Tractor Sizing Help selecting the right series of tractor

[oosik]

Especially in your situation - as an owner, new to tractors. Dealership reputation/satisfaction should be a premium consideration. No matter what color unit you purchase - a dealer that does not offer parts & good service is a LOT more than just a PITA.

Check with your neighbors who own tractor - what is their feelings/experience with their dealers.

How quickly & effectively have they responded to problems. Will they send a technician out to service your tractor - on sight - or will you have to trailer the unit in to their facility ( a lot of this, of course, depends upon the problem). Do they actually have concerns for after sales service or are they mainly, only interested in making a sale. All tractors, of any color, may occassionally have problems and require service. The $$$ saved on the sale of a new unit becomes long forgotten if the dealership can't/doesn't provide parts & good service.

Regarding the purchase of a back hoe attachment. Unless you have a LOT of work planned for this type of attachment - it will become an expensive counterbalance to the FEL or an item requiring a lot of room to store. Best to consider this purchase long & hard - - the $$$ saved could perhaps be better used to upgrade the purchase of the new tractor or for more used attachments.

 

[coobie]

Brand new to this life. Never driven a tractor in my life. New owner of a 25 acre (used to be a horse pasture with a 1 acre pond in it). Now dream of developing this property.

Need to select a tractor that can
a) move some earth around (compost and top soil)
b) clear some trenches for better drainage.
c) mow around 20 acres (just tall grass)
d) use to maintain a 1200 Ft driveway.
e) after a house is built will need to snow plow the drive way
f) mow around house (finish cut)
g) projects around the house like patio, planting 8 ft trees, gardening etc.

Soil type is Clay and the landscape is rolling hills and some marshy/wet lands.

Appreciate all feedback with models. I thought I need a tractor with FEL and a BH with mowing attachments.
Thanks in advance to all the masters out there.

View attachment 469045

I see your location is farmington hills,is that Michigan?If so I would call Michigan Iron & Equipment Located in morrice mi. (517-625 5590)and speak with Bob Piro(owner)and check out Kioti tractors.Great sales and customer service bar none.Go talk to many dealers and drive the various makes and models see what fits your needs.As others have stated a good dealer(sales,parts & service) to work with is very important.Good luck and happy tractor hunting.

 

[wchacko]

Especially in your situation - as an owner, new to tractors. Dealership reputation/satisfaction should be a premium consideration. No matter what color unit you purchase - a dealer that does not offer parts & good service is a LOT more than just a PITA.

Check with your neighbors who own tractor - what is their feelings/experience with their dealers.

How quickly & effectively have they responded to problems. Will they send a technician out to service your tractor - on sight - or will you have to trailer the unit in to their facility ( a lot of this, of course, depends upon the problem). Do they actually have concerns for after sales service or are they mainly, only interested in making a sale. All tractors, of any color, may occassionally have problems and require service. The $$$ saved on the sale of a new unit becomes long forgotten if the dealership can't/doesn't provide parts & good service.

Regarding the purchase of a back hoe attachment. Unless you have a LOT of work planned for this type of attachment - it will become an expensive counterbalance to the FEL or an item requiring a lot of room to store. Best to consider this purchase long & hard - - the $$$ saved could perhaps be better used to upgrade the purchase of the new tractor or for more used attachments.

So, How easy is it to find used attachments for tractors? Like a back hoe. I see that there are so many variations, almost like they make attachments that are NOT interchangeable unlike the rear mounted Cat 1 hitch. Is that a fair statement.
Also really appreciate your guidance on the effectiveness of the dealer. Ironically, I asked a JD dealer to send me a quote and it has been 10 days after 3 reminder emails, no quote yet!

 

[jeff9366]

With the EXCEPTION of Backhoes and Mid Mount Mowers, both of which are proprietary to specific models and specific brands of tractors, it is not too difficult to find common tractor attachments used. Not impossible to find used Backhoes that will fit your tractor, just inure yourself to a long search. Backhoes are complex hydraulic attachments.

If you were interested in a Deere tractor of 80+ horsepower, you would have your Deere dealer's attention. Deere almost gives the 17-horsepower to 80-horsepower business to Kubota by its inattention to customers in the small tractor category.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Also really appreciate your guidance on the effectiveness of the dealer. Ironically, I asked a JD dealer to send me a quote and it has been 10 days after 3 reminder emails, no quote yet!

That JD dealer sounds like my Kubota dealer, 2 visits and several phone calls and no return call. That is why I ended up buying an LS P7010 for less than a 50 HP version of other places quoted. I never got a quote from my local Kubota dealer but did get online and find a price which I deducted 15% from it for a price.

