First-time Buyer Questions!!

[mwood]

I've been lurking on this forum for a year or so now and am finally settling down on the idea of buying a tractor. Since there is so much good information out here, I wanted to run my thoughts by all you! I really like Green, and I have been well served by their garden tractors in the past so I would like to stay Green if they can meet my needs for a CUT at a decent price.

Here is my dilemma. Any suggestions are welcome!

Current uses:
- ~4 acres finish mowing
- 5+ acres rough cutting (pasture maintenance, etc)
- Moderate Landscaping (mainly moving topsoil, gravel, etc)
- Clearing snow off 100+ yards of driveway with a medium sized hill

My expected future uses:
- Post hole digging for re-fencing the pasture
- Clearing a spot for a pole barn / garage
- Tilling a vegetable garden and some fruit garden preparations

A few notes:
- I have some very muddy areas of my pasture which I will need access to with the tractor.
- I would like to be able to clear snow from some of the lanes through my pasture without having to worry about getting stuck.

I do not ever think I can justify a backhoe since I would probably save money just renting one the couple of times I'll need it.

Having said all this, I was seriously looking at the JD2210 with a MMM and FEL and Brushhog. From what users have said, this is a very good mowing machine, and the loader capacity seems adequate. However, I am a little worried about clearing snow with such a light machine. Also, (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I've heard that the front mount snow blower is not much wider than the machine.

So... now that this has turned into an essay, here are my questions:

1. How limited is this limited CAT 1 hitch? Would it be a problem for a post hole digger, rear mount snow blower, etc?

2. Tires: Some say turf, some say R4's. Any suggestions so I don't get stuck in the mud or slide in the snow?

3. How well with the JD2210 handle a brush cutter?

4. Any ballpark guesses at what the 2210, FEL, MMM and brush cutter will cost? (I guess I should ask, anyone in Upstate NY care to respond as to what they paid for something similar?)

4. I really want to keep this purchase as reasonably priced as possible. Are there any suggestions to other machines that will suit my purposes better?

Thanks to all who have ideas!

 

[KubotaSteve]

I don't really know that much about the green machines, but I would say the 2210 is too small for you. I think the limited ground clearance would be a problem.
Also one other thing that is going to be a tough choice is the tires. I like the R-4's as compromise between turfs and ags, but the R-4's load up with mud and don't clean themselves that well.
As far as machine that is reasonably priced, I think the 7800 is a fine machine. You could get a 72" mid mount mower and a 60" bush hog. The FEL is 54" wide and lifts around 900 pounds. I prefer to go a little bigger that way I won't abuse the machine as bad /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

The 2210 will and won't work for you. I think you are going to have a tough time clearing any ground with the 2210 for a building pad. But if that is a one time thing bring someone in to do that. Also for digging post holes I think you are going to be a little underpowered. Check with the deere dealer on post hold digger compatability.

As far as mowing and clearing snow you will be fine. They make some nice tillers that will work just fine on that unit. They also have some brush cutters that are matched for that unit and will work fine as well.

As far as price deere is as reasonable priced as any of the well known names. You can go with lesser known names but how important is reliability, parts network, knowledgeable dealers, etc. To find out all the attachments and prices go to www.johndeere.com. Here you will find all the prices and all the equipment available for that unit.

Took a quick look at the website and looks like everything is in 4' to match up to the 2210. The LX4 is the brush cutter, the snowblower is 47", the rototiller is 50", a front blade is 54", and the mid mount mower is 54". No post hole diggers mentioned there so I'm not sure on that. Call any deere dealer though and they will be able to tell you.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

As to price. Go to Deere's site and build one. You will get MSRP. Take off 15% to get a pretty good idea. Some dealers will be higher, some lower. You can also look up dealers and solicit bids.

The 2210 is a nice machine. I may oversimplify, but it is a fantastic mower that can handle light uses for dirt work, etc. (there are plenty of 4710 owners who will say the same about my 4310.) You already alluded to the possibility that it might be a little undersized for some of your needs. I am not saying that it is, and if you use it right, it will do a good job.

But I would encourage you to look at small chassis 4x10s like the 4110 and 4115. Even the 4210. It doesn't cost to look. And you will find a couple of things that might help you. Ground clearance, stronger, and better handling of post hole digger, etc. One other small issue is that the Hp on the subcompacts isn't exactly apples to apples comparison to the compacts. They are a little skewed by stating it at a different rpm. So it might sound as if you are getting more engine than you really are with the subCUT. That seems to be universal among the brands, which is kinda lame. IMHO

Of course, they cost a little more, but if you are considering Deere's financing, it is a lot cheaper to do up front than to trade up.

If you decide that you are satisfied with the 2210, you will have made a good choice, I am sure.

 

[mwood]

Thanks to all who have posted thus far! Very good information. I get the idea that I might want something bigger, but not breaking the bank big...

The next option is the 790. While this is really the size tractor I want, I had a few reservations about it. Seeing that it is probably better suited for what I want, I'll post these questions here.

1. What exactly is the Collar Shift? I know it's a gear tranny, but is it shift on the fly, or do you have to stop? I really don't mind the gears.

2. The 419 Loader for the 790 seems to have the same specs as the 210 loader for the 2210. Is this really true?

3. According to the Deere web site, I can't get the 790 with R4's and still use the 60 inch mid mount mower. Since the mower is a must have, am I really stuck with Turf tires? (Then again, I hear they do well in snow... but don't they puncture easier while brush hogging?)

4. Say I go from a 2210 (Aprox $12,700) to a 790 (Aprox $14,700). I gain 4 HP, loose 2 inches on the MMM and gain no loader capacity. Is it really worth the $2,000 for ground clearance and a full CAT 1 hitch? (I'm leaning toward yes, but I do need to justify the money somehow... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)

Thanks again! You all are great!

 

[KubotaSteve]

Have you thought about looking at other colors besides green?
Blue or Orange might have the right combination of features that you are looking for. I'm not familiar with your location in New York, but there is a Kubota dealer on this board from New York. His user name is Art. You might want to check in with him.

 

[BillyP]

I can answer about the collar shift. It is an unsynchronized tranny. The Owner's Manual says you need to stop before your shift to any other gear. Although the OM says you need to, you can shift into another forward gear, without stopping. I wouldn't recommend it though. I had that tranny in a JD 4600 but moved to the hydro in a 4610.

 

[mwood]

I'm really not set on green. However, I really don't know what Kubota or New Holland have to compete with the 790. I know the Kubota has a very similar tractor to the JD 2210, but I guess I just don't have enough info on the other brands...

I like the looks of the JD 790 better than the new styling of the other JD machines. But as the common phrase goes, "Don't judge a book by the cover"..

 

[cowboydoc]

With all of the mowing that you do I think a hydro would be better in your case. I love a gear tractor but for mowing I really like my 455. For your mud and snow removal I would go with R4's. For mowing turfs are great but for anything else they aren't very good.

 

[KubotaSteve]

What HP range are you looking at? Just as a starting point for comparison, I have a Kubota B-7800 (30 HP) with a 60"MMM (72" is available) with 54" FEL and loaded R-4 tires. This ran me about $16,900. It can handle a 60" bush hog pretty easily and can use 12 inch auger on a phd. I also added a 60" boxblade for removing top soil. This tractor may seem a little large at first for mowing, but it pays off when moving snow dirt or when it comes to mud and ground clearance.
Some of the other Kubotas are the B-7510 (21 HP ??) and the B-7610 (24HP??).