Another "Help me pick a tractor" thread

[Diggin It]

Does it make sense to finance implements with the purchase of the tractor, or pay cash if possible?

Does it make sense to roll in the backhoe with the tractor purchase or wait and buy that later as an ad on?

If you're going to buy new and know you want the BH, you really want the BH from the start. They're much more expensive to add on afterwards and more difficult to find one matched to the tractor and get installed properly.


Implements is another one of those personal choices. Adding them into the contract means you're only paying a few dollars a month for each instead of hundreds or thousands up front. It's all about how much liquid capital you want to commit.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Like Diggin it said, ussually a lot cheaper to get everything as a package at the time of purchase. Especially expensive stuff like a BH. Try to line up your priorities and get the implementation/ attachments that you will need to do those jobs.

Everyone has different tasks and different priorities, for instance, for me a BH was far more important than a mower or box blade. I ended up finding a 72" finish mower and a box blade from an estate sale...both were brand new, puchased by the previous owner a few years earlier, but he never used them. I got them both for around $1,000. All depends on your needs.

 

[niterydr]

Like Diggin it said, ussually a lot cheaper to get everything as a package at the time of purchase. Especially expensive stuff like a BH. Try to line up your priorities and get the implementation/ attachments that you will need to do those jobs.

Everyone has different tasks and different priorities, for instance, for me a BH was far more important than a mower or box blade. I ended up finding a 72" finish mower and a box blade from an estate sale...both were brand new, puchased by the previous owner a few years earlier, but he never used them. I got them both for around $1,000. All depends on your needs.

Nice shopping!

I am really torn on this decision and with the pasture probably have a month to decide. I do have some additional liquidity coming to me this season so I could probably buy a cash utility tractor (open cab) to work with for now with a FEL, most around here appear to be 2wd. Just trying to decide if I want a cash "now" tractor that I could trade in later, or the tractor for the next 5+ years now. Always a problem with me, perfect vs. continuous improvement.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Shopping for used can be very area dependent. Before I moved out west here from the NE, I sold my Ford 1710 w/ fel and 5' bush hog for $2250. I was thinking I would just buy a similar tractor here once we settled in. Wrong! I probably would have gotten 3x as much for my tractor! There were nothing but POS for $$6-7 K and higher. Very limited to what was even available, so prices are higher and they still are! The local K, JD, and NH dealers know they have a captive market and have prices 15-20% higher than out of state dealers. I drove 1100 miles RT, to a Colorado dealer, but saved just over $5,000!.

I got REAL lucky finding the mower and box blade. The guy selling them used to restore 8 and 9N's, he happened to pick it up and just wanted to turn a quick buck.

Over the years, I've gotten tired of buying 'used' and getting burned. Many people have the opposite experience and it works out for them. The greater amount of 'selection' you have, the easier it would be to get something good. I was just reading a post in the buying/ pricing thread where a guy bought a used Branson from a dealer....it looked good...but the tranny is leaking white milky oil...he got lucky, the dealer is taking it back and refunding him. I wouldn't be so lucky!

 

[niterydr]

Well I called the "big 3" around here.

John Deere. Recommended a 5055E package (with H240 loader and bale spear). $42,500, they are offering 0% @ 84 months promo financing.
Kubota recommended a M6060. He wants $42,500 as well. 0% @ 60 months.
Massey said I should go with a 1750M. $35,000, no special financing.
Branson: 4225C - $29,795

	Branson 4225C	Massey Ferguson 1750M	Kubota M6060	John Deere 5055E
Quoted Price	$29,795	$35,000	$42,500	$42,500
Monthly Pay Est	$448.23	$579.89	$708.33	$505.95
Tractor Weight	4,221 lbs	4,299 lbs	5,358 lbs	7,054 lbs
Loader	BL200	DL135	LA1154	H240
Load Lift Capacity @ Pins	2,701 lbs	1,760 lbs	2,928 lbs	2,606 lbs
3 Point Lift	Cat 1 - 3,637lbs @ 24"	Cat 1 - 2,535lbs @ 24"	Cat 2 - 3,307lbs @ 24"	cat 2 - 3,192lbs @ 24"
Horsepower/PTO HP	42/36	48.8/38.1	63.5/56	59/41

Now not 100% apples to apples as the Branson recommendation is quite a bit cheaper and Kubota went straight to a big gun. Deere financing is very attractive.

 

[Bigpuddie]

Well I called the "big 3" around here.

