Looking to buy my first tractor

[scootr]

My first tractor was too small. A simple 30 hp 2 wheel drive MF. My next tractor was too big. I think I finally got a just right Kubota MX5200 for everything we need to do here on the ranch.
I looked long and hard before finding this garage kept 150 hr 4yr old beauty at quite a savings vs new. Original owner moving out of state had already installed 3 rear remotes and added a LP gannon with hyd rippers and a front cutting edge. About a $6k upgrade at the dealer

 

[Torvy]

Original owner moving out of state had already installed 3 rear remotes and added a LP gannon with hyd rippers and a front cutting edge. About a $6k upgrade at the dealer

2 sets rear remotes standard on the T494/574. You can get a box blade for as little as $850. If you want fancy hyd rippers, they can be had used for under $2k.

Big problem with JD and Kubota is that everything related to them costs more. They figure if you can pay their high prices to buy, you can pay them for parts, repairs and accessories. Even if you get a used one, you end up paying more over the life of the tractor. For some, money is no object. If that is the case, enjoy the journey.

 

[scootr]

2 sets rear remotes standard on the T494/574. You can get a box blade for as little as $850. If you want fancy hyd rippers, they can be had used for under $2k.

Big problem with JD and Kubota is that everything related to them costs more. They figure if you can pay their high prices to buy, you can pay them for parts, repairs and accessories. Even if you get a used one, you end up paying more over the life of the tractor. For some, money is no object. If that is the case, enjoy the journey.

I get it. Cheap is king and I'm a fool for buying Kubota or Ford or any other proven name brand product. As for 3 remotes top, tilt, and hydraulic rippers being fancy, no. They are a necessity on a grading tractor. A cheap box blade is not the same thing.
Enjoy your ride as well.

 

[rScotty]

Howdy neighbor! We have slightly less acreage in the Northern Piney Woods. We're a bit south of Lake Bob Sandlin.

I recently ordered a TYM T574H. It is a little higher than your target price, but is feature loaded and well suited to our area and trees. It is a heavy, strong tractor. 4 dealers less than 90 miles from here (Longview, Carthage, Caddo Mills and Tyler). My tractor out the door was less than $30k. You can save roughly $2500 by getting the T494H which is exactly the same tractor without the turbo. If you prefer a shuttle shift, you can shave off another $1500 or so. That would get you pretty close to your price with a full warranty and dealer support.

Those would be tough decisions for me. I like dependability and luxury about equally and turbos are both.
And for years I was a shuttle shift advocate....then we got this HST+.....

 

[Torvy]

I get it. Cheap is king and I'm a fool for buying Kubota or Ford or any other proven name brand product. As for 3 remotes top, tilt, and hydraulic rippers being fancy, no. They are a necessity on a grading tractor. A cheap box blade is not the same thing.
Enjoy your ride as well.

Value is king. No evidence that Kubota is any higher quality. If cheap was king, i would have said buy a chinese knockoff. The advantage for Kubota and JD is marketing and market penetration. More dealers. Unlike car dealers, though, you usually only need one tractor dealer and some of them treat anyone who bought elsewhere as a leper. In other words, if you buy a used one, you had better know in advance how the local dealer will treat you (or be good at doing your own wrenching). Used is sometimes a good option for some people. Not usually the case nowadays for the hobby farmer unless he or she has good mechanical skills.

I only said hyd rippers were fancy. Other brands recognize the importance of remotes and include them standard. I haven't seen an OEM include top n tilt. Some dealers carry 3rd party ones and will install for a fee. I agree, tnt is very useful on a box blade.

You can get a box blade with hyd rippers used right now at tractorhouse for $1950. (Or a brand new EA one for the same price without hyd rippers)For most of the box blade market, rippers do not need hydraulic adjustment. If you are a commercial grader or spend a great deal of time working on roads on your property, it may be handy, but hardly a necessity.

 

[scootr]

Torvy - I understand you did your research and made your decision based upon everything you could find to read and watch. If I bought new it might have been a TYM. I'm sure you will have a great tractor experience.

I've owned a few tractors over the past 30 yrs and I ran many more. My family has run Kubota tractors since 1970 something on the ranch. We know what they are and what can be expected from them. That's why I jumped on a like new 'used' MX5200 model set up the way I wanted.

 

[Torvy]

Don't get me wrong here. I would have jumped on a rare deal like that, too. As advice for someone looking for a tractor, I don't know that it is likely that a deal like that will come along

 

[c5fire]

Compact track loader would serve you better than a tractor for now. 25,000 you would be looking at a slightly high hour machine that might need a little work. Beat the hell out of it doing your heavy lifting then sell it for a little newer tractor down the road. You should be able to get most if not all of your money back out of it.

Another option if you don't have to trailer it around a used full sized backhoe with a 4 in 1 bucket can do some major heavy work cleaning the place up.

I have also considered some sort of a tracked skidstear unit. I know even less about them. I definitely like a lot of the benefits of them though such as the lower center of gravity for one and from what I understand they are quite capable machines though I’ve also heard that implements tend to be more expensive.

A friend of mine has an old 2010 Bobcat CT230 I’ve been using for a few months now it’s one he got when he first started his landscaping business and almost never uses it anymore. I thought about buying it initially but it’s in pretty rough shape. Though maybe if the price was right who knows.

After trying to do some things I have found it a bit lacking. This could be due to my experience and expectations because I have operated tractors before but it was not something I did in any regular basis only when working with friends and family in the past. Additionally I know I would have to replace several things on it.

 

[m1garand762]

Why would you want to spend that much money on an unknown unproven brand sold at tue farm store. Have we not learned anything from the lack of support rk is providing people that bought there tractors

 

[rScotty]

Why would you want to spend that much money on an unknown unproven brand sold at tue farm store. Have we not learned anything from the lack of support rk is providing people that bought there tractors?

That's a good question. I've wondered the same thing - not just tractors, but lots of stuff.
To me doing that is a mystery, but it seems real obvioius to some fairly smart people.
All I can figure is it must be worth the gamble to them.

 

[larry james]

I have also considered some sort of a tracked skidstear unit. I know even less about them. I definitely like a lot of the benefits of them though such as the lower center of gravity for one and from what I understand they are quite capable machines though I’ve also heard that implements tend to be more expensive.

A friend of mine has an old 2010 Bobcat CT230 I’ve been using for a few months now it’s one he got when he first started his landscaping business and almost never uses it anymore. I thought about buying it initially but it’s in pretty rough shape. Though maybe if the price was right who knows.

After trying to do some things I have found it a bit lacking. This could be due to my experience and expectations because I have operated tractors before but it was not something I did in any regular basis only when working with friends and family in the past. Additionally I know I would have to replace several things on it.

Buy the Bobcat, I own a CT230 hydro and must admit it is a terrific tractor. It does have a quick tach loader correct? how many hours?

 

[Williy]

Well I am glad my tractor hunting days are
over and I made my last payment this month!
Buying your first tractor is a big deal! You really
don't know what to purchase and then again your
not sure just exactly what you need! IMHO the best
thing to do is find out what your neighbors are using
and listen to what they have to say and then go and
test all the different tractors tractors that you can and then you will have a better idea of what you want as nothing better than hands on experience of trying out the different tractors.
I also had a wonder full wife who told me to get a
tractor with a cab!


willy

 

[c5fire]

Buy the Bobcat, I own a CT230 hydro and must admit it is a terrific tractor. It does have a quick tach loader correct? how many hours?

It’s got just over 1500 hrs which for the age isn’t really a problem. I know that most of the lights needs to be completely replaced. I’ve also been told that the hydrologic pump was replaced with a cheaper pump so it doesn’t have the lifting power it once had.

 

[Mark_G]

I have a 2006 Kioti CK30 I bought used. My property is somewhat hilly and very wooded. I went with the Kioti because the price was very good at the time I got it, and the size was very good for getting in the trees. It is heavy for its size and its hydraulic pump is very good for its size. I am amazed at what that thing does lift. I spend quite a bit of time moving logs. In reality I drag most out of the woods (large chains from Harbor Freight) as the length of the logs when carried is hard to maneuver through the woods, but they drag out well enough. The Kioti and the Bobcat (30 to 35 HP or so) are essentially the same tractor in that size (both made by Daedong (they also make models for Bobcat, Mahindra, MCCormick, Cub Cadet, etc.). Ithas been a reliable workhorse. The same frame can come with a 35 HP motor. Power really hasn't been an issue. If I had the Hydro (mine is gear) the extra would be wanted. I just burned 4 piles of logs in the past 2 weeks, and made lots of progress. Things that have helped were installing a toothed bar on the bucket really helps pull out brush and small trees, and really helps get under to lift logs (I don't have a grapple). I use the toothed bar to rip out wild rose and other brambles that grows between the trees I have. With the chains I can typically just pull small trees I don't want out of the ground (up to 4 inches or so) in my VA clay. I do run a box blade, rear plow, brush hog (but prefer my Ferris zero turn that I admittedly abuse), auger, etc. If you can find one, I think it is worth a look. I would get another in a heartbeat.

