Advice/thoughts for my situation

[Bfgloki74]

Greetings! Retired Military and found my slice of heaven here in Northern Maine. Gorgeous 155 Acre lot with 2 large Fields and heavy wooded in between. My drive way is packed loose gravel and exactly 1/2 mile long. The open fields are grass/dandelion mixed style weeds except around the house. Front area is about 15 acres then a fairly well cleared 1/2 mile road/trail to the back field which is easily as big if not a little bigger. There are several trails of varying conditions and widths leading up from the back area that lead up the hill to the rest of the lot ( still exploring). After lots of deliberation and soul searching on realistic use and projects I am trying to settle on a tractor. Dealerships range from 2 within 15 miles ( LS, Yanmar, Bobcat and Mahindria. 1.5 hrs away I can get JD and Kubota. The class/size I am thinking of settling on relates to the YT235 from Yanmar size ( sub compact?) Its primary use will be Brush hog the front field ( contracting the back field to farmer for hay) Grading and upkeep of driveway , snow blowing and of course some small projects like removing debris /trail maintenance and gardening. Ditch and water run off control near my trails and driveway will also be in the cards along with building a small range to shoot and develop hunting/target loads for my gun hobbies. I have no visions of moving tons of earth in a short period of time so super large machines are out and storage for the first 3 years will be my oversized garage until my barn is built.

So with that said I have settled on the following attachments: 72" Brush hog with slip clutch, Front mounted Snowblower (60") the box scraper ( 6ft I think it is) and the backhoe kit.


After exhausting pricing, test drives and dealership commuting I am leaning toward the YT235 with the Factory Cab. IT comes standard with the front loader ( which was the only of the lot that did ) and pricewise with all the attachments comes in right under $41,000. The Kubota was 12k more and the LS and Bobcats were within 1500 on either side. The feel of the Yanmar was by far the best of the lot to me which is why I am leaning this way. Size wise it will easily fit in the garage. The larger 349/357 didn't make the cut due to clearance and just too big for some of the trails I will be working on. The heavier and greater HP for sure would make life easier but as I said I realistically wont be moving tons of earth or working huge projects and if I do, rental of larger machines/bull dozer when the time comes is the plan. I am of the "buy once, cry once" school of thought but also don't feel spending 12K more and traveling 1.5 hrs for face to face support if needed warrants the orange or Greene color if indeed what I am reading/hearing is Yanmar is of similar Japanese quality.


So really just looking for some insight, words of wisdom and suggestions before I make the final decision. Minus 1 or 2 "I bought a lemon" stories I seen, which all brands have...I am curious to hear opinions with explanations on why. IF your brand loyal that's ok too...just a reason or 2 why would be greatly appreciated. My father owns a small/older Kubota ( cant recall model atm) and its a nice little machine.

I can go into more detail if needed so just ask. I have mechanical and electircal backround from my time in the service ( mostly airplane realted but i understand concepts) so light self maintenance will be done by me as I learn whatever machine I settle on. So any insight on that aspect is welcomed as well!

Cheers!

 

[BigNuge]

Subscribed for the input. I’m in a similar boat, but not nearly as much land....down in NH.

When you say northern ME, like Fort Kent type area? Hunted/camped/hiked Maine extensively...beautiful place!

 

[tradosaurus]

Awesome piece of land and congrats on your service. I'm trying to convince my son to pull 20 in the military once he commissions.

did you get a chance to sit and operate the brand of tractors you looked at? What feels more comfortable? Look underneath the tractors and see which one protects the filters and hydraulic lines as you eventually run over small stumps and rocks.

Compare the size of the front axle for each tractor.

Since I didn't get a cab the cost difference between each brand (except for maybe JD) for the size of tractor I bought wasn't that great and the dealer support factored in also. Based on nearness of dealers (within 25 miles) it was between Kubota, New Holland, and John Deere.

When I bought my first and only tractor last year I just didn't know enough because I never operated a tractor before. Even watching Ytube videos and perusing this site didn't keep me from wishing I would have gotten a bigger size.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Bfgloki74]

BigNuge: Almost exactly Ft Kent! Frenchville just 8 miles east. I have a lot of family just over the border in Canada near the FT Kent Crossing.

tradosaurus: The retirement for newer kids joining the Military is a little different from what I am pulling but honestly the atmosphere and people will either grab and hold on or not. My daughter is in the same boat and she grew up military and loves the discipline and people. Given that she still doesn't know if she will commission to Active duty or not after he ROTC scholarship commissions her. She will serve, just unsure of Reserve, Guard or AD. Even a 6 year commitment though is worth it for kids to gain that paid experience and leadership opportunity as an officer that the military will afford them.
As for testing out, yes. I sat and operated them all and the Yanmar was the most refined. It is sort of like sitting in a Chevy vs a GMC. Both nice and made by GM but the GMCs are just nicer and polished. I love the dual PTO on the YT235 and they had a backhoe set up on one and it was pleasantly surprising in terms of power/digging. I am going cab mainly because winters can be pretty rough ( love it just am a realist) and plowing that long stretch is going to be easier in a cab out of the wind and heated. Summer use also can be A/C cooled which when mowing the field can be nice and it keeps the bugs away in the early season when they are aggressive up here. The cab in the Yanmar was hands above all but the JD. That was a closer comparison and given the history of Yanmar building the JDs to a certain extent, its understandable. Controls were fairly easy to adjust to from tractor to tractor. The LS felt 'rugged' along with the Kubota. Mahindiria was underwhelming in terms of finish but it seems to be the tractor a lot of the farmers have around here due to cost and use. Bobcat is Bobcat. Name recognition is about all I have to say for them and it was a decent machine...just felt underpowered for the size. The PTO was loud as sin...and that's saying a lot given my hearing loss. I know it pretty much sounds like I have settled on the Yanmar ( and honestly I am 95% sure I have) but given all that I still value opinions of those who have traveled the road before and weigh all that is said. I have operated tractors in the past to very light degree but owning my own and putting it to work is new.

