How to convince the wife to let me get one

[nightdevil]

Okay so, I've done my research for the past couple of months and settled on the B2650. So of course I've gotten the green light previously. We currently have a cub cadet "garden tractor" which is just too small and doesn't have the necessary implements to do what I need done.
Things I think I can do around the home (only 2 acres) mostly wooded 95%.

• grade gravel drive way
• snow removal
• landscaping mulching
• complete driveway and backfill
• no grass to cut
• small tree stump removal
• chipping

So a few days ago, I tell her im going to place the order and she goes "okay well how much is it..." and thats when it went down hill...
apparently her thought was that it was like our previous tractor $2k. Overall, cost is not a concern, she doesn't think I would not use it as much as I think I personally would. I currently do not use the small one we have as much frankly, because it cannot do much. We have no grass to cut and I cannot add a loader, backhoe, or box scraper. Moving just 3 yards of gravel with a shovel is not fun at all. :thumbdown:

So I'm asking... am I missing something that it would be useful and could say to her to convince her?:confused3:

 

[murphy1244]

Begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission.

 

[300UGUY]

Begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission.

This!!!!

 

[Egbert]

What are we spending here? $25K, give or take?

Decisions of this level really require that you and your wife find consensus. Although the "begging forgiveness" is an entertaining thought, it is a huge display of disrespect for your wife. After all, her happiness is more important than you getting a tractor.

Have that talk .. the one where you sit together and you make your case, show her pictures/videos, and convince her that it's in the best interest of the family. Promise to sell it and recoup as much of your investment as possible - if it proves that you actually don't use it enough to justify the cost. Be willing to pick up a low hour used unit. LISTEN to her - without interrupting. Her opinion is more important than yours. Tell her that although you really want the tractor, you will abide by her decision. Trust me, if you lost her today .... you would spend more time remembering how you could have treated her better, than you will riding around in that tractor.

Just my 2 cents. Your mileage may vary.

 

[tcartwri]

Tell her it will be worth almost as much after five years.

 

[Jeff F.]

Order 10 yards of gravel for the driveway (the driveway will eat it up even if not needed). Hand her a shovel and rake and have her help spread it along the entire drive. You can only work on it when she is available... Now reproach her about the purchase.

 

[LJH]

Begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission.

Winner.

 

[juddspaintballs]

I convinced my wife pretty easily that we needed one. The issue was convincing her how soon we needed it. Thankfully, the heavy snow this winter helped me with that, along with Kubota's 0% financing ending at the end of this month. I know they have that offer very often and it ends occasionally and then starts up again, but she doesn't know that

 

[Egbert]

Order 10 yards of gravel for the driveway...

Now - that idea, I like It makes a great argument.

 

[jefwyn]

What are we spending here? $25K, give or take?

Decisions of this level really require that you and your wife find consensus. Although the "begging forgiveness" is an entertaining thought, it is a huge display of disrespect for your wife. After all, her happiness is more important than you getting a tractor.

Have that talk .. the one where you sit together and you make your case, show her pictures/videos, and convince her that it's in the best interest of the family. Promise to sell it and recoup as much of your investment as possible - if it proves that you actually don't use it enough to justify the cost. Be willing to pick up a low hour used unit. LISTEN to her - without interrupting. Her opinion is more important than yours. Tell her that although you really want the tractor, you will abide by her decision. Trust me, if you lost her today .... you would spend more time remembering how you could have treated her better, than you will riding around in that tractor.

Just my 2 cents. Your mileage may vary.

As much as I would like to go buy what I want when I want it, that just is not reality. Egbert is giving pretty good advice here.

 

[dave1949]

Pave the driveway, buy a nice walk behind snow blower, stand-alone chipper, take the wife out to dinner and call it good. :laughing:

I dunno, a B2650 is definitely in the luxury class for 2 acres and your plans, unless you do an awful lot of landscaping and yard maintenance. If you don't need a backhoe, there are less expensive choices from Cub Cadet, Deere, or Kubota BX series that will do what you listed. I'm not sure what "complete driveway and backfill" means exactly, but they sound like one-time tasks you could hire out to someone with a skidsteer.

