Correct my thinking...

[AllWaysBreakinSomething]

New is high right now. Just posted difference on RK tractors on another thread today (RK55 up $4500 from early 2020). Was thinking about getting cab. Going to wait till everyone has to go back to work. Inflation might take some time but I don't need it now.

 

[Torvy]

My fear with renting would be that I would do something to damage the rental and be out the cost of repairs. We tend to rush with rentals because we pay by the hour. Rushing with unfamiliar equipment is risky beyond my comfort level.

 

[zzvyb6]

You have to buy the right tractor brand, size(h.p.), and fuel type. Inflation is coming BIG time, too. Real goods like tractors keep their intrinsic value, assuming you don't break all the parts on it from overloading, abusing, bending, storage, and loaning out to morons and idiots.

 

[Torvy]

You are correct serious inflation is inevitable now. The only variable is whether between the Fed and the government they figure out the lessons of history. So far, it seems not.

 

[Williy]

I'm sorry but you left out the travel time to get
to the rent it shop and the time to fill out the
paper work then the time it takes to get back
home and of course when your done with it
you have the travel time to take the unit back
and check it in and another trip back home and
if you had your own tractor you could have done
the project twice over and been enjoying a cool
lemonade sitting in the front room watching tv
with your feet propped up! Just common sense!

willy

 

[Doughknob]

I don't know what your needs are for a tractor but for me renting would never be an option. Things happen, you need it now, you want to do this now but can't, you don't do things you could do if the tractor was right there and available, and on and on. For me, and I am guessing for many here, having a tractor ready right when you want it is worth the purchase.

This OP if all the above applies, buy. If you are talking about 'planned' tasks or projects that can wait - and maybe even as someone else said, would be better with a specific attachment, rent. Attachments can run cost to buy.

And if renting, take that cash you'd have paid to buy and invest it. It will build up more to either continue renting or buy later!

 

[LostMy65]

How about a 2021 MF GC1725M?
I can buy it or rent a BX from home Depot 50 times.

 

[airbiscuit]

Lots of good points above. I have owned several CUTs. Three of them I used for several years and then sold for as muck or than what I originally paid for them! It is important that you keep it well maintained. I agree with the point that it is nice to have a tractor around when you need it - even if it is ony 20 or 30 minutes.

Don't forget the cost of implements. They depreciate some, but not all that much.

Saving work and scrambling to get it all done with a rental is kind of like work. Having a tractor to jump on whenever you feel like it is fun.

Before my first CUT, I had a John Deere B and a Farmall H. Then I got a 32hp skidsteer. My wife was tolerant but said "what will you use that for"? The first day she came back from the grocery store, I met her at the car - put two bags of groceries in the bucket - and drove it to the house. The look on her face was priceless.

BTW, I also sold that for a profit after a couple of years.

 

[ning]

It all depends on what you need the tractor for.

I personally tried the "I can rent a tractor once a month/quarter/whenever" instead for a while. I finally bought a tractor.

Why? Because I had a ton of work to do that needed to get done now, but it was never enough to actually rent a tractor for it (including the time to go get the tractor and take it back). Broken irrigation? 15 minutes with a tractor. You don't rent a tractor for just to dig that hole, but trust me you'd rather use a tractor than a pick and shovel. I really tried to pile up the tractor tasks to make renting worthwhile, but I always ended up doing it the hard way before I had a good enough pile.

Finally we had an old horse die, and nobody was available to dig a hole for it for a week - we called every lead we could find for 20 miles around. Finally I rented a tractor (kub B tlb), did the job, and then realized I had 4 hours more I could play with it and presto understood just how much I could get done - things I knew needed doing but that never got important enough to get done because everything else took so long by hand.

So yeah
If you have an endless amount of things, buying is well worth it.
If you truly only have the occasional thing that needs a tractor, rent.
I wouldn't buy a mini-ex, because it falls into the second category, but on my land I'll never finish even with a tractor, but at least I'm making headway - because I bought a tractor.

 

[Rdrcr]

How about a 2021 MF GC1725M?
I can buy it or rent a BX from home Depot 50 times.

The MF GC1725M is a great tractor and really good value.

It would definitely save you trips to Home Depot and you could do your tractor work at your convenience. That’s pretty important in my book.

Mike