First Post, First day owning a tractor, and I already need HELP! Kinda Long!

[k0ua]

I would HIGHLY recommend you get a HST equipped tractor. There are many reasons to use hydrostatic in a tractor of the size and the uses you are interested in. I have owned 5 tractors over the lat 25 years, 2 gear and 3 hydrostatic, I choose hydro from now on.

 

[4570Man]

HST is king except for ground engaging implements. If your primary use is ground engaging implementations you’ve already messed up buying a compact tractor. I like the shuttle shift in my backhoe pretty well but it’s a far cry from a compact tractor at over 8 tons and 100 hp. It’s also a far cry from the simple geared transmissions. Prior to having my L3240 hst I had a L3130 geared. My L3240 was much more pleasant to use and much more productive than the geared machine. My grandpa used to have a L2550 with a GST transmission. It worked pretty good but unfortunately the non synchronized 1-4/hi/low crash box transmissions are much more common than the GST and they’re awful to use.

 

[dodge man]

HST transmissions are pretty much a fact of life in smaller tractors. There is a good reason for that too. I agree, with the big boys, they aren't going to cut it but most of the people on this forum are homeowners users or smaller acreage users so HST is going to serve them better.

 

[3gunr]

Sounds like a good deal. maybe spend some time running around on it making sure everything works right. People are always saying good used compacts are hard to come by. you might have found one.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Well... I filled out the credit paperwork on that new Branson 3015R. I like the tractor more, !!WARRANTY!!, free delivery, great dealer, a brand that is still making tractors, a brand that in my opinion is only going to get better, National HQ 1.5 hours away, did I say WARRANTY?!? This way I won't have to clean out the bank account, put 25% down and finance the rest. I will send some pictures when I get it home tomorrow. Thanks again for all of your wisdom.

 

[coobie]

Well... I filled out the credit paperwork on that new Branson 3015R. I like the tractor more, !!WARRANTY!!, free delivery, great dealer, a brand that is still making tractors, a brand that in my opinion is only going to get better, National HQ 1.5 hours away, did I say WARRANTY?!? This way I won't have to clean out the bank account, put 25% down and finance the rest. I will send some pictures when I get it home tomorrow. Thanks again for all of your wisdom.

You did good..

 

[shooterdon]

HH,
Having a warranty gives a lot of peace of mind. Enjoy your new tractor.

 

[rScotty]

Well... I filled out the credit paperwork on that new Branson 3015R. I like the tractor more, !!WARRANTY!!, free delivery, great dealer, a brand that is still making tractors, a brand that in my opinion is only going to get better, National HQ 1.5 hours away, did I say WARRANTY?!? This way I won't have to clean out the bank account, put 25% down and finance the rest. I will send some pictures when I get it home tomorrow. Thanks again for all of your wisdom.

I see that Branson offers several tractor models right around that 3015R series. THey seem to be close to the same HP and transmission specs. What's the difference between the Branson 15/20/25 series tractors? And what makes the weight different?
Maybe some Branson guy can explain the differences in their model system.
rScotty

 

[LouNY]

From what I have seen the 15 to 20's are about a 1,000 pounds heavier, more lift capacity,more tire, larger frame;
from the 20 to the 25's a 4 cylinder instead of a 3 cylinder a bit more frame size, lift and loader capacity
a bit nicer in the sway bars and controls.
One thing I like with all of them is the 2 speed pto with the 540 economy pto mode.

 

[rScotty]

From what I have seen the 15 to 20's are about a 1,000 pounds heavier, more lift capacity,more tire, larger frame;
from the 20 to the 25's a 4 cylinder instead of a 3 cylinder a bit more frame size, lift and loader capacity
a bit nicer in the sway bars and controls.
One thing I like with all of them is the 2 speed pto with the 540 economy pto mode.

Sounds interesting. I'd go for weight, frame, and wider tire settings myself, but actually prefer the smoother way most 3 cylinder engine run.
What I'm trying to do is find a website where I can specify what I want in a Branson tractor and the site will give me a price. Most tractor manufacturers have that feature online. I think Kubota's is "Build your Kubota". And I know I've used a similar feature for other tractor brands. But I can't seem to find that info for Branson. Anyone have a link? I'll post this down on the Branson site and ask there too.
rScotty