I think you deserve a tractor , but it is a hard sell.

 

[juddspaintballs]

perhaps a nice used tractor would be a much easier sell. you should be able to get a decent used B series for half the price of new if you do some digging.

 

[chim]

I'm blessed with a wife who sees the value of a good piece of equipment. She's a farm girl and had no problem getting new B7500 back in '02. Ten years later when I mentioned it would be nice to have something a little more capable, she was happy to go tractor shopping again. When I cut a deal on the L3200 she didn't bat an eye. I did get a kick out of her telling her cousin that "Jim got a new garden tractor". Can't blame her for thinking the Kubota isn't all that big when she compared it with tractors on the family farm:

 

[newbury]

Pave the driveway, buy a nice walk behind snow blower, stand-alone chipper, take the wife out to dinner and call it good. :laughing:

I dunno, a B2650 is definitely in the luxury class for 2 acres and your plans, unless you do an awful lot of landscaping and yard maintenance. If you don't need a backhoe, there are less expensive choices from Cub Cadet, Deere, or Kubota BX series that will do what you listed. I'm not sure what "complete driveway and backfill" means exactly, but they sound like one-time tasks you could hire out to someone with a skidsteer.

I think you deserve a tractor , but it is a hard sell.

That's pretty much it. Unless you consider the $25K "walking around money" it's a chunk of change for 2 acres. Now if you seriously have plans for more acreage and tractor usage it might be worthwhile. I've got two tractors - my "training tractor" a B7610 I bought in 2009 which I keep on my 1/4 acre lot and my M4700 which I keep on my 1/2 acre lot. But I'm taking both of them to retirement in Mississippi where I've over 300 acres.

You should be able to pick up a good B in the 20 to 30 HP range for about 15K. Check with Barlow's. However for 2 acres you might find a 2 wheel tractor sufficient for blowing snow and moving dirt, I know my Grandfather did.

 

[chim]

Last year we bought an adjoining piece a bit over an acre in size and will get the grass started there real soon. Maybe we'll do some fruit trees or something on part of it. That brings our current home site 3-1/2 acres. There's a small stream in the front yard, a 300' driveway and some trees. The L3200 works great for me. The tractor is comfortable to operate and makes mowing easy with a 6' RFM. Mowing the original 2 acres took about 1-1/4 hours with a B7500 and 5' RFM to about 45 minutes. The loader is useful for projects, snow removal and getting heavy things on and off the pickup.

Don't be afraid of getting something too big. Back in '92 when we bought a B7500 it seemed like it was more than enough tractor. It was a nice piece of equipment but sometimes fell just a bit short for things I wanted to do with it.

 

[grm61]

Moving just 3 yards of gravel with a shovel is not fun at all.

Heck with that, there's tools for that..and I'm not it

Get what you want.

I don't know why some folks have to justify things so much...You only live once, then your dead for a looooong time.

If it makes you happy, and makes your life easier working around home, and you can afford it.......what the heck?

If you get one it won't take your wife long to see that this is different than your cub cadet, that does what? drag a garden cart around?

You will use it for everything...Shovels are for cleaning out your bucket...

 

[skyhook]

Tell her, that same tractor was $2000, twenty years ago, things have gone up, hun.
Then, leave a brochure , (maybe a couple) on the table, here and there.
Maybe a few prayers on your knees before bed, (in front of her).
If that doesn't work, ask her to mail a "Santa" request letter for ya.

 

[skyhook]

Tell her, that same tractor was $2000, twenty years ago, things have gone up, hun.
Then, leave a brochure , (maybe a couple) on the table, here and there.
Maybe a few prayers on your knees before bed, (in front of her).
If that doesn't work, ask her to mail a "Santa" request letter for ya.

 

[brewdog]

Give her a brand new kitchen and work the tractor into the deal.

 

[mbullism]

...am I the only one thinking "give her the cub cadet in the divorce"?