I would say if you think you need a back hoe, then get one. Most of the folks who say not to get a backhoe have never had one so all they see is the high cost of buying. I never thought I would need one until I bought my B26 TLB. I was "getting by" using my LS for digging out rocks which sometimes wasn't doing the FEL any good especially with the larger buried ones. I bought my B26 used with 60 hours on it and now have over 450 on it, all of it using the backhoe or FEL to dig, move or level dirt. I have dug trenches to put in several hydrants in remote areas, dug graves for some farm animals, dug up tons of rocks from garden area and the occasional one that pops up during the winter in the lawn. I usually find these with the mower during the first spring mowing. I also rarely use a shovel to dig holes for flowers, trees etc as the backhoe is just too convenient. I would give up my P 7010 before I would part with my B26 although having 2 tractors is much better than one especially if you don't have a neighbor that can pull out your stuck in the mud tractor.

 

[Gary Fowler]

By the way, those FEL mounted shovels like Jeff9366 has are fine for digging in sand or sandy loam but they wouldn't even scratch the dirt where I live AND if you force them, you have a good chance of bending the lip on your FEL bucket. Even an FEL with tooth bar wont dig very much in my hard Arkansas soil. One has to be aware of soil conditions where one member might have good luck using an implement whereas another place it wont work at all. IF the OP has soft soil like sandy loam, a FEL spade might get him by for digging a hole for planting but I cant see it doing much trenching or rock removal.

It all depends on what you have planned for a backhoe. ONE OF projects that might require a day or two to complete would be worthy of a rental and forego the cost of ownership. l on the other hand might go for a week and never crank my B26 but then may use it everyday for a week or more. Some of my tasks like removal of a rock in my lawn may not take more than .1 of an hour with the backhoe, but would never get done if I didn't have the hoe OR had to go and rent one. YMMV but for me, it is an essential item for maintenance of my post glacial soil.

 

[kneedeep]

Choose your tractor based on a established Dealer for brand, size would need to match the intended use and attachments purchased or to be in future, personal preference and cost. A good dealer will have knowledge of the different units available, one will fit your needs. Most Dealers offer some sort of financing incentive to attract buyers.
If you go to or call a dealership and feel that they don't want your business, you will probably be treated the same if you need warranty service after the sale. Before you buy, research brand and dealer reviews.

JMHO

 

[oosik]

WCHACKO,

Gary is correct. I do not now nor have I ever owned a backhoe attachment. I've been here 34 years and never needed one. My neighbor spent $6000+ for one and has used it for one project in eight years. However, all I was indicating was consider the cost vs expected uses. There might be better uses for that amount of money. Besides, the neighbor has been here several times - asking if I had a use for a backhoe - he would be here in a heartbeat if I had a job for one.

The last sentence of my post - "or for more used attachments". Inappropriate choice of wording. Better stated - "or for attachments that you might use more often".

I've gone to Craig's List in my area and used attachment are almost nonexistent. I think this area is the Atacama Desert for used attachments. Almost all dealers have used attachment, but for tractors in the 350-500 hp range. Its just the way things are here.

 

[bspeedy]

I would say if you think you need a back hoe, then get one. Most of the folks who say not to get a backhoe have never had one so all they see is the high cost of buying. I never thought I would need one until I bought my B26 TLB. I was "getting by" using my LS for digging out rocks which sometimes wasn't doing the FEL any good especially with the larger buried ones. I bought my B26 used with 60 hours on it and now have over 450 on it, all of it using the backhoe or FEL to dig, move or level dirt. I have dug trenches to put in several hydrants in remote areas, dug graves for some farm animals, dug up tons of rocks from garden area and the occasional one that pops up during the winter in the lawn. I usually find these with the mower during the first spring mowing. I also rarely use a shovel to dig holes for flowers, trees etc as the backhoe is just too convenient. I would give up my P 7010 before I would part with my B26 although having 2 tractors is much better than one especially if you don't have a neighbor that can pull out your stuck in the mud tractor.

Agree with this. My backhoe gets used a few times per year, but I would not be without one. Some of these guys will try to scare you off of a 3 pt mounted backhoe, but they can be used without tractor damage by a sensible operator. Of course, a subframe hoe is better, but much more $$$. Just saw a used 3 pt backhoe for sale locally with a PTO powered hydraulic pump for 3 grand. Well worth that for the convenience. Get a stout tractor like a Grand L or similar and you won't have to worry about breaking it with occasional use.

 

[TheMadOne]

WCHACKO,

Gary is correct. I do not now nor have I ever owned a backhoe attachment. I've been here 34 years and never needed one. My neighbor spent $6000+ for one and has used it for one project in eight years. However, all I was indicating was consider the cost vs expected uses. There might be better uses for that amount of money. Besides, the neighbor has been here several times - asking if I had a use for a backhoe - he would be here in a heartbeat if I had a job for one.

The last sentence of my post - "or for more used attachments". Inappropriate choice of wording. Better stated - "or for attachments that you might use more often".

I've gone to Craig's List in my area and used attachment are almost nonexistent. I think this area is the Atacama Desert for used attachments. Almost all dealers have used attachment, but for tractors in the 350-500 hp range. Its just the way things are here.

Around here they advertise the tractor and attachments together. I could buy a new bush hog or I could buy a used one. The used one just happens to come with an 8N.