Compact right for me? Thinking of a new Deere.

[MountainMomma]

I just traded in my 2520 and bought my first ever new tractor. I bought a 2302R with loader and front mounted 59" snowblower for $32,000. I mow about 17 acres withe brush hog, clear the 1100' driveway with the snowblower, haul firewood etc and haul manure etc for the garden. It has hst transmission with cruise control and will be the last tractor I own. With 0% financing and a generous discount I was very happy. The snow blower was about $6000

Jack: Sounds AMAZING! Congrats on your purchase. I’m planning to visit the dealer and take a ride on a Yanmar soon.

 

[ericm979]

automatic throttle is on HST machines. It links the throttle to the HST pedal. So you don't have to set the hand throttle to the highest rpm you need (for the fastest speed you want to go).

My Branson has a simple mechanical version of that. I didn't think it would be that useful as I was already used to doing it the old way, but it is. It's especially good when you're doing loader work and want a moderate rpm except when you want the tractor to move fast. The engine will stay at 2000 rpm or wherever I set it but when I press the HST pedal down past a certain point the engine will rev up so there's always plenty of power for the speed I want the tractor to go.

If you're used to an 8N a modern HST tractor's going to be quite a revelation.

 

[MountainMomma]

If you're used to an 8N a modern HST tractor's going to be quite a revelation.

TRUTH!

 

[Tractorable]

The Yanmar YT235 is a very nice tractor. Yanmar and Kubota are both 100+ year old Japanese companies that build all their products in-house in Japan.

Consider whether you want to run a 5ft or 6ft mower. The YT235 is a little light for a 6ft mower.

 

[MountainMomma]

The Yanmar YT235 is a very nice tractor. Yanmar and Kubota are both 100+ year old Japanese companies that build all their products in-house in Japan.

Consider whether you want to run a 5ft or 6ft mower. The YT235 is a little light for a 6ft mower.

It’s in our price range... tell me, would the 5 ft. be more manageable, in general? Because we have time... we don’t need the most efficient mowing on the planet... just the ABILITY to mow on hills. I was thinking the 5’ would actually be more manageable. Thoughts?

 

[Tractorable]

Sure, if you have the time, a 5ft mower will do the work you need, it’ll just take a little longer. 35hp is more than enough to turn a 5ft bush hog. The dealer should load the rear tires with a new purchase for extra stability on hills.

 

[MountainMomma]

Sure, if you have the time, a 5ft mower will do the work you need, it’ll just take a little longer. 35hp is more than enough to turn a 5ft bush hog. The dealer should load the rear tires with a new purchase for extra stability on hills.

Thanks! (I’m guessing a replacement 5 ft would also be a bit cheaper than a 6 ft. in the future.)

Also: I see on the possible attachments that there is haying equipment. I don’t THINK that we’ll get into haying, but just in case, the attachments come up with you view the tractor, yet the descriptions keep saying “perfect for a 30 hp tractor.” Does that mean that 30 hp is the right size for those attachments (and the YT235 would be overpowered for them) or just that you need at least 30 hp to run them?

 

[ericm979]

The price difference between 5' and 6' rotaries is only 2-300 $$. I went with a 5' for manuverability as I mow relatively small areas around trees and brush. As i clear brush the areas are getting larger but it's taking a while. If I was mowing larger areas I'd have gotten the 6'. 7' single blade rotaries are sticking way out there. With 32 pto hp the tractor engine never even slows down with a 5' in my grass and brush.

Yanmar's saying those implements would go well with a 30hp class tractor. They might be a little small for a 50hp class.

 

[Nikkorott]

I recently bought a 2013 Deere 3720. It's a nice tractor but... if it wasn't for this website and some others I would be lost. I bought a hydraulic kit to install. Once it arrived I open the box and pulled out the little plastic bag with the instructions. It was a single sheet of paper with one line, printed in 24 different languages, that basically said ask dealer to print instructions. Calling the Deere dealer and getting bounced between the Parts dept. & Service dept. the service folks finally emailed the instructions to me. Two brackets, a hose, some fittings, 3 pieces of tubing for $500 and was it never going to work. This where this website and others saved my butt. Some kind hearted souls already mapped the path I was stumbling down and directed me to the correct piece of tubing and part number. Add on another $130 for the correct tubing. It's all installed now and I have to say, I'm not that impressed. The new brackets restrict access to the hydraulic fill and some of the tubing needs to be tweaked give a gap to stay away from a linkage. Like I said earlier, it's a nice tractor. Deere and Deere dealerships sell lawnmowers, compact tractors and ag. equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you were in their shoes what would you focus on?

