Need help deciding on what to purchase

[Polarisjunky]

First time poster, but I have been reading thru the forums for the past 6 months reading about various tractors.

Great site with a ton of information.

I currently live in a concrete jungle near Detroit. I also have a vacation property near Mancelona, Michigan that in my eyes I currently live at and visit the house near Detroit due to the fact I still need to make a living (Lottery is not going along with my plans, so I still have the 9-5).

My place in Mancelona consist of approx 50 plus acres with a mix of 25-30 acres hardwood (Sugar Maple), 10-15 acres of Red pine and the rest is open and rolling. We see a lot of snow as I am in the snow belt.

I would be using the tractor to make atv/snowmobile trails,Snow removal, food plots(hunting-gardening), trail/driveway maintenance, moving firewood and possible brush hogging.

I would like a Front end loader, 3 Point and 540 PTO. Cab would be a bonus but is not needed.

I have looked at Deere and was give a price of approx 24k OTD for a 3038E Hydro with a FEL, 60 Brush Hog, 60 Box blade. r4 tires loaded from a local dealer.

I have also looked at kubota and was given a price of approx 22k for a L3301 Hydro with a FEL, 60 Brush Hog, 60 Box Blade, r4 tires loaded from a local dealer.

I priced the 3032E and it was only $200 less than the 3038E.

Both Deere and Kubota have great financing and warranty.

I have looked at LS, Mahindra, Kioti and Yanmar. All are great machine with a lot more for the money ( I am really leaning toward LS) but the dealer support really scares me. I have 2 kubota dealers near me within 30 minutes in each direction and the same goes for Deere.

I have read reviews and watched most of the videos on the net.

Do I really need the larger tractor or can I get by with the B2650. I would like a 30 hp tractor but the B3350 is too many problems and the 3033R is a little too expensive.

I would like to stay under 25k on this purchase. The tractor would never come to my house near Detroit.

Thanks for the help

PJ

Oh, BTW. I currently cut 2 acres around the house(Mancelona) with a riding lawnmower.

 

[holeycow]

The property sounds really nice. No idea on the tractor..

Buy the tractor. You are buying a manufacturer, not a dealer.

Are you going to be making syrup?

 

[Polarisjunky]

We have looked into making syrup but it is a lot of work.

 

[Threepoint]

Sounds like a very nice property! You'll never run out of projects. Do you plan to live there full time in the next few years? Do you currently have a secure building to house the tractor while you're in town?

All of the brands you're considering are well regarded on this board. My advice is don't go too small. You have a lot of acreage, timber and seasonally deep snow. The B2650 is a capable tractor, but I think you would soon be wishing you'd gone with more power and weight. Since you're already bumping up against your budget, I'd be looking at getting more tractor for your $$ with the LS, Mahindra, Kioti or Yanmar.

 

[AxleHub]

First time poster, but I have been reading thru the forums for the past 6 months reading about various tractors.

Great site with a ton of information.

I currently live in a concrete jungle near Detroit. I also have a vacation property near Mancelona, Michigan that in my eyes I currently live at and visit the house near Detroit due to the fact I still need to make a living (Lottery is not going along with my plans, so I still have the 9-5).

My place in Mancelona consist of approx 50 plus acres with a mix of 25-30 acres hardwood (Sugar Maple), 10-15 acres of Red pine and the rest is open and rolling. We see a lot of snow as I am in the snow belt.

I would be using the tractor to make atv/snowmobile trails,Snow removal, food plots(hunting-gardening), trail/driveway maintenance, moving firewood and possible brush hogging.

I would like a Front end loader, 3 Point and 540 PTO. Cab would be a bonus but is not needed.

I have looked at Deere and was give a price of approx 24k OTD for a 3038E Hydro with a FEL, 60 Brush Hog, 60 Box blade. r4 tires loaded from a local dealer.

I have also looked at kubota and was given a price of approx 22k for a L3301 Hydro with a FEL, 60 Brush Hog, 60 Box Blade, r4 tires loaded from a local dealer.

I priced the 3032E and it was only $200 less than the 3038E.

Both Deere and Kubota have great financing and warranty.

I have looked at LS, Mahindra, Kioti and Yanmar. All are great machine with a lot more for the money ( I am really leaning toward LS) but the dealer support really scares me. I have 2 kubota dealers near me within 30 minutes in each direction and the same goes for Deere.

I have read reviews and watched most of the videos on the net.

Do I really need the larger tractor or can I get by with the B2650. I would like a 30 hp tractor but the B3350 is too many problems and the 3033R is a little too expensive.

I would like to stay under 25k on this purchase. The tractor would never come to my house near Detroit.

Thanks for the help

PJ

Oh, BTW. I currently cut 2 acres around the house(Mancelona) with a riding lawnmower.

Any Massey dealers in a 50 mile radius?

 

[holeycow]

you could always tap a few trees for personal use. If I had maples I wouldn't pass that opportunity up. Man-o-man. Except that I guess if you are in sugar maple country you have syrup available from many sources.

oh well, it would still be interesting and fun!

you need a real tractor.

egads! I just looked at that little Kubota on tractorhouse. Probably a great garden/lawn unit, but you need something that will push snow and lift things and drag things and stuff!! Start at at least 35hp and go up from there, IMO. A 35hp tractor is a wee, tiny little thing. Smaller than that is even more wee and tiny. Bite the bullet and spend more money or buy a good used one to save some. Tractor are not bulldozers. They are not really made to make trails in the bush, they are made to carefully travel bush trails. Lots of folks beat the crap out of their tractors making bush trails (see "my NX6010" thread in the Kioti section).

There are lots of good tractors out there. You are currently looking at the two most expensive brands. Not better, just more expensive. Check out some more brands. Don't overlook the used or demo units.

Get a block heater, load the tires. Don't even doubt either one of those things.

If I had sugar maples I would be tapping them. That kind of work is good for the soul.

 

[jeff9366]

My place in Mancelona consist of approx 50 plus acres with a mix of 25-30 acres hardwood (Sugar Maple), 10-15 acres of Red pine and the rest is open and rolling. We see a lot of snow as I am in the snow belt.

I would be using the tractor to make atv/snowmobile trails,Snow removal, food plots(hunting-gardening), trail/driveway maintenance, moving firewood and possible brush hogging.

I would like a Front end loader, 3 Point and 540 PTO. Cab would be a bonus but is not needed.

I have looked at LS, Mahindra, Kioti and Yanmar. All are great machine with a lot more for the money ( I am really leaning toward LS) but the dealer support really scares me. I have 2 kubota dealers near me within 30 minutes in each direction and the same goes for Deere.

What are your plans for 40-45 acres of woods? Provide details on your access road / driveway. Do you visit the Lake regardless of weather, twelve months per year? How many inches of snow does your lake property get each winter?

Tractors are not very stable. Heavier tractor are more stable than light tractors. I think you should be considering a tractor with 50% more weight than now, especially as your land is sloped.

Cab tractors are easy to bang up in the woods, especially for inexperienced operators. I would go open station and only operate in reasonable weather.

Tractors are theft prone. Make sure you have a SECURE place to store your tractor. My tractors are inside the humidity controlled garage. The cars are in the driveway.

PTO is standard with every factory Three Point Hitch. Can't get one without the other until over 100-horsepower.

LS makes very fine tractors. In my very unscientific data collection I estimate LS has fewer threads posted about repairs than any other brand. LS is going to be around. Kioti is going to be around. Less certain about Branson and TYM from Korea.

Tractors require periodic service and repair. Having your repair point local should be a consideration. Do you have a truck and trailer for tractor transport, or will you ask the repair point to transport? If you are 20 miles from the Kubota dealer you will be paying for two round trips / 80 miles @ $1.50 per mile. (+/-)

 

[varmint]

Sounds like a good, years long project to undertake! We all like our respective brands, for real and imagined reasons, and I like Kubota because they have proved well made and dead reliable, with excellent resale value. Never bought a new one, never had a problem with my three used ones.
I would second the idea of going big, rather than small. Give serious consideration to buying used- more machine for whatever money you are spending. There are some fine tractors at good prices changing hands all the time. If everything works, no leaks, observable proper maintenance and doesn't seem beat or nasty, a used tractor is most likely okay, and will stay that way. A properly maintained tractor with 500-1000 hours will perform almost like new. A buddy just sold a larger Deere with 7500 hours, and it worked just fine, with no signs of being worn out. They are built to work, not for lightness and speed, and in my experience, are reliable. Open platform for the woods, although snow plowing will make you yearn for a cab! Certainly get a SSQA loader, loaded R-4's, and so forth.

 

[DieselnHooters]

You should be able to score a good used 50+ HP tractor for 25K, even Kubota or JD.

25 acres of sugar maple...now that is a terrific investment.

 

[holeycow]

What are your plans for 40-45 acres of woods? Provide details on your access road / driveway. Do you visit the Lake regardless of weather, twelve months per year? How many inches of snow does your lake property get each winter?

Tractors are not very stable. Heavier tractor are more stable than light tractors. I think you should be considering a tractor with 50% more weight than now, especially as your land is sloped.

Cab tractors are easy to bang up in the woods, especially for inexperienced operators. I would go open station and only operate in reasonable weather.

Tractors are theft prone. Make sure you have a SECURE place to store your tractor. My tractors are inside the humidity controlled garage. The cars are in the driveway.

PTO is standard with every factory Three Point Hitch. Can't get one without the other until over 100-horsepower.

LS makes very fine tractors. In my very unscientific data collection I estimate LS has fewer threads posted about repairs than any other brand. LS is going to be around. Kioti is going to be around. Less certain about Branson and TYM from Korea.

Tractors require periodic service and repair. Having your repair point local should be a consideration. Do you have a truck and trailer for tractor transport, or will you ask the repair point to transport? If you are 20 miles from the Kubota dealer you will be paying for two round trips / 80 miles @ $1.50 per mile. (+/-)

I bet that the VAST majority of people do their own service and repair.

Your unscientific data re: reliability does not pair with my unscientific data...