John Deere. Recommended a 5055E package (with H240 loader and bale spear). $42,500, they are offering 0% @ 84 months promo financing.
Kubota recommended a M6060. He wants $42,500 as well. 0% @ 60 months.
Massey said I should go with a 1750M. $35,000, no special financing.
Branson: 4225C - $29,795

	Branson 4225C	Massey Ferguson 1750M	Kubota M6060	John Deere 5055E
Quoted Price	$29,795	$35,000	$42,500	$42,500
Monthly Pay Est	$448.23	$579.89	$708.33	$505.95
Tractor Weight	4,221 lbs	4,299 lbs	5,358 lbs	7,054 lbs
Loader	BL200	DL135	LA1154	H240
Load Lift Capacity @ Pins	2,701 lbs	1,760 lbs	2,928 lbs	2,606 lbs
3 Point Lift	Cat 1 - 3,637lbs @ 24"	Cat 1 - 2,535lbs @ 24"	Cat 2 - 3,307lbs @ 24"	cat 2 - 3,192lbs @ 24"
Horsepower/PTO HP	42/36	48.8/38.1	63.5/56	59/41

Now not 100% apples to apples as the Branson recommendation is quite a bit cheaper and Kubota went straight to a big gun. Deere financing is very attractive.

Out of those choices, get the Kubota M6060.

 

[vvanders]

Man Kubota dealer really did go for the big one. I would think a L4060 would be where I'd start. Keep in mind that Kubota rates their loaders very conservatively. L4760 gets you up to the LA1055 which is totally sufficient for rounds. Moving dirt is all about weight, Grand L or MX has that pretty well covered.

If cab isn't a hard requirement you can find a MX4800 up here for under $30k or so last I looked. I opted for the L to get HST+ but the MX is a heck of a deal if they work out.

 

[TheMadOne]

I would never buy a 5055E or 5065E. Listening to this video soured me on them. I believe there's more videos out there like it.

Also the engine to PTO efficiency on the Massey, and especially on the JD seems wonky.

Branson-85.7% efficient
Massey-78% efficient
Kubota-88.2% efficient
John Deere-69.5% efficient

Where did you source your numbers? The JD numbers do not match TractorData. They show 55/45. Which is a much more reasonable 81.8% efficiency.

Kubota doesn't really have an economy setup with a cab. That's why they went to the M6060. Against the Grand L line pricing is close enough, even against the L4760, to make it a no brainer to grab the M for doing the kind of work you've outlined.

A few other notes. Both the Branson and Massey are dry clutch designs, the Kubota wet clutch. Couldn't find the info for the JD.

Branson, Massey, and Kubota are all full shuttle shift. JD is a weird hybrid shuttle with 9 forward and 3 reverse.

JD engine is a 3 banger. All others are 4s.

Branson isn't turbo charged.

Kubota has the largest displacement.

JD engine is almost "square"(4.19" bore/4.33" stroke). Kubota is 1" of bore under stroke(3.7" bore/4.7" stroke). The larger the stroke is in comparison to the bore, the higher torque values produced at a given HP. Square is when the two measurements are the same. Branson and Massey fall in the middle.

 

[BAP]

To really compare the tractor brands and prices, you need to get prices for the same size tractor, with the same features from each company. Pick a PTO HP size that you think you need and get a quote from each dealer and tell them how you want it equipped. Right now the Branson looks way, way cheaper and the Massey quite a bit cheaper, BUT, they are 2-3 sizes smaller tractors. I think if you tell the dealers what specs you want and compare apples to apples, you will find much less difference in price. Dealers can easily make their tractor much cheaper by quoting a little smaller tractor with a little less features and if you don’t compare carefully, you don’t realize that. Make sure you try each tractor out before you buy. You may find out that there are some that you hate the control layout or how they operate and how comfortable you feel on them. You don’t want to end up with a tractor that you don’t like, or are scared to operate.

 

[nrosario]

To really compare the tractor brands and prices, you need to get prices for the same size tractor, with the same features from each company. Pick a PTO HP size that you think you need and get a quote from each dealer and tell them how you want it equipped. Right now the Branson looks way, way cheaper and the Massey quite a bit cheaper, BUT, they are 2-3 sizes smaller tractors. I think if you tell the dealers what specs you want and compare apples to apples, you will find much less difference in price. Dealers can easily make their tractor much cheaper by quoting a little smaller tractor with a little less features and if you don稚 compare carefully, you don稚 realize that. Make sure you try each tractor out before you buy. You may find out that there are some that you hate the control layout or how they operate and how comfortable you feel on them. You don稚 want to end up with a tractor that you don稚 like, or are scared to operate.

Agree 100%.
The listed models are not in the same class/size.
The New Holland Website has a good comparison tool.

Weight/Lift Capacity/PTO HP/Price are good starting points.
But also there are tractors that are the best on paper but on real world application they are not quite there, and the opposite could be true too. Tractors that are listing xyz but when you need them to perform they deliver beyond expectations.

It is very important that you try the machine, or at least something similar, before you buy.

Good luck!