Dealerships are all equal in terms of staff and comfort levels. How close they are is the main difference. Kubota and JD are just so far and that is nice in the fair weather days but a winter storm and suddenly can be a challenge if I need something or an issue arises.

 

[crashz]

The YT series seems very similar to the old John Deere (yanmar built) 750, 770, 790 machines. The EX3200 is the exact same tractor with HST. I can assure you, they were bulletproof. My 770 (my father has it now) has done ridiculous things and still starts and runs like a dream. I miss that tractor.

But with 155 acres, I feel that you may be buying a little small. Its a small, light and maneuverable tractor, but with that much land, I think you may be wanting a bit more

 

[rademamj1]

The YT235 should handle all your needs, even on a 155 acre property. Just needs to take time to do all your tasks. Its a wonderful tractor. I have looked at the specs, and thought the hydraulic pump capacity was rather limited at 7.1 gpm for a hydrostatic. Again, just needs to do things at slower pace on this tractor.

 

[3Ts]

Its primary use will be Brush hog the front field ( contracting the back field to farmer for hay) Grading and upkeep of driveway , snow blowing and of course some small projects like removing debris /trail maintenance and gardening. Ditch and water run off control near my trails and driveway will also be in the cards along with building a small range to shoot and develop hunting/target loads for my gun hobbies. I have no visions of moving tons of earth in a short period of time so super large machines are out and storage for the first 3 years will be my oversized garage until my barn is built.

To summarize, it sounds like you'll be using it to maintain your trails and driveway and to mow the 15 acres up front. That you plan to let the wooded areas grow with maybe some clearing of trees for additional trails/shooting range, meaning no plans for logging or digging ponds. I think you've done a good job on evaluating the tractors available and have a good size selected, with one exception. 15 acres of mowing is going to take awhile with a 6' mower. I would still go with the YT235, just plan on either taking a while to mow it or lease it out to the guy that is haying the back pasture.

The brochure says the rear remotes are optional. Be sure you get them, you will need them sooner than later.

 

[Bfgloki74]

Being retired , taking my time is the name of the game. The only "hard work" task that will be on the clock is the snow blowing when a storm hits. Given the width of the blower I easily see driving out and back to the end of driveway as easily relocating the snow and not having to pass a 3rd/4th time minus the attention toward the end and by the house. The "mowing" will be done leisurely and the amount I mow is TBD based on how it looks. I have a nice finishing mower for close to the house. The front loader is big enough to move the topsoil for gardening and loose gravel for when I regrade the 2 parts of the driveway that look like they would be susceptible to erosion.

The larger 347/359 is just a hair too big for storage and for the trail work that I will also be doing. Not to mention there are no Front snowblower options for those and a half mile backwards round trip is not what I want. Again this is mostly assuming I go with the Yanmar.

 

[Blue14]

A friend of mine just bought a Yanmar YT235 Cab last summer and mounted a Berco 66 inch snowblower on the front and he is very well satisfied with it.
I had bought a Yanmar YT359C back in Jan. 2018 after owning 3 kubotas and I wanted to go with the IHMT transmission and I am impressed with the quality and workmanship over some other brands that I looked at when researching another tractor, you will be well pleased with your Yanmar if you choose to purchase it.

 

[rScotty]

Being retired , taking my time is the name of the game. The only "hard work" task that will be on the clock is the snow blowing when a storm hits. Given the width of the blower I easily see driving out and back to the end of driveway as easily relocating the snow and not having to pass a 3rd/4th time minus the attention toward the end and by the house. The "mowing" will be done leisurely and the amount I mow is TBD based on how it looks. I have a nice finishing mower for close to the house. The front loader is big enough to move the topsoil for gardening and loose gravel for when I regrade the 2 parts of the driveway that look like they would be susceptible to erosion.

The larger 347/359 is just a hair too big for storage and for the trail work that I will also be doing. Not to mention there are no Front snowblower options for those and a half mile backwards round trip is not what I want. Again this is mostly assuming I go with the Yanmar.

Yanmar is quality. I think you mentioned that you noticed that. For awhile they were too expensive to be competitive, but I understand that they are now more affordable. Yanmar is a huge old company and tractors are just one division. But being big gives them the ability to do a lot of things in house - like smelting, casting, & machining their own iron & steel in house. That keeps quality up.

I didn't know that there didn't have a front snowblower option for the larger size. That's too bad. So I'm guessing the larger tractor with the nifty IHMT tranny is out of the running if it can't work a front snowblower. I'm with you on that. Us older guys like to look forward.

Before you said that about the snowblower, I was going to ask if you had looked at tire options as a way to lower it enough to make it fit your storage. Industrial R4 tread is a nice tire compromise, saves a couple inches in height, and works well in most all conditions. We have tractors with all three main tread types and like the R4 industrial tread the best, so if that would save enough height the tire tread is as good as any.

Not sure what you mean by too wide for the trails. My experience is that once you drive down a trail ia few times in a tractor then that's instantly how big the trail is....
Are the cabs the same? Larger tractors tend to have larger cabs, but is it enough to make a difference?

One member said that what he did was cut a pole the exact width of the tractor that he was considering and walked the trails on his land one day. That way he could get a better idea of exactly what width tractor he wanted.