight gear. Maybe i'm missing something? I do imagine the power shuttle that Massey offers would be a great compromise. No clutching to go from forward to reverse

Just think of how much fun your having looking and learning about all this stuff. Good luck with your search.

Yup, it's a fun adventure. And thanks

You'll probably need a 6 or 7 foot bushog to cover the wheels and the same applies to the other implements you get.

What's this about covering the wheels? Is that some sort of rule (hard or of thumb) that one should follow? I wasn't aware of such a thing. Do we have to get the 6'/7' mower, or could we still use a smaller one if we wanted to?

Backblades and such you're going to need med to heavy duty 'cause you'll bend anything light duty with 45 hp.

Hmmm, good point. I hadn't even thought about it potentially being necessary to get the bigger / heavier duty and thus more expensive implements. That'd be something to consider because of price of implements of course. How big a difference should we expect in price for example? If we go with a bigger tractor like the 45HP one, are we now setting ourselves up to pay twice as much for every implement we need?

(The other upside to the 45 is that loader will be able to handle large round hay bales if you use those. At 1000 lbs a 25 hp can't lift them).

We're not using the big round bales, but hey, it can't hurt to have the power available just in case.

One other thing i was reminded of in one of the other threads where you guys were giving advise to a newbie like me was the sad reality that when working with large animals you'll sometimes have to deal with the carcass of one. Since our horses are fairly big and weigh around 1200lbs, i want to make sure that whatever tractor we get has a loader that can safely handle a large, heavy carcass if necessary. The ratings of the lower end options we're looking at would always make me second guess whether it's safe to do so. I'd rather err on the side of too big than too small of course.

 

[Gittyup]

Cost of bigger vs. smaller implements: A little more if new, but not anywhere near double. Used there isn't much difference for 1' foot of size variation. If the money is right for the bigger tractor, then that is the way to go. Over the next twenty years, you won't be wishing for more tractor.

Note on the Kioti shuttle shift: When new they are really stiff. But after some use, and a good lubing it gets much smoother and easier. I like the shuttle on the CK's because it gives you 8 reverse speeds, running about 15% slower than the corresponding forward gear. Also, much shorter working distance and keeps your hands close to the steering wheel. It took me a while to get use to using both hands on and off the steering wheel between the loader, the shuttle, and the shifters. Felt like a juggler in the circus.

Don't neglect to consider hydraulic flow. There is a wide variation among manufacturers. Flow rate will directly impact performance of hydraulically driven implements.

 

[rcrcomputing]

DK40se or 45se..

I'd think I went to heaven! Look up the lifting capability of that loader! Move some DIRT! You will then have achieved enlightenment!

And that comes from a guy with a cracked ck30 loader..
And I reckon I'd still get a dk40se with a backhoe and 2 rear remotes for a bucket grapple and a thumb for the backhoe.
And a box blade, brush hog, and a rake.
Give me your 30,000.00 and I'll go shopping with you. You might as well go wild with it because after the "addiction" sets in, you'll be buying it all anyway..

 

[SPYDERLK]

What's this about covering the wheels? Is that some sort of rule (hard or of thumb) that one should follow? I wasn't aware of such a thing. Do we have to get the 6'/7' mower, or could we still use a smaller one if we wanted to?

Hmmm, good point. I hadn't even thought about it potentially being necessary to get the bigger / heavier duty and thus more expensive implements. That'd be something to consider because of price of implements of course. How big a difference should we expect in price for example? If we go with a bigger tractor like the 45HP one, are we now setting ourselves up to pay twice as much for every implement we need?

We're not using the big round bales, but hey, it can't hurt to have the power available just in case.

One other thing i was reminded of in one of the other threads where you guys were giving advise to a newbie like me was the sad reality that when working with large animals you'll sometimes have to deal with the carcass of one. Since our horses are fairly big and weigh around 1200lbs, i want to make sure that whatever tractor we get has a loader that can safely handle a large, heavy carcass if necessary. The ratings of the lower end options we're looking at would always make me second guess whether it's safe to do so. I'd rather err on the side of too big than too small of course.

I bushogged for many years using a 5' bushog on an AG tired tractor with 7' wheel spacing. With ags this was no problem, however when we got a tractor with turfs on a 5' spacing the cut of the same BH suffered. There are 2 things working here - grass flattening and time for springback. Smooth tread tires flatten all the grass and it doesnt come back up quick enuf for the mower to catch it. If the tires are set wider than mower width there is no penalty, and actually some benefit as the grass has a whole round of the field to rebound. Whichever width combo, Ags will give the best mow job of all [compared to Industrials or Turfs] because they dont flatten all the grass in a mat like the "smooth" tires.

As for large animals - it costs hundreds to get somebody with equipment to bury them. Another reason to have a Back Hoe attachment. Theres the ability to dig a big enuf hole and hopefully enuf machine to be able to lift and place the animal rather than shove it in in a heap. That always bothered me until I devised a way to do it with some respect.
larry

 

[gerard]

I think most of your questions have been answered. Re the "covering your wheels" it's not a rule but it makes some things a little easier to guage. When bushogging it's easier to guage if the mower width is the same width as your tires, just line up with the tires. Also it seems to be a little bit of a waster not to use the maximum size implement the tractor can handle since you can get the job done faster. Of course if only mowing 15 acres the time difference between a 5 footer and a 6 footer probably doesn't amount to all that much.

re: moving dead horses - You don't need to have loader capacity for that. a chain arond the hooves and you drag them to where they have to go. If you want to do it "with dignity" throw a tarp over them. Sorry for the more sensitive but it's just not easy to deal with a 1200 lb dead animal and I worry more about taking good care of them while alive than after they've passed.

 

[pitt_md]

While you're at it do yourself a favor and get Pat's Easy change system. They advertise on this site. I had a quick hitch and it was a lot better than NOT having one but Pat's Easy Change hitch is even better. The extendable links would be a plus but even without it I don't have to muscle implements around any more. I can just back up, lift the 3 pt and the bottom links are done. Then you just connect the top link which is easy.

BTW - you're right near my sister - she's in Canton too - nice country!

Do your self a bigger favor and skip the easy change system and get telescoping links on the 3pt hitch. It fits EVERYTHING.

 

[bc realtor]

Just a quick note about pricing. I have been searching for a comparable machine.I have only looked at the kubotas but the best price I have found for the L3400hst with a trailer, loader and it also includes the box blade and a 6 foot cutter. $21198.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=5404491&GUID=A4652604A7CB43A3AFA5BBD4A32326C2

 

[Liren]

We're slowly narrowing it down. We've effectively ruled out the smaller framed tractors (Mahindra 2816, CK series, etc). With Valorum being 6'6, the overall size of the operator platform and layout of the controls is a big deal - especially if I want to stand a chance of getting him to operate the tractor regularly. So that puts us up in the 30+hp tractors by default - which is obviously more tractor than we were originally thinking of. And if it's not clear, we're both analysts - there will always be the "see, we should have bought the other because of XYZ" scenario. We're trying to avoid regretting the choice of whatever we end up buying. The good thing is that the size of the bucket and width of the 30hp tractors is not as big of a deal for us because our property is mostly open pasture. There are a few tight areas that we'll to work around/in, but more on that in a moment.

While the DK45 is attractive on paper, there are a few practical things for me as the operator - 1) the height of the ROPS is too tall to clear going under our shedrow barn. That's a disaster waiting to happen. 2) the gear selection and shuttle shift were much too stiff for me to be comfortable working regularly. And odds are that I'll be the primary operator of whatever tractor we purchase. Where Valorum is tall, I'm not super strong, so I want controls that I can operate easily from day one. It being so stiff also doesn't give me the warm fuzzy that the build quality is where I'd want it. 3) the overall fit and finish seemed rough on the tractor. Example: taking the side panels off to get to the engine took some manhandling - they didn't snap back on very easily either. Again, doesn't give me a warm fuzzy on the build quality. 4) it's VERY heavy and big - I'm not sure how practical that will be for maintaining our small arena and round pen and manuevering around the area in front of the shedrow (where the fence line is a little close).

Then looking at the MF 1533/1540 there was a practical concern as well. I'm not a very heavy person. I had a very hard time setting the parking brake on the MF. This is probably something I'll figure out how to work over time. The overall fit and finish was much higher. I loved the positive feedback on the gear selector and the shuttle, it will fit under the shed row, and it basically trumps the DK in the areas the DK is weak for me. It's missing a few of the "luxury" options though - rear hydraulics, rear remote.

I think it's safe to say we've narrowed it down to choosing between the 1533 and the 1540 and the Regular Shuttle (8x8) vs. the Power Shuttle (12x12, no clutching required). For choosing the hp size, I'm getting some conflicting info on being able to pull a 6ft mower with a 33hp tractor - some say the width of the 33 frame is fine to pull the 6ft mower, some say that the 33 has to slow down too much in forward speed that you effectively spend the same amount of time mowing with a 5ft.

I think in the end, we're going to have to figure out a way to meet the dealer and drive the two transmissions to see which is the better fit for our needs. Then it will be the great HP debate, tempered with the budget we had set ourselves.

 

[teg]

Seems that you are on the right track... How high and thick is the brush that you are going to be cutting? If it's just grass, how tall will it be? You should be fine with a 6 footer, if you are not cutting big thick stuff. Also, if it's just grass, you can sharpen the blades to a finer cutting edge. Normally, shredders are blunt for cutting woody material.

Be sure to have the dealer hook up an implement or two so you can engage them and move the tractor around with them on.