SLOBuds
Gold Member
Now for the serious aspect of my decision (secondary to my wife's buy-in) ...
I was highly price conscious and a reasonably informed consumer. This means that I had a solid understanding of what size tractor I needed and which implements also.
Read these forums long enough and you will find out about 'need versus want' distinctions. Let's say I've decided that I need to dig holes in the ground. I can do that with my hands, a stick, a shovel, a backhoe, or kick the ground with my shoes.
OK, so then let's then say I decide that I 'need' a backhoe. I can get a backhoe attached to a 22 horsepower tractor, a 35 horsepower tractor, a 100 horsepower tractor, a dedicated 800 horsepower backhoe, or I can try to operate the backhoe with my hands and arms.
The point is that you will find many times in these forums when someone says 'anything you can do with a larger tractor, you can do with a smaller tractor ... except slower.' So the need versus want versus price versus quality is art and emotion. Plus all of the stuff we fool ourselves with, thinking it is logic.
It's interesting to see most folks on the forum will say that all of the major tractor manufacturers build very good machines. Many of those same folks have strong brand loyalty. I do love my Kubota. But any of the others in its class perform just as well or maybe better in this or that way.
Compact tractor purchases might be purchased on art and emotion more than large tractor purchases - mostly used for commercial purposes. Small tractors are used for commercial purposes too. But I dont think as much. With commercial purchases there is usually a more rigorous cost/benefit analysis going along with the acquisition.
Most tractor owners are people who use their machines. Very few don't. So quality is a given. You can't even be in the tractor game if you don't have quality. Bad quality means that, over the long run, tractors are down and unusable. Not good.
Service availability is like quality. If you can't get service when you need it, tractors are down and unusable. Ditto on the 'not good.'
Very few people on this board are not price conscious. Most understand what they can afford.
Most people on the board are males who have the genetic male defect of wanting to buy a new tool for each incremental project that needs it. We get a bit of conversation of those people with a strong buy-tool characteristic, against a rent-when-needed group. It leaves me frustrated because I like to buy things, but the rent-when-needed team presents highly compelling arguments!
Compact tractors are a relatively new phenomenon having bloomed because of our fortunate affluence. First it was the push mower. Then the walking power mower. Then riding mower. Then small tractors with gadgets. People from 50 years ago would probably label this entire conversation as 'want' rather than 'need'.
Other than these unique aspects above, your group here are making the normal consumer choices between price, quality and service. Not sure what you plan to do with this data since the data points are small and inconclusive.
Your professors should give you extra points definitely for going on a nice field trip.
Good luck. Sure glad I don't have massive reports every day anymore!
I was highly price conscious and a reasonably informed consumer. This means that I had a solid understanding of what size tractor I needed and which implements also.
Read these forums long enough and you will find out about 'need versus want' distinctions. Let's say I've decided that I need to dig holes in the ground. I can do that with my hands, a stick, a shovel, a backhoe, or kick the ground with my shoes.
OK, so then let's then say I decide that I 'need' a backhoe. I can get a backhoe attached to a 22 horsepower tractor, a 35 horsepower tractor, a 100 horsepower tractor, a dedicated 800 horsepower backhoe, or I can try to operate the backhoe with my hands and arms.
The point is that you will find many times in these forums when someone says 'anything you can do with a larger tractor, you can do with a smaller tractor ... except slower.' So the need versus want versus price versus quality is art and emotion. Plus all of the stuff we fool ourselves with, thinking it is logic.
It's interesting to see most folks on the forum will say that all of the major tractor manufacturers build very good machines. Many of those same folks have strong brand loyalty. I do love my Kubota. But any of the others in its class perform just as well or maybe better in this or that way.
Compact tractor purchases might be purchased on art and emotion more than large tractor purchases - mostly used for commercial purposes. Small tractors are used for commercial purposes too. But I dont think as much. With commercial purchases there is usually a more rigorous cost/benefit analysis going along with the acquisition.
Most tractor owners are people who use their machines. Very few don't. So quality is a given. You can't even be in the tractor game if you don't have quality. Bad quality means that, over the long run, tractors are down and unusable. Not good.
Service availability is like quality. If you can't get service when you need it, tractors are down and unusable. Ditto on the 'not good.'
Very few people on this board are not price conscious. Most understand what they can afford.
Most people on the board are males who have the genetic male defect of wanting to buy a new tool for each incremental project that needs it. We get a bit of conversation of those people with a strong buy-tool characteristic, against a rent-when-needed group. It leaves me frustrated because I like to buy things, but the rent-when-needed team presents highly compelling arguments!
Compact tractors are a relatively new phenomenon having bloomed because of our fortunate affluence. First it was the push mower. Then the walking power mower. Then riding mower. Then small tractors with gadgets. People from 50 years ago would probably label this entire conversation as 'want' rather than 'need'.
Other than these unique aspects above, your group here are making the normal consumer choices between price, quality and service. Not sure what you plan to do with this data since the data points are small and inconclusive.
Your professors should give you extra points definitely for going on a nice field trip.
Good luck. Sure glad I don't have massive reports every day anymore!
