another new guy with questions (long)

[MossRoad]

Not replying to anyone in particular, but since you're the last poster, you win the prize! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Don't want to sound rude here, so please bear with me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm not the most eloquent speaker... but I am a self appointed know-it-all! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif So here goes...

Size of the land has nothing to do with size of the tractor. Tractor size should be based on three things...

1. The tasks that you want to accomplish
2. In the time you have alotted to accomplish them
3. While keeping within your budget.

For instance, we have 20 acres of land and only a PT425. But all we will have to do with it once the house is built is mow about 1/2 acre of lawn around the house, plow the driveway of snow(about 400 feet), mow about 2 miles of trails, and haul logs out of the woods. Add in the ocassional brush hogging of the small field patches, and the smaller 400 series is perfect for our tasks, time and budget.

We originally bought a large, used tractor/loader and cut in the road and brush hogged 4 acres of tree plantation and 6 acres of field three times a year. After 10 years, the trees got too tall to mow between and we decided to let most of the 6 acres go wild, we downsized to the PT425. The PT425 would not have been the ideal machine to do all of those tasks in the time and budget that we had. It could have done them, but it would have taken lots more time. The used large machine was the way to go for us at that time.

So carefully plan out your tasks. Use a 1-2-5 year plan and see what you come up with for tasks and time. Then find a machine that will do them within the budget you have. If you can't match things up, you have to adjust the time and budget to suit the tasks. Also, don't rule out two machines. A large one for large tasks and a small riding mower or lawn tractor for the lawn. Once the largest of tasks is done, you can sell them both and go with a mid-sized machine that is not too big for lawn mowing, yet not too small to remove snow, haul logs, dig a ditch, etc...

Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Size of the land has nothing to do with size of the tractor. )</font>

I disagree and I think you contradict yourself. Sure, if you have 40 acres but only plan to manage 2, then you don't a huge tractor. If you have 40 acres and plan to manage 10, you'd be better off thinking about it. The problem isn't just the size of the tractor but it's also the tractor's durabilty. If you want to spend $15K or $20K on a little tractor and work it into the ground then that's your choice. But if you could have spent maybe $5K or $10K more in order to get equipment that will last longer and require less maintenace (due to less breakdowns) then I'd put my money on that.

The bigger the machine, the more durable the construction.

Put another way, you could also mow down 20 acres of weeds and brush with a $2K craftsman lawn tractor. It might not last a very long time doing that but hey, you CAN do it.

As always, what you plan to use the tractor for (now and in the future) should dictate the size of the tractor. And on that note, I think a bunch of us agree that it would be foolish to plan to use a PT 425 to take on very big jobs. Unplanned big jobs (that start off with "Hey, let's see if the 425 can do X") are a different beast all together.

 

[FOURTEEN]

"Hey, let's see if the 425 can do X"


<font color="red"> Usually, one way or another, it can!!

I regularly do things with the PT-425 this year that last year I would have considered difficult if not impossible!!!

</font>

 

[Barryh]

Sometimes Y and Z too! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif