Buying Advice 14k to spend

jacobsdaddy06 · Apr 2, 2012

Ok I have decided I want to try and stay around 14k for my purchase, have 10 acres and driveway maintenance etc.. What would you guys do? Brushhogging, finish mowing And loader work is what I will be doing, thanks

flatpik6 · Apr 2, 2012

Too many unknown variables.

What type of terrain? Flat, hilly, sandy, rocky, clear, wooded??

Does the road maint. include grading/spreading rock, plowing snow, repairing water run-off?

Do you need 4wd or 2wd?

What implements will you need to do your work? That will be a deduct from the amount you have to allocate toward the tractor.

I suspect with a bit more information you will get some superb suggestions from the people on here.

jacobsdaddy06 · Apr 2, 2012

Previous pasture land, mostly flat nothing major, maintaining gravel driveway, would like 4x4 due to some areas stay a lil wet until the heat really gets here and the rains quit, just trying to get the most for the money at 14k. thanks

kenmac · Apr 2, 2012

if looking at new. You'll have to shop around . But,You night get a 25-30,Hp 4wd tractor for that.

flusher · Apr 2, 2012

jacobsdaddy06 said:
Ok I have decided I want to try and stay around 14k for my purchase, have 10 acres and driveway maintenance etc.. What would you guys do? Brushhogging, finish mowing And loader work is what I will be doing, thanks

New or used?
For $14K new, you're in the 20-30 hp SCUT range. Example: my 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydrostatic tranny, power steering) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket, 800 lb lift to about 7 ft, three chain hooks) cost $12.6K new. I used a 4-ft wide King Kutter brush hog on my 10 acres (flat pasture) that cost about $550 at Tractor Supply.

For $14K used, you could step up to a 5-10 year old 30-40 hp tractor with a 5-ft wide bucket. I'd look for this type of used tractor at local dealers with good service and parts support.

sriddle1ny · Apr 2, 2012

Jacobsdaddy06,

In September "11, I purchased a 2004 John Deere (JD) 790 4WD Diesel with a JD60 inch mid-mount mower deck and a JD419 FEL for $11,500.00 and well within your budget. I got it to maintain a 14.5 acre parcel in NH I plan to build on in 2013.

However, I went to the next level and over the amount you want to spend by purchasing a JD 59 inch Front Mount Snowblower and the retro kits to attach it to the 790 at $5240.00 but well worth the expense if you need one. Oh, one other thing, a ballast box to counterbalance the front loader.

I've had good luck with John Deere and their On-Line parts catalog is a good place to get a full breakdown of John Deere equipment. The 790 is a standard shift rather than HST but I'm ok with that since I'll be using it for yard work. If you go to Used Farm & Agricultural Equipment - John Deere MachineFinder you'll see what types of used machines the JD Dealers have and to explore pricing, that's how I found mine.

Verticaltrx · Apr 2, 2012

One of the local Kubota dealers was running a special for new L3200's (4wd gear drive) with a loader for $14,800. I bet you could get a Deere 3005 (4wd gear drive) with loader for about the same money if you prefer green.

If you want a hydrostatic transmission (which you will if you'll be doing much loader work) you'll be looking at smaller compact tractors. You could also get a Kubota B2320 with loader, 4wd and hydro transmission for under $14K from the right dealer. Might get a 2320 Deere for around that price too, IDK.

Of course there are other brands out there for less money, but Deere and Kubota are the two I know well. Any of the aforementioned tractors will do all of those tasks, the larger ones will be slightly faster with bigger implements, but for 10ac the difference wouldn't be huge. I personally wouldn't recommend a sub-compact tractor (Bx Kubota, 1000 series JD) for that type of work on that acreage, but I know some do.

Fossil Farm · Apr 3, 2012

Do you plan on doing all maintenance and repairs yourself, or having a dealer do most of that for you? Many parts can be ordered online, but if you need a dealer, then your tractor choices should be based on what tractor lines are fairly close by and which ones are known to have a good service department. With vehicles, there are many independent mechanics, but with tractors, there aren't as many, depending on your area. Whether you buy new or used, spend some time sitting on a few tractors to see how they fit you, where the controls are, and all that. Take some time and find what fits. Mowers, backblades, etc. are basically universal and can be purchased later if needed. If you do need a FEL, it would be best to purchase a tractor with one already attached. Good luck !!