 

[Jeffory]

You will soon forget how much you paid.

You will always regret buying too small.

DEF is not a deal killer.

If I were king of the world I would make a tractor without computer chips.

 

[JONNY BOYYY]

Hi just joined the group, I’m looking for opinions on what tractor to get I’m thinking that a compact is what I need. I’ve got a little over 20 acres in north east Texas a lot of timber on the property a lot of down trees needing cleaning up and piles to burn.

I’m planning to do a lot of heavy lifting in addition to a good bit of dirt work. That said I require a front end loader, a box blade and eventually like to get a grappler and a brush hog and I’m sure other implants down the road. I’ve gone to several of the local tractor dealers just looking and having no real ideas on what to get.

For the little bit of research that I have done I like a lot of the standard options the new Summit tractor offers. I know it is not a well established company and only time will tell.

One thing I would prefer is that the tractor not need DEF because of the added complexity of them and from what I’ve heard they can be more finicky. I’ve been advised to stay away from the tractors with regin systems.

Additionally I would like to stay under 25k

Thanks in advance.

MOST ANY SMALL JOHN DEERE OR KUBOTA 4X4 SMALL TRACTOR IS ALL YOU NEED WITH A LOADER AND 4 FOOT BUSH HOG..THEN BE SURE TO BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH IT..20 ACRES ISNT MUCH BUT PEOPLE TEND TO ABUSE A SMALL TRACTOR AT FIRST, SO THE WARRANTY WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IN THE LONG RUN--AND A STIHL CHAIN SAW WITH A WARRANTY TOO WILL HELP KEEP YOU FOR PICKING UP LOGS THAT ARE TOO BIG FOR THE TRACTOR..

 

[Yander]

Howdy neighbor! We have slightly less acreage in the Northern Piney Woods. We're a bit south of Lake Bob Sandlin.

I recently ordered a TYM T574H. It is a little higher than your target price, but is feature loaded and well suited to our area and trees. It is a heavy, strong tractor. 4 dealers less than 90 miles from here (Longview, Carthage, Caddo Mills and Tyler). My tractor out the door was less than $30k. You can save roughly $2500 by getting the T494H which is exactly the same tractor without the turbo. If you prefer a shuttle shift, you can shave off another $1500 or so. That would get you pretty close to your price with a full warranty and dealer support.

As far as new tractors are concerned this probably is your best bet.

As usual, see you got a lot of advice that takes you way out of your price range.

I see it all the time, people ask you what your budget is and then they go and double it for you.

If I get a larger tractor I'm certainly going to give tym a look because of their bang for the buck and they're expanding dealer Network

 

[midwestguy]

I do similar work... lots of firewood and cleaning up the woods. I'm very happy I didn't go with the smaller compact tractor frame. I run a Massy Ferguson 2605H, 4WD, with 911 loader. Filled rear tires, and still run a counter weight for huge buckets of gravel and large logs. I'd say I have the minimum size for this work and it weighs 5400lbs without loader or the filled rear tires.

If nothing else - PLEASE consider LARGE front tires. The first time you get a good load on the front and drive over any non-flat terrain, you will know why.

 

[Woodfarmer]

I have a 1996 CaseIh 5230. It’s 90hp mfd with a Farmi winch on the back and a grapple on the loader. This has the Cummins engine. There is also a 5220 which has the 4 cylinder.
You‘ll find these in your price range and are far better and cheaper than a compact tractor.

 

[hunt4570]

Wow, lots of advice here I've read some but not all. Some good and some not so good at least in my opinion for whatever that's worth, here's mine, I have a hundred acres of reasonably flatish land and pretty sandy lots of trees. My 37hp Kubota does fine, a little more power on occasion would be nice but it does everything I need it to do. Things I think is good on a tractor for what you might be doing is 4 wheel drive, and a loader with a quick release bucket arrangement and hydraulics up front for a grapple. I change my front implements more than my rear ones. Up front I have the obvious bucket along with a set of fork lift type forks and a grapple, makes for quick work picking up things of all kinds, brush, logs, rocks and others. I have a little saw mill and the forks do wonders for moving lumber and such around. In the back a carryall is great for day to day stuff like chainsaws and other tools, then a brush hog, a rake or blade and maybe a box blade or something. don't have to get it all at the same time but as you need it.