 

[Tennsawdust]

All these responses are SO helpful, people!

You all have talked me into a FEL. I probably might someday like a forklift for hay bales and other tasks that I don稚 understand now. What kinds of things besides digging and carrying loads do you all use your buckets for?

I just called one of the dealers, and he was pricing me a 35 hp Yanmar YT for 21K, w/front loader and 3 speed hydrostatic. He made a big deal about an automatic ... throttle? ?maybe? Can稚 remember. I am SO NOT up to speed with all the terms/options. And a 10 year warranty on the power train.

From what I've seen anything in the 35-40 hp range with a loader for $21K is a decent deal. The hydrostat normally adds at least $1500 to the price of a tractor. That tractor should easily run your existing implements. I would recommend that you get one with R1 (agricultural) tires and have the dealer load them and set them full wide. Us mountain folks need all the traction and stability we can get.

 

[Tennsawdust]

Here's a sample of what my neck of woods looks like.
View attachment 603220

 

[MountainMomma]

From what I've seen anything in the 35-40 hp range with a loader for $21K is a decent deal. The hydrostat normally adds at least $1500 to the price of a tractor. That tractor should easily run your existing implements. I would recommend that you get one with R1 (agricultural) tires and have the dealer load them and set them full wide. Us mountain folks need all the traction and stability we can get.

Helpful, thanks!

 

[MountainMomma]

Tenns: your attachment didn’t work for me... :::sigh:::

 

[Tennsawdust]

Here's a sample of what my neck of woods looks like.
View attachment 603220

Tenns: your attachment didn稚 work for me... :::sigh:::

Let's try it again.

 

[Tractorable]

Mountain Momma, did you test drive new tractors this weekend?

 

[cathy liebchen]

Thanks! (I知 guessing a replacement 5 ft would also be a bit cheaper than a 6 ft. in the future.)

Also: I see on the possible attachments that there is haying equipment. I don稚 THINK that we値l get into haying, but just in case, the attachments come up with you view the tractor, yet the descriptions keep saying 菟erfect for a 30 hp tractor. Does that mean that 30 hp is the right size for those attachments (and the YT235 would be overpowered for them) or just that you need at least 30 hp to run them?

You don't want to fool with haying yourself. Lots of people think they will and then realize no way on a small scale with small equipment

 

[Tennsawdust]

Thanks! (I知 guessing a replacement 5 ft would also be a bit cheaper than a 6 ft. in the future.)

Also: I see on the possible attachments that there is haying equipment. I don稚 THINK that we値l get into haying, but just in case, the attachments come up with you view the tractor, yet the descriptions keep saying 菟erfect for a 30 hp tractor. Does that mean that 30 hp is the right size for those attachments (and the YT235 would be overpowered for them) or just that you need at least 30 hp to run them?

That means that you will need at least 30 hp to run them. You would be limited to a mini bailer with a compact tractor. Heavier compacts may also handle a square bailer, but it will push the tractor around quite a bit. It should have no trouble with a sickle-bar mower and most hay rakes.

 

[10backacres]

Really love my 1999 JD mfwd4600 43 hp with FEL. Unless you want to spend lots of dollars don't mess with haying. The minibalers , the swather, and the rake will cost you more than the hay you're buying. I also really like my Seppi m 7 ft Flail the will mulch up to 1.2 inch diam wood,clip the tops of grass to maintain better pasture, or set on the ground it will reduce berryvines/ grass/brush to look like a golf course. This flail counter rotates to making a mulch. Have a 1968 mf 135 35 hp with FEL pita to keep running .. it's old and tired. with higher hp you can do more. I found out with the mf that "just enough" isn't as much fun as more then enough. Had french alpines for many years.

 

[MountainMomma]

Yup; our hills are like yours!

 

[MountainMomma]

Mountain Momma, did you test drive new tractors this weekend?

Going tomorrow!