prospective buyer

MF 1532 · Oct 31, 2011

Welcome to TBN . I had a similiar situation . My wifes parents farm , and are CNH ( Case New Holland , Case IH ) fans . So when I started shopping I looked at all major brands . I took a lot of joking when I bought a Massey Ferguson . If I was doing it again I wouldn't change a thing .:thumbsup: I drive their big tractors and they are nice , but for a compact ; features , price , everything .... I am very satisfied . Shop around compare and drive , you get what YOU want and like and can afford :thumbsup:

two_bit_score · Oct 31, 2011

Thanks, bigkat. We have several TBN members right in that area who will probably be able to offer you an opinion or three.

budlite · Nov 2, 2011

bigkat said:
Sorry about that I am located in southwest Georgia on the state line with Alabama. I have tried to located some local dealers but with almost no success.

You can locate nearby dealers on the John Deere site if that's what you are looking for, other brands the same I'm sure. My own personal opinion is to deal with a true independent rather than a Tri-Green JD dealership, I think you will get a better deal, at least that was my experience in N Alabama ($5K worth). Don't know if Tri-Green has infiltrated other areas.

bigkat · Nov 2, 2011

budlite said:
You can locate nearby dealers on the John Deere site if that's what you are looking for, other brands the same I'm sure. My own personal opinion is to deal with a true independent rather than a Tri-Green JD dealership, I think you will get a better deal, at least that was my experience in N Alabama ($5K worth). Don't know if Tri-Green has infiltrated other areas.

Its sun south LLC in our area they have two dealerships within a twenty mile radius and the third dealership is part of Albany tractor.

rScotty · Nov 3, 2011

bigkat said:
I am a homeowner and I am looking to buy my first tractor. I know nothing about tractors and I married into a farming family. Ofcourse they have large john Deere tractors and suggest that I buy a smaller one of those but wow the prices I have seen are crazy. I guess the old saying is true if your going to drive something that is the color of money you better have a lot of it. I am looking for a 4x4, 35-40 HP with a loader any suggestions?

First of all, most modern 4x4 tractors are really good and reliable. By "modern" I mean made in the last 25 years!

Where are you located, bigkat? My hobby used to be helping local folks with the same questions you have to buy their first tractor. Many of them were newcomers to the country and it usually involved going out and looking at tractors for an afternoon or two most weeks. Got to know a few dealers along the way....most of whom liked to see me. There are always a few sharks.

You might want to visit a few private owners as well as dealers. Not surprisingly, many good machines sell privately. Most everyplace in the country has an associated rural newspaper with classifieds. Check in your local feedstore.

Something to ponder is that tractors are remarkably durable goods. That durability combined with the rural "barter and swap" mentality are some of the reasons why tractors just don't vary much in price. People who are naturally used to seeing wide variation is the prices of similar cars, tools, or even houses are often confused to find a much tighter market in the prices of used tractors. So much so that if a tractor variesmore than ten percent from the norm there is often a reason for it.

The advantage is that with the price being more of a constant, it becomes easier to compare features. But you have to know what you want and how it will work for you. You'll learn lots about that by renting, leasing, or borrowing a machine for a few months. Give it half a year and you'll be an expert.
Enjoy, rScotty

jenkinsph · Nov 3, 2011

bigkat said:
Sorry about that I am located in southwest Georgia on the state line with Alabama. I have tried to located some local dealers but with almost no success.

I had some good friends in that area Columbia AL. that farmed about 7000 acres of peanuts with some cow calf pairs mixed in. Nice part of the country imo.

You haven't mentioned much about what your inlaws might be suggesting? Seems their input could be valuable and their knowledge of dealerships would be helpful for you too.

Snapper Head · Nov 4, 2011

This place helped me tremendously when I was in your shoes a year-ish ago. Many of the folks posting on this thread already were a great help to me.

I would suggest that you focus more on tractor size than on brand, keeping the brand decision for last. DRIVE each prospective one, or at a minimum sit in the seat and get a feel for the controls. Some makes/models may not feel as good as others, and feel is very important.

If you married into a 'green' family, then rolling up in a red or orange tractor might not be the best move

Big Al